Larkin at 100

 It will not be until August 8th that Philip Larkin would have been 100 had he not died aged 63 or at any other double-figure age. Various events to mark the occasion will no doubt be announced by the Philip Larkin Society and elsewhere but this week, I chanced to find, The Spectator is ahead of the game.

Abandon hope, all ye that enter here, 

This Be The Curse

I often question the amount of biographical detail readers need about writers and this seems to go about as far as it is possible which in Larkin's case seems doubly inappropriate in respect of his professed wish for privacy. As the author here says, neither Andrew Motion or James Booth saw fit to mention it in their otherwise highly detailed biographies but now we all know and we can't un-know it. But, yes, there is an extended metaphor at work in The Whitsun Weddings and it can hardly have been accidental even if it was sub-conscious. But once we've reached the apogee of intrusion into the lives of writers, perhaps we can return to the texts. Meanwhile, though, there are a lot of universities with academics needing themes for their next paper and so poets might like to keep themselves to themselves or ensure they don't attract critical and biographical attention.

Not that I'm ungrateful to one in particular who has made my accidental contribution to Larkin100 presentable enough for publication in their august journal. It hadn't occurred to me that The Importance of Almost, a 3000 essay, would coincide with the centenary but now it somehow becomes an anniversary companion piece to the appearance of 'twins theory' in the TLS in 2016 on the 400th anninversary of Shakepeare's death. I won't pre-empt it any further but I dare say I'll mention it when it's out in a couple of months.

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In the meantime, there's plenty of music to be looking forward to and the new game I'll see if I can continue with which is beginning reviews with adaptations of the opening lines of famous novels or the famous opening lines of novels.

And, it's the highlight of the sporting year, Cheltenham. I dawned on me that I wouldn't be collecting anything back from Corals before 3pm on Thursday with the investments all tied together as they are and so, noticing that I had the right amount for a daily yankee each day in the account and still leave a nice round number in the plus column, I added those to the portfolio. Thus, a full rundown of horses I have an interest in is,

Tues

1.30 Constitution Hill

3.30 Honeysuckle

4.50 Gaelic Warrior

Weds

1.30 Sir Gerhard

2.10 Bravemansgame 

3.30 Shishkin

5.30 Facile Vega

Thurs

1.30 Galopin des Champs

2.10 Alaphilippe

2.50 Allaho

3.30 Thyme Hill

and I might add in 4.10 The Glancing Queen

Fri

1.30 Vauban

2.10 Surprise Package

2.50 Hillcrest

3.30 Galvin

4.50 Concertista

 

They're not all favourites. Not Quite. The plan is to string a few favourites together rather than hope to find one at a bigger price.