Ezra Pound (1885-1972)

[Totenkopf]

I found some of your phrasing appealing, and as I said, I didn't think it was "j'accuse, Pound!" or whatever. But some might read it that way, maybe. One sees that done with TS Eliot as well: or marxist-Freudian stuff (Eliot as really repressed JW Gacy, or closet Hitler, etc.) .

That broad Ozick did that a few years ago: Eliot was mean to his wifey Viv; therefore all that he wrote is suspect, BS, evidence of his fascist leanings, etc. Those freudian-lite readings of any writer generally miss out on, like, about everything.

[mnaz]

And yet, given the high realms and deeper truths to which truly brilliant authors aspire, perhaps their own missteps are fair game, especially if they repeat themselves often, as in Pound's recurring anti-Semitic thunderbolts throughout the Cantos. Now don't misunderstand: the Cantos are a staggering work of brilliance, interwoven by Pound's indictment of mega-banking, greed (and their potential for world ruin), and wisdom of the ancients. Who am I to even begin to critique such work? He took on more hidden or insidious threats to "civilization" and its niche in the universe. He wrote tirelessly not only of events contained within his life span, but of experience and wisdom from all points back through the centuries. I am in awe. And yet, I think I read somewhere that even Pound himself came to question his own recurring anti-Semitic sermon in later years-- he may have been too race-specific regarding his perception of a general plague of greed, which is unspecific to race.

It is a good point you bring up though, a tough question... how to process human brilliance and insight, even when the author is flawed, or even cruel. That's always a tough one for me.

note: edited for grammar. well, at least it's a little better now...

[Lightning Rod]

Lightning Rod raises his hand
"yes, I am flawed."
guilty as charged

[mnaz]

Some say Ezra Pound was "insane". Perhaps Dali too.
In addition to a nuclear-powered cosmic mind, maybe forms of insanity are required to ascend into heights of mad genius brilliance...
What would I know about that?

[westcoast]

What would I know about that?

indeed.. or the rest of us..

[stilltrucking]

to tell you the truth as I see it
I don't mind the

anti-Semitic thunderbolts

it is little day to day anti-Semitic farts that annoy me.

I don't know why it matters if Pound was insane.
What has that got to do with anything?

[mnaz]

What does it have to do with anything your abrupt questioning of my observations? Are you trying to bait me? Why go there?

[stilltrucking]

Am I questioning your observations?

Wasn't thinking about you in particular Mnaz.

I was thinking about this whole thread, I did not realize you were the only one writting about Pound's insanity.

It seems we could have this same conversation about Bukowski, Kerouac, and others. Are there any really nice guys who created great art?

I don't know what the flaws of the artist has to do with his work. Can we cure artists of their individuality?

The only observation I am questioning you on is anti-semitism.

Bait you?
Jesus h christ
where is whimsical deb when I need her?

[mnaz]

I was writing on my interpretation of Pound's documented anti-Semitism, and his eventual backing away from such a narrow world view, at least as I understood the progression from my readings. Do you take any particular issue with this? How so?

[stilltrucking]

I don't know where to begin mnaz.

It is the narrowness of my own world view.

that puts

Pound's documented anti-Semitism

Along beside FDR's documented anti-Semitism
along side Churchills' documented anti-Semitism
along side Kerouac's documented anti-Semitism
and along side my friends who just don't get it.


my remarks have very little to do with this thread
sorry


I been thinking about reading Rilke
I don't think I am smart enough to read Pound.

[mnaz]

Ok Jack. Cool. Sorry. I do think it's worthwhile to ponder these issues, that's all.

[stilltrucking]

It is
it is
maybe it is my weird method of pondering
to ponder the ponder
question the question.

so dumb about philosphy mark
well maybe not dumb
poorly educated.

Keep on pondering
cause it ponders me too
if that makes any sense

[westcoast]

The Subject: 1939

Ezra Pound reads "Sestina: Altaforte" at Harvard

http://media.sas.upenn.edu/pennsound/au ... d_1939.mp3

~westcoast

[Dave The Dov]

Tell the man what you think. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... r&GRid=833 It's interesting that Allen Ginsberg sought him out one time. I wonder what Pound was thinking at that time when he meet up with him? I have on tape Pound reciting one of his poems.
_________________
Russian Forum

[Totenkopf]

Some of the beatskis attempted to engage Pound--it was WC Williams who set that up, most likely (maybe Chas Olsen) , and most likely a mistake---while EP was in St. Liz (a sanitorium). It was to little or no avail; besides, that was before they became somewhat infamous. But some naive leftists use that as proof that EP had softened his views. Nyetski. He did ye olde blackshirt salute when released from St. Liz, and returned to Rapallo or whereever.

Pound was also pals with Joyce, and was Yeats' assistant for some time. Regardless, the biographical "trivial pursuit" has little bearing on Pound's writing (he had completed most of his work by the 30s anyway).