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Unread 06-08-2002, 01:51 AM
A. E. Stallings A. E. Stallings is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Athens, Greece
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I think it would curdle the blood of anyone to learn Logan had reviewed their book of verse.

I sometimes think Logan must work like Housman did on his reviews--keeping notebooks of perfectly honed poisonous witticisms, in hopes of finding an opportunity for using them.

Of course, this is also what makes Logan entertaining, but I cannot imagine making a decision to purchase or not to purchase a book based on his recommendations, or opprobrium. The purpose of these reviews is generally to showcase Logan's own cutting wit. And there is some pleasure in seeing it unleashed on, say, a Jorie Graham.

Per usual, none of the poets in this omnibus review gets off unscathed, of course. To read this in context:

Falls the Shadow

Interestingly, while Logan slaps Davis' wrist for being too strict in his measure, this is what he has to say in the same piece about an Alan Dugan poem:

"doughy, overwrought pentameter (with feet added here and there, like a home improvement project gone wrong)"

When he says elsewhere of another poet that it would be churlish to mention that it is the larvae of moths, and not the moths themselves, that leave holes in fabric--I think, yes, that IS churlish.

I suppose it must be some sort of back-handed compliment to have one's book singled out for his notice at all.
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