In a message dated 05/27/2000 11:58:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< So this statement hardly adds up to a "Program" against Pound or
 his poem. I did not even say anything against Pound the person -- humans
 are complex, and both from the poem and accounts of Pound's life it is
 easy to recognize much that is admirable in the man as in his poem. And
 I certainly would not urge anyone *not* to read the poem, or refuse to
 aid them if they chose to read it.
  >>

under the aegis that one should practice what one preaches, I agree that
everyone, not only students of Pound, "should strive for precision in their
words -- and to note precision in others."  it's clear I didn't claim that
Cox's remarks constituted a progrom, but that I referred to his remarks as a
possible effect of the cumulative denigration of Pound, just as it's clear
that Cox said that he would find it hard to recommend  Pound's work to young
people.  here's the quote in question: "But under current social/political
conditions I could not in honesty recommend to a young person that they
devote much time to it. Like some other great epics, it will be easier to
admire unreservedly when its ideas are really dead -- which will not, I fear,
be soon."  notice, for instance, that the words "discourage" or "urge" are
nowhere present in this quote, thus Cox's denials are made in the absence of
any accusation.

<<  When I wish to be blunt I can be. I did *not* say that I would discourage
anyone from reading Pound. I did not say that the poem was a bad poem -- much
to the contrary. I did not say that immense awards could not come from
reading it -- quite the contrary: one does not read (and yes with delight) a
poem for 45 years unless one finds much in it to reward effort. So this
statement hardly adds up to a "Program" against Pound or his poem.  >>

joe brennan