HELP me find the book!!

*temporarily borrowing heading* there was a programme on tonight about the royal festival hall, in which the god-like nick cave sang a set which finished with the heartbreaking "and no more shall we part"...and while i sat there with a lump in my throat and no further interest in my pasta, the camera panned fleetingly across the audience... and there was this girl, with a small tear emerging from her right eye... oh and i also have a theory about ron atkinson, it's a bit nebulous but i'll go and have a think in the bath

While we're on Ron Atkinson, does anyone know whatever happened to Dalian Atkinson, who was a bright hope at Villa and then was never heard of again ? And, just to be polite - is anyone able to help Antoinette with her query, because this was a brilliant idea for a thread and I feel bad that I don't know the answer to her question. I imagine her clicking in and seeing 'oh, four new replies, one of them must know' only to find Ron Atkinson's poetry and philosophy corner. Any Ron fans should check out Ron Manager's football column in the Saturday Guardian, magic.

I think Dalian went to Turkey. Last I heard of him he was being smeared in goat's blood as a traditional greeting from the fans.

Veil is in Colorado

Can't help with that one, but the thread is a good idea. I have been looking forever for a story that goes, "So now the baby wants a dog" - MTV read an extract from it and it was amazing, I'd love to know who wrote it. It is about a man who is downtrodden and refuses to buy a dog for his wife, who then persuades the daughter to keep asking for a dog. Any ideas ? Oh and more obviously, I can't remember today which book starts "I saw the best minds of my generation..."

Hi A and A, Can't help either of you, but could you help me? There was an advertisement lately on the telly, with a poem read out. It goes something like this: 'What kind of world to stand and stare, but have no time to stop and care'. That's not right but I would love to have the whole poem as I really think it epitomises how we live today. Would be appeciative if you could help. AJ :>)

If it starts "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn..." then it's probably "Howl " by Allen Ginsberg. Hope this helps.

Oh and "What is this life, if full of care / We have no time to stand and stare?" is a line from W.H. Davies poem "Leisure". There's a site for free poetry at www.nth-dimension.co.uk that might have the whole poem on (I don't have it I'm afraid).

aj - the advert included the whole poem i think. i'll email it to you. if you want to get a text copy you can find it in "the nation's 100 favourite poems"

Here's "Leisure" - found it knocking around. WHAT is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night. No time to turn at Beauty's glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.

Taj, have you read my new poem I have no life, I have no hair, I used to manage the Scum but I was as bad at management as I am at poetry. Don't let anyone sell you a dummy, or even worse, a lollipop, Taj.

Hi Robert and Taj, That's the one, many thanks you two. AJ :>)

I have two theories about Ron Atkinson: 1) He's a brilliant surrealist, Theatre of the Absurd-style philosopher. Hence, the football pitch is the futile boundary of our life complete its illogical, painful incidents and objects: supersponges, back sticks, crowd scenes, nifty legs, oversized jewellery. Thus, when Ron says "He really made the onion bag bulge with that screamer" he REALLY means "Man's goal fulfillment is ultimately empty; a nasty smell left in the bag once the onion has been removed. He penetrates the moment with his actions/ego/phallus, but ultimately it a fruitless intercourse; an orgasm without creation, a scream in the dark". 2) He's there to make Des Lynam look even better.