Dear Poundians,

    I have read Mr. Davis's "review" of four books which discuss Pound
poetry and politics. The most recent of these books was published in 1989,
and the earliest in 1980. It is difficult to understand how his piece
qualifies as a review.
    It is, in fact, a diatribe against the entire class of Pound scholars
masquerading as a review. The four books he selects are not as bad as he
makes out, nor are they representative of the scholarly discussion of
Pound's political and racial views.
    Tim Redman's POUND IN ITALY, the edition of Pound's letters to Olivia
Agresti I did with Demetres Tryphonopoulos, I CEASE NOT TO YOWL, Alec
Marsh's MONEY AND MODERNITY, and my new book, POUND IN PURGATORY all offer
balanced perspectives on Pound's engagement in economics and politics. And
there are other books which need to be considered as well. The issue is
complex, and not to be resolved by denunciation and selective citation in
the manner of Mr. Davis.
    In fact, Pound's reputation is much higher than Mr. Davis imagines--at
least in North America and on the continent. It may be true that the British
have scorned and neglected Pound, but there is a strong contingent of
British scholars who regularly attend the Pound conferences, and even write
books about him that are respectful and responsible. And, in any case, the
British are much inclined to scorn and neglect of foreigners. Perhaps Mr.
Davis was unaware that Wendy Flory was British despite her American
location. Otherwise he has excepted British scholars who have written on
Pound with some apologetic attention to his politics from his condemnation.
    It is difficult to understand what contribution Mr. Davis believes
himself to be making to the study of Pound's poetry and career.

Leon Surette
English Dept.
University of Western Ontario
London, Ont.
N6A 3K7