The UK is an island, in name, and attitude - at least according to one man, David Cameron, who returns, raising his empty hand like a salute. While the Eurozone struggles with an epoch-defining crisis that could yet plunge the world (including the UK) into deep recession, or worse, our PM fiddles with party politics. As one French wag put it today, the Tories are acting like a man going to a wife-swapping party, without his wife. Indeed. It is time for the voters of Britain to decide, whether they see a future inside Europe. Eyewear does, but also thinks a referendum makes sense - it will force the hand of all sides, and get the best arguments out there.
THAT HANDSOME MAN A PERSONAL BRIEF REVIEW BY TODD SWIFT I could lie and claim Larkin, Yeats , or Dylan Thomas most excited me as a young poet, or even Pound or FT Prince - but the truth be told, it was Thom Gunn I first and most loved when I was young. Precisely, I fell in love with his first two collections, written under a formalist, Elizabethan ( Fulke Greville mainly), Yvor Winters triad of influences - uniquely fused with an interest in homerotica, pop culture ( Brando, Elvis , motorcycles). His best poem 'On The Move' is oddly presented here without the quote that began it usually - Man, you gotta go - which I loved. Gunn was - and remains - so thrilling, to me at least, because so odd. His elegance, poise, and intelligence is all about display, about surface - but the surface of a panther, who ripples with strength beneath the skin. With Gunn, you dressed to have sex. Or so I thought. Because I was queer (I maintain the right to lay claim to that
Comments
I'm no Tory as you know but I don't think that 'Call me Dave' had much choice. Sarko was out to neuter the City of London and Cameron headed him off at the pass. The real problem is that decades of Euro-hostility from right-wing Tories has left us friendless in Europe which could prove extremely expensive in the future. Having spent a lot of time in France recently, I can personally confirm that it is a far more prosperous and civilized country than Britain these days.
Best wishes from Simon