Virginia Woolf’s A Writer’s Diary is proving a rich source of inspiration. On the subject of a writer’s insecurity, it’s refreshing to find the same things bothered her that do us all – is my writing any good, what will people make of it, how come so-and-so got more coverage/attention than me, and so on.Read more ⟶
Category: Angst
Summer reading, thinking & waiting
After a couple of weeks of what’s felt like full-on socialising in our sunny garden, I’m enjoying a quiet day alone catching up, which means giving my blogs a little TLC. On the subject of which, I was delighted to come across this observation in Virginia Woolf’s A Writer’s Diary, in the entry for JanuaryRead more ⟶
Struggling a bit
Blogging and writing have been a bit off my radar lately as I am still struggling with a back problem which makes sitting or standing equally uncomfortable. But in brief: I’m still hoping to get my quarterly poetry magazine windows update out later this week. Thank you for all the suggestions gathered via Twitter andRead more ⟶
Day 3 in Cork – turning a corner
It’s day 3 and I’m settling into my Cork Poetry Festival experience. Yesterday and today I’ve spent the morning writing and reading. Afternoons I go to hear readings at the library, evenings are in the fine Cork Arts Theatre – a lovely intimate size perfect for poetry. Highlights for me so far: Launch event forRead more ⟶
New Year, new intentions
I’m a big fan of yoga teacher Adriene Mischler, whose ‘home practice’ videos I’ve been following for about six months. I’ve just started her latest ’30 Days of Yoga’ series and she talks at the beginning about ‘setting an intention’. I really like that idea – rather than New Year’s resolutions, how about setting someRead more ⟶
Poetry & alcohol, contentious essays and more
Ah, December. The month when I may be found stressing over the kerning and leading of some choir’s concert programme, editing singers’ lengthy blogs and updating the Christmas card list. Yes! I am still a Christmas card aficionado, despite every year it becoming yet another soul-search about whether the negative impact on the environment ofRead more ⟶
“Patience is the master key to every situation”
Another wonderful article from Brain Pickings, this time Rilke on ‘the lonely patience of creative work.’ Solitude and patience are essential to creative work, he says: “Leave to your opinions their own quiet undisturbed development, which, like all progress, must come from deep within and cannot be pressed or hurried by anything. Everything is gestationRead more ⟶
A forthcoming retreat | writing vs bathroom | Swindon Festival
Retreating Next week I’m off to the Garsdale Retreat for a week tutored by Ian Duhig and guest reader Hannah Lowe. I’m excited by the prospect of a week just focusing on poetry, away from my usual surroundings. The last time I did a residential I was quite traumatised by it, and thought I’d neverRead more ⟶
Currently influenced by…Whitman, the sea & being unproductive
This is the first of a new series of posts inspired by Anthony Wilson’s fascinating ‘notebook’ posts, in which he shares phrases, thoughts, links to things that have struck him as interesting, that have got him thinking and/or writing. Anthony’s posts are full of brief, throw-em out there lines and ideas, thinking points that jabRead more ⟶
End of year thoughts, links & thank yous
This is my wrap-up post for 2017 – I’ve enjoyed other people’s posts but have been increasingly wondering whether I’ve anything else to add or anything different to say. But that of course is one of the downsides of blogging/social media and the like – the angst of wondering if is one actually saying anythingRead more ⟶