Larkin was once asked to judge a poetry competition. He was presented with a large batch of entries and assured that the really bad ones, which were generally verses of praise to Her Majesty the Queen had been weeded out. "Those were the ones I would have liked," Larkin is supposed to have mumbled.

Watcha got against Terry Eagleton, Wyatt?

Eagleton did a preposterous attack on Dawkins in the LRB. We discussed it on the other board, if anyone could find a link. I recall Hofzinser being particularly good on Eagleton's article.

There's a statue of Larkin on the sea front at Heysham or somewhere.

Eagleton, as discussed before.

Andy C wrote:

QUOTE:
There's a statue of Larkin on the sea front at Heysham or somewhere.

You can't see the join, you know.

Good heavens, that passed me by. I'll have a read.

Oh dear, Tubby, look what your spellchecker's done to "supendous".

Terry Eagleton's fantastic, apart from his virtue ethics, which are bonkers.

Gangster Octopus wrote:

QUOTE:
Eagleton, as discussed before.

People hate those threads, don't they? A lot of people, anyway. When we're in the throes of one, I can't really judge them. But re-reading that one, I actually think there's a lot to be said for them. Bits of that got very good, I reckon.

Although, reading further, I see I went off it about halfway through.

Fuck, you know, I forget all this stuff, seemingly minutes afterwards. I really am in my mid-40s, aren't I?

You wait til you're in your late 40s, sunbeam, and then you'll find yourself not remembering what you were saying half way through reading a book about bullfighting.

A statue of Larkin on the sea front at Heysham? Not that I've ever noticed. In fact, Googling "Philip Larkin statue" doesn't return anything concrete (or bronze or marble, for that matter).

Three pages, and no mention of this yet?

This Be The Worst
(by Adrian Mitchell)

They tuck you up, your Mum and Dad
They read you Peter Rabbit, too.
They give you all the treats they had
And add some extra, just for you.

They were tucked up when they were small,
(Pink perfume, blue tobacco-smoke),
By those whose kiss healed any fall,
Whose laughter doubled any joke.

Man hands on happiness to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
So love your parents all you can
And have some cheerful kids yourself

Mumpo wrote:

QUOTE:
A statue of Larkin on the sea front at Heysham? Not that I've ever noticed. In fact, Googling "Philip Larkin statue" doesn't return anything concrete (or bronze or marble, for that matter).

I think, but I could be wrong, that Andy's post should be adorned with a nice picture of Eric Bartholemew's home-town statue.

Gangster Octopus wrote:

QUOTE:
Mumpo wrote:

QUOTE:
A statue of Larkin on the sea front at Heysham? Not that I've ever noticed. In fact, Googling "Philip Larkin statue" doesn't return anything concrete (or bronze or marble, for that matter).

I think, but I could be wrong, that Andy's post should be adorned with a nice picture of Eric Bartholemew's home-town statue.

I think perhaps Andy's point was that it looks more like Miserable of Hull than the late Mr. Bartholomew. Apart from the stance, that is.

I do enjoy Eagleton - After Theory is good. As for that review of Dawkins though . . . hmm. Those bits Hofzinser quote, it's hard to tell if he is paraphrasing what he regards as the best ideas about God presented by theology, or if he is simply going off on a wishful, quasi-mystical fancy of his own. Who "says" any of this stuff other than Eagleton?

And I don't believe there is an onus on Dawkins to read every last refined, angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin theological tract before speaking up on religion - especially when such tracts have little or no bearing on the way religion is taken, practised and understood by the vast majority of the faithful.