In the UK, apart from the very few specialist publishers of translated  
verse (far less than there used to be), there is almost no  
understanding of or access to Latin American poetry outside the big  
three, and even of those Paz and Borges are rarely talked about these  
days. The insularity of the Brit poetic establishment and its success  
in keeping out those pesky modernist foreign influences continues  
apace. The same applies in the UK's indifference to mainland Europe,  
even the East European poetry, lauded once because of its oppositional  
nature to the Soviets, now gets very little notice. Such poetry these  
days only appears in magazines as a touch of 'exotic', to add a bit of  
colour to our dull table. The richness and variety of international  
poetry is a threat to the cramped and safe realist poetics of our  
status quo.

Tim A.

On 2 Aug 2009, at 15:48, Mark Weiss wrote:

> Hi, Ana.
>
> I think this isn't entirely true. Very few Latin American poets are  
> known even by most poets in the Anglo world. Beyond four or five  
> even their names are unknown. This is true even of those who have  
> been translated, who remain little read. Of Brazilians even  
> souandrade and Haroldo de Campos are absent. The major exceptions  
> are Paz, Borges and Neruda. Neruda is by far the best known and most  
> widely published in English. He also represents the crucial impact  
> of a North American poet, Whitman, who has been thoroughly absorbed  
> into Latin American practice since Marti. Paz and Borges were also  
> heavily involved with Britain and North America.
>
> Some of the younger poets in Mexico, Heriberto Yepez, for example,  
> are deeply involved with North American poetry and thought. In Cuba  
> Padilla saw himself as a part of the school of Lowell, and the  
> Origenes group was in contact with a range of English language  
> poetries, notably that of Wallace Stevens.
>
> It's nonetheless true that the border has been largely sealed, but  
> this is a two way phenomenon.
>
> I think what happens is that those of us who try to cross that  
> border tend to be more aware than we would otherwise be both of how  
> few of us there are and of whoever on the other side is also trying  
> to cross that border. So, those from the anglo world who try to  
> cross the border loom larger than their actual numbers or degree of  
> involvement.
>
> Best,
>
> Mark
>
> At 11:32 PM 12/31/2002, you wrote:
>> i live in rio de janeiro.
>> i'm completely cosmopolitan, and i have only one friend here,  
>> pedro, with
>> whom i can talk about my interests. we meet every week.
>> you can't find a list like poetryetc in the portughese or spanish- 
>> speaking
>> world.
>> i love anglo-saxon thought and avant-guarde and i think a lot about  
>> latin
>> and anglo-saxon mutual fertilization.
>> the most sophisticated anglo-saxons are the ones who have an  
>> interest and
>> understanding of mediterranean thought.
>> sadly, the opposite way, latins who really understand and assimilate
>> anglo-saxons, is not strong.
>> latins either hate anglo-saxons or adulate precisely the former's  
>> worst
>> characteristics (or, at best, study their character but in a  
>> superficial and
>> insufficient way.)
>> winterson is chiefly a novelist. perhaps i've been too harsh with  
>> her, but
>> i'm very critical.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Prince" <[log in to unmask] 
>> >
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 7:36 AM
>> Subject: Re: Last Post Laureate
>>
>>
>>> Most kind of you to say, Ana.
>>> Re your book:  by all means, send it!  I hope it includes your
>>> illustrations.
>>> Have never read Winterson; can't find her poems on the net--only  
>>> biog info,
>>> interviews and reviews.  Can you recommend a site, or post a  
>>> couple of her
>>> poems?
>>> I live in England's east midlands right now; where do you live?
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>> Judy
>>>
>>> 2003/1/1 Ana Olinto
>>>
>>> i always love your comments, jude.
>>>> i'll publish my book soon, and send it to you via net.
>>>> do you like jeanette winterson?
>>>> i think she is also too self-centred, not very brilliant and
>>>> i myself try hard not to follow the same path.
>>>> do you, jude, live in london?
>>>>