“I shouldn’t normally show what I’d written to anyone [before publishing]: what would be the point? You remember Tennyson reading an unfinished poem to Jowett; when he had finished, Jowett said, ‘I shouldn’t publish that if I were you, Tennyson.’ Tennyson replied, ‘If it comes to that, Master, the sherry you gave us at lunch was downright filthy.’ That’s about all that can happen.”
– Philip Larkin, “An Interview with Paris Review,” Required Writing
Also, it seems that people are throwing me a party this evening; it is apparently designed to celebrate my persisting for 25 years without hearing a call to the ministry. (In certain circles, this is quite an achievement.) I'll do my best to stop by.
Aaron,
I'm so proud.. reading Larkin and..Lolita.
Diversity in all things, a mantra de mois.
P