Episode 1263: Not Another Merlion Poem!

So a phrase just struck me during my EN954 seminar today, and it ended up becoming the final lines of this poem about the Merlion, because obviously, we don't already have enough poems banging on about the Merlion. Trekked to Westwood this afternoon to pick up lots of post, including two out of three of the Brian Selznick books I bought on Sunday night. I'm not usually into hardbacks because I just generally don't believe in paying more (and I also have an abiding fondness for stylish paperbacks like you get from Faber & Faber or Vintage), but I have to say, the Selznick hardbacks are gorgeously done. Also picked up all but one of the Salt Modern Voices pamphlets that I didn't already have. Just ordered No. 3 in the series from The Book Depository, but curiously, I can't seem to find a No. 11 anywhere. I also now have Elizabeth Jennings's The Collected Poems from Carcanet, edited by Emma Mason. Brought it to the seminar, mostly just to prove to Maria that it's already available for ordering from Amazon UK. It's a hefty volume, but I'd quite like to start reading it. Ever since I read her short book Christianity And Poetry last year as part of research for my PWP, Jennings has struck me as one of those poets whom I'd really enjoy, but somehow have never read. (The same applies to a lesser extent for Geoffrey Hill.)