[lit-ideas] Re: These leftists/ obscure poetry
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:43:21 -0800
On Feb 14, 2007, at 1:20 PM, Mike Geary wrote:
DR:
Yes this is also in "The Scotsman," but not reported here
JE:
why d'you think that is, David? (I can't find the nutria story -
is that an Oregon one? )
Yes, it is an Oregon story, Judy, a man shot a snorkler because he
though he thought it was (so he says) a nutria. Reading the headline
-- "Oregon Man Shoots Snorkler Thinking He Was a Giant Rodent" -- I
was certain that it had to have been a Louisiana story and read it
because I'd never heard of Oregon, Louisiana and wondered where it
was. Lo and behold, it was Eugene,Oregon which is apparently very
much like the South.
I wrote about it on 2/9/07 in the thread, "The Return of the Embodied
Subject."
"By way of expiation, let me report two pieces from today's Oregonian.
The first concerns a forty four year old snorkeler who was shot with a
twenty two. On Tuesday John Chessman was, as one does in winter,
having on a quick snorkel in the Smith river when he fell afoul of
William Roderick, aged sixty, who took Chessman for a nutria. A
nutria, as you know, is a water-going mammal, somewhat like a large
rat. These were imported to Oregon by someone who thought they might
revive the fur trade and, when that idea proved to be a bust, released.
I have never before heard of someone shooting a nutria, but then again
I don't live near the Smith river. Perhaps it's a local custom.
Chessman was hit in the head. He is said to be in stable condition.
The same cannot be said of Roderick. He has been charged with
second-degree assault, being a felon in possession of a weapon, being
in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana."
Since the Smith River rises to the west and south of Eugene, the event
can't have taken place there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_River_(Oregon)
I remember the report citing the site as Reedsport, on the coast.
As to why we don't get news of Europe, I can only suggest that it's a
long way from the Western Edge here. We don't get much news of Japan
either. Today's hot news was that Oregon's exports to China are on the
rise. Europe was not, however, entirely neglected. We had an op-ed
piece about Charles Duc D'Oreleans, nephew of Charles the Mad, being
captured at Agincourt and consequently being detained in England for
longer than three life terms plus however many years the Germans gave
whats'erface...for a total of twenty five years. During this period he
wrote roundels:
Strengthen, my Love, this castle of my heart,
And with some store of pleasure give me aid,
For Jealousy, with all them of his part,
Strong siege about the weary tower has laid.
Not bad for someone who learned English as an adult, but not fabulous.
Apparently official greeting card histories credit this fellow with
inventing the tradition of verses sent on Valentine's day. The
article's author comments, "The truth of Charles' poetry is more
obscure."
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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