The young PhD was applying for a ‘Theory for Practising Writers’ teaching position in a Creative Writing degree. He had devised a three year course, the first year of readings, lectures, tutorials and essays which though extending as far back antiquity would really take off circa 1848 … with various strands of Western (and even Eastern) thought and literature, culminating in the final lecture of the year, which would be on Eliot’s The Waste Land. ‘The Waste Land?’ queried one of the interviewers, himself a poet, editor, publisher and teacher, ‘The Waste Land? But that’s a bit way out, isn’t it?’ Yes, this did happen and the question was not asked by some Georgian crackpot from 80 years ago. This is still a spirit-of-thinking that although not completely swamping this country’s poetry unfortunately flourishes. This very true tale follows me around most days, it is an enemy, just around the corner that propels me constantly onto my front foot, as reader, poet, teacher, critic/reviewer and editor.