WRITING THE SEE-THROUGH MAN: Poetry and Commentary RICHARD GOODSON A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Nottingham Trent University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. September 2011 Writing The See-Through Man Page 1 This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed in the owner(s) of the Intellectual Property Rights. Writing The See-Through Man Page 2 Contents Abstract...............................................................................................................................7 Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................8 The See-Through Man.......................................................................................................9 Serpent.................................................................................................................................10 After Michelangelo..............................................................................................................13 The Tip of the Tongue.........................................................................................................17 Goliath.................................................................................................................................19 And He was Uncovered Within His Tent and Ham the Father of Canaan Saw the Nakedness of his Father............21 1969 Part I..........................................................................................................................23 On Seeing Sam Taylor Wood‟s One-Hour Seven-Minute Video of David Beckham Sleeping (I Metamorphosed into a Baboon)............30 Two Men Sitting Opposite Each Other on a Train Who, Bizarrely, Are Going in Opposite Directions.............31 Angel of the North...............................................................................................................32 Niqab...................................................................................................................................40 Farmer‟s Wife, 1955............................................................................................................41 1969 Part II.........................................................................................................................42 Sex on Maspalomas Beach, Gran Canaria, Two Minutes Before Dawn.............................54 Daniel Craig: The Screensaver...........................................................................................56 Poem While Reading Frank O‟ Hara, Lachanau, Southwest France...................................57 Writing The See-Through Man Page 3 Epithalamion........................................................................................................................58 Pine......................................................................................................................................60 1969 Part III.......................................................................................................................61 Blood Oranges.....................................................................................................................74 Mr Universe.........................................................................................................................75 Men Are Rarely Killed Outright by Electric Shock............................................................77 Poem While Reading Miroslav Holub in the Genito-Urinary Clinic Waiting Room..........79 Ungreen...............................................................................................................................80 1969 Part IV.......................................................................................................................81 Consciousness and the Long-Distance Runner....................................................................96 The Mystery of the Incarnation............................................................................................98 Chop It!................................................................................................................................100 Bug......................................................................................................................................101 Berlin Taxi...........................................................................................................................103 1969 Part V.........................................................................................................................104 Wasp, Marrakech.................................................................................................................118 Smokers...............................................................................................................................119 Lunch at the Argana Café....................................................................................................121 Figs......................................................................................................................................124 Glove Puppets......................................................................................................................126 Commentary........................................................................................................................127 STRATEGIES: An Introduction....................................................................................128 Reflexivities............................................................................................128 Writing The See-Through Man Page 4 The Blog.................................................................................................130 The Audience.........................................................................................132 Chapter One: STUDS...................................................................................................135 How I Arrived at the Naked, Male Body................................................135 „The Stickybook‟.....................................................................................144 „I‟m Not a Gay Poet!‟ says Gay Poet......................................................149 We Are Fa-mi-ly: Reading Gay Poets....................................................162 Chapter Two: SHORTS.................................................................................................164 Why Sonnets?..........................................................................................164 Remixing Michelangelo...........................................................................166 After Michelangelo..................................................................................175 Quasi una Soneta.....................................................................................180 Chapter Three: STRIDES...............................................................................................186 „Gospel‟..................................................................................................186 Unpacking „Gospel‟................................................................................190 Intentions for „1969‟...............................................................................194 Influences on „1969‟, Sought and Conceded.........................................195 „1969‟ – Structuring, Drafts 1-12...........................................................202 Chapter Four: STITCHES............................................................................................211 Influences...............................................................................................211 „And He Was Uncovered...‟...................................................................212 Writing The See-Through Man Page 5 „Figs‟.......................................................................................................215 „Angel of the North‟...............................................................................218 Chapter Five: SUMMARIES.......................................................................................224 Making a Whole.......................................................................................224 Inter-Penetrativities: Towards a Poetics.................................................227 Appendix One: Some Earlier Drafts of Poems...........................................................234 Appendix Two: Further Extracts from Blog Entries..................................................239 Appendix Three: Further Commentary on the Michelangelo Translation Project...241 Bibliography.......................................................................................................................250 Primary Reading: Poetry.....................................................................................................250 “ “ : Literary Studies and Poetics..................................................................254 Secondary Reading: Art Catalogues, Art History and Biography, Art Theory and Criticism...................................................................256