Yup, mea culpa, my mention of the Alcestis was thread suggested. I am _so_
dumb.
I cam see you're off the soapbox.
Enjoy that sun (you lucky Antipodean you)
Best
From the November glooms
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
Home Page
A Chide's Alphabet
Painting Without Numbers
www.paintstuff.20m.com/index.htm
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: Ted Hughes' Alcestis
> The air of prissiness - only a faint air, a slight scent of a man among
> books writing of blood - pertains to the Oresteia, not the Alcestis.
Which
> I haven't got around to reading either, though I might next.
>
> Off my soapbox and off to do something in the sun, which amazingly has
> decided to come out today -
>
> Best
>
> A
>
> >I couldn't agree with you more about the _energy_ of the TH Oedipus, what
I
> >was thinking of was the air of impending imbalance in its language, the
> >black is too black, too monotone, as for the thought of Ted being prissy
in
> >his Alcestis, my god, is nothing to be relied on (I haven't read it you
> >know, he confessed)
> >
> >The mention of Muller, and the association of rendition of true horror,
is
> >most pertinent.
> >
> >You can get off your soapbox now (it's not the weather to be standing
around
> >on Hyde Park corner too long)
> >
> >Best
> >
> >Dave
> >
> >
> >David Bircumshaw
> >
> >Leicester, England
> >
> >Home Page
> >
> >A Chide's Alphabet
> >
> >Painting Without Numbers
> >
> >www.paintstuff.20m.com/index.htm
> >
> >http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 8:46 PM
> >Subject: Re: Ted Hughes' Alcestis
> >
> >
> >> You know, I _like_ his Oedipus - I know it's completely ott, but it has
> >> this energy which for me sweeps it through. The Oresteia is in fact
more
> >> restrained, but it has much more this air of bookishness, somehow, when
> >> he's looking for barbaric splendour and horror, and it feels like he's
> >> stretching his arm - and when you think of what's been done to the
> >Oresteia
> >> in the 20C, from Martha Graham through to Heiner Muller, it's a little
bit
> >> - um - prissy.
> >>
> >> All right, off my soapbox.
> >>
> >> Best
> >>
> >> A
> >>
> >> >I'm minded here too of Hughes's version of the Seneca Oedipus, which
too
> >I
> >> >found both wordy and straining for horror, I think one of the
paradoxes
> >of
> >> >Hughes was that he was at his best as a poet of restrained violence,
> >indeed,
> >> >his sometimes sensitivity, as the Full Moon that Little Frieda saw, is
> >his
> >> >real virtue, while the slightly Hammer House of Horrors garishness,
and
> >too
> >> >the portentous blab, do not serve him well.
> >> >
> >> >Best
> >> >
> >> >Dave
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >David Bircumshaw
> >> >
> >> >Leicester, England
> >> >
> >> >Home Page
> >> >
> >> >A Chide's Alphabet
> >> >
> >> >Painting Without Numbers
> >> >
> >> >www.paintstuff.20m.com/index.htm
> >> >
> >> >http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
> >> >----- Original Message -----
> >> >From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 7:39 PM
> >> >Subject: Re: Ted Hughes' Alcestis
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> You know, I've been looking at Hughes' translation of the Oresteia
> >again -
> >> >> they're attacking on the texts, but not that attacking - they're
still
> >> >> stuck in the original. Not that radical. And surprisingly wordy.
> >> >>
> >> >> And straining for horror, which at his best he doesn't do, though
some
> >of
> >> >> the Chorus stuff is good. The best contemporary adaptation I've
seen
> >of
> >> >> the Greeks is Caryl Churchill's Thyestis.
> >> >>
> >> >> Best
> >> >>
> >> >> A
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> >Just to say that I listened to it on the radio tonight.
> >> >> >It was startingly personal from Ted.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Douglas Clark, Bath, England mailto:
[log in to unmask]
> >> >> >Lynx: Poetry from Bath ..........
> >> >http://www.bath.ac.uk/~exxdgdc/lynx.html
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Alison Croggon
> >> >>
> >> >> Home page
> >> >> http://users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
> >> >> Masthead
> >> >> http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
> >> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Alison Croggon
> >>
> >> Home page
> >> http://users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
> >> Masthead
> >> http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
> >>
>
>
>
>
> Alison Croggon
>
> Home page
> http://users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
> Masthead
> http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
>
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