This link is to Todd Swift's first Guest Blogger post, of a week long residency on the Best American Poetry blog, in which he is presenting a 'roll call of the 'best' 25 young British poets, for an American audience.
http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/the_best_american_poetry/2010/04/the-young-british-poets-by-todd-swift.html
For the purpose of debate, one has opined counter to his claim: 'a consensus as to who the best of these Young British Poets might be has perhaps begun to emerge in the last two years' - by questioning the veracity of his list and asking where the innovative exciting heirs to Cobbing & Co are in this imbalanced account that asserts 60% of the 'best' young British poets composing today, do so in Greater London.
Are we to believe that the concentration of poetic talent in London is really three times above the national average?
"I don't think so: though understand how an innaccurate opinion can be arrived at. Having lived in London for many years, until picking up the pen myself (and immediately leaving), when one began on one's own poetic journey, one knows how - like in any megatropolis and capital city - it is tempting to confuse ourselves into believing the fallacy and hype, that says poets who choose to live in London are somehow inherently 'better' at being poetic, than those from the provinces.
I myself am from a small place with a population of 12,000 people, twelve miles north of Liverpool, on the Lancashire-Merseyside border: Ormskirk - not noted for its indigenous poets, but which does have, in the town's Edge Hill University, a unique writing program.
One of the first in England, created and run by London Langpoet Robert Sheppard, whose Poetry B.A., unlike the majority in England taught by square-stream normals; is founded not on the history of the English lyric, but the tradition of American Modernism...
.....
What, none of the heirs to Cobbing & Co included, the radical Concrete poets?
Fellow Lancastrian Steven Waling, and plenty others, could well ask where's Scott Thurston, Tony Trehy or Carrie Etter? The poets and critics from the British avant stream, one is sure, would opine are stronger choices for a who's best 25 list.
Many would say it's obvious to the true lover of innovative poetries, that these three offer a much more exciting vision of what's possible with the English language now, the likely future direction it should take; than say, Nathan Hamilton, Jack Underwood or Melanie Challenger.
What about Claire Askew? Surely she beats Sam Riviere to inclusion in the parade?
Look at what she's doing in Edinburgh, how she's invigorated the poetry up there, at such a young age. A real talent left out for no reason. Wholly baffling some would argue.
Or, like you yourself argued for inclusion, as a British poet - into the latest Bloodaxe anthology: what about me?
Why aren't 'I' in there?
~
Have a giggle, get gassing..
xxxx Kevin Desmond (Swords)
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