John Cooper Clarke: ‘Impotent rage is my default setting'

The poet, 67, on late fatherhood, not liking crowds, and being a control freakIt only takes one person to change a lot of minds. I went to what can only be described as a slum school in Salford – rough and full of trainee punks – but I was very lucky in that I had one inspiring teacher, John Malone, who gave the whole class an interest in romantic poetry. Somehow he created a hothouse, competitive atmosphere. Poetry, because of him, became a macho thing at our school, and we discover