Terrible news.

Nemo

I'm so sorry to hear this.

Marcia

A reminder about collecting her poems for a book (which I think is an excellent idea, by the way): internet sites vanish constantly, and some of her web-printed poems will go along with them eventually. I had to use at least one Google cache on that account in my post above. Hopefully, she kept printouts of published work, or stored them on her hard drive, and these will survive to be reprinted if heirs and editors approve.

On the other hand, as drafts have been mentioned, we know she posted some on Eratosphere and undoubtedly elsewhere. I don’t know whether all of them wound up as published, but I recall them as being quite polished. I realize those have long since been pruned from the Sphere, but I remember a thread here from a few years ago, maybe on General Talk, where someone linked to a website that provided a way of going back in time to retrieve “ancient” threads (ones that had already disappeared even in cached form) on Eratosphere and perhaps other workshopping sites. I couldn’t locate that thread, but it the tool still exists, it’d be very helpful.

The Internet Archive, informally known as the Wayback Machine, stores the contents of assorted pages as they appeared on stated dates. It doesn't have everything, but Mark is right that we might find something.

If Paul is correct that Maz lost poems when a drive became unreadable, there will be a lot of searching to be done--assuming that we receive permission to do it, and that the task isn't being taken in hand by someone who was close to Maz and knew her wishes. Still waiting to hear.

I am so sorry to hear this. Maz was one of the first poets to welcome me to Eratosphere and always maintained a kindness and understanding towards all.

As for collecting her work - has anyone found out if perhaps she has a family member or friend whom she's entrusted with such a task? It seems almost presumptous to begin a project of that magnitude and importance without making sure she hadn't already made prior arrangements or vocalized her own wishes.

Exactly.

She could be tough, in her upright English way, and she wasn't afraid to ruffle feathers. But she once mentioned casually that when bees get exhausted, you can revive them with a spoonful of sugar water. I was like, who the hell spoonfeeds bees???

And the fact is, if she ruffled your feathers, you probably needed it. She disliked pomp and pretension and anything that smacked of hypocrisy. That's what made her such a good satirist.

Maz was a guest at Poets.org last year, http://www.poets.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16688

Dear old Maz! Back in the day, I helped her edit an edition of an online magazine. I wondered why I hadn't seen her round and about since my return to online po-boards. What a dreadful shame.

Yes, it would be that. Nothing is being done yet; everything depends on hearing from people who might know what she herself wished.

It's awful, too awful.
Besides being a vivid and delightful presence on the web - one of those people who makes it human - Maz was a far, far better poet than almost all those who get into print in the UK. She was the real thing, in every sense.
This hurts badly.

A collection of her work would be a real treasure. I do hope it can be done.

I am shocked and so sorry to hear this news. Her voice will be missed by many.

Martin

I too am very shocked and saddened. Had she been ill? And it is more shocking and sad to think that we might have gone another seven weeks--or seven months--and not known about it. The strangeness of the internet. Her talent and poise will be missed.

Keats comes to mind:

The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper’s—he takes the lead
In summer luxury,—he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
The Grasshopper’s among some grassy hills.

Such sad news. I do hope a collection of her work will one day be published.

Oh, Alicia - that's perfect. Now I have tears. I didn't know her apart from references made by others here. And, like Janice, from that terrific sonnet from last Bake-off. But I am thoroughly enjoying the poetry being posted here, which seems to me to speak of a highly productive and deeply felt life. Does anyone know her age?

I do hope someone manages to keep her poems together. I'd like to hold them in my hand.

A lovely spirit and a lovely mind.
I believe she was a consultant psychiatrist before she retired.
I think she had been in ill health for some time (it's in one or two of her poems, if you look hard).
She was reclusive, I think because she did not want to burden her friends and neighbours, and thought herself of small account. I did manage to find her a year or so back.
I'll post more information about her if I can get any, and perhaps others will do the same, as her work should be in context.
God bless, Maz.

I feel so sad about this. As well as enjoying her work both here and at Sonnet Central, Maz encouraged me when I first started writing again and published a number of my early attempts in Worm.

As David said, she was a private and unassuming person and I had not heard from her since exchanging emails round the time of the sonnet bake-off last year - though I did get a Christmas card from her. I sensed all was not well - I do hope we can gather as much of her work together as possible - this is terrible news indeed.

Alan

The last post on the thread at the poets.org site linked by ME Hope is Sept. 6, 2009. Today is the one-year anniversary.

Maz never answered the questions concerning voice and how she would "define her poetic voice." Smart woman. She never even went back to say Word One after that! Funny.

I had an impression from emails, a few years ago, that Maz had lost someone very close to her. I don't know whether it was a parent or a companion. I didn't ask because I knew that she would tell me if she wanted to. Soon after that she told me that she was unable to keep food down and that she was desperate to find something she could eat without terrible after effects. I knew that all was not well.

I mention my suspicions about her personal loss because if I am correct that might have been the person who would have known about her poems. We might have to do it all ourselves.

PS: So here is the archive of Worm.
http://www.poetryworm.com/

About six months ago Maz posted a poem at the Gazebo. It was the last poem I saw her post and it was just before the Gazebo crashed. I'm pretty sure the poem was called "Lilah". It was one of her "story poems" -- that's how I thought of them.
Lilah was living in a tent, I think. It was in an earlier time period. There was an oil lamp in the tent, I think, and Lilah's basket in the corner. There was something in the basket; Lilah had been out gathering or cutting herbs, I think. I believe there were scissors in the basket, though it might have been a knife. I remeber Lilah picked up the scissors and suddenly cut off all her long, hair, so she had no hair left at all. Then she went outdoors -- I picture it as night -- and she cast the hair into the fire. Then Lilah went back into the tent and picked up a polished bowl. She could see her reflection in the bowl. She could see her small head, almost skull-like -- that was how the poem ended, more or less those words. Though I don't have the poem, so I can't remember exactly.
It was a wonderful poem, which I told Maz in my critique. And because of the name "Lilah", I thought it might be Delilah. Who might have cut off her own hair after having cut Samson's -- like a continuation of the story. Maz somethimes wove stories around characters from literature, history.
I was hoping she might tell me when she replied to the critiquers, but she didn't come back, and about two weeks later the entire Gazebo crashed and disappeared.

Petra, you are giving us very little to go on here. is Maz ok? Please tell us what you know. For many of us she is dear.

Well I have completely fucked up. Sorry I missed everyting above Petra's posting, including Aliki's poem If Maz has died I would like to hear this news from some authoratative someone.

Tim, Alex has told us at the beginning of the thread that Maz passed away several weeks ago.

Maz is my favorite of all the poets. Each of her pieces could only have been come from her.

It has been a delight for me to have known her on the boards, and I grieve her absence.

Sad news. But take a look at this thread, huh! She's made her mark and will be missed and remembered.

RM

It would be good to know if there is someone close to her who would appreciate
knowing about this thread, about how many people felt so strongly about her
and her writing.

Martin

Isn't the WORM Maz's baby?

Shame, shame...

I am sorry to say that Margaret died alone.

Her body was found at her home on 12 August, and the funeral took place on 4 September attended only by a few neighbours and the solicitors.

The solicitors are anxious to trace any relatives, however distant. They may be contacted via Paul Tapper of Tapper Funeral Services on 01202 993085.

We must let the people of Poole in Dorset know that a significant poet lived quietly in their midst. We should also write to significant UK universities and newspapers.

I'll miss her, and her words, the way they skipped and danced across and down the page.

for Maz

Her touch, so light,
the pixie
skimming dandelions.

O.P.W.

Very sad news. Janet is right and people beyond the world of poetry websites should be informed about this fine poet. One could make a start, as Janet suggests, by informing the people of Poole. Perhaps someone here who knows her work well could contact the Bournemouth Daily Echo, which would have been her local newspaper, and propose an obituary. That might lead to other contacts.

That's an excellent idea, Gregory. But do we have enough information for an obituary? I suppose yes if it's mostly about her work. Who will write it?

Maz was a great lover of birds of prey, and she wrote astonishingly well about them, as she did on so many other subjects. The Bateleur is a terrific poem.

Hello all

I was published by Maz in her fine zine, (poetry)WORM, on a number of occasions. As has been mentioned, she resided in Poole, Dorset, on the south coast of England, near Bournemouth, where my late uncle Douglas Matchett also lived. Maz and I spoke by email of meeting sometime and of course now I regret that we never did so. My last visit to Poole was in May 2007 for the funeral of my uncle. Sad to know that Maz has also now passed. May she rest in piece. I know there are innumerable other poets besides myself whom Maz touched and who will be grateful for her work as an editor and poet and for her kind heart.

David, I see the same funeral home, Tapper, took care of Maz's funeral, as they did my uncle's funeral two years ago. I am sorry to hear she died alone. What a sad way to leave this world.

If anyone does not know Maz and her work, go to
http://www.poetrykit.org/pkl/featurpoet/grasshop.htm

-- Jim Bennett wrote, "M A Griffiths is probably better known to [Poetry Kit] list members as Grasshopper and it is this persona that has developed a unique style and voice. Grasshopper tells me that poems should stand on their own feet without preamble and explanation. The poems in this set clearly do that."

Best regards

Chris

Hi Janet

I think more correctly the (poetry)Worm was a zine, or an emailed magazine. Since Maz had a number of co-editors in recent years, including as I recall the talented David Anthony from this list, I should hope it will continue. David, any word on that?

Chris

Worm was Maz's baby, Chris, and unfortunately I think it died with her.

Chris, Maz recruited a couple of guest editors - different ones - for every issue. Worm was her baby, though. It wouldn't really be the same without her, would it?

The domain is registered to some domain service: http://www.whois.net/whois/poetryworm.com
Boy, was she a private person! Luckily the site seems to be all static HTML pages and very few images, so I'll go ahead and make a backup copy with "Save As".



p.s. I nominate Janet to write something to be sent to that newspaper Gregory mentioned. Janet, I'm sorry, but you're really good at that kind of thing. Even that offhand comment you made about "a significant poet living in their midst" was eloquent.

Thanks, David and Rose.

Chris

--I second Rose's nomination.

Chris, fyi, I pasted the wrong link into my post. It's fixed now.

Fixed in my post too. Thanks. :)

Chris

All,

I just heard of Maz's passing. She was one of the reasons why I came to Eratosphere in the first place. She was fluid textbook for me to re-read and internalize. Her comments were strong, but always fair and always insightful.

I will keep my fingers crossed that a collection is posthumously released. Thank you for sharing the sorrowful news.

Namaste,
~Tim