RE: Stretched & Cafe au Lait / RE: (TV) Verlaine idol gets the Nobel Prize

[leif joley <leifjoley@hotmail.com>]

Perhaps not after all, Leo -- and these examples (the Gelder interview, the
Dusted article) are surely evidence of the contrary. Albeit: Transtromer is in
both just brought up as a little aside; there's no further discussion about
what in his poetry that amazed Verlaine. Now, the 80's seems like a world
away, of course... but I DO think that the connection Transtromer-Verlaine was
slightly more extensive in Swedish interviews at the time. Perhaps this is
perfectly normal: If you are an artist touring the world, it might be boring
to talk about same things all the time when you promote concerts and a new
record. So when Verlaine came to Sweden, perhaps he thought it would be
appropriate to speak with Swedes about Transtromer, just to get a little
different and fresh conversation-angle, and then this subject found its way
into the printed (or broadcasted) interviews. Just a thought. He might've done
the same in France, or Germany, or elsewhere. Although I doubt that he did get
much out of the Swedish reporters regarding the future Nobel Prize winner, if
he wanted to have a conversation about Transtromer's writings. All grown-ups
here are aware of his name -- he has, after all, been around since the 60's --
but I reckon that relatively few of us has read his works; I believe that as a
poet, you'll never have your writings being household material.  This doesn't
keep us Swedes from to be proud today. Actually, not so many believed that one
of our writers would get the Nobel Prize since the academy met harsh criticism
when they previously awarded Swedes. It's a small country, and people in the
small literary elite do of course know each other, so suspicions about or
accusations of nepotism will abound. The last time it happened, in '74 if
memory serves, it was divided by two authors, and the aftermath was tragic:
both got severely depressed and one actually killed himself. Leif J, Sweden >
From: LeoCasey@comcast.net
> To: tv@obbard.com
> Subject: Stretched & Cafe au Lait / RE: (TV) Verlaine idol gets the  Nobel
Prize
> Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2011 01:37:44 -0400
>
> Regarding your "Perhaps I stretched it a bit too far, this with
> Verlaine's expressed admiration for our poet in interviews -- if, for
> instance, Deb has read interviews without remembering that Tomas
> Transtromer's name popped up here and there. It MIGHT be that Transtromer
> was brought on the table in company of Swedish journalists solely."
>
> Leif, I don't think you stretched it.  Here's a non-Swedish Verlaine
> reference to Transtromer:
>
> From the Pamphlet "Quote/Unquote", in a conversation with Dutch
> poet-journalist Hendrik Gelder (1986):
>
> Gelder: "But you're widely read in poetry".
>
> Verlaine:  Not so much really... especially recently... sure there were
> times like in the early 70s when one made discoveries... Lorca, the
> Frenchies, there's a Swede... Tomas Transtromer... who I still like..." --
> ..............................................................
> From Leo:
> There's a bunch of literary influences/interests of TV.
>
> A few other writers, movies, directors TV has mentioned (albeit doesn't
> always mean they influenced him or his music): in addition to the Symbolist
> poets, people like Lorca, Tomas Transtromer (a Swede), the 13th-century
> Iranian Sufi poet, Rumi (esp. his "Night and Sleep"), and Lautremont
>
> The novels of Janet Hobhouse;  Lewis Thomas' books on biology, and medicine
> or some of Thomas' manic psychology texts; writings of pianist Glenn Gould;
> literary criticism:  Foucault and Baudrillard.
>
> Movies: "Ciel et la boue, Le" (1960); "Stevie" (about a poet starring
Glenda
> Jackson, 1982?); "The Last Wave" (1980); and "Wild River" (1960)
>
> and directors: Alan Rudolph, Sam Fuller, Peter Weir, and Elia Kazan.
>
> Miscellaneous influences: Duchamp, Varese, Ravel, Sibelius, Henry Mancini,
> soundtracks to old tv shows, an 18th century book on tulips.
>
> and THE most important of all his secret weapons/influences:  a daily cafe
> au lait
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