“FOUR essays on Philip Larkin?” I told Cruz, unbelieving. “That seems excessive.”
“Yeah, but they’re pretty amazing,” Cruz said.
I was reading Clive James’ new “best of” collection of his work preceding “Cultural Amnesia.” (It’s called “Cultural Cohesion”) Cruz had gotten there first, sending me an email with a link saying “So this exists.”
But Larkin had only produced four major collections – did we need an essay for each one? Reluctantly, I started in.
I had completed essay three by the time I stopped at a local book store and, dammit Clive, purchased “The Complete Poetry of Phillip Larkin.”
Down goes the cynic.