missing

i was saddened yesterday to hear of the passing of laurent fignon. he'll always be remembered for 'that' race, something i've always felt somehow diminished him as a racer. also he had plenty to say for himself which, these days, seems quite unusual. fifty is far too young.

a far better innings by the others. i'm surprised by the lack of attention to the passing of frank kermode around blogland. at 90 it wasn't altogther unexpected but i was still reaching for my copy of shakespeare's language immediately on hearing the news. i said something at a reading recently that went along the lines that when a person does not really die as long as the things they touched are still used. i can't read shakespeare or forster without, at some point, referring back to him. you can hear him, briefly, here.

and of course, edwin morgan, who leaves a massive whole in scottish poetry but more than that by the outpouring of warmth from those who knew and read him. like kermode it seems he has left a well of affection amongst those who knew and read him. i've heard a lot fo these responses recently and i'm amazed at their variety (was he really the first one to translate eugenio montale?), a wee bit like reading morgan himself.

so what have i been doing? got out on the bike, read shakespeare's language and morgan's selected poems (and got involved in an edwin morgan memorial). they may be gone but in now way are they absent. chapeau, the lot of them!