Serendipity – Page 2 – Robin Houghton

Inspiration/ 22/05/2013

Three great blogs – poetry

It’s always nice to get those ‘congratulations, another blogger is following your blog’ emails from WordPress, and even nicer when you check them out and discover a real gem of a blog you’d not come across before. That’s how I found John Field’s excellent blog Poor Rude Lines – “I’m just another reader, rather like you, curled up in bed with a book or two.”

It made me think it would be fun to have a regular feature where I could share interesting blogs with you. I expect you’ll already know at least some of them, but who knows, maybe not. Blogrolls are great, but a proper introduction is even better – I’m hoping you may reciprocate and tell me about other fab blogs that I’m missing. Anyway, three is my favourite number, so I may as well call it ‘Three great blogs…’

Let’s start with poetry, and indeed with Poor Rude Lines. Like Josephine Corcoran I tend to err towards blogs about poetry rather than blogs where an individual posts his or her poetry, although I quite like a mix of the two.

The first thing I love about Poor Rude Lines is that stunning masthead – go on, name all the poets depicted – and John’s use of photos to break up the text and enhance the reading experience. I was immediately drawn into his review of Fiona Moore’s The Only Reason for Time and quickly realised this is a marvellous reviews site, as well as much else. Check out the archives. John also appears to be a high quality Tweeter – worth following.

I’m suitably embarrassed to admit I’ve only recently come across Cliff Yates. What can I say? This poetry world is a big ‘un, and I’m but a lowly ant picking my way across its vast acreage. How Cliff finds the time to blog I don’t know, he’s clearly a busy working poet and tutor and his ‘about’ page is inspirational. There’s a comprehensive blogroll, lots of resources for teaching poetry, useful links, details about Cliff’s books, workshops and other activities and yes, some of his poems too. The site is built on WordPress and has a workman-like visual theme, but for me it oozes generosity, warmth and down-to-earth-ness.

Established Australian poet Graham Nunn’s blog is Another Lost Shark, which is also the title of his publishing imprint. Graham’s blog documents his many collaborative poetry projects, most recently haiku walks and experiments with other Japanese poetic forms. I loved this post about how famous poems are being pasted on the side of garbage trucks during the Sydney Writers’ Festival (going on at the moment). Watch the video short, it’s brilliant. Cue a couple of workers in their hi-vis jackets taking a break from rubbish collection: “What are you reading, Barry?” “I’ve always been partial to a bit of Lord Tennyson…”

Books/ 17/05/2013

‘Wake’ by Alfred Lehtinen

Love this poem … by Alfred Lehtinen, a Finnish poet who stopped by my blog and whose blog I’m now following.

Inspiration/ 13/05/2013

Unexpected bonus

In the post today came a copy of Poetry magazine, volume 202 number 1 – yes, it’s been going for over a hundred years – gawds! The reason it was an unexpected bonus is because I cannot remember where or when I ordered it. But here it is, and with such a heritage the first adjective that comes to mind is ‘august’, although that already seems way too stuffy.

I have to say it’s a thing of beauty – first of all, for a magazine to be even called something as simple as ‘Poetry’ is pretty impressive. Then there’s the lovely size – presumably an American shape – narrower than A5 but bigger than the average paperback, perfect-bound with a proper spine. Then the cool, clean fonts and layout – reminiscent of The Rialto, but the paper stock is creamier, slightly more retro. Am I sounding a bit fetishistic?? I haven’t even mentioned the contents yet.

To be fair, it’s only just arrived so I’ve only skimmed it lightly so far – but I can see there’s a section entitled ‘A few more don’ts’ with the subtitle Ezra Pound set forth his now-famous “A Few Don’ts by an Imagiste” in the March 1913 issue of Poetry. In commemoration we’ve asked a few writers to update Pound’s essay for our time.

Hello?? “In the 1913 issue of Poetry ….” Just how cool is that??? Anyway, can’t wait to read it. And I’ve already spotted and enjoyed poems by Eavan Boland and Jamaal May, so I have the feeling the whole magazine is going to be a bedtime treat for some while.

Mags & Blogs/ 13/04/2013

Exploring new territory, one poet at a time

I’m a big fan of Dan Blank, founder of We Grow Media. Dan’s mission is to help writers build their online platform, not by blasting out marketing messages from twitter or facebook, but by growing your audience ‘one reader at a time.’

I was thinking of this maxim recently when I was contemplating American poetry. I’ve a copy of Best American Poetry 2012 thinking it might be a way in to understanding the US poetry scene and its publications. I was dismayed by much of the poetry and couldn’t easily connect with it; it felt very much like new territory. I also went online and started digging around writers’ programmes and residencies, following blogs. Actually I found it a bit overwhelming. There seem to be a gadzillion publications and poets. Even though I’ve lived in the US in the past I felt lost, like I needed a roadmap. I wondered if it was worth it. But I decided the way to do it might be one poet at a time.

So I randomly followed a link to a website and from there to the blog of Sydney Lea, the Poet Laureate of Vermont. I read a couple of his blog posts and really enjoyed them. I shall explore what I can of his stuff and who knows, maybe buy a book. Or maybe not, I don’t know. But I do know it will lead me to other poets, other blogs, and it will probably give me insights into the US poetry scene in a localised, grassroots kind of way. It’s a tangible, less scary way in, and one that wouldn’t have really been possible before the web.

Maybe I should instigate a kind of ‘poet twinning’ movement, in the interests of greater exchange and understanding between US and UK poets (at least, those interested in such a thing)? Or does it already exist?

Competitions/ 13/03/2013

Super excited

… to actually make it onto a prizewinners list (The New Writer Poetry Prize 2012). The poem in question was one that had been through eight drafts over several months, and I’d workshopped it with two different groups. The content and form changed considerably as I yo-yo-ed back and forth. I’m quite keen to do a little case study on this, show how it started out, what changed and why and the feedback along the way. But I can’t do that until after it’s been published in July. So that’s for later. In the meantime thank you so much for all the lovely congrats on twitter and email.

Of course, I have pledged to treat both imposters just the same (success and failure) and so I’m reminded that being selected is as much about the personal taste of the judges*, the competition you’re up against, whether there’s an R in the month, etc. On that subject, I enjoyed this very nice post by Rachael Dunlop about how losing is not the same as failing.

So, onward! Also announced this week was the result of the Poetry Business 2012 Book & Pamphlet Competition – now that’s a shortlist I need to set my sights on! Great to see one of the 1st stage winners is Emma Danes, I’ve been following her progress and enjoying her poetry for a while. Nice one, Emma.

*I realise that may have sounded a bit rude – of course I’m extremely flattered to have won, and proud that the judge was Pascale Petit

Close readings/ 10/02/2013

What Ted said when asked ‘what does it mean’

After my recent musings on answering the ‘what does it mean’ question, I was happy to come across this in the Letters of Ted Hughes:

To Lydia Clement and Alison George

29 July 1985

Dear Miss Clement and Miss George

Thank you for your letter. If I answered your question it might stop you worrying, but it would not help you. You know that when you answer a problem, you kill it. And it might be a fruitful problem.

Best wishes,

Ted Hughes

As 13-year old schoolgirls. Lydia Clement and Alison George had been reading TH’s story ‘The Rain Horse’ and had written to ask what the horse symbolised.

Photo by Kevin Porto

Serendipity/ 23/01/2013

View from the top

Tee Dobinson & Robin Houghton at the Gherkin

Yesterday I had the pleasure of re-connecting with a former colleague and friend from my Nike days. I recruited Tee Dobinson as a Nike Fitness Athlete in around 1993, one of a team of 6 or so top fitness instructors/presenters to be ambassadors for the brand. We had a lot of fun and a few adventures!

If anyone embodies the ‘just do it’ Nike attitude then it’s Tee – she’s one of the most tenacious, determined and hard working people I know, but with a warmth and generosity not usually associated with ambition. She’s achieved so much it’s frightening! One of the many hats she now wears is that of the ‘Gherkin Guru’ – she’s the London Gherkin’s resident expert, on hand to intrigue and entertain visitors with her encyclopaedic knowledge of the building. So of course we met at the Gherkin, in the club on the 38th floor. The photo was taken on the top floor, the 39th, where the views over London are fantastic.

What is it about views from tall buildings? And London especially – I find all the little churches tucked in between huge office blocks very poignant, the glimpses of grey river snaking in and out, and after dark the winding roads of red tail-lights (“like jewellery!” said Tee) are just beautiful.

Serendipity/ 19/11/2012

Dyson vs poets

This morning I enjoyed this response to James Dyson’s dismissal of poetry…

Here’s the article in Saturday’s Independent that inspired it.

‘What’s the use of poetry’ seems to be a classic left-brain-dominant response to something it can’t hope to understand. I wish people would give their right brains a little more leeway.

(Image credit: The Murky Fringe)

Books/ 06/11/2012

Where were the ‘Best of British’ poems first published?

Poet friend of mine and soon-to-be-blogger Jo Grigg mentioned she had been reading The Best British Poetry 2012 so I invited her to write about it here. It is Jo’s first guest blog post on Poetgal.

The second volume of this British version of a longstanding US anthology has now thundered through my letterbox. Hurrah! Its 70 poems are selected from the year’s UK poetry magazines.

As with any anthology, how much you enjoy them depends on how much you have in common with the editor. This year’s is Sasha Dugdale and I’m enjoying many of them so far. Along with the poems come each poet’s remarks given in the second section of the book following a brief biog. Some of these remarks are enlightening about the writing process. Others are odd, which is (oddly) reassuring. In the US version you sometimes read ‘the poem should stand on its own without me having to explain it’.

One of the reasons behind the anthology is to draw attention to poets who are not yet published in pamphlet or collection form, because the big prizes select mostly from published collections. There’s also a good showing of established poets. It demonstrates the variety within the poetry mag business, and draws attention to individual magazines.

I looked at which magazines the poems in Best British are taken from – would this represent a ‘best magazines’ list, and if so, might I investigate and then subscribe to one or two of them? Though does having a poem in here mean they are ‘better’ than the many magazines not represented? It is at least a starting point for those unable to get to the Poetry Library at London’s South Bank to spend time submerged in magazines, pamphlets and collections. Here’s my listing:

Magazine / Number of entries

10th Muse 1

13 Pages 2

Agenda 1

Ambit 2

Blackbox Manifold 1

Brand 1

Brittle Star 1

Cambridge Literary Review 2

Clinic 2

Dark Horse, The 1

Delinquent, The 2

Edinburgh Review 1

Fuselit 1

Halfcircle 1

Horizon Review 1

London Review of Books 2

Magma 4

Modern Poetry in Translation 4

New Linear Perspectives 1

New Welsh Review 2

North, The 2

PN Review 7

Poet’s Calendar, The 1

Poetry and Audience 1

Poetry London 9

Poetry Review 5

Poetry Wales 2

Rialto, The 4

Stand 2

Warwick Review, The 2

White Review, The 1

Wolf, The 1

The Best British Poetry 2012, edited by Sasha Dugdale, series edited by Roddy Lumsden, published by Salt, 2012. Cover price £9.99.

Category: Serendipity