[New-Poetry] Re: laureate

[David Bircumshaw]

>
> There's a wonderful story in Stonor Saunders book "Who pays the piper"
> about Lowell (drunk of course) in an open-top car with driver
> careering through the Buenos Aires night. Lowell is standing up giving
> Nazi salutes and shouting nazi slogans.
>
> Lowell, like all the rest of the puppets, was paid through the
> Congress for Cultural Freedom, the CIA front organisation. I believe
> they paid off a UK mag as well.
>   
The magazine was Encounter, Roger. They also used to sponsor the 
Australian magazine Quadrant to some extent. It's really hard to know 
what to make of all these things (Stephen Spender was involved in 
Encounter, Les Murray with Quadrant) except that clearly some of the 
Spooks have a taste for poetry.
With our current, very active, Laureate it is a matter of public record 
that Blair (favourite poem 'The Soldier') took 'a personal interest' in 
his appointment.

Best

Dave

-- 

David Bircumshaw
Website and A Chide's Alphabet http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/
The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk