简介：AJourneyBacktoNewcastle:MichaelSmith'sDeepNorth　　MichaelSmithgoesinsearchoftheNewcastleofhisyouth.ApproachingtheToonfromtheTyne,hebelievestheplacehasmoreincommonwithBalticCityStatesthanLondon,wherehenowlives.HearguesthatthereareinfactseveralNorths;unliketheSouth,whereeverythingiscenteredonLondon'sinescapableblackhole...　　AJourneyBacktoNewcastle:MichaelSmith'sDeepNorth　　MichaelSmithgoesinsearchoftheNewcastleofhisyouth.ApproachingtheToonfromtheTyne,hebelievestheplacehasmoreincommonwithBalticCityStatesthanLondon,wherehenowlives.HearguesthatthereareinfactseveralNorths;unliketheSouth,whereeverythingiscenteredonLondon'sinescapableblackholegravity,theNorthhaspluralaccentsandpluralidentities.TheNorthEastisthefarnorth,theDeepNorthofthetitle,remoteanddisconnectedfromthisaxis.AsfarastheNorthEastisconcerned,LeedsandManchestermayaswellbeinthemidlands.Smith'sNorthisalandapartentirely,andalandthatdefinesitselfbythisbasicfact.Asmallconurbationclusteredbythecoast,separatedfromthemainrumpbymilesandmilesofruralemptiness.DeepNorthisalyricalmeditationonNewcastleandtheNorthEast,andultimately,asubjectiveandpersonalresponseofaprodigalsonreturning.…