A dozen or so of the talented poets studying on the Creative Writing MA at Kingston University will be reading from their debut pamphlet, being launched that evening. They will be joined by Kingston Creative Writing lecturers Jane Yeh, Paul Perry and Todd Swift, who will also be reading their work. Monday, April 23, 79 pm. Admission Free. Oxfam Books & Music. 91 Marylebone High Street. London W1, near Baker street tube.
THAT HANDSOME MAN A PERSONAL BRIEF REVIEW BY TODD SWIFT I could lie and claim Larkin, Yeats , or Dylan Thomas most excited me as a young poet, or even Pound or FT Prince - but the truth be told, it was Thom Gunn I first and most loved when I was young. Precisely, I fell in love with his first two collections, written under a formalist, Elizabethan ( Fulke Greville mainly), Yvor Winters triad of influences - uniquely fused with an interest in homerotica, pop culture ( Brando, Elvis , motorcycles). His best poem 'On The Move' is oddly presented here without the quote that began it usually - Man, you gotta go - which I loved. Gunn was - and remains - so thrilling, to me at least, because so odd. His elegance, poise, and intelligence is all about display, about surface - but the surface of a panther, who ripples with strength beneath the skin. With Gunn, you dressed to have sex. Or so I thought. Because I was queer (I maintain the right to lay claim to that
Comments
Good luck with the reading. I hope that it goes well.
Best wishes from Simon