Stan Kelly-Bootle (to Jim Twiggs -
As for the egregious grammatical error in that same posting, I am properly
embarrassed.
The more I think about the word "stang" in Shade's poem, the
odder it seems as the word of choice, in that context, for either Shade or
VN):I’m still pondering your dislike of stang in the PF context. My
judgment is coloured by the view (unpopular with many Nabokovians) that Shade is
a lousy poet, presented as such via brilliantly-balanced but mean-low-down
parody by VN. Speaking of non-standard (but never egregiously bad) grammar: the
impeccable JANSY used the construction ‘should of’ or ‘would of’ when the rules
prefer ‘should have’ and ‘would have.’ I only mention it because it aroused some
debate on another list I infest. Even on the BBC one hears the next stage
in the DEATH of GOODER English: ‘I shudder [shudda] been more careful.’
JM: Impeccable Who? You mustof catmus
tangents too mean.
About punning and a dislike for specific words,
I'll
now quote E.W to VN (Nov 12,1940): "do please refrain from puns, to which I
see you have a slight propensity. They are pretty much excluded from serious
jornalism here. Also the expression "I for one" is not precisely in the tone of
reviewing."
VN's Dukhobor review (Dec.15) is quoted by the
editor to ellucidate a reference in its last
paragraph:
" It is always rather perilous for a
writer to try to toy with a foreign idiom. I like to recall the case of the
famous Russian writer Herzen who, living in Putney and knowing very little
English, illustrated a brilliant essay on the Britisher's innate contempt for
poverty by the unfortunate remark that the worst invective commonly heard in
London was the word 'beggar'."
An admiring Bunny later wrote, in
Oct.20,1941: "It's amazing that you should write such fine English prose
and not sound like any other English writer, but be able to do your own
kind of thing so subtly and completely. You and Conrad must be the only examples
of foreigners succeeding in English in this field."
Unrelentingly, he added: ..."I fear you have been
led by your lamentable weakness for punning...they introduce irrelevant ideas.
You were right in thinking I should object to 'smuggled smugness,' though in
other cases your sensitivity to words provides you with some admirable
observations and effects. I agree about the word 'sex' - it is an awful word."
(indicating RLSK's 'ks,ks' catcall' comment) .
As a 'conradically' untalented foreigner, I've
sometimes suffered an Englishers's (or I should of said Englisherrs'?)
cruel tongue.