All,
The conference was bliss: four nights of great conversation and much laughter. It was wonderful to meet so many prepossessing Spherians. Robin Kemp, Marilyn Taylor, Toni Clark, Susan MacLean, Michael Cantor and the Powows, Simon Hunt, Greg Diprinzio (who made good on his promise of "general lurking"), Gregory Dowling, Tim Murphy, David Anthony, Rob Crawford (I shouldn't have started naming), and to reunite with so many acquaintances.
The keynote by James Fenton was riveting -- once he had finished a long-winded shaggy-dog. But even the poems were controversial and led to some stimulating arguments. I loved them and his performance of them thrilled.
Gossip? Dangerous word. The situation I describe is analogous, not actual. Imagine a panel dealing explicitly with humor and genial satire. Imagine a fond, charming squib on the rotundity of Sir John Falstaff, a squib moreover in which Falstaff emerges as clear victor. Imagine next panelist publicly, emotionally stating offence, seemingly on behalf of the obese, and not obese, everywhere.
My seminar with Dick Davis on rhyme was superb. A new favorite poem: Jinny the Just, of Matthew Prior. Will now seek out more, and pay more attention to the 17th cent. in general. The best thing a conference can do.
Best,
Michael Slipp
edited for spelling of participants' names, mea culpa! Sorry if mistakes remain.
[This message has been edited by Mike Slippkauskas (edited June 12, 2006).]
|