Friday, May 23, 2008

Cunning Plans

I'm now putting together the What To Read Over The June Vacation list. This will be followed in due course by the What To Listen To Over The June Vacation list and, in further due course the What I'm Going To Try And Learn About Over The June Vacation list. I sometimes think it's more fun making the lists than actually doing the things on them.

Coleridge (Samuel Taylor) was a great one for lists - of projected great works - as I discovered when reading Richard Holmes's fine biography. The problem was he rarely got round to writing what was on them. Too busy getting stoned and not finishing Kubla Khan, I suppose. I actually do carry out what I plan, but this, unfortunately, fails to stretch to unfinished works of genius.

I must say, I rather like the idea of devising plans you don't carry out. Some might say this is the essential feature of most organisations, if they were honest about themselves, but I'm only really interested here in fine individual failures of which the individual is keenly aware. Sort of essays on absences, elegies on that which is not fulfilled.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

For some strange reason, what you wrote and what I've been reading have come together in a rather odd combination. The last time I remember putting together any kind of literature-based hypothesis while slightly 'Coleridged' was a long time ago.

Have a good holiday, and I hope you will entertain us with what you actually ended up reading!

Brian Connor said...

The synchronicity is distinctly spooky - all the more so when you consider another of your recent Findings and the fact that I've been listening to the mighty Ted Hughes reading in the car and have just been dipping into the Collected Poems for Children for the first time in yonks. I assume you've got it? If not it's a must must buy.