A quick update before I make my way to Swindon Festival of Poetry via lunch in Newbury with my sister-in-law. The Telltale Press public launch on Wednesday evening at the Poetry Cafe was a great success – the audience was mostly friends and friends of friends of myself and Peter Kenny, so we felt right at home. AndRead more ⟶
Category: Social media
Launches, readings, online course, a new book … busy autumn
Someone posted recently on Twitter that poetry seemed to be “mostly about reading, writing and waiting”. I know I’ve certainly had that kind of year up until a few weeks ago. I’d have to wait to do one of my ‘stock takes’ to see if I’ve been sending out less work this year than last,Read more ⟶
On keeping the anxiety in check and forthcoming events/plans
Yikes, the poetry world can be dangerous place, can’t it? Who’d be one of those poor ‘Next Generation Poets‘? Blimey. I wonder if people forget sometimes that letting rip on Facebook is less like having a bitch down the pub, and more like broadcasting all your inner demons on one of those sheets that get strung out across theRead more ⟶
Heavenly Bodies, Starry Night
I admit Don McLean’s Vincent was one of my inspirations when it came to writing about a constellation – that and the challenge of writing a poem about stars without the word ‘star’ appearing in it. It’s now part of an anthology of 88 poems (representing all the known/named constellations) and I’m dead chuffed toRead more ⟶
Latest on the book, the pamphlet and more projects
I don’t suppose you’ve noticed, but I’ve been a bit quiet on here the last week or so – not for any reason other than work though. I’ve fully recovered from the mini workshop trauma of a couple of weeks ago (I typed that as one word, workshoptrauma, which made me wonder momentarily if that’sRead more ⟶
Out and about the next few weeks . . .
There seems to be plenty happening at the moment, so here’s a quick round-up of some things I’m going to / involved with … Firstly, please bear with me if I give a quick plug to my short course at New Writing South which starts tomorrow week, 26th September, 6.30 – 9pm for three weeks,Read more ⟶
Unaccustomed as I am
(So sorry about the weird asterisks etc in the following – just that last time I mentioned the B word I got immediately spam-commented and spam-followed by some decidedly un-poetic peeps.) It’s been quite a busy week, easier to do it in reverse order – yesterday and Friday I was in London at the BritMumsRead more ⟶
Upcoming events
Just a quick one … typing is a tad painful having just seen the physio about my shoulder (impingement of the supraspinatus and subscapularis, in case you’re interested). A few things I’m looking forward to this month: Tomorrow at the Lewes Arms is the launch of Margaret Wilmot’s Smith’s Knoll pamphlet ‘Sweet Coffee’ – shouldRead more ⟶
More new reading material, and some happy happenings
Some classic internet-enabled moments this week. Firstly, my post about having received a free copy of Poetry magazine was picked up by Steven Critelli who alerted Don Share, senior editor of that venerable publication, who promptly lived up to his name and tweeted it … Then one of the other participants going to the TyRead more ⟶
Social media for writers, ‘Orgasm Management’ etc
This is not the blog post I started writing this morning – but that turned into a cod philosophical/ psychological discourse that I eventually decided wasn’t going anywhere. So I’ve saved it for another day when I might be able to better whip my thoughts into a proper shape. Instead, more of straightforward diary entry.Read more ⟶