Great Regulars: As her [Ruth Padel's] candidacy for the Oxford post

has proven, however, her zeal remains intact. Not even the sordid final days of the campaign have muted her enthusiasm. Tonight, she'll find out for certain if the job is hers, and if it is, "I'd very much want to do some work with the zoology department--which they've asked me to do anyway, even if not elected. And I'd like to forge links with other disciplines I'm close to: music and anthropology, for instance." Though the fall-out from the campaign may, she admits, "taint things for a while, if I am elected, once you're there . . . well, poetry rises above it. I intend to do the best I possibly can."

from Sarah Crown: The Guardian: A life in poetry: Ruth Padel

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