Friday, November 6, 2009

Hilda Morley unjustly forgotten poet

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Complaining that dead poet X has been unjustly forgotten and neglected is just pointless blather—

if you think Hilda Morley (or whoever) deserves rescuing from oblivion,

then do it: contact the executor of Morley's estate, the copyright holder, and work with them—

If you can't find a publisher willing to assume the costs of publishing and promoting a big Selected (or even a Collected),

nor a publisher to publish a book of essays about Morley,

then start a Morley appreciation website with a Paypal donation option and solicit money to help fund the cost of publishing that Selected (or Collected),

and also solicit essays etcet from poets and profs (and poet-profs) who admire Morley and are willing to donate their time and effort in writing such appreciations—

And when you collect enough donations to help fund the book's publication, work with a publisher to do that—

Not just a big Selected or Collected Poems, but also an accompanying volume of essays devoted to Morley—

If you really wanted to revive interest in an obscure poet, wouldn't you take such steps?

Whining on your blog that Morley (or anybody else) has been "unjustly forgotten" is easy,

too easy, and too self-congratulatory:

Look at me, I care about this unfairly neglected poet! Aren't I admirable for drawing attention to this injustice! (Emile Zola got nothin' on me)—

Put your money where your mouth is, put your time and effort into practical schemes to bring Morley back from the abebooks abyss,

and I'll respect you—

I won't agree with you that she's worth rescuing, but I'll respect you—

As I respect the editors of the Larry Eigner Collected soon to be issued:

price of the Eigner? — 150 dollars!

I wouldn't pay 1.50 for an Eigner book,
but so what—

As I wrote in a post below, I don't believe there are any unjustly forgotten 20th Century USAPO—

the myth of the unjustly forgotten dead poet

is simply porno for poor versifiers who know how soon they'll be forgotten after their own deaths—

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