I like all these, though I’m glad that so far nobody has felt moved to write to me to tell me I’m a ‘complete c**t’.
Rodney Smith- last letter quoted- I don’t suppose he’ll read this, but if he does I’d like to tell him I wish him well. As it happens, when I received a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2018, I called my own tumour ‘Boris’, too. The explanation I gave friends was that I’d been in danger of dismissing the lump as just a bit of a tit, whereas in fact it was very important to recognise its enormous capacity for irreversible damage, and take appropriate action. I had treatment which I’m hoping to find has worked, but the country who voted for the larger Boris in 2019 is still suffering from his effects.
I find it repulsive that people, in their own self-pity, would name the harmful effects of diseases after public figures. You already obsessively hate these people so much, can't you just give them a break?
Putin invaded a whole country and started a war to satisfy his own delusions; Trump is a rapist who boasted about groping women and sold them out for his own gain; Farage is a fascist; Musk - who the hell knows, buying his way into power. Whatever helps people to survive these guys and their humongous vanity is fine by me.
Putin is a tyrant and a dictator. Trump is simply the elected president of the United States. Perfect? I don't know - I've never met him. I do, however, think he did a lot of good for the country, and have yet to see sufficient evidence supporting those allegations.
He told you with his own words who he is and how he’s happy to treat women. But for a lot of people no proof is ever enough. Suffice to say we will agree to disagree.
Well, in my case it was a private joke (shared with only a few close friends) and evidently I was right to keep it as one. Really, I don’t think Mr Johnson suffered at all from having Rodney’s and my cancers named after him. He’s extremely well-off, seems to do whatever he likes with impunity and will most likely outlive us both, so I think we can be allowed a small p-take. (And- ‘self-pity’? If you can’t feel a bit sorry for yourself during chemotherapy, when the hell can you?)
I thought Philip Larkin was unnecessarily mean about those of us who read poetry rather than writing it… isn’t it supposed to have some communicative function?
I don't know who Al Purdy is or the recipient Irving Layton, who Purdy absolutely RIPS into. But bravo - can't imagine have the nerve to excoriate an acquaintance, knowing that your wirtten words could be memorialized forever. I am going to remember this quote if ever I rise to the same fever pitch as Mr. Purda
I like all these, though I’m glad that so far nobody has felt moved to write to me to tell me I’m a ‘complete c**t’.
Rodney Smith- last letter quoted- I don’t suppose he’ll read this, but if he does I’d like to tell him I wish him well. As it happens, when I received a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2018, I called my own tumour ‘Boris’, too. The explanation I gave friends was that I’d been in danger of dismissing the lump as just a bit of a tit, whereas in fact it was very important to recognise its enormous capacity for irreversible damage, and take appropriate action. I had treatment which I’m hoping to find has worked, but the country who voted for the larger Boris in 2019 is still suffering from his effects.
i love your wordplay, catherine. wishing you all the best 🤍
Thank you!
Sorry… a ‘prize’ that-word, not a complete one.
The lawnmower?!
Cryptic Anais Nin!
An especially great collection today! I loved “be a little vampire”! I want to suck up all the art, too.
Sad as it was, I love Rodney Smith's letter
I find it repulsive that people, in their own self-pity, would name the harmful effects of diseases after public figures. You already obsessively hate these people so much, can't you just give them a break?
Putin invaded a whole country and started a war to satisfy his own delusions; Trump is a rapist who boasted about groping women and sold them out for his own gain; Farage is a fascist; Musk - who the hell knows, buying his way into power. Whatever helps people to survive these guys and their humongous vanity is fine by me.
Putin is a tyrant and a dictator. Trump is simply the elected president of the United States. Perfect? I don't know - I've never met him. I do, however, think he did a lot of good for the country, and have yet to see sufficient evidence supporting those allegations.
He told you with his own words who he is and how he’s happy to treat women. But for a lot of people no proof is ever enough. Suffice to say we will agree to disagree.
Well, in my case it was a private joke (shared with only a few close friends) and evidently I was right to keep it as one. Really, I don’t think Mr Johnson suffered at all from having Rodney’s and my cancers named after him. He’s extremely well-off, seems to do whatever he likes with impunity and will most likely outlive us both, so I think we can be allowed a small p-take. (And- ‘self-pity’? If you can’t feel a bit sorry for yourself during chemotherapy, when the hell can you?)
No. No break is deserved.
I thought Philip Larkin was unnecessarily mean about those of us who read poetry rather than writing it… isn’t it supposed to have some communicative function?
I don't know who Al Purdy is or the recipient Irving Layton, who Purdy absolutely RIPS into. But bravo - can't imagine have the nerve to excoriate an acquaintance, knowing that your wirtten words could be memorialized forever. I am going to remember this quote if ever I rise to the same fever pitch as Mr. Purda
y!