It is miraculous that the socially media absent Shoestring Press (whose venerable chief, John Lucas still communicates by letter and postcard and landline telephone) manage to sell any books at all.
Having said this, I am honoured to be one of Shoestring's poets and didn't swap when another (higher profile, often prizewinning) press approached me some years ago. The quality of the books they have published for me, my relationship with JL and integrity of the press are more important than anything else.
Interesting. Both Prynne and Dixon have undoubtedly committed themselves to the long haul. I say committed, because many people dabble with poetry, and I remember meeting a competition winner who told me that they had given themselves a year “ to do poetry” as part of some tick list of a portfolio career which included many disciplines, not all literary.
I am not familiar with either of these, but would naturally be drawn, to Dixon’s more accessible style. I believe this approach , and even his ( sort of ) anonymity, was a “ career” choice and he would never have wanted to be de rigeur in the sort of circles Prynne has been familiar with.
The good news is that poetry’s broad church has sustained poets and readers at both ends of this spectrum…and at all the hop on , hop off stations in between
Many thanks for this fascinating post. Personally, I also find Dixon's poetry more appealing - and I feel that social class must have played some part in Prynne's work receiving so much more attention, at least in his early career and perhaps later too. (Once a poet has achieved a certain status, there is a snowball effect and the rest of their work tends to be taken more seriously...) Thankfully poetry has become much more egalitarian since the 1960s - and there is now room for a greater variety of voices to be heard.
There are still rites of passage if poets aspire to the giddy heights. Simon Armitage might have sprung from the common people, but he put in the hours with Faber and some translation…
Enjoyable and interesting read, thank you.
It is miraculous that the socially media absent Shoestring Press (whose venerable chief, John Lucas still communicates by letter and postcard and landline telephone) manage to sell any books at all.
Having said this, I am honoured to be one of Shoestring's poets and didn't swap when another (higher profile, often prizewinning) press approached me some years ago. The quality of the books they have published for me, my relationship with JL and integrity of the press are more important than anything else.
What a great piece of writing! Thank you Nell.
Thank you so much for this, Helena. A revelation. With best wishes as ever, Anthony
Interesting. Both Prynne and Dixon have undoubtedly committed themselves to the long haul. I say committed, because many people dabble with poetry, and I remember meeting a competition winner who told me that they had given themselves a year “ to do poetry” as part of some tick list of a portfolio career which included many disciplines, not all literary.
I am not familiar with either of these, but would naturally be drawn, to Dixon’s more accessible style. I believe this approach , and even his ( sort of ) anonymity, was a “ career” choice and he would never have wanted to be de rigeur in the sort of circles Prynne has been familiar with.
The good news is that poetry’s broad church has sustained poets and readers at both ends of this spectrum…and at all the hop on , hop off stations in between
Many thanks for this fascinating post. Personally, I also find Dixon's poetry more appealing - and I feel that social class must have played some part in Prynne's work receiving so much more attention, at least in his early career and perhaps later too. (Once a poet has achieved a certain status, there is a snowball effect and the rest of their work tends to be taken more seriously...) Thankfully poetry has become much more egalitarian since the 1960s - and there is now room for a greater variety of voices to be heard.
There are still rites of passage if poets aspire to the giddy heights. Simon Armitage might have sprung from the common people, but he put in the hours with Faber and some translation…