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From: Ken Edwards, 100344,2546
To: "Lawrence Upton.", INTERNET:[log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, Jul 17, 1998 6:27:18 pm
RE: Re: Barry MacSweeney
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Message text written by "Lawrence Upton."
"Re Ken's in response to mine about BM.
In response to my being surprised at the size of the audience for Barry
MacSweeney, he says _Experience should have forewarned you_ and then gives
reasons why they mightn't have turned up.
Well, experience did forewarn me and I did myself suggest reasons for them
not being there. And *taking *all *that *into *account, I was surprised and
remain surprised. It was a surprisingly small audience
"
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As an enthusiastic supporter of SVP and of Lawrence's energy & imagination
in keeping the series going, I'd like to list a few of the reasons why I in
particular and people in general might not turn up to a reading:
work pressures - inc evening meetings
other "voluntary" activities, inc meetings (maybe even union meetings!)
family commitments
partner/friend commitments
heard the poet read recently elsewhere
didn't hear about the reading (esp given SVP's shortage of resources for
publicity &/or tendency to put on extra readings or change dates at short
notice without extra mailings)
other attractions - concerts, operas, other readings, good programme on TV,
yes, even the World Cup!
one too many poetry readings that week (yes, we're spoilt in London)
on holiday
don't like the poet
general tiredness
Lawrence - I _do_ notice you have a tendency to guilt-trip about absentees!
I don't think it does any good. It's nothing to do with the market place.
The analogy with union meetings is a poor one. (Attending readings purely
as an act of solidarity? well, no, I attend because I expect to get
pleasure out of it, hedonist that I am.) And many of the SVP readings I've
attended this year _have_ been well attended - I mean, you couldn't have
got many more people into the room at times.
More power to SVP's collective elbow.
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