Chris
>. Like France, the capital is the culture of the country.
Unlike Spain, Italy or Germany, for instance, NOT to mention that big
country, what do they call it?, just to the south of Canada.
I like your conjunction of charity shops and the provincial.
Cambridge/Oxford are parts of London, true?
Scotland is a different country, but Wales alas no longer.
'someone doth release/Grief, which verse did restrain'
I'm sure that's misquoting Donne as I haven't got time to check it, but the
image of the beast in its cage, equally one could think of a psychiatric
patient. Is that really us, and our poetry, our true realities?
in haste
regards
david
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Hamilton-Emery <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 7:35 AM
Subject: Re: A caution
> I've often thought that "poetries" are defined by what they exclude rather
> than what thy draw together. But I've always thought of such constructs as
> shifting in the face of reading. So many groupings and anthologies seem
like
> propositions of pre-eminence rather than formal taxonomies. Such framings
do
> seem part of the mechanics of our industry; merely ways of raising new
> exchanges and dialogues, or rather emphases -- and of course staking out
> territories, boundaries, terms of engagement. Flag waving. But such
> collections all fail long term to sustain themselves. They all get
> remaindered and gather dust on the shelves of charity shops and provincial
> second-hand bookstores. Was it Goldstein who said in a different
> context,"Gentleman, include me out"? I find we are all so different. I'm
not
> interested in pluralism, and I find pacifism difficult to sustain in the
> face of political oppression and cultural terrorism. War can be a good
thing
> (I know that is a loaded statement). Some things are worth fighting for.
>
> But we all finally sit in solitary. I was sat with JH Prynne a week or so
> ago and someone said to him "What about the Reader?". "The Reader! The
> Reader!" he scoffed, "Oh my God! Open the cage, let them all in!"
>
> Anthologies are the temporary instruments of the trade, signals,
> counterblasts, and as such can be healthy ways to revitalise debates and
> positions. As to spatiality and location: we're all on the planet aren't
we,
> all nearly human? Still, poetry is for the private cage. I believe.
>
> As for divisions and poetry wars in the UK I think Matthew has it right
> about the general sprawl of poetic culture. Though the problem is who is
> recording this, most poetic history is still written from the centre. And
> the centre will always be London. Like France, the capital is the culture
of
> the country. We don't get to hear bout the poetry groups and exchanges
being
> made in Scunthorpe. Though Huddersfield still gets a look in.
>
> All best
> C
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