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Jorge Luis Borges on the transformative power of art

“The task of art is to transform what is continuously happening to us, to transform all these things into symbols, into music, into something which can last in man’s memory… The work of a poet never ends. It has nothing to do with working hours.” — Jorge Luis Borges, speaking to Argentinian filmmaker German Kral. In the same clip,* Kral, . . .

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Notes on eight years of book blogging

Obviously I’m thrilled to be included in the Times’ (UK) list of “Forty bloggers who really count.” As is my nature, I also feel anxious and unworthy, but at a certain point (which came for me a long time ago) it is tacky and seems disingenuous to say so. Feel free to call me on that. This month marks eight . . .

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Philip Larkin on the conflict between work and poetry

From now on, when people inquire how I feel about working a day job, I think I’ll defer to Philip Larkin. Asked about his life as a University of Hull librarian, the poet replied: Taking it all in all, work and I get on fairly well, I think. There are just these occasions when one would like to prove it . . .

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