Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Is Your Last Name Hill?

So, apparently, if your last name is "Hill," you get an automatic pass for the Forward poetry prize.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18855442

My question to readers of this blog is, has anyone read ANY of the books or authors listed? If so, what did you think? If not, have you even heard of them? I'm wondering if assignments aren't necessary. Pick five bloggers, have them each explore one of the nominees and go from there. Any takers?

5 comments:

John said...

I've not even heard of any of the authors besides Geoffrey Hill, Marilyn Hacker and Jorie Graham (the latter mainly because she read at the Cleveland Museum of Art last October, though I didn't get to attend). I don't believe I've read any of their work.

Anonymous said...

It could be said that in America all that name will get you is sexually harassed by a future Supreme Court justice.

pottygok said...

@Anonymous: Or framed for murder, and executed by a firing squad! =) At least then you get a song written about you.

pottygok said...

It appears that many of these are not available outside of the UK. I've been able to get Graham's "Place," but that's it! :::pout::: Oh well, I guess it's back to "Predator vs. Alien," which according to the PD is the only poetry book worth reading this summer. ;-)

Geoffrey A. Landis said...

I'm not really up on British poets, I'm afraid, other than Wendy Cope (and I guess Seamus Heaney, but mostly for his translation of Beowulf).

But, heck, if it's Hills they want, I'd go for Joe Hill.

Cited...

The poet doesn't invent. He listens. ~Jean Cocteau