Unfortunately, I haven't yet located any yet and would be thankful if anyone remembered at least one example of this self-referential poetic annotation.”

Continuing from the short note I just posted, I don’t think you will find many professionally published poems that include notes from the poet included in the text, unless they have ben included deliberately as an integral part of the poem. It is far more likely that such notes would find there way into the poem through the grievous error of everyone responsible for getting the poem into print. Maybe a poet has indeed used notes to self or to the editing staff as a considered device — any device is fair if you intend it, and if it works -- but no names come to mind. Others may know of this technique being used. I’ve never seen it.

“Fortunately Brazilian legislators have banned the very young models from this year's first Fashion Show in Rio. I saw some of the slim, static girlies, aged from twelve to fourteen but looking anorexic twenty. In my opinion this is sexual exploitation, usually parental...”

Forgive my intrusion here, on a topic not discussed with me, but since the daughter of one of my wife’s friends has been in the news as the Ford Modeling Agency’s choice as American contestant in the international young model of the year competition (or some such thing), the subject has been unduly flung in my face this week with my wife following events closely on the internet. The age of the model contestants is from 14 to 20. Our friend’s daughter is 16, an athlete (soccer, swimming) and pretty much a novice in modeling. She seems cute and outgoing and a level-headed youngster, not anorexic.

I’ve known several young ladies with anoxia and the effect of their appearance was the opposite of sexual. The first time I saw a girl with anorexia was quite a long time ago, before the illness was much talked about. I watched her walk toward me at the beach (we were friends). She wore a bikini and the closer she came the more I was overwhelmed with a combination of pity and terror. I thought she was dying, and she may well have been. But she was smiling and seemed perfectly content, apparently, with her appearance.

I do not blame the parents if their daughters actually have this illness. It does not resemble a model’s skinny-ness. It is unmistakable as anything but the often fatal illness that it is. From what I have read it is more a reaction to enormous psychological uncertainties faced by the victim. Very few aspects of her life feel within her control, but one of them is the intake of food. Thus a slow suicide in the form of a withdrawl from life and its seemingly unmeetable challenges takes place. Many parents may try to sway attractive daughters toward modeling, but no one sways their daughter toward anorexia.

I’m glad to see Brazil following Italy in banning the super-thin look which, like the heroin chic of the 80s and 90s. Is one of the many choices in life that, as Goethe (I think) said, “begins as a jest and ends as a destiny.”

Jennifer Lopez is much more my idea of a beautiful woman. But she continues to refuse my calls.

Andrew Brown