IRISH POETIC GENIUS KEVIN HIGGINS HAS DIED

 

Terrible sad news - the major Irish satirical poet of his generation, and a poet of comedic genius, and powerful authentic resonance, Kevin Higgins, has died yesterday in Ireland.

Higgins, the author of many poetry books, most published by Galway-based Irish press Salmon, was known and admired world-wide, but nonetheless deserved even more recognition from the established great and the good - i.e. the prizes, medals, crowns, gongs and other titles thrown at many many lesser lights - except, he was so brilliantly biting, critical, and scathing of all that he spied as dishonest, unfair or wretched.

Sweet-natured and hilarious in person, on paper, he was terrifyingly sharp-witted, and sparing of no prisoners. In a just world, he would be seen as the greatest of recent Irish poets, and even so, is recognised in anthologies and critical studies everywhere as the most acute, savagely clever, and startling of Irish political poets.

The measure of his unexpected reach - a 'Heineken poet' if you will - is that on his death the Irish President issued a press release. Kevin was more valued, loved, and necessary, than was often recognised by po-faced arbiters of taste, but loved and treasured he was and is. I am proud to have been one of the first to encourage his poetry by anthologising him in Poets Against The War and Short Fuse anthologies, on Nthposition, and in hosting him at events on several continents; since I met him in 2002, over 21 years ago, I have constantly expressed the opinion his style and voice were unique and urgently valuable. I always championed his genius, and still do. Kevin wrote an intro to my Salmon selected poetry book, and though we lost touch in the past few years, and often disagreed about politics, his early advocacy of my work remains deeply important to my own creative journey as well. He edited many of my poems in the period 2002-2006.

He is secure in the Irish canon, and one day, there will be pilgrimages to the places he lived and taught writing, with his partner, the Irish and American poet Susan Millar duMars, who survives him.

Condolences to those who loved him.