Three Talks: David Malouf, Les Murray and David Rowbotham: David Rowbotham

Abstract

Too many people write poetry presuming to think they are wholly and solely poets: this is what fate has willed them to be to the exclusion of other things. It is true that poetry can exert such a pull on its writer that, sooner or later, he will want to be a poet alone, regarding other things, other forms of work, as a distraction; and that he may indeed, despite the odds, produce great work if his want is somehow met. But I want to admit the other things, as being important to a poet's work even when they seem to pull against it.