Poetry
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Bard at work
Been hard at work this week on my poem for the mysterious sounding Project 154. It involves writing a response to Willie the Shake’s sonnet 19, perhaps not one of his best but nevertheless magnificent about time and love. Directly responding to other poet’s work is not something I’ve done much (other than renga experiments with friends long ago) so good…
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Getting in ‘Under the Radar’
I’m not fantastic at the humblebrag tightrope. I either come across as bragging or too self-deferential. But damning the torpedoes… I have a poem in the latest Under the Radar magazine. It has an inviting and mysterious design for the cover and a library book label inside, stamped ‘withdrawn’. I guess like everyone I look for names of people…
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Ernstophilia
Several years ago I had a feverish flu and was staying in a room where the only thing within reach of the bed was a book of Max Ernst’s fabulous paintings. I love Ernst anyway, and when I recovered I wrote this poem about someone who is deliriously obsessed by the painter’s work. It was originally published in…
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Life in splinters
All work at present with a forest of deadlines. This mixed with unpleasant things like a house flood and the death of an old friend, means my life is being lived in weekend splinters. So a few of the splinters: My play with Beth Symons, A Glass of Nothing will be staged at The Box Theatre, The Warren…
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Hearing Sarah Howe & Claudia Rankine
Lucky enough to go to the South Bank with Robin Houghton who had nabbed second row seats at the T S Eliot award readings on Sunday. As last year, it was a wonderful way to experience readings from the best of last year’s poetry publications. There was indeed fine poetry on offer. I’m rather dubious about competitions…
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See the future this Thursday
Frankly I’d rather eat a cactus sandwich than not hear Jack Underwood, Kitty Coles & Siegfried Baber read on Thursday night at the Poetry Cafe at 7.00 pm. But then I’ll be reading with them too in an event hosted by Telltale Press. Please come along if you’re able, or find yourself in London’s Covent Garden and in…
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Should poems be read from memory?
A great post from Robin about memorising. Interesting how problematic poets find it, while actors memorise other people’s lines as a matter of course.
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Reading Jan 7th Poetry Cafe
Here’s another Telltale Press event to jolt you into 2016 wide-eyed with wonder. I’ll be reading with Jack Underwood, snapped up by Fabers like a hot kipper, Kitty Coles whose poems are charged with mythic power, plus Cartoon Kid and Telltale favourite Siegfried Baber. A shout out to Andrew King whose photograph of me reading…
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Two short reviews: Tamar Yoseloff and Clare Best
A look at two recent publications. A Formula for Night, New and Selected Poems by Tamar Yoseloff, and Cell by Clare Best with art by Michaela Ridgway. New and Selected Poems: A formula for Night by Tamar Yoseloff from Seren Books. A New and Selected is a point of significance in a poet’s career, and shows someone unafraid to challenge herself conceptually…
Peter Kenny: a writer's notebook 