I wouldn't call Milton's forward to Paradise Lost an "apology" so much
as a declaration of war.
I do think you're confusing intellectual argument with marketing. They
are not quite the same thing.
On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 11:43 PM, Alec Newman
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Patrick,
>
> If an artist is creating work within an accepted tradition, then the
> creation is the major talent, because they can just stand on the shoulders
> of the artists who made it a canonical genre. However, history has shown
> that artists revolting against an excepted form and producing an entirely
> new genre need fantastic marketing skills to back it up.
>
> Milton begins Paradise lost with an apology for not using Heroic couplets,
> explaining that it has its origins in Classic Literature. Before William
> Barnes released his collection of poetry that broke free from the
> Renaissance Tradition and used Anglo Saxon and Welsh poetic forms instead,
> he first produced the Philological Grammar, to explain the origins of his
> poetics, this also burnt a path for Thomas Hardy, who was a student of
> Barnes. Hopkins did more explaining of the principles of Sprung Rhythm,
> than actually writing or publishing poetry. You will find that nearly every
> new poetic movement markets itself through a manifesto or poetic treatise.
> Or, it fails initially, and is later marketed by an enthusiastic society, or
> group of academics.
>
> Jim,
>
> I am based in a small town called Newton-le-Willows in England. However, I
> have published several New-York poets, and have learned a great deal from
> them about marketing poetry.
>
> Now, I know for a fact that the poetry I publish -- alternative,
> avant-garde, experimental, or whatever you want to call it -- is the best
> poetry in the World. However, not everybody knows that yet. I need to
> convince them that it is better than the mainstream rubbish they are
> reading, and I won’t be happy until alternative poetry sells 250 books a
> year, like Carcanet titles, and is taught in several Universities. I also
> know that this goal is possible through tried and tested marketing, and
> branding strategies.
>
> Obviously, it is the quality of the poetry I publish that sells itself. But
> there are marketing and branding techniques going on too.
>
> My greatest success so far is Sean Burn. I was very frustrated by the fact
> that he was labeled an Outsider Artist. This is marketing in itself, but it
> sidelines his fantastic poetry. So, I wanted to prove that his poetry was
> as good as anything the mainstream could produce. And, guess what? He got
> shortlisted for the Michael Marks and read his poetry alongside Simon
> Armitage.
>
> By 2013 I want alternative-poetry to become the dominant literary
> tradition. And I am convinced we can all achieve this.
>
> Alec.
>
>
>
>
>
>> Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2011 16:56:40 -0700
>> From: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Is the Avant-Garde a "Marketing Strategy"?
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Do you live in New York or London, Alec?
>>
>> My observation of New York art scenes is that it costs so much to live
>> that
>> art without a real monetary dimension just doesn't make sense to anybody,
>> it
>> might as well be from Wankerville or Mars. I might be way off here, though
>> (Wankerville or Mars).
>>
>> ja?
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Patrick McManus" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 6:51 AM
>> Subject: Re: Is the Avant-Garde a "Marketing Strategy"?
>>
>>
>> > Cor isn't the major talent to create??
>> > P
>> >
>> >
>> > The major talent of any successful artist is their ability to market
>> > their
>> > work, or find the right person to market it. Genres are really just a
>> > way
>> > of saying: 'if you like this, you'll also like this'.
>> >
>> > Alec.
>
--
Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com
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