I know I have it in my collection but can't for the life of me remember the name or book it comes from. It has a short simple title, and deals with how the white American male is the last group you can make fun of.
Name of poem about white American male as the last target? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Corey 11106
- Start date
Giving Thanks in Sifting...
Page 217.
Page 217.
Ahh, yes, many thanks. I was pulling my hair out yesterday, and not that having to go through my entire collection to find it would have been a bad thing, but it would have taken a good while. Thanks again.
mjp
Founding member
We don't have a manuscript for that one, but I'd take it with a grain of salt. It uses the term "middle-class" a lot, and that sounds like a Martinism. He only used the term once as far as I can see (a sad poem in War All the Time), and it was to describe his neighborhood in San Pedro.
It seems like it would be out of character for him to describe himself that way. Maybe someone has the 1992 issue of Pearl that it appeared in and can prove me wrong.
It seems like it would be out of character for him to describe himself that way. Maybe someone has the 1992 issue of Pearl that it appeared in and can prove me wrong.
Thanks, I'm new to the forums here and only yesterday read everything about the edits in the posthumous editions, it is fascinating and troubling. When you say grain of salt, do you mean just for the usage of middle class, or for the poem as a whole?
@Corey 11106 seems one should be suspect of almost everything at this point. As time goes by the "Martinizing" just gets worse. Wholly unnecessary and quite depressing.
Damn. This is all news to me and it is depressing. I first read "South of No North" when I was in college and was immediately hooked. Went back and read everything more or less chronologically over the last 15 years or so and I was always excited to get my hands on a collection I hadn't read yet, but all of this makes me think I should have just stopped after "...Earth Poems." The first posthumous one I read was "Slouching...." and it just didn't feel right but I chalked it up to age, but I loved "The Captain..." What about the non-Ecco stuff? "Absence of the Hero" and "Wine Stained notebook?" The collections of letters?
I know exactly how you feel man. I stumbled upon Buk (poetry first) and was also immediately hooked. Got my hands on everything I could, read it then re read it, then bang - you find this shit out. Not sure about the non-Ecco stuff yet or the letters, but I'm sure there are plenty of good folks here who can shine some light on that.
mjp
Founding member
The City Lights books are edited by David Calonne (forum member @David) and they are faithful to the originals. The next few poem collections to be published were edited by Abel Debritto (forum member @cirerita), and I think you can assume that they will also be faithful to the manuscripts and/or original publications.
HarperCollins/Ecco wasn't the problem. The editor was the problem. Now he's been replaced.
From my understanding of things, you're good to go through Betting on the Muse, not that this increases the number of books that much. But every authentic drop counts.
mjp
Founding member
Anything new you see from here on out will definitely not be edited by John Martin. He was relieved of his "editing" duties by the estate when the scope of his "editing" became known.
Or so they say, you know. I can't quote anyone on that. No one will speak about him openly or on the record. Nothing negative, anyway. All they're willing to do publicly is polish his crown.
Thanks for all the info, can't say how glad I am to have stumbled across this site the other day. Work productivity in a steep decline.
