[New-Poetry] Re: Tom Disch

[David Graham]

I guess I'm glad I never came under Disch's scrutiny.

He was very good at pricking balloons, and a hell of a craftsman.   
For example:

Some Poets Who Shall Be Nameless


           Donald

I never read him when he was the rage,
And now his reputation's so much faded.
Sad truth, that at a certain age
One's appetite for earnestness is jaded.





           Larry

Who squandered his youth and found himself,
In middle age, a nondescript and common whore.
Although you'll not find his books on your shelf,
He had a blast.  They don't make his kind anymore!





          Alfred

Though better than the critics have maintained,
Your verse is not the beaten gold you think it.
But "vapid"? No, nor altogether "strained."
Just chill and , even at its best, a trinket.

--Tom Disch
Slope  17
http://www.slope.org/archive/issue17/FU_disch.html

========================================
David Graham
grahamd at ripon.edu

Home Page:
http://web.mac.com/drjazz

Poetry Library:
http://web.mac.com/drjazz/iWeb/Site/DGPoLibrary.html
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On Jul 7, 2008, at 11:44 AM, Rsgwynn1 at cs.com wrote:

> Though best known for his fiction, Tom was a wonderful poet and  
> critic.
>
> http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/06/rip-thomas-m-disch.html
> _______________________________________________
> New-Poetry mailing list
> New-Poetry at wiz.cath.vt.edu
> http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/new-poetry

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