Many years ago I bought a copy of The Book of My Enemy from Galloway & Porter (remainder merchants of fond memory), who had stacks of them going for £1.
The perfect punchline… Though I’m sure, as James says in the poem, that it was only remaindered due to ‘a miscalculated print run, a marketing error -- /
I sometimes wonder whether James saw the remainder stacks himself, as I'm sure he'd have found it hard to resist visiting G&P. I think he'd have been amused.
Great piece on a fascinating subject. I came across this amazing quote from Alfred Austin this morning:
‘A man’s reputation, if he deserves one, is invariably made for him by his enemies…he is decried into consideration, and belittled into fame…I shall owe nothing to any of you, eulogise me as industriously as you may. I shall owe my reputation wholly to myself, my own best enemy…’
Perhaps one thing worse than a series of bad reviews, is a series of good reviews from critics whose opinions are so terrible that their praise forces the indignity of fame on you.
Would that poets were reviewed these days to the extent they might make enemies of critics!
*waves*
Many years ago I bought a copy of The Book of My Enemy from Galloway & Porter (remainder merchants of fond memory), who had stacks of them going for £1.
Bought a lot of poetry there, back in the 90s.
The perfect punchline… Though I’m sure, as James says in the poem, that it was only remaindered due to ‘a miscalculated print run, a marketing error -- /
Nothing to do with merit.’
I sometimes wonder whether James saw the remainder stacks himself, as I'm sure he'd have found it hard to resist visiting G&P. I think he'd have been amused.
I'm glad the Monsieur de Poop fan club is going strong. We should think about some suitably pompous merch
Poop bags?
💯
Great piece on a fascinating subject. I came across this amazing quote from Alfred Austin this morning:
‘A man’s reputation, if he deserves one, is invariably made for him by his enemies…he is decried into consideration, and belittled into fame…I shall owe nothing to any of you, eulogise me as industriously as you may. I shall owe my reputation wholly to myself, my own best enemy…’
Perhaps one thing worse than a series of bad reviews, is a series of good reviews from critics whose opinions are so terrible that their praise forces the indignity of fame on you.
‘Decried into consideration’ is great!
My favourite angry and bitter response to a critic is this by John Millington Synge:
The Curse
To a sister of an enemy of the author's who disapproved of 'The Playboy'
Lord, confound this surly sister,
Blight her brow with blotch and blister,
Cramp her larynx, lung, and liver,
In her guts a galling give her.
Let her live to earn her dinners
In Mountjoy with seedy sinners:
Lord, this judgment quickly bring,
And I'm your servant, J. M. Synge.
Seems a bit harsh to take it out on the sister! Or was she the one doing the disapproving?
So delicious.