Today is an exciting day for me because my essay on the poet (and writer per se) Ted Walker has been published on The Friday Poem, here. I’m very grateful to editor Hilary Menos for finding space for my rambling observations and, moreover, for Ted himself.
The essay took a good deal of reading and research, including a trip down to Lancing back in February (thus the photos); it was, and is, a labour of love. The more I’ve read by and about Ted, the more I’ve grown to like him and respect his considerable achievements. As you’ll see from the essay, he was critically acclaimed throughout his career, yet hardly anyone seems to remember him. My intention was to bring Ted back into the light, so that, with any luck, he might acquire some new readers. If that happens, then I will be very glad.
On Ted Walker
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Responses
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Looking forward to diving into this properly. I somehow acquired a copy of Burning The Ivy years ago. It took me ages to get round to reading it, but I loved it. Totally see the “looking stymied by middle-aged spread and ennui” on the cover. The campaign for more gaspers on the go on front covers starts and ends here.
As ever, you’ve caused me to go back to that and then to look for the other book. Bless you and damn you in the same breath.
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Yeah, it’s a kind of reprobate garden gnome look, isn’t it? Always good to have something to aspire to.
Fox on the Barn Door turns up in secondhand bookshops quite a lot, I find, probably because it had the largest printing of his career. Hurray for Ted!
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Matthew Paul: Poetry & Stuff 
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