On Mon, 19 Jan 1998, Ira Lightman wrote:
> I think Peter is saying: the techniques of
> independence and mesmeric critical writing, wading
> in, getting involved, treating the curious young
> respectfully, building powerbases, watching for
> the moment to get some media space, making distinctions
> between "this is my poetry hat, this my publiciser
> hat", not feeling one's poetic world of language
> besmirched and polluted by talking the talk of the
> vulgarians ... [snip] ... these are
> all needed still.
- Ah, OK, mea culpa / the Misread Kid rides again. No disagreement here -
nothing but admiration for the few - the VERY few - who can do it. Though
I don't think the presence of one, six, a dozen such in the 70s would have
made a scrap of difference in terms of "media penetration" (which was my
original point) but perhaps that doesn't excuse one for not trying.
One of the problems these days - raised in the original comments on
BMacS's back jacket blurb - is when this leads to straightforward
mislabeling in order to push the product, which is as wrong-headed for
books as it is for beans. Bad marketing, in fact. Lawrence Upton's acount
of the BM interview - the interviewer simply not listening to anything
which is "off-message" - shows the kind of false relation which gets stuck
in here.
I'll stop, incase I'm misreading Ira too - his message packed with good
information, specifics - for which thanks.
Ric
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