John Stiles > Recent Status Updates

I've decided. DM Must be a good poet; not everyone can invoke sympathy for a fish, in this case a waning carp. I thought of those poor little fishies. This could easily go the parody route of more satirical writing ala Dickens' 'Ode to an expiring frog.' O o .

The title almost put me off but now hooked. It is about the Scottish clearances - and the exodus to NS and other parts of Canada. It is about an old lady notified by a man on a white horse she is about to be kicked out of her farmhouse, is very poetic with rural images that last and has elements of Brian Moore's "Lonely passion of Judith Hearne" and Margaret Laurence's "The Stone Angel".

Very compelling with strong characters and an insight into the life of a salaried journalist, but found the ending too rushed as too many tie-ins with mobster/prison owner a dubious backstory, especially when this man ends up falling in the gears of a printing press. Build-up of the main plot, of jewel thieves Jan/Constance, Dwayne and one-handed Mr Fine, absolutely thrilling and much Stephen Kingesque wit.

The editor, Powley's pronouncements such as "(Matthew) Arnold has no superior amongst out poets" and "(Ernest) Dowson's lyrical gift was great but he had nothing to say." Overshadow some of the author bios but this is a great intro to some long forgotten poetry and it is interesting to see how the old masters were connected to lesser known, but equally strong poets.