I have never written a book about Pound or attended one of these famous conferences. It must be fun for you guys to get paid for studying Pound. I work hard outside the academy for a living. I have a young family. I read Pound for pleasure. Is that odd? >From: Leon Surette <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine > <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Garrick Davis Review >Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 15:49:02 -0400 > >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 ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com