As I started browsing [see previous post]…

This is the wonderful Peter Reading’s first collection of poems, published in 1970 when he was 24 years old. Outposts Publications was run by Howard Sergent, himself a wonderful man and supporter of poets: as I have written here, he was always kind and supportive of me as a young writer, though he never published my poetry and instead took one of my reviews. I thought this statement from Sergeant neatly exemplifies his sense of engagement with contemporary writers, and it is impressive to look at previous Outposts magazines to see its many now famous and respected poets,

The poems in this collection from Reading demonstrate much of what his work would mature into – the playfulness with but also knowing use of complex language, the knowing references too – though overall they have a formality of form which of course he would employ later on for precise purposes but which here reflect some adherence to expectations. Just a little. The poem Dirty Linen is the last from this booklet, and it does present Reading’s trademark telling wit,