I’ve just been editing an interview I did with the wonderful Kim Addonizio recently, for Planet Poetry. I’m a huge fan of Kim’s and in my keenness not to sound like a goofy fangirl I’m slightly worried I wasn’t complimentary enough or warm enough. Which is probably silly. But there was something very reassuring aboutRead more ⟶
Category: Books
Meet-ups, currently reading & other distractions
Nothing wrong with distractions, and goodness I’m certainly welcoming them with open arms. But scroll down if you’re only here for the poetry stuff. Distraction #1: Singing A couple of weeks ago I was at Westminster Abbey with members of the Lewes Singers, for the fifth time, where we sang two evensongs in a spookilyRead more ⟶
Currently reading & other summery (?) things
The weather has been a bit rubbish here so I’ve been catching up on some reading and writing. Magazines tend to drop through the letterbox all at the same time, so I’m still working my way through current issues of PN Review, The Dark Horse, Poetry, The Poetry Review and Lighthouse. So far I’ve particularlyRead more ⟶
Faith, hope and podcasting
The sun is shining and I’m going to be gardening this afternoon. The weather is becoming less glacial and I may even be able to plant out the tomatoes. Hurray! I feel my mood lifting. The diary for May and June promises much, it looks like Nick will be working again after 15 months ofRead more ⟶
Purgatory and the wonders (and pains) of technology
After the excitement of having my site invaded last week, and the subsequent tsunami of ‘new posts’ about ‘how to make a salad’ or ‘best value beanies’ etc (could have been a lot worse I suppose), I thought I ought to write a genuine post if nothing else to check whether I still have anyRead more ⟶
What I’ve been doing (and While you were Sleeping)
It’s three and a half weeks until my first term essay is due, and I’m starting to relax into it. Which may sound strange, as I know the usual narrative around deadlines is that the tension rises and the panic grows the closer they get. But instead I did all the panicking early on, whenRead more ⟶
Swimming again… in poetry
Not my own, no, but now that term has ended I’ve got a fair few books to catch up with. What I’m Looking For (Penguin, 2019) is a ‘selected’ by US poet Maureen McLane gathered from five collections 2005 – 2017. I first came across her work in a York Uni seminar, and enjoyed theRead more ⟶
New podcast, plus new updated ‘Guide to getting published in UK poetry mags’
Eeek! I’m trying to fight a sense of overwhelm at the moment even though it’s all good things that are overwhelming me. Keeping my weekly work commitments going and doing all the reading and cogitating required for my course, which this term is a whistle-stop tour of the English Lit canon (week 3: Virgil &Read more ⟶
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, inductionRead more ⟶
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 andRead more ⟶