Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Catullus 10, Man

I find it interesting that the Zukofskys use the word "man" in a sort of Beat fashion in their version of Catullus 10.  The Finnegans Wake listserv has had a discussion lately about whether Joyce would have known about zoot suits.  Now, the Zukofskys worked on their Catullus translations beginning in 1958, so they would have heard and read Beat use of language.  I remember a poem by Bob Creeley written in the 1980's which used some Beat-type language, and then he had a line like, "Man, I don't even talk like that any more."  (I think I gave that book away.  I couldn't find the poem online.)

I think I may reread The Cantos in 2018.  If I keep of my habit of rereading "A" every December, which I plan to do, I will read it for the fifth time this December and for the eighth time in 2017.  Now, I've read The Cantos eight times, and I suspect Mr. Zukofsky would want to me reread The Cantos for the ninth time before I read "A" for the ninth time.  Of course, I never met Mr. Z, so perhaps I don't understand him much at all.  Ah, vain repetitions.

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