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Ruth Allen, PhD (MNCPS Accred)'s avatar

Your words arrive at an interesting time for me as I have been pondering this idea that art should speak for itself. I keep thinking about doing all these book events and how sometimes I want to say 'just read the book!' but knowing that's not enough. But hold this in contrast with poetry books and how poets are rarely asked to do Q&A's in the same style - they are asked to read their work at poetry events as if it speaks for itself and should be enough. But more than anything I think poets should talk more about their work as a way in to a medium that readers often feel 'scared of'. I am also thinking about a zine/pamphlet I am making, and how I am trying to write an introduction for it because I suppose it needs that pre-amble because my work doesn't speak for itself. These are all disjointed thoughts, but I appreciate your clarification that actually we DO need to speak for our work, and that's not a shameful thing, or a sign that somehow our work shouldn't need that and would be better for just sitting 'unspoken'. xx

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Cathie Cummins's avatar

Thank you. I love your art and writing! Maybe Mattise could not write! We all see differently - lazily, too quickly, without much focus. Yet there is so, so much to be explored, to linger with and comprehend.

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