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M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 0 6 , 2 0 0 6World's Worst Poet Now A PlaywrightFellow IRA cineaste member George Robinson (the author of the newcritically acclaimed book "Essential Torah") pointed me to this story inThe Scotsman. Apparently, William McGonagall has often been namedthe worst poet in the history of the world and now they've discovered aplay he wrote called "Jack O' The Cudgel." It's bad too. One lecturer atGlasgow said, "Seldom has there been a writer of such indefatigableambition, singularly unmatched by even a smidgen of talent. There'ssomething a bit cruel about the repeated reprinting of McGonagall'swork." Ouch.McGonagall was also a terrible actor: he once played Macbeth butrefused to leave the stage after his character was killed till the audiencefinally dragged him off. Another time his bad acting caused a riot untilhe was banned from trodding the boards. He famously once walked toBalmoral Castle to try to get Queen Victoria to name him poet laureate.He failed.If this isn't the basis for a movie, I don't know what is. I see BillyConnolly in the lead. Here's a bit of his poetry, in case you thought theywere exaggerating. From "The Tay Bridge Disaster" -- "Beautifulrailway bridge of the Silv'ry Tay/ Alas! I am very sorry to say/ Thatninety lives have been taken away/ On the last Sabbath day of 1879/Which will be remembered for a very long time."POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT
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2 C O M M E N T S :Ed Sikov said...The Goons, perhaps needless to say, found him heroic. He's the subjectof Spike Milligan's film THE GREAT MCGONAGALL, costarring PeterSellers. Unfortunately the film is godawful.3:45 PM
Michael in New York said...I should have known that from your book but it slipped my mind. AndNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G . C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: World's Worst Poet Now A Playwrighthttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-worst-poet-now...
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FAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SAaronBiboyMichael in New York POPSURFING.COM: World's Worst Poet Now A Playwrighthttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-worst-poet-now...
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POPSURFING.COM: World's Worst Poet Now A Playwrighthttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-worst-poet-now...
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4:46 PM
2 C O M M E N T S :Ed Sikov said...The Goons, perhaps needless to say, found him heroic. He's the subjectof Spike Milligan's film THE GREAT MCGONAGALL, costarring PeterSellers. Unfortunately the film is godawful.3:45 PM
Michael in New York said...I should have known that from your book but it slipped my mind. AndNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G . C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: World's Worst Poet Now A Playwrighthttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-worst-poet-now...
1 of 37/28/09 3:21 PM
FAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SAaronBiboyMichael in New York POPSURFING.COM: World's Worst Poet Now A Playwrighthttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-worst-poet-now...
2 of 37/28/09 3:21 PM
POPSURFING.COM: World's Worst Poet Now A Playwrighthttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-worst-poet-now...
3 of 37/28/09 3:21 PM