I don't think Armo is condescending when he talks of writing for the
'common' reader, because he merely means the non-academic poetry buff who
like it simple simon said a pie man: can fan do not ban armitage just
because flarf is not his smarmatige's bag, daddio.
Simon has done a huge amount inspiring the next generation of
demotic-highblown hybrid poets who are in the Larkin vein of using the word
fuck, with words like hierarchy, status, coterie, clique, ritardando,
semi-classical hocus pocus, a whiff of the comedian and - in all fairness, a
great rendering of the Green Knight into readable contemporary vernacular.
He has that northern ordinariness about him, and though his gear aint
everyone's cuppa, he does appeal to the common audience. Now, some might say
he is dumbing down the noble craft, whilst others will say he is inspiring
the kids to have a go at beleiving poetry is not something they need be
excluded from: not the reserve of dry abstruse crusty old fogies in the oxo
axis, writing like Veronica Forrest Thomson, for example: who has been this
weeks poet on the Guardian books blog poem of the week, number 104 in the
Poem of the Week Series curated by MC Rumens: a well known post-modern
crazee who reckons she's gonna come here and fill you all in.
Carol and i are very close online colleagues, with a very healthy,
respectful and virtually working relationship, which has blossomed over the
two years i have been steering her away from the lyric and into crazees such
as Veronica Forrest Thomson. I have just set up a facebook account, and am
looking to start a fan club for me and Carol, as a duo available for
instructing our fellow poetry professors, on the most efficient ways of
minimising sales to the specialist readerships one can develop as a bore
with a bitta class, who can talk the walk and whatnot, for the very
reasonable price of just admitting it: you are a fan of me and carol and
really, Armitage is your god.
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