Poetry

The Deil’s Awa Wi’ the Exciseman (and several others)

Can this really be true? And if so, is it hilarious or horrifying? Or, perhaps, both... David Gest and, of all people, Michael Jackson are recording an album of Robert Burns' poetry: Gest's spokesman said the album is a modern musical take on some of Burns' classic poems, and had been a long cherished project. He explained that he and Jackson were originally planning to do a musical about Burns's life, but decided instead to turn his poetry into show tunes. Poems featured on the album include Ae Fond Kiss and Tam O'Shanter, the story of a man from Ayr who stays too long in a pub and witnesses a satanic vision on his trip home. Gest is now keen to tackle Red Red Rose, he said. "We haven't changed the lyrics but the music is now modern and brought up to date," Gest said.

Prime Hutton

Lovely story told by Simon Hoggart in his Guardian column at the weekend: The death of Simon Gray lets me reprise a favourite story. He was a close friend of Harold Pinter, a great cricket lover. Once Pinter wrote a poem about his hero Len Hutton. It read, in its entirety "I saw Hutton in his prime / Another time, another time." He sent it to several of his friends. Soon afterwards Pinter and Gray were at the same dinner party and Pinter asked what he thought of the poem. "I don't know, Harold," said Gray. "I'm afraid I haven't finished it yet.