... A Google Alert does, apparently. Taking the effort out of ego-googling, an Alert can act as a Spider Sense for the thin-skinned, tingling whenever someone is dissing you on the Web, so that you can scuttle over there quick and stamp on it. As well as being a bit undignified, the thing strikes me as thankless. After all, if you make a living out of Being Controversial, as does 'Top Ten Troublemaker (2001)' and hellish state school survivor Paul Kingsnorth, then being dissed by bloggers is surely an occupational hazard. But there it is.
On the subject, Janice Moor - she of the Grayson Ellis Official Site - comments below about the remarkarble parallels between Kingsnorth's 'award-winning' poems and certain Ellis juvenilia written in the early 1950s. No suspicion of plagiarism - the Ellis works have apparently never been published.
Fascinating comparison though: you can view it here and decide for yourself. I make no comment (wouldn't want an Alerted Kingsnorth back on my case, after all).
I actually cried for those poor monkeywives.
ReplyDeleteI once made a negative mention of Van Morrison in a post (oops, I've done it again) and was taken to task by his PR manager within minutes. I wonder if these sensitive souls have alarm bells ringing around the house whenever their names appear in cyberspace?
ReplyDeleteThe only poet to do juvelania well was E. J. Thribb; and in fact the poem about monkeywives etc is SO good that I cannot believe it is not by him...
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for him- look at that school. Hell on earth.
ReplyDeleteStill I note he's an honorary member of the Lani Tribe of New Guinea so that's nice.
Tool of the year? Or decade? Tough call.
Brit, I have to thank you- Kingsnorth's blog and manifesto etc is just the funniest thing I have seen in ages. I mean just take a snort of this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dark-mountain.net/about-2/principles/
Holy cow, but that's good shit.
...of the year? Or decade?
ReplyDeleteWe'll let posterity decide on that, Vern, we'll let posterity decide.
There are just too many wonderful bits on Kingsnorth's site to pick a favourite. But the story of Ed, Will and Ginger, three jolly fine fellows saving England by singing for their supper, is a contender. Mike Leigh should be snapping up the film rights.
That is indeed impressive. What a bunch of spiffing chaps!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the piece was published in the Telegraph for though he does not realise this, Kingsnorth is a reactionary on a scale unimagined by the most dyspeptic sergeant major(retd.)
Although I do wonder how he got it past the editor. No I don't- the ed is probably a spiffing chap too, possibly from the same rough background as Kingsnorth and the 3 terrific troubadours...
Awesome.