My Letter and Response from the Guardian

On Monday I wrote the following letter off to the Guardian pretty much as soon as I opened my copy of that day.

 

Dear sirs,

 

I've been enjoying  your series on the romantic poets and was looking forward to the appropriately  timed Robert Burns collection inside 25th January's paper.

 

However, I was  skunnert (pardon my Scots) to find that you were more concerned on this day, and  night, of all nights to publish an address to Scottish dental care (Address to  the Toothache) than to the "great chieftain o' the puddin-race" (Address to  a Haggis). Surely the poem that is most recited of Rabbie Burns' at this time of  year should have been included so our Sassenach friends could join with us in  Scotland in the spirit of today?

 

Slainte  mhath.

 

Stephen Glenn

While it wasn't used for publication I did this morning get the following response from Nicholas Wroe of Guardian Review.

Dear Mr Glenn,

Many thanks for your letter which has been passed on to me.

We did have a debate about including To A Haggis, but in the light of Don Paterson's views expressed in his intro, we eventually decided against. But at least it allowed for slightly lesser known - but equally terrific - poems to get get in.

So glad you're enjoying the series. Coleridge is a real cracker of a pamphlet today. Hope you had a good night on Monday.

Best wishes, Nick

Of course it was after I'd written my letter, indeed not until I'd got home that I could actually settle down to read Don Paterson's introduction and remarks about the poem of the day (I will add them later as the pamphlet is at home). But in response to Nick I did have a very good night on Monday, not just enjoying my own haggis, neeps and tatties but reading about many of my friends all over the place (not just Scotland, nor indeed Scottish) enjoying themselves too.

This post has been sent via email therefore spacing and fonts may not appear at my usual standard. Also there may be links to other relevant blog entries or other content added later today along with adding the correct tagging.