[Tim Murphy]

Dick Wilbur returns, probably later this week. He sends his greetings to all his colleagues at the Eratosphere, and he expresses his sorrow that Anthony Hecht was unable to appear a second time. He had great fun the last time, although this year he is buried in snow, and neither Alan nor I shall be in Cummington with a wireless laptop. Therefore he will be sending me by typewriter and snail mail a short comment on each of the poems I am submitting to him. Dick expressed his desire to see work by writers with whom he is unfamiliar. I shall accomodate that desire. I hope that our writers will respond to his comments, to the poems I select. I shall send him printed copies of the threads.

[Michael Juster]

A wonderful thing that you're bringing him back. Thanks on behalf of all of us!

[Tim Murphy]

The worst of it is Mike, Dick is such a big fan of the Hayes, and I've no light verse, that we're going to discuss Prufrock's Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Wheelbarrow. Sorry, buddy.

[Susan McLean]

What an honor to hear from Richard Wilbur. Thank you, Tim, for making it happen.

Susan

[Chris Childers]

Now this is why Eratosphere rocks my world! At least as much as UNC basketball.

[Tim Murphy]

Ok, here's the deal, dear colleagues. Dick agreed to read eight poems. By poets unknown to him. Here are the selections I made:

Horace Ode 4.7 by Chris Childers. This is Chris' best work, and given that the average age of the young poets here is about 58, I wanted Dick to see what a kid can do.

Sketches from Route 1 with Ed the Spense, Michael Cantor. Dick knows Spenser and Key West pretty well.

The Duke a-Hunting by Maz. Maz, I need your real name and your location, I hope it's England, because if not, England is skunked. Wouldn't be the first time! .

Chambers by mi Duchessa, Carol Taylor, a poem in Sapphics which I think reaches new power in Carol's most important theme.

Odysseus on Ogygia by Mark Allinson. All I need to say about this is that if I were to recite a poem on O, it wouldn't be Tennyson's.

Prufrock's Thirteen Ways by Mike Juster. What can I say? Hebephrenia is a wonderful way to die.

The Legendary Ghan by Henry Quince. I have been reminded that Mike Moran already discussed this poem at the Lariat, but I want Dick to read it.

I hope this doesn't seem too peremptory on my part. I can't send Dick three hundred poems, nor can I even sift through them myself. Truth is, I sift through thousands of poems on the Sphere, and I had little difficulty deciding what I wanted Dick to read. Your lariat, Tim

[peterjb]

Congrats to all. And two from Oz! Yay!

Have I got the wrong glasses on, or is that only seven poems?



[This message has been edited by peterjb (edited February 27, 2005).]

[Tim Murphy]

Damn! It is only seven. Well that's enough to take Richard away from his own writing. Peterjb, I do want to say a word about Oz. As you know, I've had Janet at Lariat, Renate in versified jokes. You and Jaxmyth are such talented members. Truth is, our Australians make a contribution all out of proportion to their respresentation in the population of our Anglosphere. Just as your armed forces do. Australia has lost Harwood, Wright, and Hope just in the last five years or so, but I have to say the next generation is coming on strong. Oz! The Efh just put up a thought experiment, asking readers of Fresh Bilge to complete this headline: "Ancient Crocodile Found in Australia." My response was "Ancient Crocodile Found in Australia, Suspected of Voting for John Howard."

Edit back, the eighth poem was Kevin's Winter Sestina. The nicest thing about Alzheimer's is hiding your own Easter basket.

[Janet Kenny]

Congratulations all and a little envy too--to be read by Wilbur is something!
Janet

[Tim Murphy]

I've mailed the poems off to Dick along with that extraordinary 31 page thread from the Deep End which includes Chris' essay on khairas, Pindar, and Wilbur. Given the turnaround for the mail, I expect I'll be posting his comments next weekend.