Marvellous that the changeover from Laureate to Laureate happens at this time of year, so soon after Shakespeare’s birthday, cherry (‘Loveliest of trees’ etc.,) blossom passing quickly to apple blossom, bluebells in the woods and the entire House of Commons, apparently, cheekily trousering all they can get.
Congratulations to Carol Ann Duffy, the expected choice, but no less brilliant for that. Good that the nation has recovered from it’s misogyny.
Two quotations to cut out and keep from her press release in the Guardian (02/05/ 09). The first was her saying that she was:
‘... privileged to be part of a generation of poets in Britain who serve the vocation of poetry... who... regard poetry as the place in language where everything that can be praised is praised, and where what needs to be called into question is so.’
and the second,
‘The poets I’ve known and worked with over 25 years or so... all share the certainty that poetry, the music of being human, matters deeply to a huge and growing number of people in this country...’
She gave a great interview on Woman’s Hour on Radio 4, emphasizing that her acceptance was on behalf of all women poets. Though it is always odd that poets on radio can’t be allowed to have conversations without being obliged to read a poem. The only sorrow of the day was the news of the death of U A Fanthorpe.
To read further, visit The Rialto Blog
Responses to Laureate to Laureate and other matters - from The Rialto
There have been no responses to this post yet. If you wish to leave one, please fill out the form below.
We respect your privacy: Please note that we will only use your email address should we need to contact you regarding your comments. It will not be used for marketing purposes and will not be published on the website. Email is optional. All comments are logged by IP address. Unsolicited advertising is strictly prohibited.
back
