In stark contrast to our number one, Quaye's joyous paen to internal sunshine of the mind, in the summer, and in the autumn - indeed, celebration of being forever sun-kissed, and real-kissed - is one of the most upbeat love songs I have ever heard. It's hard not to imagine being lifted up by it. This will turn some off. But for the rest of us, who live through many a dull cold and rainy London day (such as this one), we'll take Quaye any day - and we should add, Quaye has written of this subject before, and may again - which is fine with Eyewear.
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
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