Month: September 2020

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Into the serious reading, plus a podcast brewing

In the last few weeks I’ve been gearing up to the start of my course at York. The logistics are all up in the air, not surprisingly given the many variables and with you-know-what going on. Next week is Week 1, and yesterday I received a swathe of information about changed timetables, reading lists, induction activities etc.  I’m still holding back from booking train tickets and accommodation, as we’re told the timetable could still change again at any time. So that’s a bit nerve-wracking. The staff at York are doing a brilliant job pulling together all these courses, communicating with everyone and preparing for an influx of students. All the same, I was a bit dismayed to find all my core seminars have been moved from Wednesday to Monday morning, which means travelling on Sunday, a nightmare with all the engineering works, plus more expensive to stay over on Sunday. Ho hum. I’m still feeling very excited and grateful to be doing it at all.

Luckily I’d started on the reading list back in August, in an attempt to get on the front foot as I have a feeling it’s going to be a heavy intellectual load once weekly seminars begin. So among other things I’ve been reading Virgil’s Aeneid, various essays by Eliot, Walcott, Heaney et al, a wonderful ‘selected’ by Maureen McLane (a poet new to me) and large chunks of the Cambridge Companion to Virgil. Not to mention the real tome-extraordinaire, Don Paterson’s The Poem. Eeek. Stephen Yenser in The Yale Review described it as ‘sometimes baffling, sometimes maddening’, so at least I know its not just me. I have absolutely no idea what Don’s talking about a good deal of the time, but he’s very entertaining, and the sections I’m able to follow are invariably fascinating, so I’m still enjoying it.

I’ve also started reading Derek Walcott’s Omeros, to get into the Epic mood, also because I’ve never really read any Walcott, and it’s proving a good place to start. Here’s an extract on the Poetry Foundation website.

Meanwhile Peter Kenny and I have been beavering away on our forthcoming podcast. We decided to get enough material for several episodes before launching. This is a good thing in that we won’t be panicking a week after launch about having to work like crazy to get episode 2 ( and 3) up. But of course you do think ‘oh we could do such-and-such better’ after the first episode is done. Then again, everything I’ve read about podcasting says that you shouldn’t keep putting off launching, or editing ad infinitum because it’s not perfect. Luckily I have Peter to remind me that it won’t sound like BBC Radio 4 so stop worrying. A few rough edges is all part of the charm and quirkiness. I hope so! We’re interviewing some really interesting poets and editors and so we’re really pleased with the content. Even though we’re both sick to death of listening to our own voices when editing. We haven’t yet got a name for the podcast but as soon as we do, I’ll let you know 🙂

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Our National Poetry Library could be axed – please sign the petition

This is no exaggeration. There doesn’t to be much hope for the National Poetry Library on London’s Southbank, since the Chief Exec is apparently determined to move the library out of the building “in order to monetise more of the Southbank Centre’s space”.

First of all, anyone who’s ever visited the Poetry Library knows it’s hardly taking up much space, nor is it in a prime location, tucked away up on the fifth floor of the Royal Festival Hall at the end of a large empty area.

More to the point, the Arts Council has guaranteed an annual grant of more than £18 million for the Southbank Centre every year until 2022, 1.5% of which is for the library (£275,400). This funding is close to the CEO’s annual salary and bonus for the 2018-19 financial year (which is in the published accounts online).

In my book, demanding that the Library justify its presence on a purely monetary basis is capitalism at its most gross and destructive. Should a library make a profit? And a poetry library at that?

The Poetry Library was created by the Arts Council in 1953 and entrusted to the Southbank Centre in 1988 on the basis it was to run as a ‘living collection’ with ‘professional stewardship’.  It is a unique resource and whether or not we are members or regular users of it we would all be the poorer were it to be lost.

If you’d like to help then please join me in signing the petition. I don’t generally use this blog for grandstanding, but this is something I really can’t ignore.

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On the updated spreadsheet of poetry mags submissions windows

I need a short title for this spreadsheet-thingy. Maybe an acronym… then again maybe not. Anyhoo, if you’re on my mailing list then a few days ago you should have received the latest version of the UK & Irish Poetry Magazines Submissions Windows. If you’re not on the list, you can sign up here and you’ll receive the latest version by return.

Going from the large number of new subscribers in the last few days, it seems some lovely people have been circulating news of it to their students, course cohorts and poet friends. Thank you! And thanks also for the messages of support. I’m glad it’s useful. The document started out as something I was doing for myself, then I thought why not share it. Having promised to update it quarterly, I confess it has become quite a job, so it’s gratifying to hear that people appreciate it.

Meanwhile I’m thinking about updating and reprinting ‘A guide to getting published in UK poetry magazines’. It’s been two years since the first edition and it sold out rather quickly. I was planning to do it again, but various other things have been on my mind lately! I still stand by the majority of the content – certainly the insights from the magazine editors are all still good and valid, but some things could do with updating and expanding, such as the section of featured magazines. I may also include some ‘case studies’ from poets who are willing to be featured, talking about their experiences with submissions.

Meanwhile, it’s back to my pre-course reading… going ‘back to school’ is very exciting, if a bit daunting. I have to keep telling myself you can do this…

Last week we were in North Yorkshire, funnily enough, although nothing to do with my forthcoming course at York. It was a cold week (despite the sunshine in some of these photos) but it’s a beautiful part of the country. Here are a few pics.

Ripon canal basin
Ripon canal basin

 

The river at Richmond
The river at Richmond

 

Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey

 

Ripon canal
Ripon canal

 

York Minster from the city walls
York Minster from the city walls