Arcadian Rustbelt

This is offered for comments; please bear in mind that the idea is only to show indicative moments, not to list n hundred small press publications. This is a version incorporating changes suggested to the original. Chronology Debuts of poets in the anthology are listed. (Or, designated debuts.) 1977 Rod Mengham, Beds and Scrapings . Geoff Ward, Tales from the Snowline . 1978-9 so-called “winter of discontent”, as low-paid workers try to defend themselves against inflation running at 20%. April 1979 election of Thatcher starting a Conservative administration destined to last until 1997. This is accompanied by an abundant output of New Right ideological polemics designed to attack and discredit every utterance of the Left. The goal is never clearly stated but may be something like the closure of every part of government and the removal of every constraint on the influence of capital. In line with the change of government, the media begin an intense attempt to “roll back” the cultu