Comments on: An Unconventional Buddhist Poetics http://roverarts.com/2010/01/an-unconventional-buddhist-poetics/ Montreal Arts Uncovered Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:40:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Brian Campbell http://roverarts.com/2010/01/an-unconventional-buddhist-poetics/comment-page-1/#comment-17308 Brian Campbell Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:24:08 +0000 http://roverarts.com/?p=3641#comment-17308 The final part of the comment above I revise as follows: Chalk all this up to constraints of time, and of the strict 500-word format favoured by the Rover. I used the bio from the blurb because it was concise. It left me free to devote more space to the poetry. One fault with the book is that nowhere in its pages is that misleading impression about the Dalai Lama corrected. I should also not have used the word “regime” in my footnote, which, being pejorative, had the effect of worsening the impression I was trying to correct. Thanks also for making us aware of John Avedon’s book. Editing, editing! The final part of the comment above I revise as follows:

Chalk all this up to constraints of time, and of the strict 500-word format favoured by the Rover. I used the bio from the blurb because it was concise. It left me free to devote more space to the poetry.

One fault with the book is that nowhere in its pages is that misleading impression about the Dalai Lama corrected. I should also not have used the word “regime” in my footnote, which, being pejorative, had the effect of worsening the impression I was trying to correct.

Thanks also for making us aware of John Avedon’s book.

Editing, editing!

]]> By: Brian Campbell http://roverarts.com/2010/01/an-unconventional-buddhist-poetics/comment-page-1/#comment-16772 Brian Campbell Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:24:04 +0000 http://roverarts.com/?p=3641#comment-16772 Thank you very much, Mark, for filling us in on these valuable facts, and my apologies for the misleading impression about the Dalai Lama I may have made. Actually, the second paragraph of the review was lifted directly from the book’s blurb. The version I submitted to the Rover makes that clear, starting with, “The book’s blurb tells us that born in 1903…etc.” These words were edited out: I guess they don’t make a crisp read, but they did serve a purpose. The effect of this edit – which I didn’t notice until you pointed it out -- is that the footnote, in which I try to indicate the questionable nature of that phrase about the Dalai Lama, does not make clear that I am reacting to a text that is not mine. Chalk all this up to constraints of time, and of the strict 500-word format favoured by the Rover. I simply couldn’t find a way to sum up the bio more concisely than the editors of the Gendun Chopel book did, without impinging on my main focus, which was to review the poetry itself. If there is any fault with the book, it is that is that nowhere in its pages is that misleading impression corrected. Thanks also for making us aware of John Avedon’s book, and for reminding us that “online searches” are not always up to snuff. Thank you very much, Mark, for filling us in on these valuable facts, and my apologies for the misleading impression about the Dalai Lama I may have made.

Actually, the second paragraph of the review was lifted directly from the book’s blurb. The version I submitted to the Rover makes that clear, starting with, “The book’s blurb tells us that born in 1903…etc.” These words were edited out: I guess they don’t make a crisp read, but they did serve a purpose. The effect of this edit – which I didn’t notice until you pointed it out — is that the footnote, in which I try to indicate the questionable nature of that phrase about the Dalai Lama, does not make clear that I am reacting to a text that is not mine.

Chalk all this up to constraints of time, and of the strict 500-word format favoured by the Rover. I simply couldn’t find a way to sum up the bio more concisely than the editors of the Gendun Chopel book did, without impinging on my main focus, which was to review the poetry itself. If there is any fault with the book, it is that is that nowhere in its pages is that misleading impression corrected.

Thanks also for making us aware of John Avedon’s book, and for reminding us that “online searches” are not always up to snuff.

]]> By: Mark Abley http://roverarts.com/2010/01/an-unconventional-buddhist-poetics/comment-page-1/#comment-16459 Mark Abley Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:54:20 +0000 http://roverarts.com/?p=3641#comment-16459 I'm grateful to Brian Campbell for introducing me to this book. But unfortunately, his references to the Dalai Lama are profoundly misleading. In the mid-1940s, when Gendun Chopel was imprisoned, Tibet suffered much internal turmoil, corruption and a brief civil war. The Dalai Lama was a child at the time, and he made no political decisions. So to speak of "the government of the young Dalai Lama" makes about as much sense than it would to call Gordon Brown's regime "the government of the old Queen Elizabeth." Even in 1950, when the Dalai Lama assumed power, he was still a young teenager. There are many accounts of this in print that would have told Brian Campbell what "online searches" do not, notably John Avedon's magisterial book "In Exile From the Land of Snows." I’m grateful to Brian Campbell for introducing me to this book. But unfortunately, his references to the Dalai Lama are profoundly misleading. In the mid-1940s, when Gendun Chopel was imprisoned, Tibet suffered much internal turmoil, corruption and a brief civil war. The Dalai Lama was a child at the time, and he made no political decisions. So to speak of “the government of the young Dalai Lama” makes about as much sense than it would to call Gordon Brown’s regime “the government of the old Queen Elizabeth.” Even in 1950, when the Dalai Lama assumed power, he was still a young teenager. There are many accounts of this in print that would have told Brian Campbell what “online searches” do not, notably John Avedon’s magisterial book “In Exile From the Land of Snows.”

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