First things first, I don’t normally like blowing my own trumpet, but I am exceptionally proud of last week’s post. I felt I really got at the heart of what I wanted to say on the subject. I’m not sure this week will be able to emulate or build on that so I’m not going to try.
It’s been a strange old week, for work we’ve been running an on-going community, asking folks about their experience of lockdown and one thing we’ve started noticing of late is a general malaise, a feeling of being utterly rudderless (leaderless??) and that whatever the “lockdown experience” is/was people are now utterly over it. I think I can relate to that.
In amongst the malaise of the week there were, at least, two highlights.
1. Two poems of mine were published at the ever-excellent Wild Court. I am very, very happy that these poems are out there…they are newer ones to me (this means written in the last year) and I’m very proud of how they’ve turned out. There is another Dad poem in there, but that’s no bad thing. And my friend Simon* is present in both poems.
It has prompted me to think about author photos. I was happy (and a bit pissed in this photo), and it felt like the right one to use, but will it now follow me round for years? Do I need to care? Probably not.
It was also wonderful that my work was next to that of Naush Saber (of the excellent Birmingham Poetry Journal fame) and my fellow Iambpoet alumni, Scott Elder. Their work is excellent, please have a read of them first…and everything else on Wild Court. My thanks to Rob Selby for accepting them—both my poems and every other one on the site.
A lovely bit of serendipity is that Naush’s Broken Sleep/Legitimate Snack pamphlets arrived this week. Heredity/Astonyme are both beautifully presented in a lovely box. I’ve not got to read them yet, but if they are anything like the poems on Wild Court then I’m in for a treat, and so are you if you can get hold of one when the next batch goes on sale.
*Another nice bit of fortuitousness or serendipity, I’ve seen him this weekend whilst back in Norfolk.
2. A few reviews of mine were published
For Sphinx
Joe Williams’ This Is Virus
CD Boyland’s User Stories
And for London Grip
Sue Rose’s Scion
The pile of reviews is growing as well, which is both nice and frightening.
3. A trip back to Norfolk to see my mum and a dear friend who is very ill. It also coincided with my friend John’s 82nd birthday. So there was joy and sadness at the same time.
THE WEEK IN STATS
41k running – That’s the last two weeks worth. Some hill repeats, some fast 5ks and a lovely run round my home village yesterday.
1 poem worked on – needs a title and some more work…A couple of ideas noted down too, but not sure if they will turn into much. All this reviewing and work stuff is properly putting a cramp in my writing…
260 miles driven this weekend
1 walk with my mum and some friends at Oxnead…many cows present
1.5 pints in the Skeyton Goat. Wasn’t planning on going to the pub, but it was very pleasant.
1 day without cigarettes. Fits and starts, yeah!!
1 more week that I’m not having an affair with Eva Green
TITLE GIVEAWAY
He-Man and Action Man’s pants
Paradise By the Gasboard Light
As the Sun announces it’s over the Yard Arm by joining Tinder
The Three Hour Yes
I Haven’t Got Time For Latency
READ, SEEN, HEARD, ETC
Music
Greg Dulli – Random Desires
Gabor Szabo – Spellbinder
Big Thief – Two hands
Yorkston/Thorne/Khan – Navarasa: Nine Emotions
Davy Graham – The Holly Kaleidoscope
The Tavares – Hard Core Poetry
Elvium -Piano Works
VA – The Rough Guide to Psychedelic Cambodia
Mono – The Last Dawn
My Morning Jacket
Circuital
Does Xmas Fiasco Style
Evil Urges
It Still Moves (Deluxe Version)
Z
Red Rocks 03.08.12
Red Rocks 04.08.12
14/08/2015, Morrison, CO
Beth Orton
Sugaring Season
Central Reservation
Led Zeppelin – III
The Early Years – ST
Alèmayèhu Eshète – Ethiopiques 22
Aerosmith – ST
Boygenius – Demos
Ryley Walker – covers
VA – Éthioiques 5 – Tigrigna Music
Sad Eagle – Banging The Drum To Catch The Criminal
C Duncan – Architect
Can
Landed
The Lost Tapes
VA – Lullaby For The moon – Japanese Music for Koto & Shakuhachi
Nancy Elizabeth _ Dancing
Natalie Evans – Better At Night
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – God Fodder
The Needy Sons – Vis-A-Vis
Nina Simone
Emergency Ward
Little Girl Blue
Nolan Porter – Nolan
Norman Greenbaum – Back Home Again
My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall II
Sofia Portanet – Freier Geist
My mate Jon’s 1992 Moodboard Playlist
The Afghan Whigs
1965
Live At Koko
The Archers…It’s weird and I don’t like it
Hangouts/Video Calls/Zoom/Etc (not for work)
None
TV/Film
Spooks S9 E8-10, S10 1-6
Penny Dreadful (The new one) E3-8
Arrived
Naush Sabah – Heredity/Astonyme
Richie McCaffery – First Hare
Orbis #92
James McGonigal – In Good Time
A laptop stand from work
Read
Sue Rose – Scion
Terence Hayes – American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin
Wear The Fox Hat 