Sisters are doing it for themselves? A recent piece of ‘criticism’ in PN Review by Rebecca Watts has caused a storm of controversy apparently. PNR is an adjunct to the long established and firmly modernist Carcanet Press which has long been one of the jewels in Arts Council funded poetry publishing in the UK alongside…
poetry
Edwin Smith revisited – Catching Light
Back in October 2014 (now three years ago) I was on the first term of a Creative Writing M.A. at NTU. I was also with uncanny timing commissioned (the first and so far the only time I been commissioned) by R.I.B.A. through Apple and Snakes to write in response to a lovely collection of Edwin…
Blurred Fences : Thames Valley Texas
A Christmas Poem in November? I wrote this poem in 1995 and had omitted the key line about poets for fear of offending my father. Now he has been gone 13 years so probably safe to reveal what the poem about. After my father died in 2004 my mother confided to me that he had…
Contemporary American Poetry – 55 years on
Picked this up in a second hand shop recently. Was first edition (1962) of a book I had encountered in a travelling shelf of ‘American Poetry’ in my local Didcot library in 1981 when I had returned home after art college. It (in the flag cover version below) and a book of William Carlos Williams…
Burning Books – Horseshoe Press Pamphlet #2
I have added two poems from the mini-pamphlet to a new revised edition of ‘Buying Time – Poems 2016’. It now entitled ‘Burning Books’ Poems 2016-17 and is available via ScribD below and via the Horseshoe Press website http://www.horseshoepress.co.uk/ As the blurb said in 2016…and I have no reason to change in fact things seem…
Burning Books: Horseshoe Press Mini Pamphlet No.1
The Horseshoe Press http://www.horseshoepress.co.uk is my self-publishing of poetry website. The latest ‘Mini Pamphlet’ is ‘Burning Books’ published to coincide with Theresa May’s attempt to drive this country even further to the right…. Eight poems about politics, books and poetry to be given away free at the Jermy and Westerman reading on Wednesday 26th…
POP: Poems on Prescription @ Doctors Orders
With a week to go until the open mic reading we have 43 poems on the Doctor’s Orders ‘Poems on Prescription’ wall. Further details on Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/poemsONprescription/ Poems on Prescription Contribute to the Poetry Wall for Nottingham Poetry Festival at Doctor’s Orders Micropub. Write a poem, any subject you wish (within reason), and have…
Poetry Reading at Jermy and Westerman for Nottingham Poetry Festival
Reading with one of my favourite poets at my favourite bookshop Jermy and Westerman on Mansfield Road as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival in April.
Towns on Shallow Hills – Horseshoe Press No.1 1990
In 1990 I had a short temporary job at The Poetry Library in London. Whilst there I was inspired to both continue writing poetry and met some wonderful individuals like Ivor Cutler and Michael Donaghy (over the counter). I also met some arses but such is poetry. The job was very menial and weekend…
Diesel on Gravel – The Berkshire Raymond Carver? 1985-1990
Poems written in London and Oxfordshire. Published in early 1990s in Last Gasp pamphlets. Last Gasp was a poetry open mic I helped run with poets Giles Goodland and Bridget Kursheed in Oxford. From 1986 I was heavily influenced by Raymond Carver and especially his book FIRES. Indeed I attended his memorial readings event in…