Words and Voices
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News and
reviews If you want to find more about what's happening in poetry and the spoken word in and around the Midlands you can now listen to Behind The Arras on Radio Wildfire with views on individual events, what we think are the month's highlights, and discover who our Poet to watch is for the month. http://www. radiowildfire. com/listen/ |
ConFab Cabaret V Malvern ConFab
Cabaret V Was another night of excellent quick-fire entertainment
organised by Amy Rainbow and Catherine Crosswell. More spoken
word than previously – as a spoken word bod myself I love this but I do
hope the mix of other forms (music, comedy, burlesque and anything else)
builds again. I know there’s music afoot for the next ConFab so that’s
going to be good start for 2014. Opening with Prepare to Share
threw newcomer performers – and some more experienced – in at the deep
end, which is the best way to learn to swim, my Dad insisted (he used to
throw me in and then dive in to rescue me. Not sure I’ve ever been
comfortable in deep water since but…). There was more Sharing in the
second half – good on the keen wordsmiths of Malvern! Matt (‘Just been told I’m too
“pretty” to be a boxer’) Man Windles poetry held everyone;
thought-provoking, moving and funny – often all at once. I don’t think
I’d describe him as “pretty” (wouldn’t dare!) but his words are
gorgeous (and he is rather lovely, too). ConFab was lucky nabbing
international opera star, Montserrat Carbonara. She had declined a
performance at the Royal Albert to come to Malvern (probably persuaded
by her friend, Heather Wastie) but her orchestra and chorus had,
unfortunately, gone to the Royal Albert (“Hall”, she said, but I think
there’s a pub called The Royal Albert in Newport). Wonderful arias and
delightful insights into the Great Woman’s lifestyle. Confab closed with Dan Duke, who
is ranty and passionate and full of energy as his poems call out
politicians and other stupidities of modern life. His description of the
MPs expenses (and other) scandals, inspired by Attila the Stockbroker’s
visit to Malvern a few years ago, is sublime. Before that, though, we had the
audience poem, this time on the audiences’ selected theme of “The Queen”
– as she’d been mentioned a few times earlier in proceedings. Indeed,
that very evening she was hosting a party to celebrate British Poetry.
Obviously we’d all been invited but, like Ms Carbonara (talking of Great
Women) with the Royal Albert, we’d declined because ConFab is THE place
to be. Thirty-one – THIRTY-ONE! – slips
of paper with poetry (or, in some cases, “poetry”; in some cases
illegible) lines were returned. There’s something magical about the way
all the disparate scribbles make something so much more when Selotaped
together; however, the finished poem was nearly as tall as me and
fractured under its own weight when held-up to read. Either I need to be
less stingy with the sticky tape or, perhaps, it’s time to be more
choosy with the lines included. The poetry suggested some of us might be
doting corgis but I suspect rather more of us might be on the Doughnut’s
watch-list. Let’s start with artwork handed in, apparently depicting Matt Man Windle seen below . . .
The Queen: have you seen
the Queen, Did you see her at
Coronation, Jubilee, Smile again, nod again,
Liz The Queen loves Amy Rainbow because she welcomes
all shades of view. The Queen, the Queen.
What rhymes with Regina? The queen sits all alone Queeny, Queeny, you are
such a meanie Your head on a stamp sold
for pounds with your Learn to talk just like
that One’s grandchildren do
embarrass one She suddenly struck out with her handbag and drove her frightful
fetlocks … as she handed a
particularly sugary One day she’ll wring
those damned swans’ necks The sheen of
respectability that comes from the Queen and her mother Myfanwy Fox |
Spoken Worlds Fifth Anniversary, Burton upon Trent The poetic community overwhelmingly features
good people doing good things. Spoken Worlds celebrated its fifth
birthday on 15th November, hosted and curated by Gary Carr. The Old Cottage Tavern is the third home for this
event and has proved a suitable and popular venue. Gary offers his time,
energy and PA system free of charge for the benefit of the local and
poetic community, one of life’s good guys. So it was a appropriate that his selfless commitment
was rewarded by the generosity of another of poetry’s good guys, James
Nash, who travelled down from Leeds at his own expense to guest headline
the event and generally make himself available to the gathered faithful. James is an eminent northern poet, academic,
teacher, broadcaster, journalist and poetry activist whose work has been
widely published. His workshops and lectures are much in demand. His collection Coma Songs featured strongly in his performance alongside a string of hugely impressive sonnets and an homage to Gary Linneker! James delighted and engaged sending me home reflecting that I really must practise with my poetry . . . The open mic featured veteran performers and more
recent converts. One of the pleasures of Spoken Worlds is that rules are
absent, experimentation is positively encouraged and that those enjoying
such freedom rarely abuse it. Phil Binding moved from railways to album
covers this time with a strong piece on album covers as designed by the
late Storm Thorgerson leaving the cognoscenti frantically trying to
identify as many references as possible. Recently inaugurated Staffordshire Poet Laureate
Tom Wyre has thrown his heart and soul into his appointment, attending
dozens of events in almost as many days. He chose to supplement his own work by reading an
extract from Under Milk Wood prior to his pilgrimage to Laugharne at the
weekend. Prolific and passionate, I am anticipating an alliterative
snowstorm inspired by his visit and some imaginative rhymes for
laverbread, cockles , Mumbles and Eynon’s pies. It was a particular
delight to see Nicky Pywell perform again after her recent surgery which
has offered such obvious benefits. Terri Jolland always has something interesting to
say, as does Margaret Torr. Mike Alma travels a long way, a testament to
the credibility of proceedings and contributed richly alongside with Mal
Dewhirst and his places poem. Spoken worlds next gathers on 25th January at The Old Cottage Tavern, Byrkley St, Burton on Trent at 7.30pm. Free admission, sign up on the night for open mic spots. Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Bilston The ebullient MC Emma Purshouse opened the
evening, standing in for the booked poet. She read us two extracts
from the novel that got her shortlisted for the Mslexia novel
competition. The novel gives a flavour of one side of Black
Country life which, when read by Emma, is grimy with a sense of humour.
Between extracts, she livened us up with a new poem called The
Favour, which brought a few chuckles and two lighthearted poems
which she has in a book of writing for children. After the second extract from her book, she struck a
note with many of the older members of the audience with slightly dodgy
hearing, Oh; I see was a very funny observation on life. On the other hand, Bill Dixon is a quiet man with a
quiet way about him that can deceive the unwary as he reads his poetry,
which often has a twist in the end line. His second poem, Credo, was a very good
example of this being very serious, yet twisting near the end to break
the sombre mood. His peaceful delivery lulled us into a restful
mood rather like a nocturne, punctuated with moments of sharpness as he
delivered his twists. My personal favourite was 1848 an
observation on the Industrial Revolution. Closing the first half, Ros Trotman, a very precise
poet with an eye for detail and a clear-cut way of getting her thoughts
over to the audience reminded us that it is Cherry picking time
and nature is giving a glorious show in her garden. She had also
been observing the sunset that she described beautifully in Have you
seen the masterpiece? and barn owls hunting.
With the anniversaries of the two World Wars in mind, we had pieces
about poppies and Dunkirk. The penultimate piece of her
set brought a lump to the throat, as the loss of a loved one was
recalled before she lifted us once again with a lovely short poem about
a robin. After the obligatory cake break (who could resist) a
musical interlude just right for a warm summer's evening was brought to
us by Sharam Gill, a local singer songwriter and very accomplished
guitarist. We dreamed this part of our evening away being
serenaded by oldies My baby just cares for me, Suzanne,
I'll be there, the bare necessities (by special request).
This proved to be a big hit with most of us joining in the singing
and/or clapping along. Jeff Phelps, one of the Offa's Poets group, rounded
the evening off with a selection starting with a short reading from his
narrative poem about the river Severn. We went swimming in the
Gulf and explored the breathlessness that often afflicts some of us
as we age in Octogen, then looked around Wenlock Edge
before returning to Wolverhampton and The Cowboy, a local
character. Jeff was also in reminiscent mood with a piece written
to his art teacher and a look at a painting in Wolverhampton Art Gallery
known as the Wolverhampton Madonna. To round the evening
off, we heard What you are, a modern take on a poem by Roger
McGough.
Eileen Ward-Birch |
Bilston Voices Metro Café, Bilston Bilston Voices has
always had a reputation for strong poetry, an appreciative audience and
skilful compering. And so it proved in June with a typically eclectic
selection of poets on a warm summer evening orchestrated by the
ebullient Emma Pursouse.. Eileen Ward- Birch is a totemic figure for this
event, local, authentic, and with a wry sense of humour. She opened
with a nod to the Black Country's favourite, and recently passed, poet,
Geoff Stevens before covering Music, Twiggy, the Cut
and a whimsy of when the Black Country Was Green, before
closing with a duet with Emma Purshouse, “The Mortal Man”.
Eileen's poetry is often elegiac, but rarely sentimental, unfussy and
with the ring of truth. Closing the first half was Andy Connor, who
delivered an almost entirely rehearsed set , a feat which is always
impressive. His octet was political and polemic, centered around his
experiences as a teacher, but rallying around the interests of
minorities, whether because of sexuality or ethnicity. It is good to
hear a poet with something to say. Paradoxically, some of his views on
education were more conservative than the Conservative Michael Gove,
whom he was railing against. The most seemingly radical in the teaching
profession frequently being the most resistant to change. But few could
deny that “Aint it Funny and The croos cucumber were well written and
powerful. Ann Clarson cut a neat figure after the break, and
that neatness was reflected in her poetry, the summer was dealt with
nostalgically, before she took on Renoir and Jacob Epstein. She
was the perfect introduction to the energetic and ebullient Roy
Macfarlane. Roy is a poet with a rare gift. He tackles issues of the day
but with a light Everyman touch. A scar on his partners body is
transformed into a thing of beauty, “I Found Love in Central
Library” should single handedly reverse the decline in Library
attendance and tights take on a new lease of life under Roy's lascivious
and erotic eye. If the latter was light, it was neatly balanced by “I
Wanna Know Your Name”, a crie de Coeur from a child with an
unknown father. Bilston Voices meets on the fourth Thursday of the
month at the Metro Cafe, Bilston. Eileen Ward-Birch was invited to open proceedings
in June adding : “A familiar voice and face on the spoken word circuit,
Gary Longden bounced into the first slot of the evening with vim and
vigour. He started by embarking upon a humorous poem about how women
choose their clothing for an outing, going through their wardrobe piece
by piece, and the reaction of the men. After this, he made in depth
observations on the subjects of change and the names we give to coins,
the Olympics both anticipated and in reality, and The Final fall, a
tribute to Mick McManus the wrestler. After a love poem called Step by step, we had a trio
of short pieces before Gary explored his interest in musical subjects
with RPM, an amusing trip through the music of his youth, pop stars
don't die like they used to and thoughts on Cheryl Cole. The best,
however, was at the end when we chuckled at the dilemma of a man who has
a coin stuck in the condom machine of a gents toilet, was this
observation, experience, or imagination?” Simon Ellery |
Bilston Voices Café Metro Bilston It seemed to be all change at Bilston Voices, as a very capable Marion Cockin replaced regular MC Emma Purshouse who had other commitments. The audience also appeared to undergo a change with several regulars missing for various reasons. But numbers were made up by some of the regulars who attend City Voices, present to support the CV people who were taking part, and a small contingent of people who normally attend Purple Penumbra at the Langley Theatre, but were new to Bilston. It was good to see so many new people
exploring the Café Metro amongst the regular and irregular audience
members. The moment Veronica Shepherd stood and started to
speak I recognised her from her previous visit to BV when I commented on
her lovely soft voice and gentle manner. She hasn't changed one jot. During her set, Veronica
treated us to her observations on life and astronomy, two subjects she
appears to be well qualified to talk about, plus an observation on a
murder she witnessed in her garden (it was magpies killing a dove) which
proved that even little old ladies can be a little fascinated by
horrors, if only small ones in the garden. She finished with homage to
the poem When I am old, I shall wear purple by Jenny Joseph. Mayor of Walsall's Poet Laureate, Ian Henery began
by promoting a new book, The Mortal Man, which he and a group of fellow
poets, mostly known to the BV audience, had contributed to in an effort
to raise money for the National Autistic Society. Following on, he introduced some audience
participation for his poem Batman, which was very well received.
Ian also entertained us with poems including Only words endure from The
Mortal Man and Wednesbury, Woden's Town which had been inspired by the
1913 steel tube makers' strike and which was in the 23 May edition of
the Black Country Bugle. Win Saha (90 this year) is a regular at both City
Voices and BV as well as being one of the three Offa's Poets visiting
Bilston for the evening. Win's poetry is well known in Wolverhampton and
the Black Country as being observational, with a touch of humour.
She opened her set with an observation on a teenager
going out in her skimpy clothes in the type of spring weather we have
experienced of late and finished with Gardener about female eye candy
via a selection that included her take on hedge funds and Consolation
Prize about a woman who resorts to internet dating to find a mate. Another writer we at Bilston are very familiar with
is Greg Stokes who writes Black Country humour, but departed from that
side of his work for the evening to hold the audience, including myself,
quietly engrossed as he displayed his writing skills in reading from his
book A Witness for Peace, which is a chronicle of his father's life and
times. The piece he chose was near the end and told of how
his father was killed in Libya by a knifeman and was very close to
events earlier in the week. Some might say this was a little dark and
intense for the Bilston audience, but we all sat and enjoyed it, if
enjoyed is a word that can be used about something so personal and dark,
but it held me, and, on reflection, probably struck a chord with all of
us, and left us with much food for thought.
For the finale came Jane Seabourne, the second of
the Offa's poets people reading for us this month. Jane lightened the
mood somewhat with her Midwinter note to myself, a poem telling her
young self how life would be as she matured and the world changed, a
shared experience for many of us. Jane is Welsh and as such has an
affinity with mines and miners, which led to her poetic description of
encounters with miners in her youth, all good I might add. She followed with My Rhinoceros, a fantasy about a
rhinoceros from the Hereford museum following her through the city,
unseen by anybody except Jane. Air force, a poem about birds and their freedom in
flight ended Jane's and our, evening. Next Café Metro event is Thursday 27 June at 7.30.
|
Mouth & Music Boars
Head, Kidderminster Sarah Tamar started the evening with two topical
poems on Thatcher's (not-so-great!!!) legacy and then, in stunning
contrast, a sensual tribute to Leonard Cohen. Chris Guidon performed two
moving poems in his characteristic casual yet appealing manner. His
genuine, offhand style belies the strong writing and emotion in his
work. Worcester's Suz Winspear was on fine theatrical and
poetic form with her dark and intriguing narratives, as was Maths Jones
with his dramatic poetry satire The Poet Lied. Narrative was in fact a
feature of the evening, with Ian Ward also reading his Tales of a
Storyteller. Amongst the music acts (many of whose names I
unfortunately didn't manage to catch) Ian Passey aka Humdrum Express, is
a Mouth and Music regular whose set combined music and humour with great
success. Many performers had tailored their sets to include
pieces themed round the stunning vinyl art created from old records
exhibition in the gallery upstairs. Sadly, I wasn't able to stay for the
second half but did get to listen to two particularly impressive poets
before I left: headline act Ddotti Bluebell and Ian Bowkett from the
floor. I've been lucky enough to see Ddotti at a number of
spoken word events and her performance was full of pace, drama, a range
of voices, tone and pitch and striking poetry. There was a great mix of
humour and moving genuineness to her set of family narrative, my
personal favourites being her poem about being a teenage mum and her
hair piece, demonstrating how much her father's support has made her the
poet and person she is. Meanwhile, Ian Bowkett, who'd come all the way from
Birmingham to perform his stunning set (from memory) was my find of the
evening. Apparently geeky is the new uber-cool, and listening to Ian
Bowkett one can instantly see why. “In a dress that pressed her breasts together like a
Venn diagram…” Combining love stories with strong rhymes and incredibly
clever maths puns, his expertly performed poems had the audience
whooping and cheering. A great evening – as ever at Mouth and Music!
Sarah James |
Much Wenlock Poetry Festival THIS was my second visit to this festival, now in
its fourth year. A product of the creative force of local bookshop
owner, and poetry aficionado, Anna Dreda, a strong and varied programme
augured well, as did the crowds milling around as I arrived in the late
morning, before formal proceedings had commenced. There was plenty to do for the casual visitor. Kurly
McGeachie was on hand in an impressive yurt to provide poetry workshops
for children, and Deborah Alma, AKA “The Emergency Poet”, provided
emergency poetic treatment for those seeking it in her vintage
ambulance. Both benefitted from the comparative warmth that their
respective shelters offered as well as doing a grand job with
passers-by. Poems & Pints – George & Dragon PH This was a free event, hosted by Mark Niel, at
lunchtime as an open mic. It was packed. Mark's genial bonhomie oiled
the wheels of a succession of talented poets, several of whom have
performed headline spots elsewhere. In many respects it captured the
spirit of the festival; inclusive, warm, enjoyable and high quality. A
significant proportion of those whom attend poetry festivals are
themselves poets, so it is always wise to provide a creative outlet for
those who want to perform to new audiences, and listen to unfamiliar
voices. Liz Lefroy and James Sheard – Priory Hall Liz has been a student, and Jim is a senior lecturer
at, Keele University. They made for a shrewd and inspired pairing at a
performance that was pleasingly well attended. Wisely, they read two
sets each in rotation, a device which allows for contrasting material,
as well as contrast between performer. Liz specialises in memorable phrases as in the
opening to Roadside Shrine; “I pass your death each morning”. Her award
winning debut collection, Pretending the Weather, is already a year old,
but she has a wealth of material in her notebook. A childhood shaped by
her clergyman father inevitably looms large, but her poems draw upon the
rich imagery of Faith, rather than overtly celebrating or rebelling
against those traditions, offering a modern context, as a good preacher
might from the pulpit. A Place Called Solomon does this particularly
well. Night Coach, a journey ostensibly about a trip from Stoke to
Vienna, with its “thick coffee and bad toilets” set against a backdrop
of “streaks of neon” suggests more obliquely a journey that transcends
the physical. Yet there is no doubting the fierce visceral emotion in
The School Concert in which she declares that “I disgraced you by
exploding”, a sentiment that all parents will recognise. James Sheard also spoke of journeys and parental
love. The latter most memorably in That Hour, dedicated to his son. On
first hearing, it appeared to joyously romp between a formal metre and
free verse underpinned by a repeat that worked well performed. His
journeys were of geographical displacement, a characteristic of those
born to military families, and displacement between languages. As his reading unfolded he then introduced the
concept of vertigo, in the sense of being suspended above, particularly
as experienced by those involved in poem translation was introduced, but
it also found form in the distance between father and son, and himself
and his late mentor. I would have loved a question and answer session in
which he could have developed the theme more fully. His writing is
economic and unfussy, some of his compounds, “ goldmean and thumb rub”,
intriguing. However what distinguishes his work for me is an ability to
describe a familiar scene with a phrase that flares up and illuminates.
“Landings” from a forthcoming publication, was the standout poem of his
performance for me, opening with:
“We wanted a land where we could watch the
weather- See how one hill drew down the drapes of rain,
and how another Would flash its skin in a fall of sunlight” And I was there.”Sometimes a poem clicks like a
well-made box.” Owen Sheers and Menna Elfyn – The Edge The golden boy and golden girl of
Welsh poetry was quite a prospect, and much anticipated by a large and
expectant audience. As a child of parents Swansea born and bred, both
offer a sense of place and heritage close to my heart. The Borders crowd
gave them a welcome as if for a homecoming. Owen Sheers has an impressive
cannon of work behind him. He draws upon his Welsh heritage freely
whilst offering it a 21st century setting. He read
extensively from his soon to be published Pink Mist a verse drama
developed from a play written for radio. This was a brave move. His
published poetry is widely known and admired, and he was available to
sign books, sales of which would undoubtedly have been enhanced by a
“greatest hits” set. Yet, any artist is keen to expose fresh work to
performance and scrutiny, a process which invariably refines the end
product. What was lost in familiarity was compensated for in freshness. Pink Mist tells the story of three young soldiers
from Bristol embarking on a tour of Afghanistan told in various first
person voices including those of the women left behind- hence the pink
mist. It draws upon many literary traditions not least that of The
Odyssey, and the quest to return home. Its rhyming was light, bright,
tight and unobtrusive with a strong, insistent metrical structure.
Sheers is a consummate reader of poetry, assured, confident, and clear
with a melodic lilt to compliment the material. A fine performance. No modern Welsh language poet has been published
more than Menna Elfyn who is a standard bearer for the Welsh language,
culture, Welsh language poetry and poetry in her homeland. Menna
performed in Welsh and English to a sympathetic Borders audience. As a
translator of Welsh poetry, and someone whose work is translated into
numerous foreign languages, she memorably described poetry in
translation as like kissing through a handkerchief. Her Welsh language
reading was certainly easy on the ear, but it is true that when you add
up the number of Welsh speakers, take away those not interested in
poetry, those able to appreciate her in her mother tongue is inevitably
modest. Menna's work is not only meticulously crafted, it is
also written with a smile, a facet most admirably apparent in
“Babysitting at the Crematorium” when she babysat an infant before
retiring to a cafe, informally called “The Creme de la crem”. Some poems
came from her collection Murmur, yet her words resonated with a roar
rather than a murmur, my favourite as the son of Swansea parents was
“The Cockle Woman” a delightful vignette on those women who would roam
the pubs and clubs with locally harvested cockles in a wicker basket, I
loved the idea that someone would purchase simply to lighten her load. And so a day of poetic delight drew to a close on a
festival which drew together old friends of mine, and provided a forum
to forge new ones, as well as to hear new poetry performed in a
complimentary environment. 07-04-13 Gary Longden |
Great Western Pub, Leicester It was, as usual, a wonderful night of
poetry in the convivial atmosphere we have come to expect from this
bi-monthly event. (That's every two months, not twice a month as some
people have mistakenly presumed.) Jane Commane welcomed us and read
Reasonable from a new Nine Arches Press release Hide by
Angela France. According to Gray's Law Dictionary ‘The man on
the Clapham Omnibus is synonymous with the pinnacle of reason in
humanity.' This poem is about that man shaking off his shackles and
running amok in a rather English way. I liked it and I'm also enjoying
her collection, which was one of my purchases from The States of
Independence independent publisher's festival held at De Montfort
Uni on Saturday. I love this one – Scapula I like the shape of the word in my mouth. The sharp angle of it's beginning, its fulsome end. I like the planes of them, the sigh of their support as I relax against
a wall, the flat surface they offer to the sun. I like the way they lie, mirrored either side of my spine, how they slide under my skin as I move, how they quietly hold the potential of
wings. Fantastic open mics… Roy Marshall gave us Richard
the Lionheart's heart –– ‘a plump and fragrant fist wrapped in linen,
placed in a lead lined box.' Richard Birt gave us more blood, guts and
gore with his ‘It Just So Happens.' Caroline Cook gave us a witty and
timely image of the EEC wrapped in a patchwork knitted blanket, ‘Death
of a Euro,' ending with the blanket unravelling to ‘Yarn drifting down
onto the backs of munching sheep.' Siobhan Logan treated us to one from
her ‘Mad, Hopeless and Impossible' pamphlet about Shackleton's
misadventure to the Antarctic. She read us ‘Snowstruck' which contains
the covetable phrase ‘dazzled by frazil ice / blinded by berg-light.'
Nathan Lunt is working on a series on Darwin and read to us one about
the torment between head and heart, faith and science –– always a good
subject. Katerina Kalinowski read ‘Click, Click' the ‘Fucking rain'
quite mesmerising. Mike Brewer treated us to one of his poems about
poems, ‘On Writing One' which was/is a villanelle about writing a
villanelle. Maxine Linnell gave us a tender poem in a series she's
working on around the death of her son in 2010, called ‘Chocolate.' I
admire the way Maxine's poems resonate with quiet, reigned in emotion,
the result of which is most affecting. Andrew Button treated us to ‘the
approaching eclipse of middle age,' a subject that seems to be rapidly
receding into the past (sigh). Kate Ruse read her poem ‘Love on the
Bridge' another very delicate poem recently commended in our LWC Love
Poetry Competition judged by Maria Taylor. Jayne Stanton read a new poem
‘You do not have to say,' ‘your brambled fingertips…' beautiful… I
really like the new direction of Jayne's poetry and look forward to
hearing/reading more. Kathy Bell was instructed by Deborah Tyler Bennett
to ‘write a poem about Lace' for the recent Notts Festival and being a
compliant soul she obeyed. I wish I could come up with the goods Tommy
Cooper stylee ‘just like that!' –– great ending –– ‘Hands which are
still smooth, still white for idleness.' I would love to read it off the
page… Featured poet Nichola Deane recently won
the Flarestack Poets pamphlet comp alongside the already raved about on
this blog David Clarke' with Gaud. Nichola's Pamphlet
My Moriarty is equally ravable about. She read us the eponymous
poem –– witty, cerebral, oblique, slightly surreal –– which gave us a
good taster for the rest of her set. Up on the Reichenbach Falls, Moriarty, just you, me and a flattering rainbow-hued nimbus of mist. You with that spidery voice, all machinating, echoey, hoaxey-coaxy, or the ursine growl you use to show who's
boss. Nichola uses launguage to great effect and is not
afraid of playfulness. Ursine. Nimbus. What's not to love? She's also
really into a poet of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei, (all news to me, but I
have googled…) And I loved this –– After Wang Wei On the empty mountain, no-one at all, apparently, and yet there are echoes: the trace of voices and sunlight piercing the canopy, touching with long fingers the give of green moss. I admired Nichola's piece about the wife of VILHELM
HAMMERSHØI. He (the artist) often painted her (his wife) from behind,
just her back, (another google…) and often playing the piano. It was
delightfully intriguing to have her imagined voice heard, this woman who
was seemingly ignored, who was released the minute her fingers made
contact with the keys. I very much hope that Nichola will relax into
herself during future readings as she gains confidence. Her work is good
and she should read it proudly. Jane Commane introduced Jonathan Taylor,
saying that it's good to have been a part of a poets development, to
have seen/heard various poems in various stages and then to have seen
the seeds of those poems flower and come together in a first collection.
For me that is one of the best things about attending a regular poetry
evening. And for so many different writers. Jonathan's first full collection, Musicolepsy,
is published by Shoestring Press and another lovely book I
bought at State of Independence. What I like about Jonathan's work is
that it is often very funny –– an emotion often missing from poetry, and
indeed comtemporary literature. To quote Charles Boyle during the
wonderful discussion about the short story (at this Saturday's States
of… you should have been there…) there is a lot of ‘exquisite doom' in
writing today. Mr Boyle was concerned about this, and I can understand
why. I often write what sets out to be an upbeat piece, poem, story, yet
it quickly descends into a bogland of gloom. Not sure why. But –– much
of Jonathan's poetry manages to avoid and transcend that particularl
pit. Joyously. From ‘Leap of Faithlessness,' Would you believe all this, take the leap of faith in reverse, hold Kierkegaard up to mirrors, jump back to absurd reality over an abyss of flailing dinosaurs? Or would you just think I was taking the
piss? More open mic's… Matt Merrit opened with ‘Hen
Capercaillie,' a lush and naturalistic evocation. Dave Tunelly gave us a
musing on Constable's Haywain including many nostalgic mentions of those
orange glowing lethal looking inefficient heating systems known as bar
fires. I can picture many a room “warmed' by them in my youth. Harriet
Warner stunned us with linguistic gymnastics (all memorised… oh youth,
where art thou…) and a diatribe on women's dietary products. Laurie
Cussack read us ‘Stuff.' Bob Richardson wooed us with ‘Hamlet after
Pasternak' –– ‘life is not a country walk.' Rebecca Bird, prior to being
congratulated on being just published in ‘Envoi' magazine (well done!)
read us ‘A Vicar from the Stalls.' Deborah Tyler Bennett, fresh from her
poet in residency for Notts Festival themed ‘Lace' read us her ‘Homage
to Walker's Workers.' Next up, Simon Perril, who has recently published
a collection with Leafe Press titled ‘Newton's Splinter' gave us the
best line of the night… ‘the problem with poets… too many plugs, not
enough sockets…' Gary Carr followed with David Bowie's ‘Archer.' I
enjoyed Charles Lauder's poem inspired by a texan saying descibing that
moment when it's both sunny and rainy as ‘the devil kissing his wife.'
‘The Devil and Love' is a deliciously concrete evocation of a gloriously
ephemeral notion. Tom Wyre talked mental illness, taut and hard hitting,
in ‘The Lucid Door.' Will Breedon read us a lover's Lament bringing us
the third mention of dinosaurs with ‘We carbon dated…' Third Featured poet –– Jess Green. I have
seen/heard Jess many times at Word! but it was quite different
seeing/hearing her tonight. She's exciting, energetic, full of life,
emotion and kinetic energy, quite electrifying really. She is part of
the Roundhouse Poetry Collective and a seasoned performer, but it was
good to be able to buy her first pamphlet, #Romance, published
by Holdfire to see what her poems look like on the page. Jess
writes about being young, being a student, being no longer a student,
being an artist, being out of work, being stoned/drunk/pissed off, and
what struck me is that, although there are (shit!?!) thirty years
separating her twenty something's and mine, apart from the names of the
chemicals imbibed/snorted/inhaled, the styles of garb worn and the
particular tunes one jigged along to while abusing one's body, little
has changed. I found that strangely reassuring. That is not to belittle
Jess's craft in any way. She's a fine poet –– From Scratch Your
Degree: Take away the words that hurt until they
healed, bury Ariel with Sylvia, drag the winter dawn down, unclench my jaw like he never touched me at all. (…) And when they ask you what you did for three
years, say, ‘nothing.' And from the poignant and delightful
Potatoes: I told her I was intimidated when I took my beans on toast out the
microwave, she laughed and said ‘you learn variety in dinners when your parents abandon you aged six and only reappear when you win a lacrosse
match.' Last up –– Mark Goodwin. Mark read to us,
in his inimmitable style, one long poem from his chapbook Layers of
Un, published by Shearsman, titled Sun-Fall & Tools, a
Watermead Park, a Charnwood, a May 2011. the sky held cathedral-grand clouds spring sun lit floating seed-fluffs & the up-down dance of gnats a duck & her so-far-five -surviving ‘lings scottled across the lake's sparkling membrane Mark is such a master of place, a consummate
naturalist, I can feel, taste, touch, see his environs, his ‘un'spaces,
with such vivid clarity as his words gradually reveal his worlds. Always
a pleasure. Go buy some poetry… Lindsay Waller-Wilkinson |
Nottingham Festival of Words Poetry
Having studied Knitwear Design at Trent
Poly, as it was known back in the day, I enjoyed revisiting Nottingham
Trent University. Newton building, (right) always a magnificent
example of mid 20th century architecture, has certainly spruced itself
up and spinning through the revolving doors is like entering a smart new
airport terminal. Skating across acres of polished white flooring I
grabbed my press pack and headed for a wide thoroughfare banked by six
lecture theatres. I was really looking forward to the day's events after
such a wonderful time last Saturday and took my seat for the first,
breathless with anticipation, (plus a mad sprint up the road due to an
altercation with a recalcitrant parking meter.). Trent Poet Shoestring Press publisher and poet
John Lucas introduced our four readers, Andrew Taylor,
Rory Waterman, Sarah Jackson and Gregory Woods.
Andrew Miller unfortunately couldn't appear due to
illness.. Andrew Taylor, according to Mr Lucas, has an
eyewatering number of publications under his belt. Proving the point he
read from a stack of books, one of which Radio Mast Horizon
published by Shearsman, is winging its way towards me as I
write. She Strokes Bees, a poem inspired by his
niece, was his first offering: On the telephone mast starlings
gather/are they being fried slowly/or is it convenient parking? It gets
better every time we meet. This stanza sums up his tone; conversational, often
wry, sometimes other-wordly, always well observed. I particularly liked
Chocolate Soup and Market Place, the latter a simple
and affecting description of a moment, leaving what is not said to
resonate. Sarah Jackson read from her recent debut Pelt, published by Bloodaxe (to lush reviews.) I've been enjoying this collection for a couple of weeks and hearing Sarah explain that she rarely writes autobiographically and many of these poems are dark, surreal flights of imagination further enhanced my appreciation. I admired Ten O'Clock Horses –– where spiders squat in solitude, / cursing at the two moons / under my nightdress (…) First he snuffs the lamp. / then he snuffs my mother. / She lands softly, like teeth. Her piece about the testing of Anthrax after the war, Operation Dark Harvest is a powerful list poem sandwiched between bible plague and pestilence. These poems unsettle, startle, fascinate and are some of the most original and beautiful I have read in a while. Pelt is a must for any poetry lover. Buy and devour. Rory Waterman, poet and joint editor of the excellent New Walk Magazine, read from various sources. I enjoyed Keepsakes about a day out with his ma rummaging through antiques that would rather be bric-a-brac, ending with the lovely line, shoestepping round tat, but relishing it a little, perhaps. Rory Waterman He also read Broadland, full of highly
visual imagery: the bay –– A necklace of bobbing launches (…) grebe
speckled water. In Visiting Grandpa, and Family
Business, Rory spirals out from the kernel of family until spinning
up and away, we see the whole from a new perspective. I look forward to
discovering more gems in his forthcoming collection published by
Carcanet. Several of his poems can be found on the
PN Review website… if you're a subscriber. (I recommend
it.) Gregory Woods, (below) also published by
Carcanet told us he was having a sonnetty sort of morning. I love a
good sonnet and very much enjoyed this reading. As soon as he began it
was obvious we were in the hands of a master tecnician, but I was also
charmed by his bold, honest imagery and sardonic humour. He opened with Life Study and Splashes,
inspired by Hockney and commissioned for the Nottingham Contemporary's
inaugural exhibition of new and old works by the artist. These gently
homo-erotic poems were full of stunning lines: those whippy boys who
coif us,(…) bellies flat as wafers,(…) sweat as sweet as reefers. He read a section from a long dramatic monologue in
the voice of Lord Byron and had us laughing out loud with his witty
preamble. The lines just kept coming: tasting by eye their mahogany
rumps, and thus, Quidnunc and May I Say Nothing
have been ordered from Carcanet and will soon be studied and enjoyed.. We Used To Live Here Three poets, Tom Warner, Jamie McKendrick and
Éireann Lorsung, were brought together on a loose connection of having
spent some time living and working in Nottingham, leading on to a
discussion of place within poetry. We began with Tom Warner, a 2010 Faber New Poet.
The subjects of Tom's poems are often intimate, domestic, concrete and
his language displays a youthful pragmatism coupled with a controlled
and fresh use of imagery. His first, the autobiographical Networking revealed much. I loved this whimsical premise that a (talking) dog (named George) would be a preferred partner at a smart Faber lunch/launch party, due to the creature's inate ability to break down social barriers. I identified with Goodbye Tobacco as a
hardened addict myself and the image of the newby non-smoker standing
outside with the smokers like a man who, recently divorced, waits
outside his ex-wife's home, rang very true. Here is a link to
Tom's website where you can read Scabs and
Under Natural History, which he also read for us today. I look
forward to Tom's first full-length collection.
Jamie Mckendrick read several
poems from Out There and Crocodiles and Obelisks, both
published by Faber. Several of his poems stemmed from memories
of a childhood in Liverpool and he read us one with an unpronounceable
Welsh title (his words,) about the city drowning a valley village so it
could steal the Soft Welsh Water. I admired Out There: (…) what once had
been / where heaven was, is barren beyond imagining, describing how
astronauts nostalgia for earth is more powerful than their wonder of
space. I also liked the witty Stricken Proverbs: Time's flies wait
to feast on no man (…) Never a nail in the blacksmith's forge, / nor a
pen in the poet's pocket.. Éireann Lorsung created the Nottingham Poetry
Series whilst researching her doctorate at Nottingham University on
Love and Deconstruction. She couldn't be with us due to visa problems,
so her poem An England was read out on her behalf, beautifully
by someone called Polly and I feel very remiss in not jotting down her
surname. (Polly –– if you read this, please let me know and I'll add it
plus any links!) More than any of today's poems, this gave us an
insight on how place can affect, partcularly with the perspective of
distance, both time and physical: That this morning we drove through
hills / the green of the hills the bright / green of them (…) we / are
kept here on earth / by who knows, perhaps / that green An England is a beautiful pean to a country
seemingly engrained deep into Éireann's psyche.. Both Tom and Jamie have translated poetry (Jamie
quite extensively) and we had an interesting discussion on this subject
after their readings. I asked whether such intimate immersion into
another poet's mind-workings had any effect on their own writing. Jamie
said at the time of undertaking the work the poet's voice tends to speak
louder than his, but as soon as the project is finished he finds his way
back into his own skin. Tom said that he completed his translation work
six months ago and hasn't written any new poetry since. Let's hope he
re-finds his voice very soon.. Fiction
On Saturday the Newton Building, Nottingham Trent
University, was jam-packed full of writerly wonderfulness. As well as
the above poetry readings, I also enjoyed the following fiction events.. It's the Words,
Stupid! . Anne McDonnell of Pewter Rose introduced us to Nicky
Harlow, Frances Thimann and Brindley Hallam Dennis, all of whom have
books published by this interesting and local independent press.. Nicky Harlow began by discussing how some words are
inherantly amusing, others are funny when used out of context, or
juxtaposed with the serious. Some make us smile when used by someone unexpected
or incorrectly, as in malapropisms, and others because of onomatopoeia.
(As a little girl my mum only had to say ‘ploppity plop' or ‘booby-trap'
to have me in hysterics…) She also explained that a product's brand name
could be used to comedic effect, toting Porsche v Robin Reliant and
Kettle Crisps v Monster Munch to illustrate her point. Her novel Amelia and the Virgin set amongst
the Irish community in 1981 Liverpool uses comedy to tackle the serious
subjects of religious hysteria, the Catholic Church and teenage
pregnancy. Reflecting real life, beneath the jolly surface dark
undercurrents often flow.. Frances Thimann discussed how words that are quite
plain and simple on the surface could have rich connotations and
differing meanings when fully explored. They cast shadows, carry echoes
of the past and conjure up learned experience. She mentioned bread, milk, water and asked us to
think of everything these words bring to mind. (the staff of life, milk
of human kndness, still waters run deep…) She often uses this technique
when beginning a new story; as the old adage goes, there are no new
plots, however the characters and their arc, the setting, the metaphors
or tropes that carry the plot, bringing it alive, can be original and
therefore fresh and exciting. She then asked us to think about
shells; their colour, texture, shape, pattern; associations such as
listening to the sea, emerging from, or crawling back into one's shell;
how the intricate frilled openings have sexual significance; empty
shell, hidden depths; how they are first and foremost a home… She read
us extracts of her story Shells from her collection Cello,
and we could see the metaphor beautifully interwoven throughout the
story. I found Frances' talk thought provoking and as a writer, very
useful.. Brindley Hallam Dennis began by saying, like Stephen
King, when asked how he wrote, he would always reply that he didn't
really know and what's more, he didn't necessarily want to pick it to
bits. He went on to quote CS Lewis from his series of essays, Of Other
Worlds; words, he says, are a net that can be used to catch something, a
feeling a thought, a moment, a fleeting thing, something else. You hope to snag what you're fishing for so your
reader can glance at it. Stories are about the emotion held in words.
The story is there to carry the emotion. The emotional content of a word
is affected by the words that surround it. In every sentence there is a
load bearing word and it helps, as a writer, to be able to recognise it. As a reader, one doesn't want to be made aware, one
just wants to get there, to get it, wherever there and whatever it is.
He finished up by reading a short passage but engaging passage from his
novella A Penny Spitfire. These three authors gave us much to think on. Now
I'm looking forward to reading their words. Love, Sex, Desire and
Storytelling The Royal Company Storytellers, comprising of Maggie
burrows, David Whittington, Marilyn Rowley, Robbie Robb and George
Bassett treated us to five stories about love and lovers.. First we heard the magical tale of Heloise and
Abelard, a tragic love story from the 12th century told to us
beautifully by Maggie Burrows.. Next we heard David Whittington tell us the story
about an Egyptian boy who climbed a palace wall and saw a beautiful
young girl sitting by the garden pool. He came every day and played his
flute for her and every day she listened. Soon he realised he'd fallen in love, but he
discovered she was the Pharaoh's daughter and was disraught. Since he
was poor and could do nothing but make music he was convinced she would
never love him, so he begged a magician to change him into a conquering
hero. He returned years later as a man and did indeed lead the Pharaoh's
armies into battle. He regained lost kingdoms and recovered lost
fortunes and the grateful Pharaoh promised him anything he desired. The
man, who was now the most senior general in the Pharaoh's army and known
as the Black Prince, asked for the hand of the Pharoah's daughter. The
Pharaoh agreed, but the princess explained that if she married this
prince she would never truly love him because long ago she gave her
heart to a young boy who used to play his flute for her. She had
searched for the boy for years but his family believed he was dead. She
knew she could never love another and had vowed to lead a life of
celibacy. Heartbroken, the Black Prince rode off into the sunset, never
to be seen again.. I could have listened to Robby Rob's soft Scottish
brogue all evening. Robby told us his tale Love is a Many
Splendoured Thing about Jumilla and Ahmed in Bagdhad. Unlike all
the other stories there wasn't a star-crossed couple in sight. We even
got a happy ending to boot!. Marilyn Rowley told us the ghostly tale of Tom
Hardcastle and the dastardly highwayman who stole his beloved
Nance. Marylin had the hairs on the back of my neck standing to
attention. Last up was George Bassett who regaled us with the
wonderful story of Pyramus and Thisbe and why the Mulberry Tree
bleeds. It made me cry.. And I realised that to be told a story is very, very
different from being read a story. In fact, I can't remember the last
time I was told a story. A good storyteller can temper her/his pace to
the audience and respond to their response, reflecting their mood. They can up their pace or dawdle as they see fit.
And most special of all, the stories will always be slightly different
with each and every performance. I loved the unique retelling of these ancient myths
and love stories and I will treasure the hour I spent with the fabulous
and masterful practitioners of this lost art. If you ever get the chance
to see this talented troupe, do not miss it. I'm already looking forward to Nottingham Festival
of Words 2014! 16-02-13. Lindsay Waller-Wilkinson |
Newstead Abbey NEWSTEAD Abbey, originally founded in the 12th century as an Augustinian Priory, but best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron, was the stunning backdrop for the first full day's events. In between readings
I braved the bitter cold and wandered through the grounds. Even in
subdued February light they are magnificent, particularly the many
ancient specimen trees. I can't believe I've never visited before and
vow to return in the Spring. CJ Allen's self-deprecating humour
is always a joy. Asked to fill in a Risk Assessment Questionaire
prior to the event, he pointed out that poetry readings rarely harbour
the potential to cause harm. However, the St John's Ambulance crew had
been placed on alert because he would, at some point, rhyme geography
with pornography… On the ear, CJ Allen's poetry, like pitch-perfect
prose, flows effortlessly around islets of fine observation and imagery.
On the page, its craft shines through and scintillates. Great
Writers and their Shirts takes us on a journey through the annals
of literature brought to life by each inhabitant's choice of habit.
Tender and insightful, Explaining the plot of Bladerunner to my
mother who has Alzheimer's made me cry on a first reading via
Coffee House Poetry, and achieved much the same result today.
You can also read it in the latest issue of LeftLion Magazine. I like
that Allen's poetry is grounded by concrete images: a film, a bicycle, a
shirt: clothes and artefacts frequently appear throughout his work. Adrian Buckner, equally laconic,
reads with a reserved sincerity and like Allen is no fan of extraneous
words. Illustrating another convergence, his openings are often grounded
by objects, more often than not books: as good a subject as any,
he explains. He read us Anna Karenina from his pamphlet Bed
Time Reading. Affectionate and delicate, it points to the ultimate
mystery present within even a longstanding relationship. I also thought
Downshifting a fine poem, sweet with quiet sorrow and a very
English resignation. CJ Allen's New and Selected Poems is
published by Leafe Press. Adrian Buckner's pamphlet Bed
Time Reading is published by Five Leaves. Maria and Jonathan Taylor,
both working lecturers and parents of four-year-old twins, produced
three books between them last year. Impressed? I am.
Maria Taylor read from her
acclaimed first collection Melanchrini, published by Nine
Arches Press. Her opening poem, At her Grandmother's Table
is resonant with family memories and her Greek Cypriot heritage, both
recurring themes thoughout her work. I enjoyed the vibrant imagery in
Fable, a poem about the break-up of a relationship and one I'd
not heard her read before (…) the pinwheels of light, (…) the
snaking filaments of liquid electricity (…) you fall into the calyx of
my memory. Jonathan Taylor read from his novel
Entertaining Strangers, recently published by Salt. He
introduced us to Jules and Edgar, unique, hilarious and well-imagined
additions to literature's long-lived love affair with odd couples. The
writing is very funny, very profane and highly engaging. He ended with a
graphic yet lyrical passage describing the horrific 1922 razing of
Smyrna, then part of the Ottoman Empire, and the ensuing tragic loss of
life. Not unike a tin of Ronseal, this book does exactly what it
promises on its cover. Unique events are a hallmark of
Longbarrow Press and editor Brian Lewis did not
disappoint, creating a magical and immersive multi-media event with
readings from poets Matthew Clegg, whose disembodied
voice via digital recording added a slightly eerie fourth dimension, (he
couldn't be there in person due to illness) Chris Jones
and Mark Goodwin. Against a backdrop of stunning images
from Nikki Clayton, we were taken on a journey through
a landscape. Neither urban, nor pastoral, theirs are inbetween spaces:
edgy, dubious, blurred. Mark employs the delightful neology Rurban,
and lost in their words and worlds our senses explore, discover and gain
new insights. Chris's narratives unfold like tightly edited miniature
movies and Matt's snapshots, haiku-like in their succinct brevity,
juxtapose with Mark's lush and often playful rivers of sound.
Mark read his poem Rurban Membrane…, first
as it is written on the page, playing with form so that I lingered over
words and phrases, paused and questioned. He later gave us a standard
reading of the same piece and the contrast served to highlight the
experience of the first. His phonetic ennunciation of (…)
wire-barbed-wire, ––x––x––x––x–– (…) jagged tinsel met allic
Christ-crowns, will remain with me. I found their presentation fresh and absorbing and
could have listened for another hour to this fascinating, beautiful and
unsettling exploration of language and setting. Christy Fearn, ably abetted by
Greg Gwyther‘s enthusiastic readings and energetic
garb, gave us a fascinating talk on Lord Byron; his lifestyle, his
decandent habits, his womanising, his creative and drug induced
excesses, likening his behaviour and attitude to many contemorary rock
stars of today. Comparisons were drawn between personalities such as
Ziggy Stardust aka David Bowie, Motley Crue's Vince Neil, the
wonderfully weird Marilyn Manson via a plethora of other familiar Wild
Nuts through to Madonna and Lady Gaga. For all you verse-virgins and stanza-sceptics, this
set proved that poetry is brimful of great jokes and worth a visit for
that reason alone. Andy Croft, editor of
Smokestack Books, introduced us to several publications from his
well-respected press. His fine delivery and excellent choice were both
amusing and entertaining. I relished Kevin Cadwallender's The
Building Trade, which begins Julian is an existentialist…
and ends with the classic and covetable phrase, (…) the gaffer's daughter… has a Btec in
Freudian hairdressing, which means that every time she cuts someone's
hair they look like a dick. What's not to love? I would have gladly travelled
thirty sleety miles just for that. I also enjoyed Andy's pickings from
Martin Rowson's The Limerickiad – funny, clever and highly
original. Mike Wilson had me laughing outloud
again. He read, amongst several, the eponymous poem from his collection,
Desperanto, a witty villanelle: Poetry? It's written.
Everywhere, the universal launguage of despair. And a poignant poem
about his uncommunicative father (I'm with him here) titled Cross
Words, complete with rock-n-roll show-cards, (sic) Bob
Dylan/Subterranean Homesick Blues, so we could fully appreciate his
cryptic puns. Nigel Thomson read from Letter
to Auden. A long poem in four parts, both a communication and a
homage to the great W.H. Auden, is written in response to Auden's letter
to Lord Byron. It brings the former up to date with life, art and
politcs since his death in 1973. Despite the metrical constraints of
rime royal Nigel manages to maintain a lively conversational tone. The threesome ended the set with their individual
contributions to the forthcoming Donny Jonny, a very
contemporary take on Byron's Don Juan. Brilliant! And so I stumbled back to my car through the Abbey
grounds, the ghostly path illuminated by my phone's flickering
flashlight, my bag heavy with the weight of poetry. I'm already looking
forward to next Saturday – more poets, more poems and (inevitably) more
new books. 02-13 |
Spoken Worlds Old Cottage Tavern, Burton
upon Trent Now in its fourth year Spoken Worlds
continues to go from strength to strength. February saw a strong roster of performers appeared
with a typically diverse range of talent. Rather than simply report on
the evening I think it is worth looking at the ingredients which make it
so successful. At its heart is host Gary Carr. Gary understands the
basics. A monthly event must run monthly, on the same day, in the same
place, and you always remind that evening's audience of when the next
one is. A PA to assists those who need help with projection,
and a room which can take sixty people comfortably, but is still
intimate, helps. There are rarely headline acts, just three sections
where an individual can perform for up to three minutes, offering a
maximum of nine minutes over the evening. This is particularly useful
those with content which is diverse. An individual might do a comic, a
serious, and a themed slot, all as stand-alone entities. It is also fiercely egalitarian. Veteran performers
like Staffordshire Poet Laureate Mal Dewhirst (making a welcome, and
warmly received return to the circuit) and Leicester award winning Poet
Jayne Stanton have no more, or less, time than newcomers to the event
like Harriet Warner and Nikki Pywell. The only measure is; “is it any
good?!” Nikki impressed with an extended piece about control, “It's time
to be bold”, which resounded like a personal manifesto. Gary Carr liked
her shoes too. Perhaps she bought them in Marks and Spencer? Harriet's
piece on shopping there with her mother, For One Woman, was waspish,
clever and very effective. Spoken Worlds welcomes new performers, one of
its many strengths. Phil Binding's reputation as our Railway Poet was
further enhanced while Rob Stevens combined a fine piece on a nightclub
murder with his customary acoustic guitar accompanied song, and a
running gag on the weather. Ray and Terri Jolland entertained with a
sketch and song and Stephanie Knipe made one of her welcome occasional
appearances to speak of hoovers and sheep. So you see, this is no
ordinary Spoken Word evening . . . Spoken Worlds next plays on Friday 15th March at 7.30pm, free admission, sign up on the night. 02-13 Gary Longden |
Mouth and Music The Boar's Head, Kidderminster The Boars Head is ideal for Mouth & Music.
The upstairs room is self contained and big enough to take a good size
audience, but compact enough to create atmosphere. The landlord and
staff are supportive, the prices reasonable, and the piped music is
unashamedly hip retro, Lou Reeds' Waiting for the
Man, New York Dolls' Personality
Crisis, Television's Marquee Moon and Talking
Heads' Burning Down the House
set the tone for an evening of diverse, original entertainment. A full room turned out for a theme loosely based on
love, it being Valentines week, and we certainly witnessed the full
spectrum. It is to the credit of organisers Sarah Tamar and Heather
Wastie that several of the performers were new to me. Familiar faces are
good, but any successful event requires that new performers regularly
appear to keep the regulars guessing, and coming. Newcomer Alistair Knowles caught the ear with an
irreverent tirade on growing old disgracefully, John Morris delivered
his trademark laconic measured fare whilst Andrew owens read a strong
short story entitled Dancing Apart. Holly McGill posts a
popular blog , her live performance is now catching up with her written
missives, Toads and Love I particularly enjoyed, as I enjoyed
Suz Winspear's customarily assured performance, although you can be
assured that when Suz writes of In my Dreams those dreams are
likely to be as comfortable as a pair of her platform boots. Closing the
first half were musical duo Michelle Reynolds and Kim Lowings with an
eclectic traditional range of songs performed with affection and
panache. Damon Lord started the second half with some short
poems I had not heard before which were particularly effective before
William Shatspeare appeared as Johnny Gash with his band the Bleeding
Catfaces. They were superb. He combines the demeanour, wit, and
appearance of Jarvis Cocker, with the melancholic madness of Morrissey,
in an unholy alchemy of the absurd;”If you promise you will be my wife,
I promise that I will put down the knife”- you get the picture?! Ian Ward boldly allowed the audience to select his
set by asking them to shout out random numbers which corresponded with
specific poems. Normally the poet surprises the audience, I an chooses
that the audience surprise him! A seasoned collection ensures that
although the pacing is at risk, the quality is not. A newcomer, Io ,gave
an enigmatic performance taking in a poem about childhood racial
segregation in the United States and an homage to Janis Joplin. She
frustrated me for the right reasons. There was clearly an interesting
personal story to be told and a back story to her poetry, but we never
had the chance to hear it- maybe next time. Co -organisers Sarah Tamar and Heather Wastie
rounded off the open mic, the former with I love to love ( but
my baby just loves to dance?), the latter with a trio of new pieces of
which Brief Encounter (pull up to the bumper?) stood out. The
musical denouement came fromThe Very Grimm Bros, Adrian and John
Grimm, who had lowered the drawbridge from Grimm Castle to offer their
customary satirical wisdom. Frankly Chris Huhne was a sitting target!
They are always a joy to watch, only their Manorial duties preclude
world domination. Myself and Amy Rainbow rounded off the
evening, common sense dictates that any critical assessment is best made
by others. In any case Amy's lawyers always check that anything I have
said about her is “fair”, a word which has given the legal profession,
our psychotherapists and Relate, an inordinate amount of work. Is
“difficult” spelt with one f or two? A fine evening, and one which Amy and I enjoyed hugely. Mouth and Music next plays on Tues 12th March, at 8pm. 02-13. Gary Longden |
Western Public House, Leicester This bi-monthly
event is always worth stepping out for and tonight was no exception. The
evening is hosted jointly by Jane Commane,
Nine Arches Press
and Jonathan Taylor,
Crystal Clear Creators
and is an evening of two halves, both kicked off with several open-mic
slots, (which are always of a very high standard) rounded up by two
featured artists. The featured artists this evening were Dave Reeves,
Julie Boden, Jayne Stanton and David Clarke. First up was Jane Commane who welcomed us all and
read a lovely winter poem by one of Nine Arches Writers – Andrew
Frobisher, Remembering Becomes My Reason. The open micer's were Maxine Linnell who read Taking the Lead, about a man with a dog with a lead printed with the words – One of us is single… A delightful flight of fancy. Richard Birt who had us all musing over Christmas leftovers with his assonance and alliteration. Anthony Owens who read three poems full of memorable lines – Realising You Were Wrong For Me: clouds rolled with a rizzla on breastbone (…) like dusk, we haemorrage to bone. The Burning of No 8′s Wheelie Bin: sky charged confederate grey. POWERFUL And one about the nuclear bomb, Fat Man… your
carbonised legacy… powerful stuff. Maria Taylor with The
Distance, and one from her collection Melanchrini which
I'd not heard her read before, Here's To You: (…) His name is
Vincent, like the artist./The V of his pelvis is as they say,/
All that. I wonder where the zip / would take me, somewhere starry
(…) Lovely. Kate Ruse with one from her series; Someone's got to
love the child, called Bad Man, sadly a subject close to
everyone's hearts these days – the moon, an all night witness
glares, then rolls its eyes away. Powerful stuff. Dave Reeves gave us not only poetry – he brought
along his squeeze box and made wonderful use of it accompanying a sad
tale about waiting for the phone to ring on New Year's Eve with his
melodic, doleful and sonorous chords. He introduced us to black country
vernacular and recited a Haiku for 2012, containing only one word, by
the third line we all joined in… RAIN! We heard one about a young
philatelist who progressed to working in a (machine) STAMP shop,
accompanied by STAMPING feet, and ended on a ‘found' poem using items
requested for in libraries. Hugely entertaining.
Julie Boden, Poet in Residence at the
Birmingham Symphony Orchestra treated us to a few from her latest
collection, Love in Leamington and also sang for us! She
did not, her opener, was a wistful take on love, followed by a
ronda redoublé and a villanelle, very much in fine form, and ending on
The Piano Tuner, a poem banned by the orchestra committee (for being
too???), told from the point of view of the piano, it was both evocative
and provocative for he (the piano tuner) spoiled her for life (…) Break. Beer. Chat. And all that.
Jonathan Taylor introduced the second half with a reading of a
tender poem about his father, which I really related to, telling of
vintage dinky toys collected over years and later sold. His dad was
saddened by the revelation and we have a sense of a greater loss in the
line; I could never get them, or those WH Smiths afternoons back
again. Roy Marshall opened the open-mic with a couple of
lovely seasonal offerings. Stand out line – horses (…) standing in a
cloud of breath. Would love to get a read of these. Then we had Dave,
and his cat, Shindig regular Kim Lyson, Matt Merritt with his condensed
take on ancient mythology, oh and me somewhere amidst all that.
Jayne Stanton. It was very lovely to enjoy an extended reading of
Jayne's poetry. I heard some I've heard before, Tasseography
being one of my favourites and Heat, then a couple of very new
offerings, the titles of which were their first lines and I was
listening so intently I forgot to jot them down, and we ended on a
couple that Jayne has written since her exchange with The Cork Poets.
These two were particularly good. Blow-in, about a heron/crane
and Sin É (think that's how it's spelt, although I don't know what it
means… about music and the magical way it affects. I've since learned
that this poem has been highly commended in
The Gregory O'Donoghue Prize. Well done! And deservedly so. A fine
poem. I look forward to being able to post a pic of Jayne's
book/pamphlet cover alongside a review. It's only a matter of time. Last up,
David Clarke. Amongst other stuff, I learned that a hee-haw is an
eighteenth century rent-boy. That will one day come in useful. I can
feel it in my bones. On the strength of his reading I bought his
pamphlet, so that must tell you something?
Gaud, joint winner of the Flarestack pamphlet competition,
and I can see why. I particularly enjoyed Copse – (…) scarred
by after-mages of epilated bodies splayed for the camera's glassy eye
(…) though I must confess, I jotted down the title in my notebook as –
Cops. And I've since fallen in love with the rest.
From Scritti Politti: (…) that's what the 90″s felt like –
green Gartside's forgotten voice shimmied from a tape (…) And on my way home I got into my car, scrolled
through the iPod and had a listen. Yes. I was back there. And it's an excellent
pamphlet too. A brilliant night as always. Thanks to all involved. 02-13 Lindsay Waller-Wilkinson Lindsay is a fashion designer turned
writer whose poetry and short stories have been widely published. This
review first appeared in her blog:
http://lindsaywallerwilkinson.com/about-me/ |
Coffeehouse Poetry Shrewsbury Coffee House, Castle Gates, Shrewsbury There was not a table or chair to be
had. The stock of china cups and mugs was exhausted. A warm mist
appeared on the inside of the windows obscuring the curious glances from
passers-by, late-comers stood. The occasion? The first birthday of Poetry at the
Coffeehouse, whose genesis I witnessed with a dozen or so enthusiastic
kindred spirits in 2012 and whose imaginative format and strong bill has
enabled the event to prosper and grow. That growth and success has been led by Liz Lefroy whose vision, dedication and commitment has been richly rewarded, she still greets all visitors personally as old friends. Those that are not, soon become so. A birthday party warrants something special. Liz's
address book ensured this was achieved with two local writers supporting
a duo of eminent London based writers, continuing the house policy of
bringing fresh talent to the Borders. Opening the evening we heard Ludlow based Jean Atkin (pictured left) who read from her new collection, The Dark Farms (Roncadora Press 2012), which focuses on the Galloway Forest Park, a remote and marginal region of shrinking agriculture, depopulated glens and extraordinarily dark skies. Jean Atkin is a previous winner of the Ravenglass Poetry Prize and the Torbay Prize. Her other pamphlets are The Treeless Region and Lost At Sea (shortlisted last year for the Callum Macdonald Memorial Prize). She worked on The Dark Farms for eight months during 2011, walking the Forest, talking to residents and reading old books and maps. Its tone is wistful, and elegiac. She describes the lonely, majestic landscape with the eye of someone in love with the place, for her a “hoverfly hesitates”. In so doing the significance, or insignificance , of humanity inevitably comes to the fore and was wonderfully explored in her strongest piece of the evening, “What's Human?”
Jack Edwards (pictured left) runs “Notes From the Underground” at the Holly Bush pub in Cradley Heath; he is also a performance poet of burgeoning repute. Looking more like the late Marc Bolan every time I see him his gentle humour and relaxed delivery are always underpinned by a strong central idea and good writing. His poem titles are an intrinsic part of his poems, not an afterthought. In “ I Don't Have The Cash to Take You to
France” he won over the audience as a love poem before he even
embarked upon the first verse. Although Jack is happier comparing love
to a kebab, rather than a rose, his favoured sonnet form demonstrated an
astute mix of contemporary imagery with traditional form, which he
visited to particular effect in his ghazal, “Leaves”. In the provinces we have a healthy suspicion of London poets, some of whom regard travel, and poetry, beyond the Underground network with bewilderment. Julia Bell (Pictured below right) and Rosie Shepperd
are not in that mould and shared the headline spot to great effect.
Their visit was a delight. Julia is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London and wrote, and co-edited, the bestselling Creative Writing Course book while working at the University of East Anglia, which is also published by Macmillan. Born in Bristol but raised in Wales she has
had two novels published for young adults – Massive and
Dirty Work, both published by Macmillan in the UK. In the US
Massive is published by Simon and Schuster and Dirty Work by
Walker Books. Massive has also been translated into ten languages,
including Thai. Two things immediately struck me about Julia's work.
The first was the apparent profound effect of her childhood spent as the
daughter of a vicar whose religious devotion bordered on the extreme.
The second was her considerable ability to speak and write plainly and
effectively, eschewing high literary artifice. She is currently working on a memoir in verse with a
working title of Hymnal from which she read extensively. Her
humour shone through in her voicing of Martha from the Bible- “It will
take a miracle to get this done in time”. Her coming of age piece, The
Wallpaper I Outgrew, brilliantly evoked the universal poignancy of
transition from childhood to adulthood. It was Unhappy Clappy
that proved to be her signature poem from Hymnal, a withering
tirade cleverly juxtaposed to its subject matter. Sharing the stage with Julia, Rosie Shepperd (Pictured below) offered a complimentary counterpoint. Studying for a PhD in Creative Writing (Poetry) at Glamorgan University, her work has appeared in magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. She was a finalist in the inaugural Manchester Poetry Prize, the Ware Poetry Prize and the Café Writer's. She won the 2007 Writer's Inc. Bursary, the 2009 Ted
Walters/Liverpool University Prize and was a winner in the Poetry
Business Competition, her current collection, That So Easy Thing,
is published by Smith/Doorstep which includes generous endorsements from
Carol Ann Duffy and Phillip Gross. Her instantly authentic pronunciation
of “parapluie” was the clue to her mother's place of birth in French
Mauritius, her urbane internationalism far more evident in That so-easy
thing. Thematically Rosie's material was wildly eclectic; a silk umbrella, the difficulties that sudden death poses when arranging one's own funeral, insomnia and an overheard brutal condemnation by a mother of her own overweight son in Lump. What united them all was a fierce intellect, quirky
off beat observation, and compassionate humanity served with lashings of
acerbic wit. Reading, she pauses to telling effect, teasing the audience
with what might come next, goading them to fill in the spaces for
themselves. Her verse is always economic, and littered with memorable
imagery, I loved the idea of an “acreage of shoe cupboard” in her
insomnia poem. She made poetry seem like that so-easy thing, which it
was to listen to, but undersells the craft of its composition. Shrewsbury was fortunate to lure such distinguished talent and Liz promises more as the year unfolds, Coffeehouse Poetry next plays on March 7th, 7.30pm start, free entry.02-13 Gary Longden |
Cristina Navazo-Eguía Newton
Book Launch Swindon Open Mic Swindon Central Library THIS was a wonderful evening of poetry, storytelling and live music at Swindon Central Library organised and hosted by Hilda Sheehan and Matt Holland from Swindon Artswords and Michael Scott, Chair of BlueGate Poets. The first half was an
open-mic session and in the second half Cristina read from her book,
Cry Wolf,
which is the winner of Templar Publishing's 2012
Straid Poetry Collection Award. Cristina also performed flamenco songs, sometimes
accompanied by the accomplished acoustic guitar duo, Gilmore n' Jaz, who
also provided great music while people gathered with wine and festive
chocolates at this informal, café event. Swindon Artswords, which organises and provides
Literature Development for Swindon Borough Council, has this to say
about Cristina's work: “Cristina first published two full-length
collections - La Frontera and Rutas de Largo Recorrido
- in her native Spanish language, with work also included in
several anthologies. “Her poems have appeared in journals and been
shortlisted or have been runners-up at Bridport, Strokestown, Gregory
O'Donoghue, Aesthetica and Nottingham. She won the Poetry London
Competition 2011 with her poem Edison Peña Runs the Six Miles. “She organises the Battered Moons Poetry
Competition, now in its third year, supported by the Swindon Festival of
Literature and Artswords. She is also involved in adult education,
workshops and performances of poetry and flamenco jondo singing. “ I did not know Cristina's work before this event,
although I loved her poem Edison Peña Runs the Six Miles, the
imagined story of one of the trapped Chilean miners, which Paul Farley
chose as the 2011 Poetry London winner. And, by coincidence, Cristina had sent me her
stunning poem, Kissing, for my poetry blog, And Other Poems, a
poem which, to date, has received, by far, the greatest number of views
and which was described on Twitter by George Szirtes as “gorgeous” and
by John Siddique as a “beautiful, global, holy poem”. It was a joyful privilege to hear Cristina read, and
sing, with passion and exuberance. Her poems, as described on the
flyleaf of her new book, give voice to “the trapped miner, the locked up
dissenter, the downtrodden people, the family of the dying and the dead,
the hungry body, the thirsty soul, the mother robbed of her child, the
abused child.” Templar Publishing and the judges of the Straid Award
have chosen well. This was a superbly run and extremely welcoming
evening. I will definitely be going to a Swindon Open-Mic event again
and will take a poem or story to read next time. Thank you to Hilda,
Matt, Michael and, especially, Cristina, for making all of this
possible. Josephine Corcoran Josephine lives in Wiltshire, teaching
Creative Writing in places of Higher and Adult Education, and runs
Writing Workshops in community settings including schools. A published
poet, her work has been broadcast on BBC Radio Four, a she blogs
regularly at:
http://josephinecorcoran.wordpress.com/about-2/ |
42 Flashes at 42 Drummonds, The Swan With Two Nicks, New St,
Worcester 42 IS A monthly event which focuses on
the Gothic, Horror, Sci fi, and Fantasy genres in prose and poetry at
one of the oldest, and most atmospheric , pubs in Worcester, The Swan
With Two Nicks. This month was given over to the emerging Flash
Fiction form which the Worcester Literary Festival has done much to help
promote. The objective being to perform over forty two flash fiction
pieces at the eponymous event, a neat idea, and one which attracted a
sizeable, and eminent audience. So what is flash fiction? A short story with a
limited word count. Tonight, the limit was three hundred words per
story, a limit which is becoming format defining for competition and
performance. They can be shorter. Although in principle they could also
be longer, clearly all submissions for any event or competition need to
be written to a uniform limit to give the exercise credibility and
value. My personal preferred writing milieu is poetry, but
I entered and performed one piece for the evening myself in order that I
could understand the mechanics of what I was to review. What most
impressed me was how every word had to count, work, and earn its place
in the story. The word count is sufficiently long to tell a story in,
but the skills normally applied to an extended narrative are amplified,
tested and stretched. As I watched others perform I identified three types
of story. The first was a simple observation, more than a story,
which was stretched out to met the word count. The second was a bigger
story that was condensed and cropped. The third was a story crafted to
match the form. On the night, there was no restriction on themes, which
were diverse in the extreme, in turns funny, sad, thoughtful and
whimsical.
Three performers spearheaded the evening
artistically, the most distinguished of whom was Callum Kerr, director ,
and instigator of, National Flash- Fiction day and managing editor of
Gumbo Press. Also a lecturer in Creative Writing at Winchester
University, Callum read extensively from Braking Distance , a
collection of linked flash-fictions written in November 2011 as part of
flash365. All the stories, set in a motorway service station, provide
different perspectives of the same event. Clever, concise and
inspired, he set a formidable standard. Local luminary Lyndsay Stanberry-Flynn runs hugely
popular creative writing workshops, having previously worked full time
teaching English, and is an award winning author. A driving force and
judge behind last year's inaugural Worcester Literary Festival Flash
–Fiction competition, she was on hand to strut her own meticulously
crafted flash fiction whilst encouraging and cajoling others. On Sunday
9th December, at 4pm, the Flash Fiction anthology from
writers in the first WLF Flash Fiction competition will be launched,
with readings, at this venue. Reigning WLF Flash Fiction Champion, and Warwick
Words Flash fiction champion , Amy Rainbow was on hand to demonstrate
her champion credentials and did so in customary style with two pieces,
the malevolent and taut Childs Play and The Prison. It was fascinating watching the other forty seven
pieces unfold ( the odd one being mine!) and a number of common
denominators emerged. Prose, read from a static position needs to
be performed. Math Jones exemplified this with his animated and
modulated rendition of Sign Up. A strong opening line is vital
to grab the audience's attention, Rod Griffiths did exactly this with
his two playful pieces about the problems that Zombies have aided by an
ingenious i-phone/i-pad combination which enabled a teleprompt facility-
technology which worked! A story which grips the imagination so that
the audience buys into the proposition is invaluable. Alan Durham did just that with Figurehead,
the tale of rough justice for a thief at a shipyard based upon Alan's
own working experience. That idea can be comic, as Tony Judge
demonstrated with the Sociopath Olympics, amongst the funniest
pieces of the night. The quick-fire conveyor belt of performer and
performance means that readers have to pedal very hard to create an
identity for themselves, and their story ,as quickly as possible.
Catherine Crosswell delievered that in performing The Crime Scene,
her witty, and fey, introduction the perfect appetiser for the main
course. Words fifty four and fifty six lived up to their advanced
billing! Andrew Owens hosted the evening with charm, and a
light touch, shepherding the burgeoning performance roster with a
wet nose and an occasional nip at the heels. Congratulations are also
due to Geoff Robinson whose original idea it was, and who did much to
realise the evening's success. “42” returns to the same venue on
Wednesday January 30th, 2013, 7.30pm. 11-12 Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Bilston “And the rain descended, and the floods
came, and the winds blew,” a description borrowed from Mathew 7, but
just as apposite to WV14 on Thursday night as a storm of Biblical
proportions lashed the Black Country with the savagery and intensity of
a slave drivers whip. Inevitably roads became impassable under water, and
those caught outside were drenched, reducing the normally fulsome
attendance a little this November night. Yet those undaunted by
adversity outside were rewarded with a typically entertaining evening's
fare inside. A double header of Malvern talent opened the evening
commencing with the sartorially distinctive John Xavian who revelled in
teasing the audience regarding the solemnity or satire of his work.
Assuming the demeanour of an eccentric Doctor Who he in turn played to
the eccentricities of Tom Baker, whilst also offering the reassuring
gravitas of a Jon Pertwee. Whether eulogising The seed of the
Sunrise, or an addiction to doughnuts, he engaged and entertained
in equal measure. Fellow Malvernian Myfanwy Fox is an accomplished
poet, and photographer, who never seems to perform as often as her
talent demands. Her pastiche of Hilaire Belloc's Tarantella
about Rebekah Brookes continues to be her party piece, witty,
well-crafted and waspish. Belloc inspired Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd
to write Mathilda's Mother based upon Belloc's Cautionary
Tales, Myfanwy continues a fine and honourable tradition.
Unusually, host Emma Purshouse had invited singer
songwriter Alex Vann to perform an acoustic set, accompanied by guitar
to provide variety for the evening, and he did just that in some style.
Appleside Cafe was his strongest song with his vocal sound very
similar to Graham Nash and the song structure itself similar to Crosby
Stills and Nash's epic Suite; Judy Blue Eyes. The genre is an
increasingly difficult one to excel in with the likes of Dylan, Neil
Young, Joni Mitchell, Cohen and more recently Craig David having set the
standard so high. Alex had a good go at providing a 21st
century twist. After the break there was a change of Calcutts, the
billed Helen being replaced by her father David who promoted his new
book on the legends of Robin Hood, entitled Robin Hood,
illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith. He read the hangman's tale, a
representation which was warm and affectionate to the tradition. Although suitable for children, it will strike a
chord with anyone whose childhood was influenced by books on Robin Hood,
the films starring Errol Flynn, or numerous television series. David is
good at myths and legends and his language and delivery is
quintessentially English and credible, so much so that I half expected
Friar Tuck to appear at the door to take refuge from the rain soaked
forest. Headlining the evening was local boy made good
Richard Tyrone Jones performing as part of his nationwide tour of
Big Heart his show about (his) heart failure- but with jokes. His
delivery is frenetic, his black humour all-encompassing. A varied set
did venture beyond his near death experience to his relationship with
Tories and Wheel Clampers, both of which are somewhat unsatisfactory. More acerbic than lyrical, he carves a fairly
distinctive niche on the current performance scene. His delivery is
pacier than the similarly laconic Byron Vincent, but eschews the chiming
rhyme of Polar Bear. Bilston Voices next meets on Thursday Jan 24th
at 7.30pm when Tom Wyre will be amongst the featured poets. Gary Longden |
Spoken Worlds The Old Cottage Tavern, Burton-upon-Trent SPOKEN Worlds was celebrating both its
third anniversary, and the last session of the 2012 calendar this month.
The event, and organiser Gary Carr, have much to be
proud of. The forced change from the original venue has worked, and the
event is now an established fixture at the Old Cottage tavern. Local writing group the Runaway Writers form part of
the regular core of poets, and a talented outer circle of performers
drop in as they are able from as far afield as Lichfield, Chesterfield
and Buxton. One regular whose absence was acutely felt was that
of Mal Dewhirst indisposed through a health scare from which all wish
him a speedy recovery. All forms of spoken word are encouraged and tonight
there were examples of song, flash fiction and storytelling as well as
poetry. Rob Stevens, host of Buxton's Word Wizards was the man with the
guitar, his songs are notable for their clever lyrics and thoughtful
rhymes and provided a useful aural counterpoint to proceedings. Ray Jolland is a man whose voice requires no musical
accompaniment and his Beatles pastiche of All the Lonely People
took in references to many of Spoken Worlds regular performers, and was
warmly received . Ian Ward read two flash fiction pieces, Bumping
on Boundaries and Farmhouse Murder, the first of which
sounded as though it had its roots in Netherville, the second of which
suffered slightly from character nomenclature which became confusing
when spoken, which may not have been so apparent on the page. Ian's imaginative writing always demands attention.
Storytelling in longer fashion is something that Margaret Torr has been
exploring with increasing frequency, The Unluckiest Man in the World
was a worthy addition to her storytelling cannon. Any evening depends upon fresh voices, as much as
familiar ones ,for its success and tonight there were two debutantes.
Christine Binding tackled nuclear war with On This Side,
a subject littered with cliche traps which Christine circumnavigated
very successfully. From Lichfield Poets came new member Sharon Lightwood
who read assuredly two untitled poems about children, parents and
growing up. Spoken Worlds next meets on Friday 18th
January, 2013 at 7.30pm. All welcome, free entrance, sign up on the
night. Gary Longden |
Parole Parlate Little Venice, St Nicholas St, Worcester Parole Parlate was celebrating its
second birthday, and did so in some style. Organising Spoken Word Events
is hard work. To create, build and sustain a monthly event over two
years is quite an achievement. It is testimony to the creativity, endeavour and
persistence of organisers Lisa Ventura and Martin Driscoll, together
with lens man Geoff Robinson, in particular. They in turn have been
helped by a diverse local talent pool, and an artistic hinterland which
pulls from many miles beyond. The basic formula is simple. The venue is the
private first floor of a friendly Italian restaurant, Little Venice,
with its own bar and toilet facilities and around ten slots an event
which are filled in advance by a combination of organiser invitation and
aspiring performer plea ! A “poets' special" menu before the main event has
become a popular pre-performance destination for many, with poetry talk,
friendship and good food all available in abundance. Mike Alma opened proceedings with an assured trio of
poems moving from Petrification through Rainbow Butterfly
and ending in the rhyming slang of The Temporary Bookseller. It
was an auspicious start. Short storytelling as performance is tough.
With no rhyming possible and a narrative to tell
holding an audience's attention is difficult and flash fiction has
sought to capitalise on the skills which this form requires. Fortunately
Andrew Owens is good at it. Fate or Destiny was a touching
condensed tale of junior school romance, Thirty Seconds,
claustrophobic story of a child lost on a shopping trip. Word and Sound
is an alternative Worcester poetry event and it was at the last one that
I first came across Claire Walker who reads with a fey, easy going
confidence, her subjects typically being little things illuminating big
things. Yet there is an edge to her too. In her story of the
love addiction to men of a woman she intones “I collect them,” in a
manner as sinister as Hannibal Lecter ever conjured. Closing the first half was Ruth Stacey who performed
a bold and imaginative sequence entitled The Fox Boy.
Densely layered, it borrows from the Red Indian of North America
tradition of using animal characters that are half animal/half human to
explore existence. It is no twee anthropomorphic jaunt. Ambitious in intent, it is an invocation to break
out of the restrictions of our own skin to explore beyond. Cleverly, the
device of transcending the confines of that skin embraces mixed
ethnicity too- “skin is just a covering, to keep the flesh tidy and the
heart, in place”. It was very well received and proved that challenging,
serious poetry can be performed out loud and succeed.
After the break Amanda Bonnick read from a
travelogue sequence in Ireland, set against the backdrop of a doomed
relationship and a tribute to her father who died in a plane crash in
Borneo when she was a child. Both combined a wonderful sense of place
juxtaposed with the intensely personal. Before the headliner we were
treated to an ensemble performance from “The Poets in the Mist”
including Suz Winspear, Liz Hayden Jones, Math Jones, Catherine
Crosswell, Polly Robinson Mike Alma and Sarah Kemp. Catherine's
typically left field poem on ice cream, at a kiosk by the British Camp
was a delight amongst several strong offerings. Stephen Morrison- Burke, AKA Mstr Morrison, was
recently installed as Birmingham Poet Laureate but cut his early teeth
performing at Parole Parlate some eighteen months ago. Visually he cuts
a hip, trendy contemporary dash, poetically, he writes soulful,
reflective emotive poems. His manifesto is to provide a voice for the
dispossessed, the unheard voices, and succeeds in that aim, most notably
with his signature piece, April's Eyes, about a child in care.
Performing his set rehearsed, without notes, he stretches out a handful
of pieces, twisting every last nuanced emotion of each piece with wry,
affecting lyricism, delighting all. Parole Parlate next meets at 7.30pm on Thursday, December 6th. Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Café Metro, Bilston After so many months of our performers only
bringing us poetry, it was a pleasure to have stories as part of
the evening, October's instalment of this monthly event. Variety
is very much the spice of life and we got good variety for this event
from a mix of BV regulars. Ronnie Davies started the evening with a charming
rambling story of a family in wartime who, helped
by the neighbours, decided to raise a pig as a way of eking out rations.
His descriptions of the being transported home in a sidecar ,and its
adventures when it escaped, were very funny. Jill Tromans opened with a comic poem about plastic
surgery before going into story mode with a tale of a keeper at the zoo
and a family visiting on a day trip. She was then joined by Sylvia
Millward for a short two handed sketch about two women, one of whom was
a bit posh, talking about a book the other was reading, which led
to a few double entendres before revealing that the book was Harry
Potter. Last up before the obligatory ‘cake break' was Peter
Hill with his hilarious version of why Black Country people probably
have Viking blood in their veins. He started with the Battles of
Wednesfield and Tettenhall and brought us up to the modern day via his
own route. The audience laughed their way through to the end of
the first half. The second half was opened by the popular Brendan Hawthorne, who had dashed over from Wednesbury, where he was compering a show. After giving us his poem, Retrosexual, about his rebellion against the things that are now expected of modern man. He followed this with The parking ticket, a
little tale about a man who decided to give up his car and use a horse,
but got into trouble when he went shopping and got distracted by a few
pints of beer. The old favourites Spicing up Your Life, Tank
Top Warfare and the Retirement Speech of a Black Country
Ventriloquist, which he gave us next, never fail to raise a chuckle
and delivered once again . As he dashed off back to Wednesbury, we had a
full dress version of Sotnev, Brendan's own Black Country
version of satnav. There was a semi musical end to the evening, as
Dave Reeves brought out his accordion to serenade us with his
September Pastorale about a man with a metal detector and
Newcomen Memorial Waltz (dedicated to the Newcomen beam engine).
After telling us about the last Victorian mental institution in
Shrewsbury, he mused on the way words can be misinterpreted in his
Toad Paradox. A recent visit to Wales had inspired
Whilst arranging flowers at a graveside before we came back to the
Black Country with Ayli Quixote and Sancho Panza, a tale based
on the novel by Cervantes. To finish off ,we took a ride, or would
have had the train been on time, on The Old Wuss and Wuss,
otherwise known as the Oxford and Worcestershire railway. Bilston Voices next meets on Thursday 22nd
November, 7.30pm start. Eileen Ward- Birch |
Variety night Imperial Banqueting Suite,
Bilston Imperial variety nights have gained a
reputation of a good night out with the advantage that the curry that
would end many such nights is served on the premises during the
interval. Naomi Paul, no stranger to the people who regularly
attend Bilston Voices, was our comedy compere for the night, giving us a
good few chuckles between acts and encouraging lots of applause. A
big well done for holding it together so well, especially when we had a
change of acts partway through. First on was Kieren King, winner of the 2012 Bilston
Love Slam, a poetry competition that puts the slam into poetry.
Kieren was billed as Poetry with a heavy metal attitude and he
did not disappoint, telling us in poetic form about life as a young man
who is also a heavy metal fan (although he does not look like one), and
life in general. I had a few doubts about putting the poet on
first, but he proved to be a superb warm up. Fizzog Theatre Company, based at Newhampton Arts
Centre, is one of the funniest acts we have seen in years. For the
Imperial we were treated to Wayne Kerr (Jacky Fellows) and his new
partner Dolly Mixture, who he met at the X-factor auditions in
Brum, with a rap that had people laughing so much some of us at the back
missed a few of the lyrics, but it didn't matter, as Wayne and Dolly
were so funny visually. I want to adopt Wayne and Dolly.
After the curry break, we had a few contemplative
moments with Kate Wragg from Kidderminster, who has obviously been out
and about round her town and has definite views on its beauty.
Kate accompanied her striking Joan Baez style singing with a well-played
guitar. The hilarious Our Trace, standing in for no-show
impressionist Cal Halbert, took us up to the second break. She had
asked us how far she could go on a scale of one to ten and having got a
response that eleven would not be unacceptable, her act was lively and
very, very funny. We were left wondering if her ‘bloke' found his
rake. Many thanks to Trace for standing in at the last minute.
The top of the bill was Les Bubb, a kind of Mr Bean
on speed with some speech. To convey the speed and variety of
Les's act in words is a somewhat daunting task, but I will say that from
the moment he appeared from behind the curtain which conceals an upper
floor of the Imperial and got tangled in the rope designed to keep
people out to the time he packed his suitcase and left there were gales
of laughter throughout the room. I was particularly impressed by
his Marcel Marceau style mimes performed with said suitcase and some
balloons . A final word for Emma Purshouse, for continuing to
organise these nights and Nag and the staff who see that we are
well looked after and extremely well fed with excellent curry.
Eileen Ward- Birch |
Bilston Voices Café Metro, Bilston There must be something about Bilston,
this was the second event in a week where one of the acts failed to
arrive. Fortunately, in both cases Emma Purshouse was
organising and managed to overcome the problem. In this case, she
moved the performance list around and started with readers giving
samples from the new Made in Bilston CD, which was being launched later
in the evening. Thus it was that we started our evening with a
light hearted piece be Carol Howarth about Noah's ark and how the
unicorn got left behind, Next was Andy Moreton with his humorous
verses on Nigel – a moth. The launch ended with Peter Hill's Blast
furnace lament, which struck a chord with Bilstonians, who still often
lament the loss of the steel making industry. Marion Cockin presented an unusual set, opening
with a verse piece which led into her version of the story of Daedalus,
who was reputed to be an Athenian said to have invented many things,
including a wooden cow that enabled the Queen of Crete to mate with a
white bull and the maze which imprisoned the result of that mating – the
Minotaur. Marion came full circle with a nicely rounded set
of verses.
Last up before the ‘cake break' was Bert
Flitcroft, a BV virgin, who read to us a selection from his new book.
His first was a poem about how the Universe is held together with love.
He followed on with Equilibrium, about opposites attracting and a (very
appropriate for the Café) sonnet to a bacon sandwich. Bert is
obviously inspired by his holidays, as we also had a very nice poem
about Loch Ness and (my personal favourite) Flying club about a holiday
at the Buxton Palace Hotel, which was shared with a pigeon flyers
outing. Roger Noons, a BV and City Voices regular,
opened the second half with his take on early Bilston history as a
village that developed into the home of heavy industry. The
remainder of his set covered a diversity of subjects from his first
visit to the theatre, to see a gilbert and Sullivan operetta, a dotura
plant, the colour yellow and boots and shoes. However, my
favourite was a poem that struck a real chord about being a big man and
so not being treated the same as others of similar age when growing up
and how those attitudes stick. Roger must be a big fan of Café
Metro, because he even ended with a limerick to the cake. Kate Walton, a Lichfield poet and BV virgin,
rounded the evening off with her narrative poetry. She started
with a mythical series of deaths in the Melton Mowbray pie factory, then
went on to tell the tale of a young man who went out at night killing
car drivers to hijack their vehicles, until the night his long suffering
lady (who knew what he did) turned the tables on him. Finally, in
Beauty bound, she told the tale of young love and how it changes as we
grow older, not always together. Kate's performance was
spellbinding throughout and I would gladly listen to any of her works
again. 09-12 Next Bilston Voices is October
25th, 7.30pm Eileen Ward-Birch |
Poetry Alight Spark Cafe, Lichfield Poetry Alight at the Spark Cafe at
Lichfield is one of my personal favourite events. The quality of the
invited poets is as good as any I have attended, the open mic slots are
filled by many of my favourite poets from East and West Midlands, but
the atmosphere is open, friendly and supportive enough for new readers
not to feel intimidated. This Tuesday was no exception. There was a
diversity of styles, ages and experience that retained and revitalised
the listener's interest across the whole evening. In reviewing the evening I will attempt to give
a flavour of this, any mis-quotes, mis-spellings or other mistakes are
entirely mine. Our host, Gary Longden, kicked the night off in
style with From Stratford to Stratford, a well balanced piece
about his Olympic journey from ambivalence about the event to
enthusiasm. He was followed by incoming Staffordshire Laureate Mal
Dewhirst with an extract from his epic All sides of the shire,
which will be performed in full at his inauguration on 4th October at
Lichfield library. Mal also explained a little about his ideas on the
role of the laureate. Jayne Stanton, a regular at many events in the
Midlands and recently returned from a poetry exchange visit to Cork,
gave us two short pieces. The first, a slightly surreal piece about
holes, gave us the wonderful view that "If holes cannot exist without a
host/then that makes them parasites The next two readers, Dwane Reads and Mark
Anthrobus are from opposite ends of the experience spectrum, but both
gave us social commentaries. Dwane's Druggie on the roof is a
well observed slice of estate life based on a real incident, while Mark
gave us poems on food additive addiction and social ostracism.
Known for his gothic fantasy pieces, Ian Ward
initially gave us a lighter piece Meeting Mr. Neville, with a
very literal interpretation of the Faustian deal that TV talent show
competitors enter into, before returning to his darker roots in the
second piece. The first guest poet of the night was Roy
Marshall, who read mainly from his collection, Gopagilla. His
set was a tour de force of short snappy slices of life, eleven poems in
ten minutes. Favourites? Gopagilla, Rose, Dandytime which
contains the wonderful lines "His gift to me,/ the long forgotten tempo/
of a boy's life", Relic and No signals available which begins
with the phrase "The sky is unmanned". Closing the first section, Deborah Tyler-Bennett
managed the difficult task of following Roy with aplomb. Tahiti
is a poetic travelogue and more; Tell Me, from a sequence about
London's ghosts, paints a misty and evocative picture of the city and
Jimmy and Steph - a reunion of the couple from Quadrophenia many years
after the events in the film. Deborah also showed her lighter side with
Horse and himself about the 19th century's "maddest man in
Britain", Me and Mr Smith based on an 18th Century "Gentleman's Annual"
about London whorehouses and Cheerful revisited which is a tribute to
Ian Dury's song; a rhyming list poem with many references to Dury's
other song lyrics. Paul Francis kicked off the second section in
style with Screws, a wonderful and satirical piece about Sunday
scandal sheets and the Leveson enquiry. First timer Lucy Beth followed
with three untitled angst filled poems, the last of which had the
memorable lines "We are 60% water. Mine has been salted/ and pushed from
behind blackened lashes". Experience again came to the stage with Penny
Hewlett, whose second poem Bostar beach was a beautiful sonnet
set on the Isle of Lewes, which became a meditation on aloneness at the
turn. Chesterfield poet Tony Keeton, introduced as a
master of the surreal, did not disappoint. His first poem, Fly
tipping, was a study of drunken student spiders on a night out,
tipping a fly onto its back. His second, a tribute to Neil Armstrong,
contained one of the most vivid images of the night "the stained-glass
Earth turning, solid as a thought, against the sun". Tony is one of the
best kept secrets of the Derbyshire poetry scene and deserves a much
wider audience.
David Calcutt had requested a slightly longer
spot than the normal three minutes to perform Tears for Achilles.
Lichfield poets duly obliged and we were treated to a five minute
meditation on, in order, the ecstasy of killing, the metamorphosis of
death, destruction as a measure of godhead and the vulnerability that
drives the ultimate soldier. A beautiful and well crafted poem and
performance. David was followed by the final two guest poets.
On first, Emma Purshouse, organiser of Bilston Voices open mic. Emma
gave us comedy of a quality that reminds an audience the abbreviation
lol has a real meaning. Introducing herself with the short, sharp
observation of Welcoming the poet and continuing with The
art school and your picnic is always the same faces a list poem of
artists "William Blake had baked a special kind of cake", observing that
there were no women amongst the artists taught at school. No subject was
too odd to be tackled, from Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway on Jeremy
Kyle, using only quotes from the bard, through how picking up butts can
get you into hot water, to Jumpers for frogs. Final guest Paul McDonald, a lecturer in
creative writing, also picked on Shakespeare. Shakespeare is barred,
is a list of the imagined problems he might cause, "I managed to shut
him up before the skinheads closed in". He followed this with Tall
story, about a girlfriend who starts growing at an exponential rate
until "I live in her navel, now", continued with Catch a falling
tortoise and finished with Loft Insulation about giving cold callers the
order of a lifetime, including "... border seals, electric eels dreaming
of hell".
The final section was a short finishing blast
with just three poets. Janet Jenkins gave us two poems from her Dig the
Abbey set, Off to the past and A nun's anguish. The latter a story
of a buried nun disturbed by the digging and modern life's "iPods and
ice cream, webcams and wellies". Penultimate reader Tracey Owen runs an event in
Stone, but was new to the Spark. Tracey read two poems, Look into your
soul and a rousing Big fish, little fish, about a heavy night out in
Stoke. Finally, Lichfield poet Tom Wyre gave a moving performance of his
remembrance poem 11/11/11 and Timeslip, a love lost, or perhaps never
found, poem of missed meetings. The next Poetry Alight will be on 19th February
2013 at the Spark Cafe in Lichfield. 10-12 Gary Carr Gary Carr is the organiser of Spoken Worlds,
a monthly spoken word event at Burton upon Trent |
Western Pub, Leicester THE formidable Shindig flexed its
bi-monthly poetic muscles for its September offering hosted by the
effusive Jane Commane, and the urbane Jonathan Taylor. As is the custom, four diverse guest poets had been
hand-picked, and an open mic of amongst the sharpest performers around
miraculously assembled, along with Ezra Pound, of whom more later. Jane could barely contain her excitement as the
evening wore on. Jonathan was in fine form, not least in performing a
poem about a Dolls House chez Taylor that hugely entertained, and is
likely to have both Quentin Tarantino and Social Services knocking on
his door. The two guest poets for the first half had travelled
from Gloucestershire, the first of whom was Daniel Sluman. I first saw
Dan at the Cheltenham Poetry Festival alongside the considerable talents
of Luke Kennard and Phil Brown, he comfortably held his own. I have
recently been critical of some publishing houses whose output is
narcissistic, inward looking and self –aggrandizing. Equally I have been
critical of poets who see being published as an end in itself, and fail
to support the publisher in promoting the work. Neither criticism would
be true of Nine Arches Press, or Dan, whose talent deserves to be heard,
and whose presence was testimony to his determination to reach an
audience. His performance, mainly from Absence has a Weight of
its Own was assured and compelling, as the material itself is. Some is
born out of, and borne by, personal triumph over adversity, but is never
maudlin. He speaks to the reader of themselves, not of himself. His
writing is concise and intense; “If you cleave me in two you will smell
your perfume on my bones”. The absence theme, a haunting constant in a
powerful set. Angela France hosts Buzzwords, a highly successful
poetry evening in Cheltenham and looked delighted to be able to stand in
front of an audience and do her own thing rather than introduce others,
that delight instantly communicated itself to the audience. With Mallemaroking (the carousing of seamen on board
Greenland whaling ships) she was playful, with her pastiche of Sunday
Sport headlines which went on to be published by the same paper she was
self-effacing, and with her Lightship Prize winning poem The Visit her
poetic craft was plain for all to see. Sarah Jackson is a senior lecturer in English and
Creative Writing; Programme Leader, MA in Creative Writing at Nottingham
Trent University. Her debut poetry collection Pelt has won 10th place on
the Guardian first book award long list 2012.
Her writing is a beguiling mix of the sensual,
sinister and macabre, if she was a character in a horror film, she would
certainly be the one to watch out for. Something rather unpleasant
happened whilst a child was using the Red Telephone, and she revelled in
the tale of The Ten o'clock Horses trading on a story told to frighten
young children to bed and sleep in her village. She declared a
fascination for submarines with their stealth, and desire to be unseen.
That fascination with the unseen is an apt metaphor for her poetry. Rory Waterman was born in Belfast, but grew up in
rural Lincolnshire. With Nick Everett, he is the General Editor of New
Walk Magazine, a new international journal for poetry and the arts. His
studies, writing and publishing encompass an extensive range of themes,
but tonight he was largely in reflective, retrospective family mode,
most notably and effectively with Stranger when a small child asks, “Who
are you?” However, it was the opening, West Summerdale Avenue, centred
on the serial killer John Gacy, which showed him at his best. "The sprinkler slashes its crest across your lawn
and back again, and slashes its crest across and back again” The open
mic slots were, as always, a delight. Bob Richardson's trademark is to
carry a bag with him on stage. With each successive appearance, the bag
he brings becomes larger. Before long he will require a fleet of
pantechnicons leaving the tour managers of the likes of Lady Gaga and
the Rolling Stones in despair when Bob is on the road. Many of us carry collections of our favourite poets
with us, Bob carries their portraits too, hence his need for the large
bag, and a lightning tour through Imagist luminaries Hilda Doolittle,
Richard Adlington and Ezra Pound, the latter of whom then seemed to
inspire several poets thereafter, with good cause. Bob rightly drew our
attention to the debt that much modern poetry owes to the Imagist
movement. The regulars set their usual high standard. Kathy
Bell's completed sequence of Balance Sheets for Medieval Spinsters was
satisfying, and accomplished. Amongst the new and less regular
performers Becky Bird's poem of a woman who exchanges one worn pair of
sandals for identical new ones whilst sat at a Cafe was wry, sharp and
well observed, Kim Featherstone's graveyard poem lived up to his brash
chutzpah. Yet the spirit of edge and enquiry which is synonymous with
Shindig was best kindled by Roy Marshall before he performed: “Between Harry's bits and Kate's tits can anyone
tell me whether Syria is fixed yet?” Shindig next meets on Monday 19th November at the
great Western Public house, free in, 7.30pm. Gary Longden |
Poetry@ The Shrewsbury
Coffeehouse Shrewsbury I like living in Shrewsbury, and I like
it more since The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse opened. As well as being an
excellent café and meeting place, it provides a venue for music and
words on a scale which feels democratic and authentic. The Coffeehouse is located on busy Castle Gates,
reported in 2011 as having some of the worst air quality in the country.
This is surprising in some ways, as the town, with its medieval and
black and white buildings, looping river and self-claimed subtitle:
‘Town of Flowers', has the feel of a place with kinder air. On Thursday night, the audience for the monthly
Coffeehouse Poetry evening was treated to fine performances from Gary
Longden and David Calcutt. It was only the ninth event in what has
become a feature of the West Midlands / Borders poetry calendar and it
was good to see newcomers in the audience as well as regulars. Gary, who travelled from Birmingham, opened the evening in style with his unabashed poem, ‘Adultery' which toys with our expectations and nervousness, describing changes in behaviour which arouse a partner's suspicions. And the cause? The narrator's obsessive attendance at poetry readings. I suspect that there is a strong
autobiographical element to this poem – Gary's numerous reviews of
poetry events across the Midlands is evidence of his not-so-secret and
generous devotion. And he showed the necessary charm,
acknowledging both audience and venue by featuring the Shrewsbury
Coffeehouse as the backdrop for his next poem, The Affair. ENERGETIC SET Playfulness was a constant in Gary's energetic set, delivered with a confidence which enabled the audience to relax and enjoy the words and (often double) meanings. His is a playfulness with a sharply witty edge – the vibrant Dead Pop Stars laments that ‘Rock and Roll death is not what it used to be' and Going through the Wardrobe was nothing to do with Narnia, but everything to do with all the stereotypes linked to female insecurities about appearance. Whilst my inner feminist was stamping her feet, my outer woman was laughing in recognition as the pile of disappointing, and therefore discarded, clothes grew. And this is one of Gary's skills – to show us the common ground of assumptions and then to take us beyond them to make us recognise some other truth. This is the case with his more serious poems as well. A particular favourite for me was Loose Change, a tribute to coinage pre-decimalisation, when tanners, farthings and half-crowns were ‘always a name, never a number.' Gary rightly observes that our new coins have acquired no such names. In all, then, a set which showed a poet with an
exceptional range, from beautiful and haunted lines – ‘sometimes swifts
lean their heads to listen to the rising tide' – to the downright
colloquial but immaculately placed ‘Say cheese!' in At the
Charles Cotton Hotel. From ironic (I hope it was ironic …)
confessions about a crush on Rebekah Brooks, to the sensitive
exploration of the language of serious illness, all was delivered at
pace and on time. After the break, David Calcutt took the stage –
which is interesting, because there is no stage to take.
Unusually, and completely successfully, he began his set sitting down,
and performed initially from memory. The Coffeehouse was busy, and
in addition to street noises, the sound of cups and chatter from
upstairs was a background reality. David created a sense of calm
and intensity, a cocoon-like pod of drama. Like Gary, he made the audience feel utterly
confident in his performance, and any unsettling occurred through the
power of his words. Simile and metaphor leapt into the room as
‘the sun rose like the barrel of a gun'. We were there in woods
with him, could visualise Dead Badgers, ‘each one a
nail driven flush into my head'. David's pamphlet Road Kill,
co-written with Nadia Kingsley and published by Fair Acre Press, which
Nadia runs, is out in December, and I am looking forward to reading
these poems, and more.
Next came two poems inspired by works in Walsall Art
Gallery: The Enchanted Forest and Broken Children.
The forest has ‘no way in except, perhaps, through the soul's
enchanted eye.' Poems inspired by other works of art can be
difficult to appreciate without the visual image that prompted them, but
not in this case. These are stand alone works but nonetheless have
made me resolve to make a long overdue visit to the gallery. David is a playwright, novelist and poet, and has a
strong list of publications for young people including Crowboy,
Shadowbringer and The Map of Marvels, all published by OUP.
His work is powerful and mystical, full of sharp imagery and
quick-as-a-flash moments that touch something deeper. David's view of his work is that its seriousness is
best expressed in free verse, and he is right, but the audience enjoyed
a poem written the day before which uses rhyme entirely successfully.
In contrast to the lighter mood evoked by rhyme was the beautifully
wrought She is Trying to Get back to What She Was. Full
of strength and stark imagery, not a word is wasted, nothing is easy or
explained away; David's technical skills are impressive. A consummate performer, David entertained us with
two speeches from a recent production of Robin Hood, a script
which captures the tradition of Mummers plays but with a contemporary
and West Midlands twist. Also produced with a flourish was Sister
Dora's speech from The Alchemist and the Devil, the second of
the Bayard's Colts Mummers Plays for Walsall, due to be performed in the
town centre on Saturday 17th November. Thanks to Gary and David for an enjoyable and
inspiring evening - we hope to welcome them back to The Coffeehouse
soon. Next month, Thursday 11th October, is an
open mic (slots are currently full, but if you'd like to put your name
on the reserve list, or to read in future, please email Liz Lefroy
liz.lefroy@btinternet.com).
The following month on Thursday 1st November we welcome Emma
Purshouse, Nick Pearson and Jane Seabourne from Offa's Press. 7.30
for 7.45pm.
Liz Lefroy Lectures at Glyndwr University,
Wrexham, where she is a Senior Lecturer in Social Care. She has had two
poetry pamphlets published, Pretending the Weather, in 2011 , The
Gathering, in 2012, and won the 2011 Roy Fisher Prize for poetry. She
hosts poetry at the Shrewsbury Coffee House, which meets monthly. |
Poetry at the Abbey Polesworth Abbey, Polesworth “What is poetry?” is a question beloved of teachers, lecturers and workshop leaders. It invariably elicits myriad responses, each one a little less sure than the one just offered. It lies all around us in different forms, guises, and disguises. A great goal at football is sometimes described as
poetry, maybe a pop lyric, maybe a line from Tennyson. You know it when
you see it, or hear it. It was certainly alive at Polesworth Abbey on
Saturday afternoon. On arrival I was greeted by Fr Philip in full
clerical robe and high viz jacket, frankly, you can't carry much more
authority than that. On a blazing late summer's day the Abbey and
grounds were packed with a mixture of crowds who had spilled over from
the village carnival and the many who had come to see the archaeological
dig on its final weekend and listen to the poetry, which had been
written as a parallel project. It was a testimony to the emotional commitment that
the poetry workshop leaders had to “Dig the Poetry” that all returned to
see the climax and denouement of everyone's efforts. David Calcutt,
Jenny Hope, Matt Merritt, Jacqui Rowe, Maeve Clarke, Jo Bell and
organiser Mal Dewhirst performed work they had written, as well as bask
in the glow of appreciating work which their workshops had inspired.
Furthermore, the omnipresent Tim Upson Smith, community archaeologist
and tour leader decided to unleash his own poetry, a clever take on the
classification of soil types to show that there was more to him than a
shiny trowel and an Indiana Jones inspired hat. In the grounds period displays of tile making, stone
masonry and medieval firearms engaged a throng soaking up the sun and
the atmosphere. Children gambolled, ladies wore floppy hats, and men
wore unwise shorts – this is England. It was the dig which had inspired
the poetry and it was wholly appropriate that the performance should
have been held al fresco with the sights that had inspired the words all
around us. Sat down on the lush grass the spoil heaps of disinterred
earth overlooked an audience that was part of the physical and poetic
landscape. Thus, for ninety minutes an egalitarian procession
of performance unfolded telling the rich story of the dig and the
responses which it had evoked in the poets. David Calcutt captured the
volksseele of the summer with Dig, it's opening line, “And we
are on our knees, Faces close to the ground, With earthworms,” an
archaeological call to arms, as we surveyed the spoil soil and trenches
around us. The eternally neanimporhic Jo Bell closed the day with her
customary assured poetic spezzatura. Her poem, last, considering what
will be left of us after we die, assuming an ethereal spiritual
dimension in the shadow of the thousand year old Abbey. “What is poetry?” it lies all around us in different
forms. Gary Longden |
Spire Writes Havana Whites, Chesterfield Not only was this my first visit to Spire Writes, but also my visit to Chesterfield. I was sufficiently inspired by Jo Bell's glowing endorsement of host Helen Mort's poetic credentials to make the effort to check out Spire Writes, and see what North Derbyshire had to offer. I was not to be disappointed. Havana Whites is a
trendy bar in the shadow of Chesterfield's crooked church spire in the
middle of the town, with car parking and the railway station close by.
The “locals made good” list of any place always makes for fascinating
reading. Chesterfield boasts the likes of Barbara Castle, Olave Baden
Powell, wife of Robert, and former butler to Princess Dianna, Paul
Burrell, as well as page three model Jo Guest, former Motorhead drummer
Phil “Filthy Animal “ Taylor, and two of 80's synth rock stars the
Thompson twins. It's an eclectic mix. Chesterfield throws up some
interesting and diverse folk. The format of the evening was of a headliner
performing two sets, and a supporting bill of open mic poets. Helen
hosts the night with a light hand on the tiller and quite clearly has
poetic pull. A distinguished open mic crowd had assembled. Past guests
have included Tony Walsh, next month's are Helen Ivory and Martin Figura,
but this month's headliner was local hero Matt McAteer whom I was seeing
for the first time. Performing wholly rehearsed , his style is
reminiscent of John Cooper Clarke, his acerbic social and political
content travelling with Mark E Smith, both of whom he name checked. His
presentation and content is strident performance, the composition subtle
and nuanced, working a style similar to that of Polar Bear. An
interesting quirk was that in several of the pieces, rhymes were not
emphasised, so that aurally the listener was frequently playing catch up
as the narrative raced ahead. His first set was a sequence based around modern
attitudes to art. ”If you say you're an artist it's art, if you don't,
it isn't”. He opened with Charles Bukowski's damning indictment of the
mob, “The Genius of the Crowd”, a cover version if you like, a
brave, confident and successful move, fortunately the proceeding
original material was up to the job with Getting Kettled and
Auto-Dictat particularly strong. The second set, although not
sequenced, displayed an assured local identity, be it in remembering the
defiance of the Clay Cross council in the 1970's against the government,
or most memorably, in a poem which drew together the only person from
Chesterfield who fought and died in the Spanish Civil War and an
imagined meeting with Alex from A Clockwork Orange. You had to
be there!
The open mic roster were no makeweights. Stan
Skinny runs the Shipping Forecast poetry night in Sheffield. School
Disco was a mini overture, an object lesson in how to get the most
out of one poem, funny, engaging, and with all present cringing at the
accuracy of the observation. Current Derbyshire Poet Laureate Matt Black
took inspiration from a taxi rank in an everyman piece that could have
been anywhere, yet whose sense of place was a delight. Past Derbyshire
Poet Laureate, River Wolton, read of her unexpected meeting with Gok Wan
when she was “looking daggy” and “her shame at being ashamed “,which was
both poignant and entertained. However it was” Psalm of those who go
forth on the day of redundancy” which packed the visceral punch.
Both were consummately crafted. The rest? Dwane Reads railed against cod
nationalism, Danny Tooher navigated the bypass, Dave Atrill warned us
against the fag man in Sheffield, Alex Webster tackled employment at
Remploy, Bob Roberts took us on a road trip through the Czech Republic,
and Adam Morris questioned The Nature of Inspiration. Sadly
there was no time for Helen Mort to perform herself. A little gem of a venue and evening, Spire Writes
next meets on Tuesday 9th October at 8pm, free in, with East
Anglian luminaries Helen Ivory and martin Figura topping the bill. 09-12 Gary Longden |
Parole Parlate Little Venice, Worcester Two years on that hasn't changed. I arrived an hour and a quarter early expecting to have a pizza on my own; instead I was greeted with a table full of old friends, and soon to be new ones. It is an ideal setting, the downstairs Italian
restaurant so suitable for pre-prandial chatter with literary minded
folk, the upstairs a self-contained private area with its own bar and
toilets. The bill is always a smorgasbord (to mix my culinary
identities) of literary talent, this evening was no exception. Lichfield Poet Ian Ward opened proceedings with a
gentle, wistful set to ease us out of the summer holidays, neatly
rounded off with Perfect Day. Damon Lord of Worcester Writer's
Circle read a very strong Notional Health Service and The
Kid which I enjoyed despite the panning which he claimed some had
previously given it, sometimes writers need to have the courage of their
convictions. Euginia Herlihy's thoughtful spiritual poems clearly had
substance, which will gain traction as she develops the projection of
her delivery. By contrast Christopher Kingsley was not lacking in
projection. He prefaced his set by stressing that he was just starting
out, but all the raw ingredients are there for a promising performing
career. The material was diverse, humorous and bulging with ideas.
Mutt about his inherited dogs, and Talking Balls about
bureaucratic nonsense were particularly strong. Straight from the bandit
country of South America Nick “Grizzly Adams” Turner delivered a
very powerful prose extract from his adventures there with one of the
best opening lines I have heard in a very long time.
Closing the first half was Spoz. Vastly experienced,
Spoz knows the performing deal, and it always shows. Take a good idea,
engage with the audience, work the idea hard, and the audience well, and
then leave them wanting more. It is an effective blueprint. He read just
one poem Without You, performed first in Italian and then in
English, it was a great comic device. In lesser hands rhyming “Nessun
Dorma” with “korma”, and “cough” with (David Hassel) hoff would be a
disaster, in Spoz's expert hands it is a triumph! Under the Lone Night, published by Vanguard
Press is the current collection by David Johnson whose selections
included DNA inspired by the heritage of English Stately homes.
David read well and I would like to have heard more. Polly Robinson is a
luminary of the Worcester literary community and her writing whether
prose, or poetry, is always worth listening to. Her poem of a tube ride
on a sticky day with its onomatopoeia driven structure is very
satisfying whilst Across the Timeless River, “ Five past six,
light bright evening across the wrinkled river” does for the River
Severn what Waterloo Sunset did for the Thames. Presenting
short stories is no easy task. Andrew Owen used an innovative device
with A Picture Tells a Thousand Words by bringing a graduation
photo of himself, and then telling a story around it. It worked well as
did his Facebook inspired Like Mother like Daughter.
Jeremy Holtom finished the section before the headline act with an
intriguing extended performance. It was a little like watching footage
of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, one minute you were with him, the next you
are in another cosmos. Finally, I was honoured to perform a headline
set as one half of The Imperfect Pair with Amy Rainbow, at which point
Polly Robinson reports: A packed house enjoyed the poetry and prose
performed at Parole Parlate with the headline double act from Amy
Rainbow and Gary Longden as The Imperfect Pair. Gary will be writing
about everyone else on his blog, but I thought I'd add my two-penn'orth
about Amy and Gary - if you haven't yet seen their sparky poetry be sure
to catch up with them soon! The brickbats and banter between the two of
them had everyone in hysterics, we can all identify with the sentiments
that these two practiced poets invoke. Their two central pieces, ‘The
man who wears tweed' from Amy and the riposte, ‘The girl who wears
floral prints' from Gary, were funny, poignant, alliterative and well
rhymed. Parole Parlate next meets on Thurs 4th
October at 7.30pm. Polly Robinson blogs at: http://journalread.wordpress.com/ Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Bilston August is a time when many people like to take holidays, but that didn't prevent the regulars at Café Metro from turning out to see and hear the latest selection of Bilston Voices. Hosted by Emma Purshouse, this monthly event seems to go from strength to strength and if a few people are missing, we always have somebody drop by on an off chance to increase the numbers. August's event began with Ian Ward making his BV debut. Ian had obviously prepared well for the evening, with all his poems in one folder ready to read and timed to fit his allocated spot. He read an interesting collection of poems about love as seen from differing angles. I found the most outstanding of these were Katy Lied and Creation story. It is always interesting to hear from the Lichfield poets and Ian was no exception. Retiring Wolverhampton Poetry Champion, Emily Oldham, who has been promoting poetry amongst young people across the city, was next to the centre stage. She started with a piece called Mirror, Mirror reflecting on attitudes. Amongst her other work was Orlando, which was inspired by Virginia Wolfe and to which she gave a new twist. I was most struck by her Paradise Lost contemplating the scene if God had a wife. Emily has the style of a very mature writer, despite her age. Mike Tinsley is a very popular regular in Bilston with his quips and the way he can turn a hoary old joke into a short poem he always has the audience laughing. In Tight panic, we had a poem based on the story of the Titanic as part of his set of dialect poems, which also included the Rot catcher. MEDICAL CONDITION To round off, Mike got his ukulele out to perform a piece called Worms about an unpleasant medical condition, during which he encouraged us to join in the chorus. Mike is always guaranteed to leave his audience smiling and thus we went into the break. After what is known in BV as the ‘cake break', another writer familiar to BV audiences, Bob Hale began his set with River and Stones an environmental poem which has been accepted for inclusion in a new Offa's Press anthology. Bob is currently teaching English in China, his works reflecting that, as he told us about his day, his travels to and from work and the children he teaches. He also told us of his accommodation and an unusual roommate in Roommate as well as the eating places he frequents as part of daily life. Bob informed us that he would soon be returning to China for a longer period, but I am sure we will hear of his writings before then, even if he cannot be in Bilston. Last up for the evening was Ira Lightman; a poet who is currently working in Dudley. Ira started his set with an item based on a phone app that sometimes repeated words wrongly. This was followed by a poem about a character called Skelly Little, a character he created for his two sons. It was our night to have poems accompanied by music, as Ira played his ukulele as he told us of the Not in service bus and what he thought would happen if he managed to get on it one night. He finished the evening with a selection from his ‘duet poems' also known as column poetry, which are two poems written vertically side by side but can also be read horizontally. I hope that this charming young man's bare feet will tread the carpet of Café Metro again. Bilston Voices next meets on 27th September at 7.30pm, £2 admission. 08-12 Eileen
Ward-Birch |
Hullabaloo Festival Cheltenham This is a relatively new festival which ran over the Bank Holiday Weekend with a full range of music including the Dub Pistols. Performance and arts activities
were provided for in a tent for poetry on each of the three days
organised by Nick Short and Anna Saunders from the Cheltenham Poetry
Festival. The first thing that struck me was the friendly vibe, with the
majority of people camping rather than using day tickets. Inevitably,
with the weather changeable, there was the ubiquitous festival mud. One of the pleasures of
travelling further afield is taking in new performers, and one stood out
as the best of the night, and amongst the most exciting emerging poetic
talents of the year, Joy-Amy Wigman. Flame-haired and oozing attitude
and personality she dominated the stage with a well rehearsed set.
Toy Boys defiantly celebrated the joys of the younger man for the
older woman, whilst Dismay was a brilliant satirical dissection
of Fifty Shades of Grey. Joy- Amy recently came runner up to
Brenda Reed- Brown as poet laureate for Gloucester, 2012/13, and I am
sure we will be hearing much more from her. Dan Cooper performed a shortish
set of stream of consciousness material, which was a shame, as I would
have liked to have heard more. Opening the evening had been Guy Williams
whose material was diverse and interesting but whose set was a little
unfocussed. Cookery Programmes and Porn was his best; Don't
You Hate it When That Happens overworked a nice idea. I love poetry at Festivals. The
audience will always be a mix of the curious and committed with the
discipline of having to perform material which engage and delights,
otherwise the audience wonders off, a test which is character building
and instructive. The tent itself was about the best place to perform in,
covered, warm and dry, straw ensured the floor was secure underfoot and
kept the mud nicely at bay, the sound system was fine and the lights
work during the day too! 08-12 Gary Longden |
Mee Club Cabaret and
Variety Night Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath The
Mee Club is a relatively new venture, this was its second night,
offering a safe and sophisticated singles night out. Hosted by the
vivacious and ebullient Cat Wetherill, it showcases musicians,
storytellers, actors, poets, authors and comics ( I am sure even more
diverse performers will follow) to entertain in a relaxed convivial
atmosphere of food, drink and socialising. Cat herself opened up proceedings
with the racy story of the Parisian courtesan Camille. It was an object
lesson in good story telling, consummately performed, richly told with a
nod and a wink, and with a satisfying twist. She set quite a standard.
Fortunately fellow storyteller A Ryan Jones was more than up to the
task. Ryan is a young American from
Wyoming, shortly to return Stateside, who has been developing her
storytelling skills in Birmingham whilst studying here. Our loss is
America's gain. She delighted the audience with her versatility and
deeply human delivery. Opening with the tale of the
blind meadowlark, a traditional story, she seamlessly broadened it to
encompass her experiences of leaving her parochial hometown to spread
her own wings. Her narrative carried wisdom far
beyond her years, a puzzle answered by her account of fireside camping
storytelling as a child from across the generations, and how she both
cherished those nights and learned from them. Her style is reserved and
understated, her choice of words lavish and emotive. It really was quite
a combination.
The author for the evening,
Geoffrey Iley , had travelled considerably less far, as he comes from
Kings Heath! Reading an extract from his book Navegator, he
offered the back story to the thriller based in Majorca before reading
an extract from it. As a regular visitor to the
island I can vouch for its sense of place, and purchasing a copy
provides entry to a draw to win a free holiday there too. Another local
was comedian and poet Lawrence Inman whose dry, laconic demeanour was a
delight, not least when reflecting on his time teaching ungrateful
students English. Rounding the evening off was
musical duo Farcical comprising Sally Stamford, aka the Lemonade Lady,
and Arthur Hyde. A contemporary folk outfit based in Herefordshire ,
they combined folk and traditional songs with a smile, skill, and lovely
harmonies, all delivered with gusto. The Mee club next meets on Tuesday 4th September, doors and food from 6.30pm, cabaret from 7.30pm with a bill that includes Festival favourite poet Amy Rainbow. For more information on future Mee Clubs: http://www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk/events.php?pid=main 08-12 Gary Longden |
Kick Off Boars Head, Kidderminster The
presentation of spoken word continues to evolve, “Kick Off”, is a
Kidderminster Arts Festival production, conceived to promote poetry
within the context of the opening of the new football season and
appeal to an audience outside the usual poetry crowd as a warm up
festival event. Team captains were Mouth & Music
stalwarts Heather Wastie, and Sarah Tamar, who assembled an elite group
of footballing poetic talent to showcase the evening. It was bonkers. It
was wonderful. Turf was laid out on the stage, a
goal and giant football was produced, and a full supporting cast of
referee and linesman, VIP to present the trophy, and a chicken mascot
were all duly assembled. Poetry isn't normally like this.
Blatant time wasting was denounced, and poets suffered pulled hamstrings
and groin strains during reading. Furthermore there were several obvious
examples of shirt pulling (all were in football kit) that the linesman
and referee appeared to allow to go unpunished. The crowd was part of the show.
Kate Wragg bought along her guitar to assist with some football songs
and two wags were on hand to assist the players! What worked so well was that the
poems were performed within the framework of the match all on a football
theme which Maggie Doyle and Sarah James all warmed to brilliantly.
Inevitably Fergus McGonigal played a little fast and loose with the
theme, choosing to take the music that is played at half time as his
football inspiration, but naturally found the poetic net nonetheless
with his dribbling skills which are so educated, I swear that his left
foot talks Latin................ The material performed was not
just light, Carol Ann Duffy's Achilles impressed as did original
work Me Watching Men by Sarah Tamar and Voices in the Crowd
by Heather Wastie. What was so heart warming was the camaraderie between
players and crowd with the support of Boars Head staff Corina Harper and
Sandra. It takes courage to try something different and determination,
skill and enthusiasm to pull it off – which is exactly what was
achieved. The Kidderminster Arts Festival runs, led by Loz Samuels, until 25th August. More details: http://www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/cms/non-lgnl-pages/community-and-partnership-serv/arts-and-play-development/kaf.aspx 08-12 Gary Longden |
Night Blue
Fruit Taylor Johns Vaults, Canal Basin, Coventry Host
Antony Owen, and sometime host Barry Patterson who was in the audience,
do much to promote the poetic cause in Coventry as the context of this
evening demonstrated. The night
before had seen the launch of Tony's Hiroshima Haiku exhibition at
Coventry Cathedral, the following week two poets are to be sent to Cork
as part of an ongoing cultural exchange. The haiku exhibition is a
contemporary fusion of eleven Haiku by Tony and photography by Daniel
O'Toole to commemorate the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The exhibition runs from
3rd August to 31st August . The launch was attended by representatives
of Hiroshima and Coventry Lord Mayor's department for peace and
reconciliation. There are several associated displays such as artwork
from survivors recollections of Hiroshima . The Chapel of Unity , where the
exhibition rests, is to the left as you enter through the main doors
into the Cathedral. War poetry is an awkward genre.
The prolonged presence of British service personnel in Iraq and
Afghanistan for more than a decade means that civilian domestic
awareness of war is particularly heightened. Yet the grisly mechanics of war
and the attritional politics of it are matters that most choose not to
dwell upon. Tony is as good a contemporary war poet as I have heard.
Fat Man, about Churchill's role in the bombing campaign evokes
conflicting emotions in me, which is the point, and is one of Tony's
very best, cleverly juxtaposed this evening against Apathy, a
poem of remembrance with its beautiful rhymes.
Night Blue Fruit's two Cork delegates are Jayne Stanton and Janet Smith who both performed extended warm up sets for their readings next week. Janet's poems offer the precision of the eye of a jeweller assembling a piece, with the lustre and glow that the buyer subsequently beholds. Scorify, Egg and Brushfoot enthralled, A Cry, The Hooded Children and Pacific were warmly received old friends. Jayne is particularly strong at
light, assured reminiscence. Whether it is a 1960s hair dryer or a much
loved grandmother, a warm glow surrounds her writing. She also showed
herself adept at war writing too with her contribution to the Hiroshima
theme, Black Orchids. We all look forwards to the results of the
poetic inspiration which their visit to the Emerald Isle will surely
fire. Young Irish poet David Lynch
entertained with his punchy poems of the everyday, of which Doing the
Dishes was my favourite. Barry Patterson also name checked Hiroshima
with his piece on the Amchitka island, Alaska nuclear tests at which a
bomb 385 times more powerful than the Hiroshima explosion was detonated. The counterpoint with his closing
The Sky is Not an Atmosphere was probably unintentional.
Shortlisted Staffordshire Poet Laureate Tom Wyre followed the war theme
with a familiar set, and customary aplomb, before Diane Hart recited a
clever piece on Lady Godiva, clothed. Colin Dick wrapped the night up
with an episodic epic of Spenserian proportion. Night Blue Fruit meets
next on Tuesday, 4
September at 8pm, free in. Guest poet is Mathew Stewart, a British
national who splits his time between West Sussex and Extremadura,
Spain. His poetry is coloured by that experience and
should feature his recently published pamphlet Invented Truth,
published by Happenstance. 07-08-12 Gary Longden |
Poetry at the Shrewsbury
Coffee House Castle Gates, Shrewsbury This was
my first return visit after a promising inaugural event in May, which
has subsequently run monthly, gaining traction and momentum such that it
has now moved from the basement to the larger ground floor room.
Liz Lefroy
hosts the evening with an elegant light touch and an impressive roster
of handpicked performers. A warm balmy evening, a full house, welcoming
staff and a great selection of coffees and cold beers promised much, and
so it proved. Larkin is quoted as saying:
“Trust nothing which does not spring from feeling, and make art out of
life, not art out of art”, it is a good maxim, and one which is
sometimes lost by poets who write and forget why they are doing what
they are doing. A feature of this evening was
both how many readers had stayed true to that precept, and the variety
and brio with which their readings were presented. Ted Eames pulled no punches with
a powerful trio of poems to launch proceedings. Gender differences,
sharply observed, eased us in, a wry look at the Judeo/ Christian/Muslim
world view was much more lively than the subject matter suggests,
whilst The Lords Care, a bilious condemnation of care for the
elderly, potently delivered as a duo with Liz Lefroy, drew loud applause
for the piece itself, and its message. Vuyelwa Carlin's reprised her May
performance of Namirembe Cathedral, (the red brick cathedral in
Kampala), which she dedicated to David Cato the murdered Ugandan gay
rights activist, before closing with The Dream, an unsettling and
potent evocation of a protagonist who does not realise she is dead. Another unafraid to use poetry as
a platform for politics was local starlet Mathew Broomfield, educated at
Adams Grammar School and a Poetry Society Foyle Young Poet of the Year
Award Winner.
His youth theatre experience
shone through with his calm assured delivery. Saltwater Sweet, a
homage to the murdered South African black
activist Steve Biko succeeded in reinventing a
familiar well-worn theme spurred by the quote from a local police
commander that Biko's death “left me cold”. Over the past few years I have
seen Paul Francis perform on several occasions. He never disappoints.
The consummate professional, he read a witty Roy Hodgson's Big
Mistake, then promptly sat down, the embodiment of the principle
that less can be more. Kate Innes picked up on the sporting zeitgeist
with Silence is Golden a well-crafted Olympian sonnet. I invariably enjoy hearing
foreign language poetry, curiously French has been under-represented in
my previous encounters, so it was a particular pleasure to hear Nathalie
Hildegarde Liege read Le Plus Plaisant de Beaute and Une
Ophelia Brule. Although even for an educated
audience, the language was beyond what most of us utilise at the
boulangerie's of Calais and the vineyards of La Loire, the beauty and
rhythms of her poems were self-evident. Steve Thayne picked up on the
ethereal nature of Natalie's poems with titles like, This Space, I am
Blossoming and Small Whispers. He
cut a bohemian dash in a flared sleeve blouse as favoured by Jon
Anderson from Yes, and his themes could easily have been culled from
Tales From Topographical Oceans. In the spirit of prog rock I was
not entirely sure what it all meant, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Janet Smith's musical poetic
milieu is somewhat different, favouring the brevity of a Pistols'
single, the lyricism of Patti Smith, and the complexity of Talking
Heads. The other worldly Hooded Children rooted in an uncertain
time and place, compels and intrigues, A Cry is a stripped down
gem. Self-styled Emergency Poet
Deborah Alma gave a trademark performance. As Mary Poppins always found
that a spoonful of sugar helped the medicine go down, so the treatment
of Deborah ensures that a poetry evening will be brightened and
rejuvenated by her verse. Fey, bright and clever she romped
through her deconstruction of the rural idyll and the saucy antics of a
cattle lorry lover, with pathos, wit and a twinkle in her eye. It was a delight to see this
event embedded into the Borders poetry calendar, a tribute to the
efforts of Liz Lefroy and local talent. Next meeting on Thursday
13th
September, 7.30pm with David Calcutt amongst the readers. 03-08-12 Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe,
Bilston I'm back
in the UK for the summer and determined to get to (not to mention
perform at) as many poetry events as I can before returning to China.
So I visited
Poetry Bites at the Kitchen Garden Cafe in King's heath on Tuesday and
Bilston Voices
on Thursday. Jane Seabourne and Nick Pearson
were headlining in Kings Heath and provided their usual solid
performances, ably supported by more excellent open mic readings than I
could count, let alone comment on. It's a perfect venue and it was a
great night but it was Bilston Voices that I was really looking forward
to, as I used to try to attend every month before I left for foreign
shores. I had originally intended only to
watch as my own booking there is next month but an eleventh hour
telephone call informed me that my old writing group - Scribblers were
being recorded for a CD and they wanted me to do something for it. The recording that they were
making is a CD of the combined talents of Bilston Writers and Scribblers
and much of it had been recorded last month. The remaining poets were to
perform for the microphone on Thursday. They kicked off with the
remaining two Bilston Writers poets - Carol Howarth and Marion Cockin.
Carol's great strength is her voice, which perfectly matches the
descriptive quality of her work - whether she is reading a lyrical
account of a visit to a butterfly reserve or an amusing piece about a
sheepdog's retirement party. Marion followed with an
accomplished group of poems including her popular piece about Walter
Raleigh's head being kept by his wife after his death.
Then it was the turn of
Scribblers with readings from five of us. Andy Moreton kicked off with
four poems - two of them in his customary humorous style and two
somewhat darker and more serious pieces. All four were very good though
the tale of Nigel the moth has always been one of my favourites. Jill
Tromans gave us a change of pace with a story rather than a poem - a
tale of ghostly apparition in a pub which was chock full of her
trademark humour and had the whole audience chuckling along. Another tale followed, this time
from Neil Howard punning on the concept of Metro-Gnomes. He rounded out
his set with a short descriptive piece about a badger before handing
over to Silvia Millward. Silvia's great trick is to write poems that
while firmly rooted in Bilston's industrial heritage manage to be both
moving and lyrical. Then it was over to me to do a
brand new piece on its first time out - Nothing - a list poem
about birthday presents for a father who always tells people not to buy
him birthday presents. The CD will, I am told, be
available in September.
The second half of
the bill was back to the normal format. No recording and three longer
sets. Madge Gilbey opened with her Black Country dialect poetry. I confess that I am not a great
lover of the form but Madge pulls it off smoothly, in part due to her
accent always sounding natural and never forced but, mostly, because the
poems are witty enough and strong enough to stand on their own merits.
Next up was Al Barz who cut a
strange figure - an older, bearded chap who began his set by setting up
an electronic keyboard to accompany his recitations with digital sound
loops and rhythms. It was a format that worked well,
lending an unusual quality to his strong humorous verses. I was
particularly taken with With This Ring, the tale of a serial
philanderer. His entertaining set would have
been the highlight of the night had he not been followed by John Edgar
with a brace of well crafted and wonderfully told shaggy dog stories -
about a struggling actor and a good man who fails, on a technicality, to
get into heaven. He threw himself into a dramatic
performance with such vigour that it was hard not to get carried away by
it all. He was the perfect choice to end another great evening at
Bilston Voices. I've been away for a year but it's lost none of its
quality. I shall be back next month and then, sadly, gone again. I shall
miss it. Bilston Voices next meets on
Thurs 23rd
August, 7.30pm, £2 at the Metro Café. 26-07-12. Bob Hale Bob Hale is a Black Country
poet and English teacher, currently working in China. He claims no
credit for China's Olympic success in the gymnastics and swimming. He is
performing at City Voices, City Bar, King St Wolverhampton at 7.30pm on
Tues 14th August and at Bilston Voices on Thurs 23rd, poems about China
are a certainty! |
Flarestack Poets Launch Ikon Gallery,
Birmingham This was
the occasion of the launch of no less than three pamphlets from
award-winning Birmingham poetry press Flarestack Poets. They
comprised 2012 pamphlet competition winners David Clarke (Gaud)
and Nichola Deane (My Moriarty)
and the best of the rest in the anthology,
'Sylvia Is Missing.' Co-editors Jacqui Rowe and
Meredith Andrew have nurtured the press to the point where competition
entries were received on a nationwide basis, far beyond their Birmingham
heartland constituency. That national reputation is well deserved. The Ikon was a strong setting,
modern, central and offering a sense of occasion. Literary launches are
quite different from conventional poetry evenings, and, counter
intuitively, quite risky. What works on the page may not work so well
performed, the performers may be an unknown quantity in their ability to
project their work, and selections can be quixotic. So the absence of editorial gleichschaltung
can provide inspiration for the audience - and chewed fingernails for
the organisers. A full house on a warm summer evening gave the event the
best possible start as Brum's poetic cognoscenti gathered to talent
spot. David Clarke, a Londoner, was the
first of the featured poets. His set was thematically quite varied,
taking in the Afghanistan/Iraq War, the specious appeal of Eastern Bloc
totalitarianism, and the politics of slang, Edith Piaf and cabbage.
His style is forensic, detached,
observational, tangential and reserved. All his poems were meticulously
crafted, and controlled (he teased us with promise of a sequence of
sonnets about illicit substance abuse, only to limit his excess to a few
glasses of wine!). I particularly enjoyed Notes Towards the
Definition of a Revolution. The second featured poet was
Nichola Deane from the Cotswolds. My Moriarty takes its name from
her childhood exposure to Saturday showings of Basil Rathbone in his
black and white celluloid pomp. Nichola cautioned us that some of her
poems were hard to describe, but I found her work accessible and
immediate on first hearing. Landscape poems took us from the
Outer Hebrides to western Ireland, and her response to Werner Herzog's
On Death Row, a series that I greatly admired, was powerful
although may have been a little obtuse for those unfamiliar with the
source material. X and Wittgenstein's Deckchair were her
standout pieces, and worth buying the pamphlet for on their own. Readers from the anthology had
around three poems/four minutes each, a format I quite like. As used to
be the case with vinyl pop singles it focuses the talent of the artist
to make an immediate impact, and several did just that. Clare Dyer performed her love
trilogy with impressive sprezzatura, One Summer, One Bike, One
Boy capturing wonderfully the quintessence of young love. Charles
Wilkinson similarly effortlessly evoked the spirit of a Birmingham long
gone with skill and authenticity. Janet Smith combines a formidable
command of language with an emotional kick, and a shamanic delivery,
which beguiles and delights, as showcased in The Hooded Children
and A Cry. Jacci Garside impressed with a very strong trio of
poems, her observation that no word existed to describe kissing a loved
one after an extended absence was the stuff of which poetry is about. Nicki Arscott's paean to a
summer of love in Spain, The Pinnacle of Evolution, The Gardeners Boy
and Yerma's Ghost bore testimony to a vibrant and exciting
young talent, Michael Thomas's childhood reminiscences succeeded because
of their Everyman qualities. A successful evening also
appeared to be had at the book sales desk, I do hope that the winners
support Flarestack as the press has supported them by performing further
readings, it is the only way for new work to secure literary traction.
All three pamphlets are available from:
www.flarestackpoets.co.uk. 31-07-12 Gary Longden |
Polesworth Abbey, Polesworth
Spoken Word Events in the area are in rude health. Recently Poetry
Alight at Lichfield, Shindig at Leicester, and Spoken Worlds at Burton
have all enjoyed strong attendances, and so it was tonight at Fizz in
Polesworth. A balmy summer evening brought
out summer dresses, barely used shorts, and milky white legs. Fizz always has an intimate feel,
enhanced by the setting of the historic Abbey. Host Mal Dewhirst is an
indefatigable promoter of local poetry. Fizz itself pretty much
represented a curtain raiser for “Dig the Poetry” an inspired initiative
whereby poets interface with professional archaeologists as they
excavate new areas around the Abbey. Established authors regularly
headline Fizz. Yet there is a wealth of local talent, nurtured by some
of the aforementioned events and writing groups who rarely get their
moment in the sun. This time Terri Jolland from
Repton had the opportunity to showcase her writing skills, which she has
thrown herself into developing in the past few years. Terri clearly relished the chance
to stretch out a little with the extra time a headline slot affords,
taking in nostalgia, nature and a trademark comedy sketch with her
husband Ray. Tender, affectionate and in turns
wistful and playful in tone she seized her opportunity in style, an
example of her work stands for posterity on the Polesworth Poetry Trail
in Pooley Country Park. QUIRK OF FATE Life has its cycle, and a quirk
of fate illustrated that truism tonight. Dea Costello and Peter Gray
have been distinguished and much valued members of the local poetry
scene for some years now. Dea's fine writing has always
impressed, and her headmistressly bearing always commanded attention
(although she does have a racy side too!). Remembering You was a
poignant epitaph to her time in the Midlands. Peter always presented himself as
an apprentice poet after a long career as a scientist, but his forensic
approach to his writing was no less a pleasure. So it was with some
sadness that they delivered a valedictory performance before heading
south to Stroud to set up a new home. I wish them well. They will be
missed. But as Dea and Peter disappeared
into the sunset so a new voice appeared at Fizz - Gemma Hogg. After her
impressive debut at Poetry Alight she has clearly got the poetry bug and
read four poems mainly inspired by Glastonbury, however it was her
ruthless dissection of Lichfield's Boley Park estate in Legoland
which lingered in the mind. Barry “the Bard” Patterson made a
welcome return delivering summer poetry with his usual spezzatura, one
of the few men who can say “fuck” poetically, Margaret Torr was cool
with The Tundra, Jayne Stanton continues to embed herself in the
local scene and remind me what tasseography means. Old hands Gary Carr and Tom Wyre
add value to any evening, whilst Roy Marshall paid a first visit to Fizz
leaving us wanting more after a double helping of Sill and On
loan. Fizz next fizzles at the Heritage Open Day of 8th September.
For more information on Fizz and Dig the Poetry at Polesworth Abbey:
http://pollysworda.wordpress.com/ 24-07-12 Gary Longden |
Western Pub,
Leicester As usual, I
was not disappointed. The bar in which the performance was taking place
was packed, the other bar all but deserted, which says much for the
pulling power of a good spoken word evening. Shindig runs bi-monthly, which
has advantages. It is sufficiently frequent to be a fixture on its
audience's calendar, without being so frequent that maintaining the
quality of headline performers becomes a problem. The star billing was
shared between the poets who closed the first and second halves. Closing the first half was Maria Taylor, introduced by Jane Comane of Nine Arches Press, the publishers of Maria's new collection Melanchrini. I have heard her read several times over the past couple of years, most recently within the week when she performed in Lichfield. I am starting to tire of poets on the circuit whose dedication to promoting their published work is half-hearted and lackadaisical. It is as if they think that simply reading some decent poems is enough. Those poets might learn much from Maria. Her set was well constructed. The context of the collection and individual poems explained, and she performed each poem without allowing the performance to overshadow the poem. Melanchrini, she
explained, is a Greek term of affection for a small dark haired female
child. In turn that affection is apparent for the subject matter of her
writing, be it family furniture heirlooms, or women whose husbands have
disappeared in unexplained circumstances. This was her third promotional
reading after Ledbury in just over a week, I am sure that her hard work
and professionalism will ensure the success of a fine collection.
Kim Moore closed the evening, introduced by Jonathan Taylor of Crystal Clear Creators, and was a delight. I knew nothing about her before. Her first pamphlet If We Could Speak Like Wolves was a winner in The Poetry Business Pamphlet Competition and was published in May of this year, from which she read extensively. She works in Cumbria as a peripatetic brass teacher. In 2011 she won the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize and an Eric Gregory Award. Previously I had only associated Barrow-in-Furness with submarines and a struggling football team; that perception has now broadened. Afterwards, she told me that Barrow has a burgeoning, vibrant spoken word scene. It may well be that the geographical isolation of the town is an asset. Long train journeys to pretty
much anywhere from Barrow are a fact of life, and I particularly enjoyed
The Train. Its sharp social observation was replicated in
Tuesdays at Wetherspoons, the grim reality of which is not confined
to Barrow. Her sense of humour shone through in Hartley Street
Spiritualist Church, a visit to which was made more enjoyable as a
result of it coinciding with when “mediums were in training”. A natural,
easy performer, with readily accessible, but meticulously constructed
poetry, she brought the evening to an end on a high.
Alan Baker had appeared before Kim as a guest poet, and is the founder, and co-editor of Leafe press. Although a Geordie by birth, he now lives in Nottingham and his most recent collection is entitled Variations on Painting a Room. Neat, and ordered, his order versus disorder piece was clever, his poem on Nottingham's Chilwell ammunition factory, the country's most productive shell filling factory during the First World War, his most satisfying. I would have liked to have heard more. Robin Vaughan –Williams wraps up the list of featured poets. ACTIVE WRITER A distinguished and active writer, he has lived in Sheffield, Nottingham and Iceland and has worked on collaborative poetry and music compositions and soundscapes. He read from his collection The Manager developing themes as diverse as the wind and blue curtains. His set was awash with interesting ideas, but for me, the selections lacked cohesion as an entity. Shindig is as renowned for its floor readers as it is for its guests. Amongst the regulars, Jayne Stanton transported me back to 1970's era drinking pubs, smoke filled and with the jukebox hammering out my favourite tune. Previously Deborah Tyler Bennet had impressed with a homage to Ian Dury, this time she again hit the mark with Hangar Lane, with echoes of John Cooper Clarke's Beasley St chiming in the background. Bob Richardson touched me with his poem about a victim of the Kings Cross fire disaster who remained unidentified for sixteen years. It was an object lesson in taking a subject which lends itself to melodramatic cliché, and finding a fresh angle; its humanity was its strength. And yes, Bob brought his bag . . . Amongst the newcomers Gary Carr
impressed with Without You, Tom Wyre with Cellophane Man.
There were also some tantalising vignettes. Graham Norman and Maria
Rooner performed a delightful two hander, reciting the same poem in
English and German, Tracy Twell told of Leningrad seed banks. For Sally
Jack, a double Haiku sufficed.
Second half host Jonathan Taylor
was in ebullient mood and seems to be developing a musical theme. At the
last Shindig he performed Mozart's Clarinet Sextet (a literal
impossibility, but best not to dwell), at Lichfield's Poetry Alight he
performed a piece on Stockhausen, this time Our Price ‘95 was as
scathing as it was funny. Shindig does it all again on Monday 17th
September, 7.30pm start, free in, sign up for floor spots on the night.
16-07-12 Gary Longden |
Lydney Poetry Team Slam Lydney
Festival, Lydney Summer sees a slew of festivals encompassing all manner of artistic endeavour of which poetry is playing an increasing part. The Lydney festival is a sprawling affair taking in all of June and the first two weeks of July with events ranging from banshee busking, through jazz concerts, to a Last Night at the Proms event. Part of the
Festival's tradition is becoming a team poetry slam at which Lydney
takes on a visiting team of poetic troubadours, who this year came in
the form of Team Rainbow. Amy Rainbow is a festival favourite and
protégé of John Cooper Clarke, her team included Worcestershire Poet
Laureate Maggie Doyle, one half of the Very Grimm bros, Adrian Mealing,
and myself. When I first took the call from
Amy inviting me onto her team I agreed to participate without having any
idea of where Lydney was, adding to the sense of adventure. On the day,
travelling down, that sense of adventure assumed Biblical proportions as
a fire delayed our motorway journey, roads became flooded with the
incessant downpour, and the pub was not doing food, equating to famine.
All that was missing was the pestilence! The venue, the Annexe pub, is ideal for performance with a modern, well-equipped function room and stage, comfortable surroundings, and welcoming staff. Brenda Read-Brown hosted, with Andrea on adding up, and did a fine job entertaining and cajoling an appreciative good-sized crowd. The format was two rounds of the
two teams of four offering their finest three-minute poetic musings with
the highest aggregate score being declared the winner. The performers
have the advantage of their own three minutes not being make or break,
but that is counter-balanced by professional pride meaning that non-one
wanted to let the side down with a bad performance.
The Lydney team benefitted from the redoubtable services of Fergus McGonigal, whose rant against the worst excesses of Eighties popular music was particularly well received, a counterpoint to team member Peter Wyton's homage to the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones first ever gig. Carole Ruding splits her time
between Lydney and New Zealand and her wistful poem about wanting to
experience the joys of childhood again was both poignant and very well
delivered. Special mention should also be made of final team member
Roger Dury who performed as a late replacement with some great poems and
a nice hat. Amy led her team with assurance
and aplomb dressed in a pink tutu, the latter of which did nothing to
soften the venom in her notorious I Don't put down of a man's
marriage proposal, which as always, was greeted with sisterly bonhomie
from the women in the audience, and horror by the men! Adrian Mealing
seduced the crowd with his smooth urbane manner before prodding their
social conscience with his fine protest poem about the death of Ian
Tomlinson at the G20 demonstration, whilst Maggie Doyle teased and
entertained with her tales of the exploits of The Merry Widow. A close run contest saw visitors
Team Rainbow just edge victory past the home team in a contest conducted
in the finest traditions of poetic goodwill, and a generous and
appreciative audience. Prizes of copies of the Kama Sutra were
gratefully received, as was the kind hospitality of the organisers in
inviting performers for a late night supper of pizza and wine. More information
about the Lydney Festival is available here:
http://www.lydney-online.co.uk/events/lydney-festival/
12-07-12 Gary Longden |
Poetry Alight Spark Café, Lichfield I deliberately did not ask for a reading spot at this event as I wanted to make some space for someone whose voice I had not heard before. Gary Longden, whose wide travels in providing
us with his fantastic reviews of the Midlands Poetry and Spoken Word
events, brings him into contact with many great poets, who he brings to
the Poetry Alight event to share their work with a full audience at this
now established event. Gary Longden kicks things off This month saw the guests from two poetry
presses who are both actively delivering excellence in new poetry to new
audiences, with Crystal Clear Creators and Offa's Press. ACT 1. Gary in his role of MC started the proceedings
in his usual way as a natural raconteur with the first poet of the
evening Bert Flitcroft. Bert began with saying that he always felt his
name Bert was unpoetic, until he was presented with a Chinese print with
his name spelt out in Mandarin script which changed his mind. His next
piece was the observation of a man stumbling, with the excellent poem
What I Know, which ended with a silence in which he left us to reflect.
Bert always performs his work well and can hold the audience; this was a
very fitting start to the evening. Bert Flitcroft sets the standard Next came the first of the Lichfield poets, with a double act from Val Thompson and Heather Fowler, who delighted us with their thoughts on the state of the NHS which Lazarus Team, followed by a poem to Yoga with saluting the sun. Being a double act meant that they had twice the normal three minutes so they continued wit More Than which remembered a teacher Miss Hughes and continued with The Tray and the pains of sick dog. They finished with When the Talking is done.
There approach to delivering poetry as two voices added another
dimension. More poets should consider this, creating narrative from the
poems. They were followed by the first of the representatives of this year's Coventry Cork Literature exchange which I had the honour of being part of last year. Jayne Stanton, Jayne who is based in Leicestershire gave us two poems, the first reflecting on the Garden of Remembrance at Loughborough University with fear of leaving memories; she followed this with Heat with legs dropping, melding and daring to dream. Jayne Stanton – heading to Cork She will really enjoy her trip to Cork in
August and O'Bheal is in for a treat of great poetry. Next came a new voice to me and what a wonderful one, with Naomi Paul whose rhythmic poem proclaimed that Music is Female, with the truth about the goodness of rhythm. A wonderful piece that resonated around the
gathered company. She followed this with a poem on the Icelandic Ash
Cloud, blaming Bankers and Politicians. Her final piece Grey Rabbit told
of a bus journey in the USA on the Hippy Bus which was basically
converted into a bed where she mixed with women who had lovers and hung
out on Haight Ashbury and how she was very English. A great set. Peter Branson – all the way from
Cheshire Next came another new voice, who had travelled
down from Cheshire, the well published Peter Branson whose next
collection is to be published by the much acclaimed Salmon press. Peter
remembered the Queens coronation with Jubilee which was dedicated to
Brian Lithgow, a friend who had hidden in ditch behind the shed during
the original coronation, which had made him a Republican. He finished
with a song the Editha Massacre which was a tribute to the great
American folk singer, Woody Guthrie who was born 100 years ago this
week. Justina Hart came next with a poem about
lovers, Nightingale which is never heard piercing the light and imagines
a star passing down her throat. Another new voice to me and a very good
one too. Ian Ward another of the Lichfield Poets,
reordered the words of D H Lawrence with his poem Kangaroo which he
followed with a poem after Walter De La Mare's The Listeners with a
response to the traveller another accomplished reading. Nottingham Poet Richard Young delivered one of
his delightful funny poems from memory, a performance that has become
accomplished since I first met Richard. His humorous poem saw him
feeling sorry for those unfortunate heroes such as Michael Collins – the
3rd man who did not land on the moon on Apollo 11, to Frank Bruno who
didn't rumble in the jungle, Gareth Southgate who missed that penalty
but despite all of this they Keep Trying. Strong material and a strong
performance, I can listen and watch Richard at anytime. Poetry Trail Poet, Penny Harper found objects
that never fulfil their potential, like a second hand hoover, she
followed this with a wonderful poem about the island of Skomer in
Pembrokeshire, ancient, British stitching Island to the sea in flight. The first half was finished by the first of
the guest poets with Crystal Clear Creative's Jonathan Taylor. Crystal
Clear Creators have been organising day schools, radio performances,
poetry events and publishing pamphlets and the magazine Hearing Voices
since 2003. Based in Leicester they host the Shindig poetry events. Crystal Clear Creator – Jonathan
Taylor Jonathan started with a poem, Mozart's Clarinet Sextet with its counterpoint of gin and wee as a concert is interrupted by the musings of a drunken woman, well written and delivered from an accomplished pen. He followed this by one of the pieces of the evening Kontakte – a prose piece after Karl Heinz Stockhausen, which was a story built around the electronic minimalism of the music. The protagonist was Derick who sat in the dark listening to Stockhausen on a tape recorder, which perpetually rewound and replayed. When he tried to turn it off the stop button broke and we are left with the image of Derick sitting in the dark spending the rest of his life listening to Stockhausen. This was a triumph and I can well see why Jonathan would want to divert us away from poetry to explore the brilliance of this piece. Jonathan's wife Maria finished the first half with a reading from her collection Melanchrini published by Nine Arches Press. Her poems built around her upbringing and memories from her childhood. At Her Grandmothers table tells of visits to Cypress, sitting at the table drinking Greek/Turkish coffee as a dark featured young woman, the Melanchrini, the table that her parents now have and where she now takes her children to sit. Delicado and Mr Hill remembered times when she lived in the upstairs flat to Patricia (Mrs Hill) who talked about her husband as if he were dead, but he had in fact left her many years ago, the irony was when he did die his ashes were sent to Patricia and not his lover.
Melanchrini – Maria Taylor Soapsud Island told of her time in Acton,
which was known as London's laundry, now all demolished, she wants to
take the iron and make it smooth. Felling a maiden explores her changing
her Greek Cypriot name for an English one when she marries and Outside
of being pregnant with her twins. Each poem building a narrative
timeline from childhood to motherhood as she delivered this thoughtful
set. She finished with Larkin and her obsession with the poet which
becomes an addition. Melanchrini is a wonderful debut collection from a
poet who has a lively turn of phrase and is sensitive to her roots; seek
it out from Nine Arches Press.http://www.ninearchespress.com/melanchrini.html ACT 2. The second half was headed by our two guest
poets from Offa's Press, Jane Seabourne and Nick Pearson. Offa's press are dedicated to publishing and
promoting the best in contemporary poetry from the West Midlands, with
the watch word good on the page, good on the stage. Jane read from her collection Bright Morning, her first poem Red Kites, where she had expected them to be redder than they actually were, but was transfixed by their flight to come to the conclusion that they we red enough. Looking for Red Kites – Jane
Seabourne Her second poem Ornithoptor, talked of a man
in an office learning to fly, observing the birds and building his wings
and then escaping the drudge of his job to fly, something that resonates
with me. Her third piece was to her hero, Dr Johnson who she described
as a fleshquake of a man who kept his words safe in his book. She showed
her respect for this literary hero in her well crafted poem. Jane
finished with her Three Bears Poem, which explored the impact that an
intruder can have on the lives of those who the intruded. A good place
to finish with a thought provoking piece. Nick Pearson was the second guest from Offa's Press, reading from his collection Mad in Captivity also available for the Offa's press website. He delves into familiar worlds with known characters that sometimes are ourselves. His first poem Clothing Item covered a man's obsession with a pair of M&S Chinos, he followed this with the very witty and recognisable Coming Clean, which brought the theme of an employee appraisal, again a familiar situation to many and I guess like me he saw the pointlessness of them. Nick continued with Silent Apple, among the noise of office lunchboxes, the silent apple has more dignity in the hands of someone who reads books; it contemplates its life on the tree, ripened by the sun and the stars. His poem Receivership, an observation on the plight of independent traders in the world of the corporate giants, in his case a coffee shop who went into administration before he could redeem his loyalty reward card. Made
in Captivity – Nick Pearson Referential upbringing took him back to his
childhood and the confusion of words, playfully expanding meanings and
connections that only a child can do. He finished with a poem about
giving up smoking, Final Frame, where observations and conversations
become focussed on smoke, ash and nicotine. These are all written from
Nick's unique perspective but are without doubt so familiar to some many
people. A great reading from an excellent collection, both Jane's and
Nick's collections are excellent reads, do check them out. The evening continued with a reading from the second of the poets on the Coventry-Cork Literature exchange, who is also a Poetry Trail Poet. Janet Smith read A Cry her poem from the trail, a poem I will never tire of hearing her read. She holds the audience within the spell of the conversation between the human and the bird. She followed this with the Hood Children a poem about rain and finished with Brushwood drawn from her Yorkshire roots and the textile industry. Another excellent set which will see excellent readings in Cork and Limerick this summer from two very accomplished voices. David Calcutt followed with a performance from
memory, which I always admire. Here was a poet comfortable with his own
work and performance. Reciting from the floor before heading to the
stage create a piece of theatre which is always a welcome change. The
poem described a rainy skyline, was another of the nights performances,
from a master craftsman. You can read more about David athttp://www.davidcalcutt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Another of the Lichfield Poets, George
Barbrook gave us a musical theme with Rhythm and Blues followed by Open
Access which explored dementia. Followed by Penny Hewlett who gave us a
poem of broken lives with going back all too great effect. A new voice with Jemma Hogg who read three
poems written at the Glastonbury with Pedestal Lover, The Fraud and the
Darkness, she was followed by Mike Seaton from Northern Ireland whose
poems on going home and the return of the snow were also a great
introduction to their poems at this event. Ben McNair gave his poem of student bands with
Hallelujah Jones and his observations on Manchester streets at 2:00am
with its Picasso spewing bouncers. Burton based Poetry activist Gary Carr
followed Ben with his I can't get no information, with his takes on
tweeting and social media, a piece he started as he walked through the
audience to great effect. His second poem Red and Black explored the
serious world of table tennis. Gary finished with a favourite of mine,
two poems which took poetry readings both good and bad as its theme.
Gary always delivers and his explorations into new ways to engage an
audience are always of interest, they worked well here. Gary runs Spoken
Worlds at the Old Cottage Tavern, Bykerley St Burton on Friday 20th July
at 7:30pm. Another new voice to me with Shawn Rolls, whose poem reflected on the frailty of the old as they become victims of conmen. Tom Wyre brought some of his new poems The Lucid Door, The Strength of Spirits, finishing with an environmental Mother Earth poem Terra Mater which were all full of imagery that is Tom's forte. Gary Longden our host gave us a poem on his
disgust at bands reforming in a frenzy of retromania. The evening was
finished with two poems from the leader of the Lichfield Poets, Janet
Jenkins, who mused on Tennis and her own love match with Forty Love and
ending with a comic tale of the teeth. The evening was again a wonderful evening of
the best contemporary poetry from the region and beyond it will be
interesting to see how this event develops along side the Literature
Festival, which seems to pander to big names and is surely missing a
trick by not including an event such as Poetry Alight as part of the
festival programme. The next Poetry Alight will be on 2nd October
at the Spark Café, 7:30pm, Free Entry but you need to contact Gary
Longden in advance if you want to read.
|
Bilston Voices Café Metro, Bilston WE do like groundbreaking projects in
Bilston and this was the first time that our monthly Bilston Voices
session had been used as a live recording for the local Bilston Writers. Each of a group of writers had been given five
minutes to showcase their work for a CD. The evening kicked off with John Edgar, who was the
sound recording engineer for the evening, doing his sound checks and
persuading us to applaud to order. Not that the regular Bilston
audience need much encouragement when it comes to joining in. Once we had been warmed up, first on was Sarah
James, a Bilston Voices regular. Sarah started by taking us on a
tour across the English Channel with a lovely descriptive poem based on
a French chateau . She followed this with a poem based on the
alphabet, one on sweet peas and finished with one called Bostin'
Bilston that I wish she would have been available to read to the
Heart of England in Bloom judges, when they judged us on Thursday
morning. Jim McFarlane's fine voice led us into a fantasy
love story set in Paris that was part of a longer set, yet could stand
alone. It was good to have somebody who will tell us a story
amongst all the poets. Next up was Ramesh Gaat, who used poetry to compare
reading to other delightful activities that a person could partake.
The remainder of the set included short poems on an art map and the
fonts that are used in signs and other written material, which is not
literary. A final poem comparing life's span with the speed of
sound and light rounded off Ramesh's set.
The soft lilting Irish voice of Veronica Shepherd, a
retired nurse, took us along through verses that compared the way the
reality of the ‘Middle Earth' of the Black Country as it was, came
through in JRR Tolkien's novels. I really enjoyed this. Her Noblesse Oblige
was an amusing insight into her view of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and
Rakes of Amazons, an anecdote of Irish life, kept us further
amused to complete her session at the mike. Stuart Haycox is another reader who has performed at
Café Metro before. Stuart is very concerned about the environment
and his set reflected that. Stuart poetically discussed climate
change and the effects it has on the lives of all of us. A face that is familiar to many Bilston folks
belongs to Jackie Evans, who has great energy and happily gets involved
in local events and issues. Her poetry choice included
Bargain, about bargain hunting in the town, Frantic Fling
(for a friend) and a homage to her friend Kit Wright, who is a great
help to her. Jackie is a regular reader at Café Metro as well as
in the audience. Her work is always good to hear and she manages to
produce something delightful and different each time she performs. Last up for the recording was Peter Hill, another
regular in the Bilston Voices audience who sometimes treats us to his
writing. Peter is very interested in Bilston history and his poem
about Elisabeth, a long lamented blast furnace, is very evocative of the
era when heavy industry dominated the town. He is also interested
in his environment, particularly in what it is, and how it compares to
other areas, which showed in his piece Finding the right environment. Kuli Kohli was unable to read her own work, but
Rebecca Summan stood in and (I believe another BV first) read Kuli's
work from a kindle type reader. She started with Rag doll, a poem
that commented on her life with cerebral palsy and how people sometimes
react to her.
Further poetry commenting on a similar theme
followed; including one about a near disaster she had when going to
close to a cliff edge. Many people might regard this as a gloomy
theme, but Kuli's sense of humour shows through everywhere and came out
even more in her final poem about her Papa Ji's garden, a place where he
used to protect his plants with a stern voice. Known for his Shropshire poems and his work with
Wolverhampton libraries, MC at City Voices, Simon Fletcher
needed little introduction. As final reader of the evening, Simon took us on a
life's journey through Shropshire history and landscape from the Wrekin
and Hormond Hill via a variety of place names. Between these, we heard about A little bridge of
sympathy that he had built with a man from Lahore and the joys of
travelling using maps to navigate, all delivered in Simon's now familiar
laid back style. Overall another good evening at Café Metro. 28-06-12 Eileen Ward Birch |
Four Crystal Pamphlet Launch City Gallery, Nottingham HAVING
unsuccessfully tried to tame my three-day fever with Paracetamol and
sooth my raw throat with lozenges, I arrived coughing, clammy and
slightly off-kilter in the city of Nottingham for the launch of Crystal
Pamphlets at the City Gallery. Just past and to the left of Nottingham's famous
lion statues there is a small gated alleyway which leads to the glass
fronted gallery with its white walls and wooden floor. If you turn to
look up and over your shoulder before entering you can see through the
steel structure over the doorway to look at the perfectly framed council
building dome, a mini St. Paul's through a millennium bridge-style metal
lattice. I met the proprietor at the door who told me that
this former sex shop had been open two months and that the sound of the
clock mechanism in the tower bounces and funnels up the alley walls to
ricochet into the gallery doorway. The readers were Deborah-Tyler Bennet, Andrew
Graves, Mark Goodwin, Charles Lauder, Aly Stoneman, Wayne Burrows and
myself. The event was extremely enjoyable, there being a
bar, good music and a large audience of interested listeners. Aly had
planned a really good structure to the readings; Crystal Clear director
Jonathan Taylor introduced the evening, explaining how the writers had
been selected via a competition and speaking about the Arts Council
Grant and support from Writing East Midlands. Each Crystal Clear poet introduced their mentor who
read their own work before introducing their mentee. Before each set of
poems we were treated to insights into the mentoring relationships.
Introductions enabled each reader to make succinct statements about what
she or he found to be the strengths of each-others work. By the end of
the evening no-one present was left in any doubt that the project had
succeeded in bringing about a fruitful creative cross-pollination
between all parties. After lots of chat and a glass of wine I left the
gallery to the sound of ‘Hey Joe' played by a bandana wearing busker
with log grey hair. Listening cross-legged at his feet sat two girls,
aged about 16; either this was a testament to the enduring appeal of
rock n roll or a sobering reminder that kids of this age still have no
particular place to go. Roy Marshall Roy Marshall is a Leicestershire based poet who
will be appearing at Poetry Alight, Spark Cafe, Tamworth St, Lichfield,
7.30pm, 2nd October, 2012. His pamphlet ‘Gopagilla‘
is published by Crystal Clear pamphlets. For more information on Crystal Clear Creators
their website is:
http://crystalclearcreators.org.uk/ |
Purple Penumbra Barlow Theatre, Oldbury The Barlow Theatre, otherwise known as
Oldbury Rep, sits gently in a cul-de-sac close to a couple of excellent
pubs and a variegated row of shops and food purveyors. It is a charming little theatre with an almost
continuous run of plays and musicals and it sports a fine bar with a
cosy atmosphere, where poetry events can, and have, taken place for many
years. Spouting Forth used it some years ago with a membership that
included several who were later Birmingham Poets Laureate, Geoff Stevens
who resurrected the venue's poetic content with his Purple Patch
magazine events, and a National Small Press Publishers' Convention who
used it over three days. Unfortunately, Geoff died in February, but a group
of us decided to continue to promote his legacy as well as his Barlow
meetings. Purple Penumbra is the first, supported, as ever, by the good
offices of JohnUpton who opened the theatre bar for us poets in his
usual generous tradition. Attendees included a Wolverhampton University Course
Leader in Creative and Professional Writing (himself a published poet
and novelist), the Secretary of Bilston Community Association, Walsall's
current Poet Laureate, some old friends and some new young poets, all
eager to read or perform their own or Geoff's work. With the Queen's Jubilee celebration still in our
short-term memory, Eileen Ward-Birch started us off with a timely,
humorous poem about when the Queen was ‘coronated', as if she was but a
child.
Someone I've only ‘met' on Facebook as Photo
Giraffe, who hadn't intended to read, gave us a very moving and
beautiful picture, from memory, of Jeff Buckley, the US
singer-songwriter. Strange connection here – Jeff Buckley posthumously
had a hit record with ‘Hallelujah', a song played at the funeral of
Geoff Stevens. Shabz Ahmed gave us an intelligent piece which for
me served to highlight cultural connections as well as differences of
mankind. Ian Henery regaled us with his Olympic poem and, particularly
for Eileen, one called “We Are Wolverhampton”. Greg Stokes read from his
book a couple of hilarious passages – a local spy story and one that
confused me as to whether it was a casino or a brothel… someone was
cashing in on the former, but were they on the latter? For me, the highlight of the evening was Dr Paul
McDonald who had a couple of superb semi-autobiographical poems and one
about Walt Whitman, also a favourite of his good friend, Geoff Stevens,
and a tale of Geoff's pre-eminent knowledge of sausages and house
bricks. Sue Hulse told us a tale of two grandfathers, incredible
stories, too surrounding the poetry. For most of us who knew Geoff, I believe that this
was a little cathartic. We read his poems remembering him, and I'm sure
he would be pleased to find in his shadow a burgeoning purple penumbra.
27-06-12 Al Barz Al Barz is a poet and musician who performs
extensively across the Midlands, and was a close friend of Geoff's. For more information on the late Geoff Stevens,
visit his posthumously maintained website:
http://www.geoffstevens.co.uk/index1.htm |
Poetry & Pints The Globe Public House – The Ludlow Fringe Festival The Ludlow Festival is a
well-established affair. This year a fringe has been established which
included a poetry day on the Saturday boasting a daylong range of events
from readings and workshops, through to the highlight, Poetry and Pints,
at the Globe public house in the evening. A large open sided gazebo had been erected to keep
the anticipated mid- summer sun off the backs of poets, some who had
travelled a considerable distance to attend a combination of open mic,
and the debut performance of The Olympians by Bridgnorth Writers. The
big travelling contingent of poets bore testimony to Deborah Alma's
poetic pulling power. Local author Mike Sergeant kept proceedings on the move as MC, Anita Bigsby, Festival organiser watched anxiously as her fledgling coming together unfolded. Ludlow is a beautiful, historic market town, the
Globe pub, old and oozing character, a fitting setting for poetry. Staging poetry on a Saturday night has rewards and
risks. The reward is that it gives the event prominence and a large
casual crowd. The risk is that if you do not engage with the casuals, a
boozy Saturday crowd can be difficult to tame. Fortunately,
Wolverhampton based poet Jane James, who opened proceedings, is a
seasoned accomplished performer who delivered an accessible, crowd
pleasing sequence, which set the tone, and standard for the evening. Much Wenlock is only 22 miles away and is the
ideological birthplace of the modern Olympics. In this year of the
London Olympics it was fitting that the local Bridgnorth Writers should
compose a piece to celebrate the coming together of the past and
present. Dave Bingham, Paul and Linda Francis entitled it The
Olympians and traced the history of the modern Olympic movement from its
local roots in poetry and prose. Well written, and well presented, it
contained many memorable vignettes of fact and incident. However they may well have been better advised to
have split the lengthy performance in two, in order that the interest of
the casuals could have been better retained. Performing open mic at an occasion like this is no
easy task. The performer has no idea in advance of the size, age and
social profile of the audience, or the physical format of the seating
arrangements.
Here the audience was split. Under the gazebo, the
predominantly older, poetic cognoscenti gathered. In the rest of the
beer garden the, predominantly younger, casuals gathered. The deal is
simple. If you engage the casuals, they settle and listen, if you don't,
they chatter and drink beer, loudly. Most poets succeeded in the former. Jack Edwards charmed with his youthful
effervescence, Sam Hunt landed two knock-out blows, then retired, Adrian
Perks espoused the joys of women's clothes, whilst Janet Smith
demonstrated that it is possible to perform fine, serious poetry to a
mixed crowd, and carry them, if you keep it tight and direct, and always
have one eye on audience response. Three performers deserve special mention. Deborah
Alma had not intended to read, but with the event due to start, and
several performers still en route, found herself reading anyway. Absurdly self –deprecating in manner, she was a
delight. At the evening's end, Gareth Owen bravely closed the show as
the rain beat down (of which more shortly). A very good poet, he
eschewed vanity and performed a short pithy set in a triumph of
professionalism and common sense. I look forwards to hearing him again in less
pressing circumstances. Those pressing circumstances? The penultimate
poet was Liz Lefroy a local poetic luminary, and someone who is always
worth listening to. However this time she performed accompanied. Accompanied by driving rain. At first the patter of
rain on canvas has a hypnotic seductive quality. However when rivulets
of water periodically cascade onto lighting cables, sockets and
amplification equipment, the concept of an electrifying performance
transforms from the metaphorical, to the potential for actual! Somehow Liz carried on wonderfully with defiant insouciance to the risk of blackout and explosion. She is definitely someone to have around in a crisis. Her opening poem? Pretending the Weather. Not that the wet and risk of electrocution in any
way spoiled the event. The rain did not dampen spirits, and a spot of
danger is essential to good poetry. All concerned are to be
congratulated on a successful and well-attended occasion which hopefully
will provide the basis for future poetry at the Fringe Festival.
24-06-12 Gary Longden |
Being Human Belgrade Theatre, Coventry When booking my ticket for Being Human I made a decision that I would not look at any reviews so that my perception of it would not be pre determined or influenced. Being Human
has a perfectly apt title; it is performed by three actors, each
covering the multitudes of life experiences in two parts which last just
over 90 minutes. The time passes quickly yet leaves you feeling you have witnessed something epic on a human level. This is not three actors reading poem after poem and its greatest achievement is changing the perceptions of people who deem or stigmatise poetry as something exclusive to intellectuals in corduroy drinking crème de menthe in oak veneered rooms congratulating each other on their cleverness. The effectiveness of Being
Human is that it has a beginning, middle and an end, strong
protagonists you care about, and most importantly the poems are
connected to a narrative making them accessible and tangible.
Poetry is merely the stealth
component of the play, it hides in the intimate colloquialisms of the
subjects covered, love, loss, old age, happiness, parenthood,
abandonment, identity and many more.
It is these subjects that become
the props, there is no orchestra, no special effects or pyrotechnics
just beautiful and dramatic language delivered by three competent actors
(messengers) who are clearly connected to the language, themselves and
the audience. The subjects covered serve as a mirror where we can see a part of ourselves in all or some of the experiences covered. All of us at times feel complex and at some point find it hard to articulate ourselves, Being Human offers a life thesaurus of perspective, it suggests not tells, it talks to you not at you and importantly it yarns the fabric of human nature into our naked and native selves; vulnerable, flawed, gifted, worth celebrating, it validates the very best and worst of ourselves. The three actors consummately
engaged with the audience and were very earnest. One lady watching
summed it up by saying ‘It helped me understand the poetry so much that
I decided to buy a copy and get that head start'. Being Human evolves poetry; the play adds dimensions a book or kindle cannot do. It serves up poetry as a common genre, co existing outside the niche of it just belonging to poets. Intended or not this makes Being Human a revelation that should be supported, celebrated and sustained. The one minor criticism was the
war section covered. In these violent times I understand that we are
bombarded with news on conflict and loss but I felt that the light
hearted slant to this of wars usefulness missed the mark offering
something shallow to say about something that has so much depth. In conclusion, I would highly
recommend this play to anyone and commend the production for its impact
and inspirational values that transcend poetry back to where it belongs
– to ALL of us. 23-06-12 Antony R
Owen Antony R Owen is an
award-winning poet from Coventry, with two published collections, My
Fathers Eyes Were Blue and The Dreaded
Boy. Being Human next plays at the
Ledbury Festival on 1/7/12, and tours nationwide for the remainder of
the year. For details:
http://livepoetry.org/dates-venues/ |
The
Vaginellas Boars Head
Gallery, Kidderminster The
Worcester Literary Festival is a glorious alchemy of the arts which
tonight found its expression in the debut performance of The Vaginellas
in a typically bold promotion. No-one knew
who the Vaginellas were, how many of them there were, what their
material was going to comprise, or what their manifesto was. But
curiosity is a powerful thing, and a good-sized crowd turned out to find
out at a venue which is rapidly becoming the cultural epicentre of the
town. An open mic section preceded the
Vaginellas sets which were divided into two halves. Katy Wareham Morris
was confident, strident, and read a rather good poem in the style of the
American Beat poets, followed by Jodie Lea Ford who found her voice with
Tits. I should declare a professional
poetic relationship with Amy Rainbow before declaring also that she was
on fabulous form. The C Word is clever, amusing and invariably
catches the audience out with its last line volta. Yet it was her serious date rape
poem which stood out for me. Her customary chiming rhyme beguilingly
mirrors the specious seduction before the event. It is didactic, but not
hectoring. It reaches out to a male audience, but is uncompromising in
its message. It is very good. Although Myfanwy
Fox is a regular performer on the local circuit, I never tire of hearing
her. Forty Love and OAP sparkled. Like Victoria Wood she
has the ability to savour the risqué whilst making it all seem fine
because it is done with such poise. I always enjoy hearing new
performers. Delphine de Noire was hitherto unknown to me, but made quite
an impression. With her jet-black hair, flowing black dress, bright red
lipstick, and pronounced eye make- up, she clearly revels in an image
that has something about the night swirling around her.
She could easily have been
transported from Andy Warhol's Factory circa 1969, a world inhabited by
the likes of Candy Darling, Nico, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground.
So I was wholly unsurprised when her first poem was entitled,
Morphine Dream, then followed by Bathsheba. Dark, atmospheric
and mysterious it was as if Jim Morrison and Grace Slick had been
re-incarnated for a trippy poetic journey. I have no idea what much of
it was about – but I loved it. Another pleasure of reviewing is
watching performers blossom. When I first met Sarah Tamar a couple of
years ago her talent was obvious, but she was just making her early
tentative steps onto the circuit. Now she co-hosts Mouth and music
with assurance and authority, qualities that she brought to her
performance, along with some memorable lines. She described the end game
of a failed relationship as leaving “Love gasping like a dying fish” and
the sex as, “ star-crossed permafrost”. Ouch! Which brings me to the main
event, the Vaginellas, whom I can now reveal comprise Jenny Hope, Ruth
Stacey, Sarah James and, all the way from Salford, Manchester, Jo
Langton, with additional material from Catherine Crosswell who was not
performing this time. Their material? A joyous concoction of fun, feminism, sauce and seriousness. The writing was tight and engaging. No subject, weighty or risqué was out of bounds, but it was always delivered with spades of self-deprecating humour or conviction, depending upon the subject. CELEBRATION Ruth Stacey drew upon Germaine
Greer's celebration, and reclaiming, of the word “cunt” in a way that
was both a delight, and a demonstration of the power it still holds.
Sarah James celebrated men's testicles, bemoaning their unavailability
in supermarket fruit sections, leaving me both smiling, and sitting
rather uneasily! The phenomena of men “enjoying”
ladies lingerie is well documented, the reverse less so. Jo Langton' s
homage to the pleasures of wearing men's boxer shorts was therefore an
unexpected, and particular, delight. The Vaginellas rotated and
swapped performance with an ease, confidence, and efficiency which were
a tribute to their professionalism bearing in mind this was their first
outing. That rotation allowed for moods and topics to be switched
quickly, and Jenny Hopes powerful protest against female circumcision,
Cutting the Rose, was no less resonant and impactful than the
good humour which was never far away. The Vaginellas performance was a
triumph and are a second force for women's ensemble poetry in the region
with the Decadent Divas having first blazed the trail. What I found
exciting was that they are approaching the genre from a different place;
the Decadent Divas are gossiping in the parlour, the Vaginellas are in
the bedroom! How I would love to see a bill with both groups performing. Rarely have I attended an evening
with such a positive reaction from both audience, and performers, alike.
As an unknown quantity, there were few men in the audience; those who
were unsure missed a real treat. The Vaginellas material is all
embracing, inviting women, and men, to laugh, and reflect, with them.
Why should women have all the fun to themselves? The Worcester Literary Festival
to 24-06-12 Gary Longden |
Parole
Parlate Worcester
Literary Festival Special, Little Venice, Worcester This
Parole Parlate special was billed as a “Best of” the years performers,
and sure enough the year's poetic troubadours turned out in force to
celebrate, and support, Worcestershire's longest running Poetry event.
A triumvirate
of Poet Laureates were on show from different eras, and counties. Pride
of place must go to the newest laureate, Maggie Doyle, who was crowned
Worcestershire Poet Laureate at a Worcester Literary Festival ceremony
last Friday, and was positively beaming, and rightly so. Not only has she put in the hard
yards across the Midlands but she has also been involved in the
pioneering Decadent Divas, and continues to be an active member of
poetry collective, “Write Down Speak Up”. She is going to be a busy
girl! Maggie will undoubtedly be a
popular choice. Tonight she gave us self-deprecating humour about
slimming in A Certain Type of Loss; she risked the wrath of Her
Majesty with Duty Calls, a humorous tale of errant corgis, but
showed her serious writing side with Diamonds, which was neat,
poignant, and satisfying. Current Birmingham Poet Laureate
Jan Watts is in the latter stages of her year and is clearly relishing
it, and making the most of every opportunity. It is her versatility
which impresses, whether it is a vignette about an officious Greek
Hotelier, or her re-imagining a Lunar Society meeting with women rather
than men. Everyday tasks such as cleaning
do not escape her poetic pen, and she has a pantoum for every day and
occasion. She has blazed a trail for female laureates, Maggie will I am
sure be examining the ingredients which have made Jan's year such a
success. Oh, and she did that poem about supermarkets . . .
Past Birmingham Poet Laureate
Julie Boden was making a welcome appearance celebrating her inclusion in
Seven Leaves, One Autumn, by Indian Publisher, Rajkamal Prakashan
Pvt. Ltd. This is a typically shrewd move by
Julie, why restrict yourself to the English market, when there is a
population of one billion people to go for in India? All the poems are written in
English, other contributors come from India, Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Spain and the USA. Eight of her poems were included in the collection,
she read four, all of which shone as worthy contributions to the book,
and which deservedly represent England. She should be proud. We all had
a warm feeling of shared pride for her. Julie also featured in a choral
ensemble which wrote and performed in the day, a poem inspired by
Worcester, accompanied by Sarah James, Lindsay Stanberry Flynn, Maggie
Doyle and workshop leader, David Calcutt. Unsurprisingly with that
talent, it was rather good, and served as a reminder to all poets of how
much can be achieved in relatively little time if you put your mind to
it. Typically, the balance of the
bill was wildly eclectic. Al Barz was accompanied by his keyboard for
the crowd pleasing Leonora, Amy Rainbow was joined by a bloke in
a jacket as she waltzed through Words and Oats with her
customary aplomb and a rather sexy faux Brummie accent for the latter
poem. Mo the Peoples' Nun talked a lot
about God, whilst Chardonnay Jade, just seventeen years old,
held her own against some very experienced company. She wrote with
endearing honesty and wit, and I look forwards to hearing more of her.
Suz Winspear appeared in her Gothic splendour to perform her now
accomplished well-oiled set, and fellow regular Chris Kingsley told of
Muppets, in an amusing duo. Opening the evening was Dori Kirchmair
performing Resonance, a short story about connecting with what
resonates with you, what feels truly right for you; where you align with
your self – your own truth. This was illustrated by three
pictures which appeared to show a Japanese flag defaced by a cats claw
mark, a wobbly tyre tread, and some threads of cotton, respectively.
Unfortunately none of these images resonated with me, leaving me feeling
somewhat disconnected, which in a piece about connection, was a problem.
I think that I need to hear it again. Nevertheless it made its
contribution to a night of content which was as varied as it was
enjoyable. Parole Parlate returns on July 5th,
the Worcester Literary Festival to 24-06-12. Gary Longden |
Fancy A
Double Malvern Cube, Malvern A
Worcester Literary Festival Event In this
year of the Diamond Jubilee there has been much talk about defining what
makes Great Britain “great”, and the English “English”, a task whose
aim is as elusive as the Holy Grail, I fear. But in
Malvern, nestling in streets which cling to the lower slopes of the
hills, I think there may be as good a representation of the idea as
anything; last night it was to be found at Malvern Cube, formerly
Malvern Youth Centre, at Fancy a
Double, part of the Worcester Literary
Festival. Now it could have been formerly
Malvern Youth Centre in a physical sense, rather than in nomenclature,
if it had not been for the sterling efforts of the locals, many of whom
were present for the show, to keep it open, and it is such events as
this which justify its existence. A pile of rubble and a new
housing estate (as was threatened) would have been a poor replacement. If aliens from outer space had
called in to see what this cultural form was, they would probably have
been baffled, keyed in Alpha Centauri into the satnav, and hit warp
factor 9 pronto – and we would not want it any other way. Master of ceremonies was a man
variously dressed as a Crusader Knight and Dave Lee Travis circa 1972,
Jai Hill. Jai was the consummate host, linking acts, telling jokes and
the odd poem, and pouring pints of beer down a funnel into the throat of
an audience member whilst reciting Charge of the Light Brigade,
Tennyson would have approved. CARROT AND CELLO First up were Tim Cranmore and
Robyn. Tim was on carrot. Robyn was on cello. To others this may have
seemed odd; in Malvern the concern was merely of how you tune a carrot.
That mystery was never solved, but we were treated to a unique (never
has the word been more appropriate) coming together of carrot and cello
in ways that hitherto have certainly not been explored by anyone else. Tim's discovery, and translation
of, an unknown Dead Sea Scroll concealed in a watering can, was as much
a revelation in performance as it will be to religious authorities. The National Anthem was played
with a vigour and panache which left me astonished that Tim and Robyn's
services had not been called upon earlier on in the day, at Horse Guards
Parade, for the Trooping of the Colour in front of Her Majesty in
person. Tim was as phlegmatic as ever, Robyn tried to keep a straight
face – it was great fun. Closing the first half were the
Very Grimm Brothers, AKA Adrian Mealing and John Denton, who
occasionally leave their baronial castle to entertain the hoi polloi.
It is a wonderful act. Adrian is
on voice and personality; John is on guitar and long
suffering non-personality. Adrian has all the fun, but John's deadpan
foil is vital to a performance which takes in a tribute to Gill Scott
Heron, student fees, and nude wrestling in front of an open fire to
while away the long winter nights. Finely nuanced, very well written,
and skillfully accompanied by John, it was a rousing finale to the first
half. I am not in the habit of
reviewing performances in which I have been involved, but face a
difficulty here, as the third act was The Imperfect Pair, of whom I am
one half, and Amy Rainbow is the other. Suffice to say that I was the “Im”
bit, and Amy was the “Perfect” bit. Lindsey Warnes- Carroll and
Catherine Crosswell wrapped up the night with an act that combined part
spoken word duet, part a capella singing, part acoustically accompanied
performance, and a finale with a backing track. The material focused on
genitalia and bodily functions, but was of course done in the best
possible taste, with a nod and a wink and a smile, oh, and gales of
laughter! I had not previously considered
the lyrical potential of cervical smears and lollipop sticks,
fortunately, Catherine and Lindsey have, as they careered through a set
list whose order was determined by the audience and a crocodile's mouth.
The audience loved it, demanding a well-deserved encore which turned out
to be a surreally literal re-interpretation of Waterloo. Fancy a Double delivered
a double strength dose of entertainment for the first Saturday of the
Worcester Literary Festival, with much more to come until it closes on
24th
June, details:
http://www.worcslitfest.com/ 17-06-12 Gary Longden |
Spoken
Worlds Old Cottage
Tavern, Burton It
was a night, and a pub, divided. You were either at home or downstairs
watching England play Sweden in the Euro 2012 football tournament, or
upstairs savouring the best of Burton Spoken Word whilst trying to judge
what the score was by the cheers and groans emanating from the public
bar. Such is the pull of host
Gary Carr that he still pulled the faithful to listen and perform,
despite the lure of Roy Hodgson's finest. Strangely, a musical theme
unfolded. All Around My Hat (Steeleye
Span): Terri and Ray Jolland produced
their now obligatory comic sketch, this time name-checking all the poets
present – with the ubiquitous hat. Street Fighting Man
(Rolling Stones): When Paris burned
with student protest in 1968 and barricades blocked Haussmann's
boulevards, Ray Jolland was there in the city. As some battled with the
CRS, the American Embassy was besieged with Vietnam War protesters, and
the country ground to a halt with national strikes, Ray decided to write
some poetry – and very good it was too. Let the Children Play
(Santana): Rob Stevens reminisced of
the golden age of his childhood playing football and cricket in the
streets and open spaces, the latter of which extended to four day Tests! Going Underground The Jam):
Mal Dewhirst name is mud, his life in
ruins, as he told of his exciting new project “Dig the Abbey” in which
Polesworth Abbey will see more archaeological excavation this summer
combined with a poetry project and workshops to celebrate both the
initiative and the results. More information at:
http://www.digtheabbey.co.uk/ The Curtain Falls (Bobby
Darin): Inevitably Mal could also not
resist celebrating the triumph of the recent production of The Wall
at Tamworth for which his poetry sat easily alongside Roger Water's
better-known lyrics. Milk and Alcohol (Dr
Feelgood): There is no obligation to
perform original material. Tom Wyre elected to read the prologue to
Under Milk Wood. Its sonorous lyricism never fails to delight. From a Whisper to a Scream
(Elvis Costello): Dwayne Read his
most diversely written, and performed, material to date starting off
with the reflective quiet, Shouting House before closing with a
trademark bellow. The Sting (The
Entertainer - Scott Joplin):
The decline in bees and the pollination of flowers is not the obvious
basis for poetic inspiration, but when you specialise in nature poems it
is like nectar, and Janet Jenkins wrote precisely on this theme to
satisfying effect. Guiding Light (Television):
Host Gary Carr, as always lead the
evening with a strong sense of direction, but a soft touch with some
customarily economical and well crafted poetry of his own thrown in. Spoken Worlds next plays on
Friday 20 July. 16-06-12 Gary Longden |
The
Wall The Assembly
Rooms, Tamworth
This venerable venue has a distinguished history. Grade II listed, it
was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. One
hundred and twenty five years later, the week of the current Queen's
Diamond Jubilee, it hosted a new production of Pink Floyd's
The Wall on
the stage where the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles had once
performed. The production was an ambitious
collaboration between Arts Connect, Tamworth Borough Council, and the
Fired Up Theatre Company to realise a show that combined the talents of
musical and theatre professionals with community and school groups. Director Simon Quinn promised not
to produce a nostalgia show, and succeeded, bravely electing to update
the themes of alienation and social disintegration into a Tamworth
setting with a well-crafted script. Assistant Director Mal Dewhirst
had the onerous task of integrating fresh original contemporary poetry
composed by himself and Antony R Owen, daringly he also included an
audio of vox pops, recorded at Tamworth Cafes on the theme of The
Wall which worked seamlessly well. As both an introduction to the
themes of the show, and a theatrical overture, the Shoebox Theatre
staged Brickbuilding the Wall led by Margaret Jackman before the
main event in an engaging intergenerational piece. Any staging of The Wall
depends upon a solid musical base, which for this production was
provided by Chesterfield based Pink Floyd tribute band Floydian Slip.
They were magnificent. Despite having to learn new arrangements and
incorporate an extra guitarist, the sound was authentic, convincing, and
combined a spontaneous feel whilst staying faithful to the original
score without being a slave to it. Two numbers always dominate this
show, Another Brick in the Wall and Comfortably Numb. The
former boasted a fiendishly complicated extended arrangement which they
delivered with some aplomb, complete with a raging, grotesque, outsized
puppet schoolmaster rising from the flanks of the stage apron.
The latter boasts one of the most
famous guitar solos in rock history defined by Dave Gilmour. Prior to embarking upon it I saw
lead guitarist Andy Ashley mop his brow, as if to acknowledge that this
was the musical make or break moment of the show. He made it with much to spare, as
the glitter ball rotated, the lasers flickered and his solo succeeded in
touching the ethereal heights which simply must be scaled for the number
to work. The lead character, Pink, was
played by Luke Comley who ably led the theatrical ensemble despite the
difficulties of having to synchronise with lead vocalist Mark Peterson
of Floydian Slip whilst having his back to him. Choreographer Ami Radcliffe did a
first class job of combining a core of experienced dancers with an
auxiliary dancing and chorus cast of school children from Two Gates
primary school in Tamworth, who enjoyed their moment in the sun with the
“Brick in the Wall” chorus. Gareth Pugh seemed to enjoy
playing the pompous schoolteacher in that scene as much as we enjoyed
watching him. The choreographic set piece for Hey You was
particularly effective with the girl's colour splash tights contributing
to a kaleidoscopic visual delight. Mal Dewhirst composed no fewer
than seven original poems for the production of which Thin Ice was
the pick of the bunch. Antony R Owen contributed two poems from his
collection The Dreaded Boy with the references to Afghanistan
giving the words immediacy as he delivered his work via a video recorded
backdrop. It was a terrific production
which Director Simon Quinn did well to realise with so many disparate
parts to draw together. Although Another Brick in the
Wall and Comfortably Numb were the showstoppers of the first
and second half respectively an honourable mention should also go to the
performance of Mother in which the band were on fine form, the
dance fitted perfectly and a touching montage of real life Tamworth
mothers was projected onto the back screen – a nice touch. As a veteran Pink Floyd fan who
grew up to their music I am delighted to confirm that the music and
production did justice to the original conception whilst updating and
contemporising it for a 21st
century audience. 06-06-12 Gary Longden |
Rhymes
Polyvocal Special Station Pub,
Kings Heath
RHYMES, previously a worthy and popular regular event on the Brum poetry
circuit, now appears occasionally under the curatorship of poetry
Svengali Lorna Meehan, and is as special in its irregular form as it was
when it ran regularly. Tonight it was back for a welcome
one-off poly-vocal special, featuring an eclectic mix of poets, but with
an added element of group poetry, including the National Team Poetry
Slams Birmingham team before they compete in Bristol on the 28th June. Past Birmingham Poet Laureate
Spoz hosted the night, current Birmingham Poet Laureate Jan Watts graced
the evening with some well chosen poetic contributions, and of course
Lorna could not stop performing the odd poetic gem herself, but the
focus of the evening was on emerging talent, and rightly so. Kate Walton is making rapid
progress since I first saw her perform a few months ago at Poetry Bites.
She has been hitting the circuit with enthusiasm, and learning fast. She
performed three extended, quite different pieces; a humorous tale of
grim deeds in Melton Mowbray, a dark serious tragedy of joyriding, and a
light engaging account of when she met Carly Simon. She has the ability of a
storyteller to hold an audience during an extended poem with rhymes that
chime rather than grate. A warm personality and strong material will
make her a formidable force on the slam circuit, and beyond, in the near
future. Elisha Owen gave a confident and exact performance of Flamenco Dance in Peckham before being joined by Ben Norris for a very clever duet using clicking fingers to replicate everything from time to drips. A duet presentation was used again when Claire Corfield joined forces with Lorna Meehan for a very funny comedy sketch in verse about Spain. Both are accomplished actresses,
poets and comediennes, all three skills were utilised to fine effect.
The Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate Laura Deadicoat was on hand to
give what must be one of her final performances in office.
Unsurprisingly her stagecraft has
matured over the year and she performed three favourites to an
appreciative crowd. From a distance I saw a poet on the cusp, performing
good material written as a school student, but bursting to emulate the
development that the university undergraduate sourced slam team had on
show. The Birmingham Slam Team
performed individually, and collectively, with Ben Norris excelling with
F-Bomb, which I suspect will become a signature poem for him.
Ostensibly inspired by the silent displeasure of a Much Wenlock poetry
audience who did not care much for profanity, like all good poems it
quickly broadened to say much more. He did so with wit and depth.
Hannah Owen – Wright took us on a surreal trip on a bus in which it
became a capsule, and a destination which I suspect was not on the
authorised route. Completing the team trio was Rehema Njambi who offered
a wholly different more personal and soulful dimension to the group,
epitomised by her piece about her younger brother, emotionally honest,
but never maudlin. They finished by performing their
collective poly-vocal slam entry as a trio which spoke wonderfully of
intergalactic time travel and impressed me, without me being entirely
sure what it was all about! Jan Watts spoke generously of the
calibre of the talent that performed on the night. It was no platitude.
Each slam poet boasted talent and identity, and inspired me with their
brio and innovation. Good luck in Bristol! O5-06-12 Gary Longden |
Tony Harrison The Feathers
Hotel, Ledbury On
Saturday night I saw Tony Harrison read in Ledbury, Herefordshire.
He is one of our best living
poets. He writes in an utterly English tradition, with strong rhymes and
lyrical content. Much of it is written for the stage, so it is entirely
aural as well as having integrity on the page. Harrison lays full claim to both
his own working-class Leeds voice, and to Greek classic literature, and
he owns them both from the inside; not with a chippy sense of having
something to prove (though there is that too, sometimes) but with a
deep, abiding understanding of their sense and necessity. This reading also showed that
poetry in performance can be done well without stagecraft. Some people
equate 'performing poetry' with slick-and-speedy performance poetry;
Tony Harrison read with a quiet, commanding clarity and humour which
carried the audience through an hour-long reading. Not a murmur was
heard, not a bum shifted on its seat. So this us the kind of
authenticity that we're all working for when we write, no matter what it
is we are trying to be true to. I was proud that a writer like Harrison
can thrive in our literary culture, and receive (as he did) a standing
ovation from an audience which knows his worth. I was ashamed - a little
- that my own writing falls into traps that he's worked so hard to
avoid. Dear reader, here is my terrible
secret. I want you to think I'm clever and witty. I want you to admire
my writing and tell me it moved you. I want to blush modestly whilst
claiming enormous literary prizes. All poets have secrets like this.
Yet the biggest challenge in writing, the only one that really matters,
is the one that EE Cummings articulated in 1958: "To be
nobody-but-yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day,
to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any
human being can fight; and never stop fighting." If you can achieve
that, then the other stuff may follow. If it doesn't, it hardly matters. I find my own voice in poetry
best by working in tandem with someone else; by working out what I'm
not, perhaps. The collaboration with Martin Malone continues to
amaze me by sending us both in new directions; smaller paired projects
have sometimes done the same. I'm working now on a poem for Alastair
Cook - and perhaps the ultimate collaborative project, 3hundredand65,
will get its little contribution from me on National Poetry Day, October
4th. Back in Ledbury, the famous
poetry festival is three weeks away. Last year I programmed it with
Jonathan Davidson: in 2012, director Chloe Garner is back from maternity
leave with a brilliant programme. Come along and see us there; a little
town full of poetry, in the summer. What's not to like? 03-06-12 Jo Bell Jo
Bell is Director of National Poetry Day and a programme director for the
Ledbury Festival. Her acclaimed collection “Navigation” is available
from her website, The Bell Jar, in which the above review first
appeared.
http://belljarblog.wordpress.com/poems-films-sound/ |
Word & Sound Art House Cafe, Worcester Amanda
Bonnick and Jenny Hope, the promoters of this event, last gave it an
outing in 2011 and have now moved it from a cellar bar in to the modern
environment of the Art House Cafe. The format is
open mic spoken word, sign up on the night, with some music thrown in.
However these ladies have been around a bit, and know not to take a
chance on who might just turn up by making some tactical invitations in
advance, thereby ensuring a strong core platform of talent for the
evening. What struck me was the diversity
of form for the evening - poetry, verse storytelling, drama, polemic,
acoustic band and a classical guitarist all made an appearance. The cafe itself is light and airy
with a low ceiling overhang that amplified the performer's voice and a
good range of food and drink to satisfy an always discerning poetry
crowd that had turned out in some force, a testament to the pulling
power of Amanda and Jenny.
Indeed some had travelled from as
far as Burton upon Trent and Birmingham to support the event. Amanda and
Jenny took it in turns to present, leaving precious little time for them
to showcase their own considerable poetic skills. Two new young female poets caught
my ear, Holly Magill and Claire Walker. Holly read quirky bedsit poetry
with a racy frisson running through it, Claire read short neat compact
concise pieces.
Both offered interesting
perspectives on their subject matter, whether it was Holly and the
sensual properties of cardigans, or Claire and her beguiling, slightly
sinister The Woman who Loved Every Man, with the great opener, “I
collect them.” Both should also take confidence from an enthusiastic
reception, and build on their performance and projection of some strong
material. Michael W. Thomas is a poet,
novelist and playwright who has lived, been widely published, and
performed, in several countries. His literary credentials are
formidable, and stretch from Finland, to Florida and back to Albania,
where he vies with Norman Wisdom for the international affections of the
Albanian people. He now lives in Worcestershire. I
last saw him perform at Shindig in Leicester. Once again I thoroughly
enjoyed his performance. His tone is fond and gentle. He reminisced over
a childhood teacher in Mrs Wharton, and the crap cars he had
travelled in as a child. His lament over the word “especial” was never
maudlin, his exploration of mental illness sensitive and moving. One of the joys of these events
is in meeting distinguished writers. Happenstance found me sat next to
Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn. Her novel Unravelling was published in
2010. It won the Chapter One Promotions Book Award and came second in
the International Rubery Book Award. Her novel ‘The Piano Player's
Son' will be published by Cinnamon Press in 2013. She also runs
creative writing courses and workshops. Tonight she read a drama which
had been performed on BBC Radio Nottingham, They said There Would Be
Silence – a bleak, powerful and compelling mini drama about an
incoming telephone call to the Samaritans in which the caller announces
that he will kill himself in three minutes. It was a clever dramatic device,
well crafted, and an object lesson in economic writing. I reflected that
I needed to practice! Two regular performers on the
Worcestershire circuit acquitted themselves well. From Great Wyrley, Ian
Ward, progressed along a now very well rehearsed set from the song title
laden Delta Devil Blues to his signature Rumble in the Woods.
Worcester Goth, Suz Winspear, wearing a dress which was a glorious riot
of black taffeta and lace, reprised the arboreal theme with an excellent
version of her trademark Evil Trees. Lisa Ventura took a rest from
hosting Parole Parlate, Gary Carr from identical duties with Spoken
Worlds, to relax and perform for a change. Both demonstrably enjoyed
themselves. Lisa railed against the idea that all Italians like hot
weather in light knockabout mode.
Gary delivered a quick-fire
selection of short poems, each one unerringly finding its mark. Myfanwy
Fox is always great fun, and did not let us down, taking time out from
Wildfire World, a title she is so devoted to she even took a copy with
her on stage, to amuse and entertain with her waspish wit, best
showcased in The Birdie Song. I remarked earlier that one of
the drawbacks about hosting events is that inevitably one's own poetry
takes a back seat, however when you are as talented as Amanda Bonnick
you simply front a band yourself, in this case “Slow Train”. Daringly, they opened the second
half with the plaintive Goffin/King composition Will You Still Love
me Tomorrow which some American radio stations banned on release
because they had felt the lyrics were too sexually charged - but
clearly in Worcester anything goes! Please Don't let me be
Misunderstood was my favourite though,
combining a vocal delivery familiar to the Nina Simone version, but a
musical arrangement more akin to the Elvis Costello cover, with a neat
flute motif played by Matt Brockington, who subsequently performed a
solo polemic spot. The theme of variety dominated
the second half. Naomi Paul cleverly combined stand-up comedy, poetry
and music, Al Barz performed a wonderful poem with flashcards and, Ian
Glass enthralled and entertained with his poetic narrative ballad How
the Duvet Monster Got His Name. To close Colin Baggs delivered an
instrumental tour de force of classical, flamenco-tinged guitar with
energy, passion, driving rhythms and beautiful melodies. It seemed only
a short while previous that Sophia Dimmock had confidently opened
proceedings with her poetry, yet two and a half hours had flown by. Word and Sound is likely to next
play in September, check out the Facebook page for details. 02-06-12 Gary Longden |
Persian Poetry Evening Barber
Institute, Birmingham University As well as for the
love of poetry, generally, I was excited about the Persian Poetry night
because, as a reader of Rumi, I wanted to augment my previous experience
of Persian poetry with exposure to some contemporary poets. Plus, of
course, it was at The Barber Institute. Shamefully, for a Birmingham resident, I admit
that this was only my first visit to The Barber. But in the stay-at-home
rain, it seemed an art deco sanctuary. I loved its broad beauty and the
wide corridors with their heel-spike-dents in the tiles and I loved
sitting on the polished bench waiting, chatter echoing along the long,
bright hall. The lecture theatre we were ushered into was,
my friend commented, ‘like an old classroom' with its cushioned, tiered
pews and echoing creaks and shuffles. The sense of the past juxtaposed
with the now so neatly illustrated, I thought, in the electric light of
images of historical artefacts projected onto the stage backdrop. And in
that light, there was the charm of poets standing, a little awkwardly,
arm on hip at times, squinting to read. The lighting was quickly
modified, however, when a member of the audience asked for more light on
the poets, adding an endearing informality to this relatively large
gathering. As a regular visitor to performance poetry nights with all their sound and fury, it was refreshing for me to experience just the reading of poetry in its simplicity and elegance; just a poet on the stage, just the words read from the page. And as for hearing it in its original language first- I always enjoy the musicality and regressive comfort of poetry in an unknown tongue but the warm and breathy consonants and glottal vowels of Persian idiom spoke whispers to my mind of a cultural history beyond my comprehension: perhaps even, indulged a tentative inquiry into that Exotic Other. DIFFERENT INTERACTION Unusually, we heard some of the poems in
translation first, too, which enabled a wholly different interaction
with the meaning, the sounds and we, the audience. The variety of order
added pace and range to the evening. As for the poetry; it was historical, tense,
at times physical, at times enchanting and all three poets' works imbued
with longing, I felt. Or perhaps that is my reading of the work- the
absence of a place felt keenly, a place sketched with detail and shaded
with omission. Death and childhood, love and separation were all
covered. As I have lived and worked in the Middle East, it was special
to me that the two poets present and reading their own work,
Azita
Ghahreman from Iran and
Shakila Azizzada from Afghanistan, were women. Most notably because
they honestly explored issues which are perhaps unexpected from women in
their countries of origin; erotic love and longing, for example. One
poem I have had to look up and will keep returning to particularly is
Azizzada's Cat Lying in Wait (http://www.poetrytranslation.org/poems/369/Cat_Lying_in_Wait). Who knows about the truthfulness of the
translation? I can only say the translations worked for me. I can only
know what I saw, what I felt, as the sounds wrapped around my
understanding and folded it into meaning. In the (seemingly impromptu)
audience discussion afterwards, I was pleased to note there were at
least two bilingual people who were able to feedback positively on the
poetry and translation. But in the end, like with all poetry, translated
or otherwise, it is our own interpretation and experience that counts
and for me it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Elisabeth Charis Elizabeth Charis is a teacher and poet who
has travelled and worked widely around the world, most recently teaching
in Syria. Her website is:
http://echaris.co.uk/ This review first appeared in:
http://www.writingwestmidlands.org/2012/05/21/guest-blog-persian-poetry-evening-by-elisabeth-charis/ |
Ian McMillan Leicester Central Library If Leicester
Libraries' Book Doc Alison Dunne hadn't shared Thursday's event on
facebook, I'd have missed it – so glad I didn't! An evening of poetry
with belly laughs. The Barnsley Bard set the mood with his own
introduction (to Alison's welcome). Taking a literal view of poets as
collectors of language, as writers who take notice, he took great pride
in showing his audience numerous notices he'd purloined on his travels;
the unintentionally humorous, sparks that light this poet's fire. Master of the anecdotal, McMillan regaled us
with hilarious tales of his travels as a working poet. With references
to Crackerjack's Peter Glaze and novelty cruet sets, I warmed to him
even more. His Junior School days sounded just like mine, too: when kids
were encouraged to be creative, spent hours writing stories, engaging in
art activities (happy days . . .), but I digress. Ian read poems
from his autobiographical collection, Talking Myself Home.
Borrowed, read, loved it.Why make it up, when amazing things happen to us all the time?
A recurrent theme; the poet explained the provenance of certain lines in
his poems (oh, but his art lies in the crafting). He invited poets to
note down all the things that happened when they got home that night and
laid odds on them being the stuff poems are borne out of. (My black cat
froze – in a paper fiesta, she'd edited the newspaper . . .). Jayne Stanton Jayne Stanton is a poet and reviewer based in
Leicestershire. This review first appeared in her blog: |
Bilston Voices Metro cafe, Bilston Summer finally arrived on a sweltering
Black Country evening as the poetry faithful gathered for another
instalment of Emma Purshouse's Bilston Voices. Emma is something of a
poetry evening alchemist, throwing together a disparate concoction of
poets, and invariably coming up with something special. Tonight was no
exception. Making her Bilston Voices debut was Michelle Crosbie
whom I have caught perform twice previously. As before, she did not
disappoint. I believe that from the moment that a poet decides that
rather than simply read their work to themselves, they want to read it
to others, they have a duty to present and perform it in a way that
connects with their audience. Michelle understands this perfectly. She consciously played to every corner of the room
by eye contact and gesture, modulating her voice for effect. She
introduced her work informatively, whilst never dulling the pleasure of
what was to follow. Oh Dark Pilot Whales was a beautiful hymn
to a stranded pod off Scotland, drawing on Norse and Icelandic legend to
beguiling effect, Fireworks of Love a dramatic playful
performance piece. However this time it was Swifts that
caught my ear, with a particularly striking simile of swifts as fighter
planes. Warmly received by an appreciative audience, I hope that
Michelle will take this success as a spur to perform more regularly, and
more widely. Writing groups and workshops can be invaluable for
nurturing the skills of budding writers and Brian Titton, who followed
Michelle, drew upon that experience to perform a diverse range of poems.
Fresh from leading some groups herself earlier on in the day, Jane
James stepped in at a few hours notice to cover for an indisposed
reader. I really enjoy listening to Jane perform. She opened with a
prose piece, A Very Guilty Pleasure about the anguish of the
chocoholic.
Her dry laconic words belied a very funny, and well
delivered, performance piece. Yet it is her versatility that amazes; a
poignant tribute to a lost parent, an ode to the joys of salmon fishing,
a fisherman's prayer, an environmental tirade in Don't and a
spiky slam poem Not A lot to Ask are all handled with panache
and aplomb. And just as some women have the unerring knack of always
having something in their handbag for any eventuality, so Jane
seemingly has a poem for every occasion. After the break Paul Francis appeared, a retired
comprehensive school teacher with a meticulous and well crafted
approach to his poetry. He opened with his strongest poem,
Surveillance, which won a national competition resulting in its
permanent display on the side of a bus driving around Guernsey. Its
qualities were immediately apparent as were those included in his
Olympians collection in anticipation of the forthcoming London
Olympics. It is a truism that the most talented writers are
invariably the most modest, this is certainly true of Paul McDonald, of
whom I had previously known nothing. Yet as soon as he opened with
Shakespeare's Barred my poetic antennae twitched, here was no
ordinary poet. Funny, sharp, economic and engaging in his writing, warm
in his disposition he grabbed my attention from the start, and never
relaxed his grip till he finished. Upon researching his biography, this
comes as no surprise. Paul was born in Walsall and is an academic, comic novelist, and poet. He teaches English and American Literature at the University of Wolverhampton, where he also runs the Creative and Professional Writing Programme. SADDLEMAKER He left school to work as a saddlemaker, an
occupation that provides the backdrop for his first novel, Surviving
Sting (2001).After a period studying with the Open University,
McDonald entered fulltime education at Birmingham Polytechnic where he
began writing fiction, initially producing stories for the women's
romance market under a female pseudonym. He later won a scholarship to research a PhD, and in
1994 took an academic post teaching American literature at the
University of Wolverhampton. His second novel, Kiss Me Softly, Amy
Turtle (2004) is a comic mystery satirising the Midlands town of
Walsall while his third, Do I Love You? (2008), takes Northern
Soul as its theme. Those impressive credentials were evident in
everything he performed, each poem couched in a witty self -effacing
aside. His modest journey into adulthood was referenced in Real Men
from his time as a saddlemaker, his current position amongst the
literati providing the perspective for An Author Obsessed with the
Hay on Wye Festival. Next time he will not be able to sneak
in unnoticed! A tremendous and hugely enjoyable set. Bilston Voices next meets Tuesday, 28th
June at 7.30pm. 25-05-11 Gary Longden |
Notes from the Underground The Holly Bush, Cradley Heath An eclectic night of incisive poetry and
musical observations was the theme for the re-launched open mic at this
historic Cradley venue. The Holly Bush event for both poetry and music alike
offered a diverse palette of styles held in a
cosy, welcoming and informal setting. Organized enthusiastically by two
devotees to entertainment in Jack Edwards and
William Shatspeare (better known as John!),
the night attracted a widespread spectrum of local wordsmiths and
musicians watched by an appreciative audience. Jack Edwards launched the witty
banter with a salvo of comedic moments as he re-enacted his sketch
“Sorry” having an hilarious
dialogue with his girlfriend, Marcus Taylor then presented us
with an accomplished and interesting mix of blues grass
folk and country western guitar music reprising artist Hank Williams
and also a cover of Bad Moon Rising. Next up, was the first of “The Worcester Poets”
Lisa Ventura who provided a heartfelt piece
Blast from the Past and also shared her crystal
clear views of “Face book “and Soap TV. Sue Winspear, whilst battling with
the noise from some energetic revellers from the
adjoining bar in the other room, stoically persevered with surreal and
captivating poems to do with eyeballs on plates, sea voyages and
Evil Trees which I particularly
liked, showing an almost supernatural take on the role of
arboreal life in urban society. I was very struck with Sue's use of
imagery that moved seamlessly from one psychedelic box, to another
literary canvas.
Kate Walton, the latest poet to
join “The Lichfield Poets” performed an extremely funny
and entertaining piece about pork pies and Melton Mowbray with a coy and
mischievous slant. Her dark poem, The Old
Highway which has a twist in the tale about a
murderous joy rider impressed with its tone and rhythm, before
finishing off with a vitally raw and colourfully worded poem about her
stolen mobile ‘phone. Kate is a young poet who is one to watch out for
with her well crafted lines and confident stage presence. Andrew Owens, also of the Worcester poets read a
detailed prose Dancing Apart,
about a relationship that had become stagnated and finished
with an emotionally driven piece Take My Hand,
about preventing a friend's attempt at suicide.
The resultant calm was broken with
an energetic and very amusing set by Long Lost Frank
who is a Black Country poet who I enjoyed with his ironic observations
and satirical reflections on neighbours, unemployment, taking
vehicles without consent, astral travelling and “hallucinogenic
trumpets” before performing Uh Thingy,
where he substituted the filler words at comedic intervals
with side splitting aplomb. Following a brief interval, a shorter second half
for the event commenced with The Bleeding Cat Furs, a
young two piece band with interesting self penned songs. The female vocals were good and the guitar and
ukulele accompaniment was sound, Chrisy Daz followed as an accomplished singer songwriter with some thought provoking songs. His intelligent lyrics and well composed tunes displayed a degree of gravitas in his work as he played acoustic guitar and I particularly thought that his comic parody of Purple Rain was immensely funny, as did the audience judging by the roaring laughter that ensued! STALWART Next on the bill was one of my favourite poets in
Gary Carr, with his often understated Al Barz then took to the stage. Al
is a veteran performer and armed with an electronic organ, proceeded to
have me and the rest of the audience in stitches with his superbly
amusing sketches, almost in the musical style of Les Dawson and a 1950's
bingo hall organist; he commented on cucumbers not being for fat people,
lager, an excellent and visual piece involving cards with mathematical
formulae and relationships, concluding with a wry comment on gravity and
returning to Mother Earth. Al is one of those rare people who is a
natural comic, conveying a laugh with just a facial expression and I for
one think that he should apply to BGT! A thoroughly enjoyable night was rounded off with
Malcolm Slater and Dave Francis, A great and most agreeable night was had by all,
helped considerably towards the end as delicious, spicy local bangers
and potato wedges were offered as hot vittles to the eager audience by
the pub's friendly landlord.“Notes from The
Underground”, next meets at The Holly Bush PH, Cradley on Sat, 9th
June at 8.00pm, free admission, sign up for floor spots on the night. Tom Wyre Tom Wyre is a poet and musician who performs
widely across the Midlands. |
Western Pub, Leicester In a
pre-show chat Crystal Clear Creator co-director Maria Taylor Shindig
described Shindig to me as, “no ordinary open mic”, an aside which
pretty much defines this event, and should be its strap-line. Once again
Crystal Clear Creators and Nine Arches Press had assembled a
strong and eclectic roster of featured poets and floor readers before
another full room for this bi-monthly event, presented by Jane Commane
and Jonathan Taylor. Robert Richardson closed the
evening. As well as appearing in CCC's Hearing Voices, he has been
published in Agenda poetry magazine and also co-edited ‘Homage to
Imagism' (AMS Press, New York). As a visual artist, he was
recently included in ‘Artists' Postcards: A Compendium' (Reaktion Books,
London). Robert has a very distinctive style, arriving on stage with an
assortment of bags. In the same way that a seasoned, reliable ,mechanic
always has something in their toolkit to correct any mechanical problem
you may face, so Bob has a poem tucked away for pretty much any
occasion. His poems are typically short
which enables him to also exercise his skills as a raconteur. His eye
for detail dovetails seamlessly with his devotion to Imagism, his
brevity and wit shines with his epigrams. Providing an international
dimension to the evening was Alistair Noon . Born in 1970 in Aylesbury,
he has subsequently spent time in Russia and China, before moving to
Berlin where he has lived since the early nineties and works as
a translator.
His poetry and translations from
German and Russian have appeared in nine chapbooks from small presses.
Earth Records is his first full-length collection. He appears to
have assimilated a number of Teutonic strengths by osmosis. His writing
is clear, efficient and memorable, doing enough to do the job well
,without unnecessary over elaboration. Nowhere was this more apparent
than in Facets of a Soviet Battle Tank which opens with:
Defending Socialism in
thirteen states, it redirected the traffic
in Prague; then, in rows at the
Afghan border, improvised its own car
park. A press-out cardboard
piece for a weeklong board game. A late addition to the line-up of
guest poets was Ira Lightman, replacing Julie Boden who is still
recuperating from an illness. We all wish Julie a speedy recovery. Currently resident in Newcastle
upon Tyne, Lightman is a conceptual poet with a particular interest in
public art. He regularly appears on BBC Radio 3's The Verb, and has
three published collections. Phone in the Roll, (Knives Forks and
Spoons Press), uses poems spoken into an imperfect dictation
transcriber, which produces misheard transcriptions of the intended
text. Mustard Tart as Lemon
, (Red Squirrel Press),draws together work
written over 15 years and includes Concrete poetry . Duetcetera,
(Shearsman Books), offers twin column poetry which can be read
individually, or together, and is written as two voices. He has also
been featured on New York based website Ubuweb (www.ubu.com/ubu).
To be published on Ubuweb is a considerable feather in his cap, The
Sunday Times named it as one of the top ten “benchmark websites” in the
world. There are just five UK poets published there, and Lightman is one
of them. I am a fan. His poetry is not
always easy, and when performed out loud is sometimes difficult to
follow without the text, but it is always interesting ,and pushes at the
boundaries of poetic form. With each poem the audience has
no idea what is coming next, best exemplified by Judy Garland
which included the most preposterous and imaginative reimagining of
Somewhere Over the Rainbow you are ever likely to hear.
C. J. Allen was new to me. His
prize-winning poetry (in the Arvon, Yorkshire, Lebdury, Ilkley, Ware,
Nottingham & English Association competitions, amongst others) has been
appearing in magazines and anthologies in the UK, USA, Ireland &
elsewhere for years. His most recent collections are: A Strange
Arrangement: New and Selected Poems (Leafe Press, 2007), & Lemonade (a
red ceilings press e-book, 2010). Violets – winner of the Templar Press
Short Collection Competition – was published in November 2011. He
currently edits the reviews pages of the literary magazine Staple. But tonight he was promoting his
new collection At the Oblivion Tea Rooms. Perhaps it was our
shared experience of having been apprehended by the river police for
transgressing obscure regulations on the Norfolk Broads, but I took an
instant liking to Allen's laconic style, and delivery. Snail Explains
endured for me, with its wonderful image of the said Gastropod's forward
progress being akin to that of a Russian novel. The floor readers offered an
embarrassment of riches, I recall by impact, Caroline Cook's Weekly
Workout which was my favourite poem of the night by some way.
It's wry pithy observations on the dark side of poetry workshops were
quite wonderful, and deserved a barrelful of applause (although I did
have to look up the meaning of vatic!).Jayne Stanton's homily to tea was
a delight, as was Lindsay Waller Wilkinson's trip to Seaham. Shindig next meets on 16th
July, 7.30pm, free admission, sign up for floor spots on the night.
23-05-12 Gary Longden
Always a
diary highlight, my abiding favourite regular poetry night out. Amongst the open mics: Caroline Cook's
‘Weekly Workout' was a wry take on poetry workshops (ah, those
inevitable games of Guess the Poet…). Not afraid to experiment with
styles and voices, I always look forward to hearing/reading her poems.
Richard Byrt's ‘Coming Out': wonderful example of ‘less is more.'
I loved the assonance. Jonathan Taylor's ‘Mozart's Clarinet
Sextet': hilarious – I want to hear it again! Gary Longden's
‘Majorca': a tribute to John Cooper Clarke – rhythm, rhyme and humour.
Roy Marshall's ‘Relic': an animal bone found on a woodland walk
gives rise to contemplating our skeleton and ‘temporary skin' – haunting
last line. Kathy Bell's ‘Prayers Requested of an Anchorite' from
a sequence of poems, ‘Balance Sheets for Medieval Spinsters.' Lindsay
Waller-Wilkinson's ‘Seaham' – I loved this reworking from the
original prose for its soundplay and internal rhymes. FEATURED POETS C J Allen
writes the poems many of us wish we'd written and his reading most
certainly did not disappoint. I purchased his newly-launched collection,
At the Oblivion Tea-Rooms (Nine Arches Press) and it's queue-jumped
everything on my reading pile. Alistair Noon's
Earth Records (Nine Arches), also launched this week, is the
poet's debut collection after publishing nine pamphlets. Also a
Longbarrow poet. Ira Lightman,
reading in place of Julie Boden, gave a hugely entertaining rendition of
poems across several collections as well as new work, amongst which ‘Air
on a G String' was my favourite. (And the poet's vivid image of his
gents' loo view: t-shirt print John Lennon sporting a urinating
appendage from his Adam's apple, a lasting impression…). Robert Richardson,
Imagist poet and visual artist, closed the evening. I especially enjoyed
‘Prose and Poetry': the former, justified; the latter, troublesome words
that, on release, murder you in your sleep. 21-05-12 Jayne Stanton
http://jaynestantonpoetry.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/leicester-shindig-may-21st/ |
Polesworth
Abbey, Polesworth Fizz
is a bi-monthly poetry evening held in the august and beautiful
surroundings of Polesworth Abbey which this evening was bathed in warm
late spring sunshine. An all
pervading sense of goodness radiated everywhere in a
setting that Donne, Johnson and Drayton would have recognised, and
appreciated, as they would have appreciated the format of a guest poet,
and floor readers, with free admission and light refreshments. If you want a job done, Mal
Dewhirst, “Mr Fizz”, is the man to go to it seems. Not content with
recent credits which include Nuneaton Poetry Day, The Polesworth Poetry
Trail and the upcoming production of Pink Floyd's “The Wall” at
Tamworth Assembly Rooms 5th-8th
June inclusive, he also announced the creation of the new office of
Staffordshire Poet Laureate, more details of which can be found at:
http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/librariesnew/staffordshiresfirstpoetlaureate.aspx The guest poet for the evening
was Margaret Torr who originates from Birkenhead, but is now a regular
on the Staffordshire poetry circuit.
Her work is versatil , accessible
and intimate and found its apotheosis in Running Parallel,
a wistful but unsentimental look at middle aged relationships and
Silent Window, a terrific, tender,
brutal examination of deafness. She duetted with Dea Costelloe, she read
her contribution to the Polesworth Poetry Trail and she performed a
story. Warmly received, it is about time that she put out a pamphlet of
her work. The floor readings were as
diverse as ever. Gina Coates read Regrets on behalf of the
promising teenage poet Ian Ryan, whilst Dea Costelloe did a solo spot
themed on men including Slanging it Out, which she is going to
have trouble not performing in the future, so well is it received. Janet
Crouch performed the excellent story Zeus's Spoons. Music was on hand in the form of
Brian Langtry, his guitar, and My Cotton Town, set in Hyde not
Alabama, and some half a century in conception. Gary Carr delivered his
customary quick-fire blast of poetic quality which this time included
Dear Diary and Highlights, which were. Terri Jolland reminded us that
there is more to her than comedy writing with the anguished tale of
installing new bedroom furniture and the elegiac Sunshine
Hours, a remembrance of her childhood. Making his Fizzz debut was local
John Farmer who delighted the audience not only with his poem
Polesworth Now and Then but also with his reminiscences of the penny
payment he used to receive for singing in the Abbey Choir over sixty
years ago. Closing the evening was Tom Wyre, who strapped us on board
for his alliterative rhyming rollercoaster of a set. Fizz next plays on 24/7 with guest poet Terri Jolland ,and on 25/9 ,with Dea Costelloe and Peter Grey, 7.30pm start. 22-05-12 Gary Longden |
Spoken Worlds Old Cottage Tavern, Byrkely St , Burton Upon Trent This monthly event
continues to prosper with a committed core of supporters who never fail
to produce an evening of high quality and entertaining poetry in a
relaxed and supportive environment. By chance, several poets chose to dip into their back catalogues for this night's readings which served as a timely reminder of the depth of material which several poets possessed. Many poets feel compelled to continue to produce new
work because poetry can be a short form, yet revisiting old and
sometimes forgotten work can also be rewarding. Andy Biddulph had been absent for a few months as
his time has been diverted helping to fight a legal battle to defend the
right of free navigation on some of Britain's waterways, a right
currently under threat. Traditionally, Andy's work tends to triumph the
trials, tribulations , and triumphs of the common man. However he opened
with a surreal piece, loosely themed on endeavour, Solo to Summit,
boasting an extended psychedelic prose introduction which Robert
Calvert and Hawkwind would have been proud of. Intriguing and
other worldly. In a similarly esoteric vein Tony Keaton decided to name check the ancient question of: “how many angels can dance on the point of a needle?” Dorothy L Sayers concluded that an infinity of angels can be located on the head of a pin, since they do not occupy any space there. Tony took on Sayers and Thomas Aquinas – and won, with his super poem Instructions to Angels. I always enjoy Tony's readings because whatever subject he decides to tackle, he does so with freshness and brio. Sometimes familiar faces can surprise. Dea Costelloe invariably produces high quality mainstream poetry delivered with the assurance of a BBC newsreader. Tonight, she travelled from the West End of Shepherds Bush, to the East End of Albert Square and Bow Bells, with her wonderful homily to cockney rhyming slam Slanging It. FUNNY, FOND AND CLEVER Dedicated to her father who was a lighterman on the
Thames, it was funny, fond and clever as she became Barbera Windsor
with a twinkle in her eye, some sauce on her tongue and a wholly
convincing cockney accent. On Tuesday 22nd, Margaret Torr is
headlining at Fizz in Polesworth so this was a bit of a warm up
appearance. She chose to read a hugely inventive piece in Viking saga
style using four letter words. Not only was it a fascinating device, but
Margaret also used her storytelling voice to conjure a musical,
insistent rhythm to her tale. Brave in conception, successful in
execution. As the 1970's entered its second half, Punk Rock
blazed into the cultural arena laying waste the lazy artistic thinking
which dominated ,and clearing space for much fine music which was to
follow. But it is seldom remembered that whilst the Sex Pistols and the
Stranglers were outraging the nation on the front pages it was the Bee
Gees and their disco classic Saturday Night Fever who were dominating
the singles and album charts. Mal Dewhirst memorably reprised both
aspects of the era with Outside Barbarellas and Before the
Locarno. It was a wistful reminder of a time when music by Chic and
The Clash sat side by side in my record collection. Tom Wyre has been working hard on the
performance circuit and it is paying dividends. His trademark is to cram
rhymes and alliteration into his poems to bursting point, he is often
at his best when drawing upon reflections from his time on the road,
Cellophane Man and Joe Hamster being good examples. On a
night in which everyone seemed to be trying something different, Janet
Jenkins read a very strong prose piece Disturbing the Contents
and the versatile Rob Stevens veered from the Queen to paying off
his mortgage , whilst host Gary Carr revisited poems inspired by the
Pooley Poetry trail as well as hosting the evening with his customary
skill. Spoken Worlds next meets at the Old Cottage Tavern
at 7.30pm, on Friday 15th June, free admission. 19-05-12 Gary Longden |
The Spark Becomes a Flame Poetry Alight, Spark Cafe,
Lichfield As a Poetry event organiser, I am all too aware of the trepidation of following a successful first event with the second. It is the band working on their tricky second album. But they need not have feared, as our host Gary
Longden took to the stage, the room was packed with both familiar faces
and new, all hanging on his every word, all full of poetic expectations,
all ready to be delighted, thrilled and taken to thoughtful places. The
evening did not disappoint. Gary was relaxed and wore his role as the MC with
ease and comfort, with his amusing, respectful and enthusiastic
introductions. The evening's performances featured three guest
poets each with six minutes and nineteen supporting poets each with
three minutes. The evening opened with the first of the guest poets, The Word Wizard from Buxton, Rob Stevens (pictured below left). Rob runs the Word Wizards Poetry Slam and is a regular reader at Spoken Worlds as he ventures south to share his wit and thoughtfulness with new audiences. It was good to see him as the guest poet with a longer set that showed his ability to make you laugh with his well crafted poems “Doesn't Look Like a Poet”, which was an observation he perceived of how others view him and perhaps the rest of us jobbing poets. He followed this with two amusing animal poems the
first featuring Geoffrey the flatulent Giraffe and the second Hiawatha
on a bear hunt. Rob also has a serious side that he brings out in poems
such as his final piece on the Hospice. This resonated against the
background of the humour of his early pieces and so was a tender
reminder of the fragility of life. Rob has a voice that takes you with
him, his tone settles you to what is to come, slipping easily from the
comic to the serious; he is a master at holding an audience. Rob not
only set the high standard for the evening but also created an
atmosphere that enabled the following readers to relax into their
pieces. Rob was followed by Jane
James from Wolverhampton and regular reader at Bilston Voices,
Jane mused on Love in a world of snoring, how her snoring partner did
not annoy her and she gloried in this sign of life. She delivered this
from memory and was able to engage the audience with her words on the
roar of the snore, it showed you were alive and Jane showed she too is
very much alive through her well versed observations. Gary Carr from Burton, where he
runs Spoken Worlds followed with a selection from his new poems where he
is exploring how to lift words from the page and engage with wider
audiences. His first poem “Every Day Just Lifts Me a Little Higher”,
explores how as individuals we can make the world a better place, just
by enjoying it and revelling in all that life has to offer. Gary
followed this with “The Cinder Path Story” exploring our pre-conceptions
through Little Red Riding Hood. His final piece Dear Diary, observes
that our fellow pupils of 30 years ago are no longer the people we
recognise or they us, that our lives though lived in the same town since
our shared education do not create bonds that are lasting. David Calcutt followed and seems to be haunted by delays at this event last time it was a group of exiting knitters from the room upstairs and this time by the tones of the coffee machine as steam was pumped into an emerging Latte. MULTIPLE VOICES This however does not worry David who
delivered a wonder poem with multiple voices that one would expect from
this accomplished writer. Dinmore Woods is an epic journey through
nature, full of voices that stretch from England over the border into
Wales, examining borders. It was a very well crafted poem that was
really well delivered. David was followed by another very accomplished poet
Antony Owen, Antony who hails from Coventry where he
runs Nightblue Fruit, he also is an award winning poet whose take on war
and society is not matched by any other living poet. Antony's poems do
not take prisoners as they spill the blood of tyranny from the page as
he delivers realities so that they cannot be ignored. This makes him
stand out as one of the greatest war poets of our time. Antony
remembered lasting imagery of Bobby Sands, The Shankhill Lazarus and the
fragility of Belfast during the troubles. His poem Pilau Rice explored
the Riots of 2011 when three sons lost their lives protecting their
property and the dignified response of their father as he called for
calm. Antony as ever delivered a consummate performance. Bert Flitcroft from Alrewas
followed with an observation that he was reminded of when standing in
front of the mirror shaving, which brought back a childhood memory of an
uncle who wandered about Naked. This was followed by a sonnet to a Bacon
Sandwich, which resulted in the only argument he and his wife had ever
had. More breakfast foods adorned his final piece The Flying Club as he
explored the lives of Pigeon Racers. Bert has his own true voice, a
voice that can in the same poem amuse and raise to the fore poignant
thoughts. Penny Harper who delighted us with
tales of Nepal at the last Poetry Alight, read two well crafted poems
that delved into nature and with Song of the Earth dedicated to
Professor Brian Cox and the infinite Monkey cage, followed by Hailstones
which she described as a shout of hate that silences the birds. Jane Stanton from Leicester who is a regular at Shindig gave us her wash day poems with a reminiscence of a Flatley Electric Clothes Drier Circa 1961 followed by Clothes Horse which brought back my own memories of making tents from an upturned clothes horse and army blankets where Jane held picnics and saw it as a grandly gentile room. FADING ART Her final reminiscence Tasseography an Introduction,
telling of the fading art of reading tea leaves, how she observed her
Grandma's skilful interpretations of the future through the dregs of a
cup. Jane will be one of the poets going to Cork this year on the
Coventry Cork Literature exchange and fine representative she will make. Christine Colman opened up the
world of a sedentary life with her poem Becoming a Seal which she
followed with a wonderful poem that gave a voice to Icarus' Father
Daedalus as he observed his son ignore his instructions as he flew off
with wax held feather wings only to travel too close to the sun and the
wax melt causing Icarus to fall into the sea and drown as told in Greek
mythology. The plight of a parent whose advice goes unheard. Christine was followed by Margaret Torr
in the run up to her guest poetry reading at THE FIZZ in Polesworth next
Tuesday the 22nd of May. Margaret read her villanelle that came from an
article on the funeral of butcher, where they played And Sheep may
safely graze. This amused Margaret and so she was struck to write her
wonderful piece that she delivers with all the skill of the natural
storyteller that she is. I am always honoured when one of the Polesworth
Poets Trail poets read their poem from the Trail and so was delighted
when Margaret read the Pooley Pit Ponies. I look forward to her reading
next week. The second guest poet finished the first half and what an absolutely captivating performance it was. Sue Brown (left) who leads Writers without Borders, delivered a special few moments not often seen but so absolutely wonderful to experience when they do. Her poetry is full of rhythm and purposefulness, she
makes you stop what you are doing and listen. Her poem My love is Ire
fills the room with her joy at being herself and being in love. From my
thought came the word explores her relationships with people and with
words and how they can interchange in a thoughtful resonant place. Sue
finished with Wanting to Be with it rhythms of dance and Jazz and very
distinctly the Blues, and absolutely wonderful piece. Sue is definitely
someone to seek out on the Birmingham Poetry circuit. The second half was started in fine style by the
final guest poet Mstr Morrison, (below) who gave us two
poems, the first The Old man and his dog, was a tale about relationships
and how ordinary unassuming people can lead extraordinary lives. His
calm delivery soothed us into the world of the characters; bring a tear
to eye of some who listened. His second poem Dance with me was personal
piece that told of gathering music to enrich the souls of two lovers;
these were two beautiful poems from a beautiful soul an absolutely
brilliant performance. Mstr Morrison is another poet to seek out. Next was Kate Walton
who was struck by a newspaper article that suggested Melton Mowbray has
the highest record for accidental deaths. A subject she mused upon with
hints of pie making, well I say hints they were blatant references, she
did qualify this by stating it was totally fictional. A very witty and
well crafted poem that was well delivered. We were then treated to the poetry of our hosts The
Lichfield Poets. Steph Knipe whose take on the world
is always of interest as she sees things that others don't and then
delights us by pointing them out. Her poem Project Sunshine is a must
for wine lovers and those who write about wine. Her second poem What
Happened Next saw her talking to familiar strangers and ending with a
prayer at ground zero. Both delivered with eloquence. Following Steph came Jan Arnold who
read of dying and dead umbrellas in the New York rain, capturing the
streets of the Big Apple as no other rain is like that of New York. Here
poem Caterpillar Smile was a poem to a lady on a train. Both were well
observed pieces that took you to the moments that inspired them. A reverent welcome was given to the leader of the
Lichfield Poets, Janet Jenkins who gave us her creative
thoughts on the relationship between humans and wildlife. Her first well
crafted poem on Balletic Bullies as she mused on the disruptions of
Starlings. She followed this with the disgruntled Frog who whilst trying
to spawn was hit on the head by a mobile phone, Janet's as it happened. George Barbrook continued the
animal theme with his Cat on a Wall, where he philosophised on Fat Cats
looking down on us. His second poem really captured me, a love poem
inspired by an Aunt who played out the summer, it told of time and the
gentleness that we seemed to have lost. Janet Smith followed with her poem
for International Women's Day, Flares which she pointed out she happened
to be wearing, She followed with her poem thought provoking poem, Still
Birth, which was selected as one of the twenty highly commended poems
for Donald Singer: Health, Art and Science – Hippocrates Awards for
Poetry. Her final piece was a tribute to Poet Adrienne Rich, who died
earlier this year. It is always a pleasure to hear Janet read, she too
will be travelling to Cork this summer as part of the Coventry Cork
Literature exchange, Cork is certainly in for a rare treat. Heather Fowler came next with a
poem inspired by the Titanic, Not just any old sinking ship, told of an
impresario rolling up the punters for a Titanic sideshow. She followed
this with a poem to commemorate the end of the Football season with a
memory of visiting Old Trafford in the days when BEST meant George Best.
Both were well written and read.
Next came a newcomer to the poetry scene,
Kay Westoby, who read from a Kindle, which is becoming more
popular with readers in the last six months. Composer and Conductor,
where she looks at how she can connect with a discordant world. It was a
good first performance. Finally Tom Wyre read from his
collection Soliloquy, Ivory Towers a poem that proclaims Heaven can
wait, he followed this with a new poem Cellophane Man who breathes the
breath of destruction. A very fine reading and good end to a great
night. Poetry Alight was a terrific evening of poetry and
long may it continue although it may have to lose its line of being an
occasional event. The Lichfield Poets are to be congratulated for
continuing to build this event. Congratulations to Gary Longden whose
hosting skills made the evening flow easily and provided for the relaxed
enjoyment of poetry. The next Poetry Alight will be on Tuesday
10th July 2012 at the Spark Café, Tamworth St, Lichfield. This
event is at the same time as The Lichfield Festival. 15-05-12 This review first appeared in:http://pollysworda.wordpress.com |
Four Crystals Pamphlets Showcase City Gallery, Nottingham HAVING unsuccessfully tried to tame my
three-day fever with paracetamol and sooth my raw throat with lozenges,
I arrived coughing, clammy and slightly off-kilter in the city of
Nottingham for the launch of Crystal Pamphlets at the City Gallery. Just past and to the left of Nottingham's famous
lion statues there is a small gated alleyway which leads to the glass
fronted gallery with its white walls and wooden floor. If you turn to
look up and over your shoulder before entering you can see through the
steel structure over the doorway to look at the perfectly framed council
building dome, a mini St. Paul's through a millennium bridge-style metal
lattice. I met the proprietor at the door who told me that
this former sex shop had been open two months and that the sound of the
clock mechanism in the tower bounces and funnels up the alley walls to
ricochet into the gallery doorway. The readers were Deborah-Tyler Bennet, Andrew
Graves, Mark Goodwin, Charles Lauder, Aly Stoneman, Wayne Burrows and
myself. The event was extremely enjoyable, there being a
bar, good music and a large audience of interested listeners. Aly had
planned a really good structure to the readings; Crystal Clear director
Jonathan Taylor introduced the evening, explaining how the writers had
been selected via a competition and speaking about the Arts Council
Grant and support from Writing East Midlands. Each Crystal Clear poet introduced their mentor who
read their own work before introducing their mentee. Before each set of
poems we were treated to insights into the mentoring relationships.
Introductions enabled each reader to make succinct statements about what
she or he found to be the strengths of each-others work. By the end of
the evening no-one present was left in any doubt that the project had
succeeded in bringing about a fruitful creative cross-pollination
between all parties. After lots of chat and a glass of wine I left the
gallery to the sound of ‘Hey Joe' played by a bandana wearing busker
with log grey hair. Listening cross-legged at his feet sat two girls,
aged about 16; either this was a testament to the enduring appeal of
rock n roll or a sobering reminder that kids of this age still have no
particular place to go. Roy Marshall Roy is a Leicestershire based poet. In 2009 he
sent a poem to the Guardian poetry workshop and his poem was chosen for
publication on their website. One poem lead to another. His work is due
to appear or has already appeared in anthologies from Frogemore Press,
Happenstance, Flarestack and Perth and Kinross Libraries. His pamphlet
‘Gopagilla' is published by Crystal Clear pamphlets.
http://roymarshall.wordpress.com/about http://www.crystalclearcreators.org.uk/ |
Mouth & Music The Boars Head,
Kidderminster Heather (pictured below) also took the opportunity to rally support to challenge Kidderminster Council's proposals to close the Library Art Gallery, proposals which would leave the Boars Head Gallery as the only Gallery space in the town. In my experience public bodies are poor at managing
arts provision, whilst local activists are good at it. The Kidderminster
Arts Federation has been formed to draw together the diverse Arts
interests in Kidderminster and the surrounding areas. The Boars Head
Gallery is the nerve centre of operations, the KAF's efforts deserve to
be supported. Co-KAF conspirator Sarah Tamar helped to launch the
evening with the drought inspired Rain before moving onto her home turf
of contemporary light poetry with a bit of social bite taking in young
women who want to be WAGS, and young men called to fight for their
country. A feature of the evening is its encouragement for
first time performers. Margaret Green gave an assured reading of a trio
of poems of which I am Too Beautiful To be Waiting was the best. Elena Thomas works as a contemporary visual artist
but chose this evening as a platform to unleash the poet in her with a
tribute to thirty years of marriage and a lullaby normally set to
music. Both worked well. Steve Hughes worked a rehearsed,
memorised set of two performance pieces, Shall I Spit or Swallow? and
Well Endowed, both were woven with double entendres which would have
made Frankie Howard blush. A Lichfield Poets, Ian Ward has become a fixture on
the Midlands performance poetry scene, chalking up the hard yards. From a substantial back catalogue he performed a
trio from his 19th Century Cornwall collection, which I think is his
strongest, rich in rhythm, rhyme and a sense of place. John Cliff
similarly drew on a sense of place, but in his case one much closer to
home, the Severn Valley railway, which he explored in Great Longstow.
Worcester has an unusually strong cohort of talented
female poets and two were on form tonight. Jenny Hope is a hugely
talented poet. Not only is her poetry elegant, lyrical and precise, but
she also revels in a dry wit, and a knowing glance. From Petrolhead her
2010 collection she read from The Man who Married His Car, with the
memorable opening : “ He was underneath her most weekends.” Jenny
matches ear-catching phrases with a beguiling delivery, Woman
included the line: “I seek out the roots of sleeping trees” – and we
were hooked. A reluctant Ruth Stacey was dragooned onto stage,
fortunately she just happened to have the wonderful Go Round
committed to memory, picking up the arboreal theme with :“The deciduous
trees are gilded with decay.” Missing from the audience was fellow
Worcester Poet Suz Winspear whose signature piece is Evil Trees. I have
made a mental note to decline any offer of a walk in the woods with
those three. The evening is also about music as well as poetry
and three musicians were on hand to entertain. Kate Wragg reprised her
April performance, with Character Building a delight. Colin Pitts had
been hunted down after Heather Wastie had seen him performing elsewhere.
It was immediately apparent why she went to the trouble. Colin combined
the finger work style of Mark Knopfler and the smooth, gravelly
tones of Chris Rea in a very well received set. Al Barz performed with a
keyboard, rather than guitar, to accompany his poetry. Using a
sequencer facility, it was not always clear whether Al was driving the
technology, or the technology was driving him, but in the great
tradition of the likes of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson, Al never
flinched from pushing the musical boundaries, even ending Leandra with a
flourish that Ray Manzarek would have been proud of. Identifying the
adapted musical motifs is part of the enjoyment of listening to Al
perform, The Whisper of Her Name definitely borrows from Steely
Dan's,Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Home Alone from Mouldy Old Dough by
Lieutenant Pigeon. The audience loved him, it was great fun.
The main event was The Decadent Diva's debuting much
new material, but retaining the premise that each was speaking from the
viewpoint of a woman from one of four decades. The format of the evening
offered the opportunity of a device which worked particularly well for
them. Instead of simply delivering an ensemble piece, they each
performed solo spots first. This offered the considerable advantage of
helping to establish individual character before they all appeared
together. I like ensemble poetry performance. It offers
variety, contrast and an extra dynamic to the poetry itself. It is also
interesting to see how this concept is growing and unfolding. In past
performances there was a strong sense of the voice of Everywoman
representing each decade. Now that solo performances are creating a
sense of individual identity, the challenge of whether that identity
should be that of the individual poet, or an assumed identity by that
individual poet, emerges. This script gave Laura Yates and Maggie Doyle
greater opportunities than previous ones, and both seized that chance
with relish and style. Charlie Jordan was as smooth as ever, the oil,
allowing the wheels to spin easily around her, Lorna Meehan enjoyed
showing out as much the audience lapped up her performance – rarely have
I witnessed the very mention of Michael Buble's name invoke such a
sense of hysteria! This was certainly their sauciest and raciest set
yet, but was still delivered in the best possible taste. Mouth & Music next meets at 8pm on Tuesday June
12th, but a Jubilee special is being held, on ubilee Weekend Sat 2nd,
Sun 3rd, Mon 4th afternoons, with plenty of poetry and music. 08-05-12 |
Phenomenal Women 2 Birmingham Library Theatre STEPPING on to the stage complete with an
umbrella, rain mac, hat and rubber duck, Birmingham poet laureate Jan
Watts opened the second evening of celebrating phenomenal women on loss
in up-tempo style that was to continue throughout the evening,
despite the sombre theme. It seemed to me that not only were all of the women
there to share their writing on loss, but also to celebrate their lives
after loss. Kate Walton dazzled and held the whole stage in the
palms of her expressive hands for her two poems on loss of
relationships, and a lament on the loss of a child. She was honest and
confident, and with incredible pace and tone, this relatively new poet
is a rising star. Also new to reading was Lavinia Beresfield, who
performed with dignity and grace the true meaning of the word wife, and
her world without her husband, which tugged at the heartstrings, a
fantastic set for this first time reader. The mistress of form, Penny
Hewlett presented beautiful work, with and without form, from the
travelling A Graceful Death exhibition, where she has run
extensive workshops. The pieces were personal, but timeless and
universal with a touch of magic. The whole set left me with the image of
a kiss upon a dying man's face, and was unique, with an elegant twist. Speaking of elegant, three quarters of the decadent divas strutted their stuff as individuals; Charlie Jordan's search for a Mother in the form of a telephone conversation was simple and forthright and chilled me to the bone. SPELLBINDING The glamorous Maggie Doyle chooses a different kind
of loss entirely- weight loss-with extremely funny results, and
delivered her reading like a pro, as did Lorna Meehan with a rhythmic
and spellbinding piece on' losing some-one who is still there'. Similarly rhythmic and able to keep her breath
through clever word play was Shaila, who I last saw in summer at the
i-slam. She has grown in to an accomplished and articulate young woman,
something in the way the poem effortlessly fell from her lips was
remarkable, and a pleasure. I look forward to seeing her read again
soon. Another lady I have seen once before was Elaine Christie
hosting her born free events. A crisp and concise reader, she evoked
potent images that connected to each succeeding one with vigour. Interspersed throughout the evening, Jan read pieces
old and new, my favourite being Shelly Now Nicole, which she
read with power and passion, but with a delicate touch that showed not
only her love for her topic and the technique of writing, but also the
determination of what her poem had to say. Similarly, Kathy Gee shone as always, with
confidence and well written, eloquent pieces. She is a timeless and
classic writer, whose performance and poetry is excellent in equal
measure. Fresh from her sword- fighting antics at Blue Orange theatre,
Louise Stokes provided a heartfelt set about the loss that bullying can
cause, and read from one of her many books, Marooned. The work was
genuine and came from a place of strong emotion, but with the edge of a
survivor. It is fantastic to see Louise succeeding in her many roles,
actor, writer and artist and as she stood firmly on the stage, summing
up the feel of the entire evening with strength and dignity. Phenomenal Women is part of an occasional series run
by Jan Watts in conjunction with the Birmingham Library service in which
women only perform to an audience of women and men. 03-05-12 Sam Hunt Sam is an undergraduate student at Newnham
University College,reading Drama, and a regular as a poet, playwright
and actor on stages across the Midlands. |
Dominic Berry The Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone, London WIZARD
is the first theatre show from Dominic Berry a Manchester-based
performance poet. Let me start by declaring an interest in that I've
met Dominic on the Poetry Slam circuit and we have expressed admiration
for each other's work. However it is a giant leap from poems performed in
three minute segments to a 75 minute stage show that features heavy use
of rhyme. So, can a poetry-based show engage an audience for an extended
period? Well in my opinion, this show doesn't just engage; it's a
triumph. Wizard starts off as a story of a normal
person encountering his strange neighbour locked out of his flat. Taking
a chance to help him, they form an odd couple friendship where one does
the regular 9 to 5 routine which starkly contrasts with Wizard's world
inhabited with talking kettles and magical quests. It is an indication of the strength of writing and
performances that the use of rhyme enhances the story without being
clunky. Ben Jewell offers an excellent foil in supporting roles that
allows Dominic Berry's central performance as the Wizard to fly. What starts out as a tale with quirky charm takes a
darker turn when you realise we are not in the realms of Harry Potter
but in the world of anxiety-induced agoraphobia. The creation of a
world of spells, carpet-goblins and keeping score in quest gaming style
is a safe haven from a hectic, violent modern world and who's to say
that isn't preferable sometimes? Poetry has often been used as part of
the healing humanities and in “Wizard” a sensitive subject has been well
researched and forms the backbone of a moving and sometimes unsettling
story. Life is sometimes unsettling and these episodes are
well acted and the feeble attempts at “care” by a stretched to breaking
public service highlight the feeling of helplessness that many must
feel. Excellent lighting and sound effects thoughtfully
support the changes in mood and tone to produce a great theatrical
experience. This is a wonderful show with lots to commend it and it is
currently on a limited tour. You should go and see it while you have the chance.
Yes it is that good; in fact it's wizard! Details of future
performances, and more information on the production and author are
available at Dominic's website:
http://dominicberry.net/
01-05-12 Mark Niel Mark is Poet Laureate for Milton Keynes, appears
regularly around the Midlands and works full time as a professional
performer. He has been commissioned to write a poem for the Diamond
Jubilee weekend which has been recorded by Imelda Staunton and will be
broadcast on Sunday 3 June as part of the station's Holiday Weekend
celebrations on BBC Radio Two. More information about Mark is available
at: http://www.akickinthearts.co.uk/ |
Bang said the Gun The Old Nag's Head, Jackson's Row, Manchester Hidden away n the function room of a pub
straight from the set of Life on Mars, one of London's more successful
poetry events has been painstakingly recreated in the dark, cynical
North. With hosting duties shared by five local poets, Bang
is an anarchistic mix of seasoned scene veterans and open mic virgins
split into two halves. Act One features a poet-in-residence and a special
guest, while Act Two offers anyone ready to brave the microphone a
chance to win the coveted Golden Gun. The first night's hosting duties fell to Dominic
Berry (as seen naked on Channel 4), a manic bundle of energy who doesn't
so much speak with his hands as scream with his entire upper body, and
the slightly more restrained Benny-Jo Zahl. After a brief warm up consisting of aubergines and
an unnatural deployment of an electric whisk, the crowd were introduced
to Bang's first resident poet, Jackie Hagan. Jackie's offering centred on a theme close to the
hearts of the audience; reconciling working class roots with middle
class pursuits (University, olives, poetry), and her caustically witty
insights can't help but wring a wry smile from any crowd. After a brief interlude from next week's host, the
always superb and superlative (but never superfluous) Rod Tame, the
night's star billing took to the stage. Ben Mellor of Penultimate is no average performer.
Having won Radio 4's poetry slam, he brings a real confidence and charm
to the stage, and his performance at Bang was no different.
Ben's three poem set touched upon the wisdom of
proverbs and the potential of paper, before preparing the country for
the inevitable summer outbreak of nationalist half-wittery with the
hilarious "Come On England". Act two's guest slot is reserved for Bang Said the
Gun winners, but with this being opening night, it was left to Wigan &
Leigh slam winner Charlotte Henson to follow Dave Viney's brief
introduction. Charlotte's style is just about uncomfortable enough
to make stand up poetry look difficult - providing an ideal introduction
to the climax of the night. Open mic nights are always a mixed bag, but quality
at Bang was high, with the impromptu "volunteer" judge finding it hard
to choose between the Nearly Dead Poet Society's "Too Young to Die, Too
Old to Rap" and Thick Richard's "Scum of the Earth". After brief
deliberation and a scientific comparison of applause, Thick Richard
walked away with the prestigious Golden Gun and a future guest slot. With the awards done, it was left to Keiren King to
close the night with a personal favourite of mine – "Whatever Happened
to the Heroes?" If Bang lives up to its own high standards, it's
pretty clear what happened to Bang Said The Gun (Manchester) - Thursdays, 7:30pm -
The Old Nag's Head, David Viney David Viney grew up in Stretford, Manchester and is
one third of poetry collective Working Verse who have a second showing
of their hit show 'Amateur Thematics' at the Lowry Theatre on 4th
August, followed by the book launch of debut collection 'The Prequel to
the Sequel', Lowry Theatre 2nd September 2012. |
Marianne
Boruch: A Poetry Reading Leicester
Guildhall What
a treat, at the end of a (very) long working day! Having found a free
parking space in my usual side street (best-kept secret), I fairly
legged it through the pouring rain and stepped into the time capsule
that is the Mayor's Parlour in Leicester's Guildhall just in time to
catch Caroline Cook's introduction and welcome. Marianne Boruch is a professor of
English at Purdue University, Indiana, and a Fullbright scholar, writing
and teaching at the University of Edinburgh. She has published eight
poetry collections, including The Book of Hours (Copper Canyon
Press 2011). I first heard Boruch read at a
Leicester Poetry Society event several years ago. Tonight's reading was
an altogether different experience: add to the mix the endeavours of
campanologists in rehearsal at the cathedral next door, visual
distractions in the form of an ornate heraldic fireplace (anno 1637) as
backdrop (I wonder what happened to my cherished childhood copy of
The Observer's Book of same...), various items of wall furniture,
including a couple of imperious-looking characters (framed) and,
bizarrely, a bright green sequin which winked at me from its niche
between the floorboards...
Marianne talked about her semester spent in the dissection lab at Purdue University where she spent twelve hours a week, at the same time studying life drawing. Working from the notes she made on her observations and overheard comments/conversations, she wrote a series of poems in cadaver-speak, as yet unpublished in book form, although they have appeared in The Georgia Review. These are persona poems, written
almost against her will, as the character of her favourite corpse, a
hundred-year-old woman, took over. A fascinating window on a world, too:
in the US, cadavers' heads are kept wrapped in bandages, mummy-like,
until eventually revealed - a moment of high drama. In the UK, however,
students are eyed by their corpses throughout the whole proceedings. And
the origin of those traditional red and white barbers' poles... The Book of Hours,
Boruch's latest collection, is a kind of journal, a portrait of time,
written in quatrains. There are God poems, Voice poems (an older poet
addressing younger poets), her mother's death a thread throughout.
Marianne views this collection as distinct from her previous writing:
poems that came, unbidden, and kept on coming. At least as fascinating as the
poems themselves was an insight into the various writing processes:
notes morphing into poems; a character imposing her
will/personality/opinions upon the writer; organic poems that willed
themselves into existence. Marianne Boruch, unassuming,
oh-so-softly-spoken, but a true inspiration. She brought no publications
for sale, so will employ my favourite search engine forthwith. But that
green sequin offers all manner of possibilities. 04-05-12 Jayne
Stanton Jayne Stanton lives, works
and writes in Leicestershire. Her poems appear, or are forthcoming, in
Under the Radar, Staple, Hearing Voices, The Journal and others. Her
blog, in which this review first appeared, is available at:
http://jaynestantonpoetry.wordpress.com/ |
Night
Blue Fruit Taylor
Johns Vaults
THIS long running event continues to prosper under the careful
curatorship of Anthony R Owen who this month had invited Sarah James
(pictured below) from Worcestershire to be
guest poet. Sarah is a sought after
performer at these events due to her polymath poetic talents. She is
based in Droitwich Spa where she runs the Poetry Society's
Worcestershire Stanza and is secretary of Droitwich Arts Network. Widely published, Sarah's
first full-length poetry collection Into the Yell was published
by Circaidy Gregory Press in July 2010 and won third prize in the
International Rubery Book Awards 2011. What always impresses me
about Sarah is both the breadth of her subject matter, and the care in
her language. How to Dress was a very strong opener with a well
developed cactus metaphor, Je Ne Sais Quoi a bitter sweet
reminiscence of her time spent as a student studying French in France.
Instrumental, about her young sons, typified her material,
clever but never highbrow. That standard was mirrored by
a strong supporting cast. Gary Carr, from Burton upon Trent's Spoken
Worlds relished the opportunity to perform, rather than organise,
delivering a well crafted set from his impressive Monday to Friday
through to Octopus.
From Birmingham University,
Janet Smith performed what is becoming a formidable and well tested set,
to which Meadowhall, which I had not heard before, had been
added, and was a welcome addition to her performing repertoire. Forging his way on the circuit, and a Night Blue Fruit debutante, Chris Wayne wisely played safe with the short, but effective Faithless and a longer piece about alcoholism written as an observational piece, because he does not drink. A strong student contingent
brought an eclectic and diverse range of poetic offerings to the stage.
Vocanoes ? Fuck Em was inventive, Oblivious a powerful
poignant warning on date rape. Photography student Adele
Reed made quite an impact. Uncertain as to whether she wanted to read or
not she invited host Anthony Owen to read for her, who was handed a
handwritten notebook in which the poem was written backwards, not an
auspicious set of circumstances! Furthermore Adele decided,
upon reflection, that she wanted to read after all, and delivered an
extended piece with the epic ambition of Spenser's Faerie Queen.
It was dense and lyrical, although I am not entirely sure what it was
all about. A sure fire way to attract an intrigued audience. With the
wind in her sails Adele went on to read about a rabbit whose fluffy or
mechanical properties were ambiguous! Night Blue Fruit next meets
at 8pm on Tuesday 5th June. 01-05-12 Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Bilston Fading spring light still clung to the
evening hour through the haze of light drizzle as April's instalment of
Bilston Voices commenced. The usual, strong, crowd assembled early for coffee
and cake before sampling the main course of the evening's entertainment
for one of the more diverse bills of a fine 2012 programme. Storytelling commenced proceedings with Iris Rose
remembering her four weddings (without a funeral) as a bridesmaid. Iris
bears an uncanny resemblance to Sky News anchorwoman Kay Burley, but her
roots were emphatically Black Country and not media luvvie. It was a leisurely stroll through schooldays of
apple scrumping, wheelbarrow rides and British Rail services which ran
on time, a journey the appreciative audience were happy to climb on
board for. Spoken Word at the Hollybush Public House in Cradley
Heath is another regular Black Country night out. Veteran Richard Bruce
Clay has recently handed over the reins of organising the event to
tenderfoot jack Edwards who tonight was performing, rather than
cheerleading. Young, ebullient and full of ideas, he is unashamedly a
performance poet. His opening trio of January Sales/ I'm a
Rock Star/Health & Safety were the poetic equivalent of a fast
bowler in cricket bowling his opening over, effective, exploratory and
testing the reaction of what was opposite to him. By the time he had delivered his closing salvo of
Supply Teachers Guide/Fair Trade / Sorry he was regularly
taking wickets. Supply Teacher evoked gales of laughter, and
Fair Trade is probably his best poem. Sorry
which he closed with, whilst good, worked better as an opener when I saw
him perform it recently in Kidderminster, underscoring how sensitive
poems are to their position in a running order.
Octogenarian Win Saha, closed the first half with
poetry that was neither sentimental nor retrospective in tone, drawing
instead on the past to illuminate the present. Vulnerable Man,
about the effect of the recession, could have been written in the 1930's
or 1970's, but packed a contemporary punch, Consolation Prize
was a saucy take on internet dating, whilst Rain Dance
was demonstrably effective as the pavements outside glistened with the
results of a timely April shower. Win and Jack proved with their first half sets the
adage “if you are good enough you are old enough,” from opposite
ends of the age spectrum. Win's collection, Win's Top Thirty is
available from Offa's Press. After the interval Roger Jones split his performance
between four poems and a reminiscence of his first day at Secondary
School in 1948. Anyone lamenting declining standards of behaviour
in schools now would have been shocked by the chaos of teacher assault
and vandalism that confronted Roger on his first day. Yet it was his
shortest piece, Simian, a poem about a black man who was
admitted to the same hospital ward as him, then died, over half a
century ago, that stood out for me. Headlining the evening was Liz Lefroy, from
Shrewsbury, whose debut pamphlet, Pretending the Weather won
the prestigious Roy Fisher prize in 2011. Her latest pamphlet, The
Gathering, had been delivered by the printers that vey morning,
affording her the opportunity to offer Bilston a world premier
performance of some extracts! Her tall frame gives her a commanding presence which
combines with her measured mellifluous delivery to create calm and
confidence. She picked up on the nostalgic thread which had run
through some previous performances on the night to introduce her first
poem, Archaeology. In it, she draws parallels between the
work of archaeologists who attempt to piece together physical fragments
of the past, and poets who seek to create poems by searching for
fragments of memory. By so doing, both strive to make sense of the
present. It was a compelling and powerful analogy. S Liz is engagingly eclectic in her choice of subject
matter. Poems about childhood risk being intensely personal with little
reach beyond the author, but not in her skilled hands. In her
Episodes sequence she wrote of her mother; ”Once you let us find
you stripped down to your tears,” the silence in the room cried out in
recognition. Her language is economic, precise and
compassionate. In Roadside Shrine she opens with, “I pass your
death each morning.” Gratuitous grandiloquence is no pitfall for her. As
an aside she revealed that she is a vicar's daughter. Her writing, as if
by osmosis, combines the clergyman's oratorical skills of sensitivity
and candour. The liturgical awareness which surrounded her
upbringing is explored in the exact, lyrical words of The Gathering,
which also has a musical arrangement, from which she read The New
Testament Reading/The Creed. The tradition of setting devotional
poetry to music has a rich tradition, most successfully practised by
Christina Rossetti – Liz is in fine company! Determined not to leave the audience with too
serious an impression of her, she delighted and entertained also with
Sunday Gifts about ladies underwear, and the self deprecating
Gender Reassignment, before closing with a cautionary tale of
the tensions between prose and poetry writers which struck a chord with
all. Bilston Voices once again succeeded in its mission
of providing a platform for distinguished performers with a
national reputation whilst also providing a platform for local talent.It
meets again on Thursday 24th May. 26-04-12 Gary Longden |
Sounds & Sweet Airs Bookmark Library Theatre, Bloxwich Poetry readings abound in the Midlands at the moment. Men and women are seen entering a rich variety of bars, pubs, meeting rooms and libraries clutching notepads and books. Tonight they converged on Bloxwich, an ideal venue
with sound system, stage and flexible seating, for local author David
Calcutt's Sounds & Sweet Airs. With mini- candles flickering on
the tables, Charlie Jordan commented that the room had the feel of a
Parisian Cafe, left bank, naturally. David Calcutt opened proceedings drawing upon Chaucer's Wife of Bath for What Women Desire, a stirring epic tale. Its erudite tone and traditional content fused effortlessly with the evening's themes of celebrating Shakespeare's birthday and literary traditions, and World Book Day. Ian Henry picked up the patriotic theme with
an homage to St George before Tom Wyre read an engaging trilogy of the
surreal with trademark rhymes. The Lichfield Poets were well represented
on the evening, leader Janet Jenkins read from a piece written for the
Lichfield Mysteries, about the Garden of Eden, and closed with a
beautiful nature poem about a murmuration of starlings. First guest poet, Maria Calame, closed the first half with her customary energy, lyricism, performance and grace. She effortlessly slips between the received pronunciation of Skin Deep and the Caribbean patois of Dead in the Water, combining pathos, redemption, defiance and hope in one tremendous package. Opening the second half, second guest poet, and
Decadent Diva, Charlie Jordan breezed through familiar territory,
Walkmans on local bus routes, the erotic allure of men shaving, and her
signature Words all pleased. She tantalised us by performing only a
fragment of Buddhism and Ben & Jerrys, but delighted us with
her new M, the saucy tale of the head of Mi5. From the floor, Ian Ward now combines an
accomplished repertoire with some introductory banter, declaring that
his reading was themed around “recent poems” which raised a knowing
chortle from a poet heavy audience, his Lichfield Mysteries poem
about the martyrdom of a heretic in Lichfield market square is
particularly strong. Basking in the news of her long listing in the
recent Flarestack Publishing pamphlet competition,Janet Smith delivered
a dark and intense sequence with a smile and confidence, the new
Hooded Children stood out for me. Drawing the evening to a close was past Birmingham
Poet Laureate Roy Mac Farlane who is guaranteed to close any poetry
event on a high note. His poem about Richard Pryor deals with racism,
Jack and Jill is a cry on behalf of the dispossessed and
disenfranchised, and the pernicious effect of spending cuts is not
spared his rage. But Roy's material extends beyond the political and
social. Nearly There neatly name-checks his young daughter,
whilst an extended piece about the erotic properties of tights made you
wonder what would happen if Roy shaved, and Charlie Jordan put her
tights on, in the same room! All in all a fine evening drawing together the local
poetry community, and part of an occasional series led by David Calcutt,
check the Bookmark Library Theatre website in Bloxwich for future
events. Gary Longden |
Cheltenham Poetry Festival Nine Arches
Poetry Juke Box / Pulp Diction When Cheltenham Poetry Festival launched in 2011 it was described as ‘a triumph' by poet Alison Brackenbury, now in its second year, it has returned bigger and better, with 95 performers over 5 days overseen by Chief Executive Director Anna Saunders. Saturday had
a range of events; the two that caught my eye were the Nine
Arches Poetry Juke Box at the Exmouth Public House, Bath Road in the
afternoon, and Pulp Diction at the Town Hall in the evening. Nine Arches Press have been
steadily growing an impressive catalogue of poets over the past few
years. Co-editor Jane Commane was on hand to introduce, and link, three
poets from her stable; Luke Kennard, Dan Sluman and Phil Brown.
Promoters are always, rightly, looking for ways to refresh poetry
readings. The device used this afternoon was to pre-nominate eight
themes culled from song titles, and invite members of the audience to
select which order they were performed in. The advantages of this mechanism
were the novelty, audience involvement and dramatic uncertainty of what
was to follow. The disadvantage was that the poets did not have an
opportunity to develop their identity over successive poems.
Nonetheless, the credits certainly outweighed the debits in a
well-worked format which showcased the work of three poets: Daniel Sluman is Gloucestershire
based, so was on home turf and unveiled material from his upcoming debut
collection, Absence Has a Weight of its Own. He modestly asserts
that his claim to fame is having once been bought a drink by Poet
Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, his writing, and performance was meticulous,
considered and contained.
Phil Brown teaches English in
Sutton, south London. In 2009 he was shortlisted for the Crashaw Prize
and won the Eric Gregory Award in 2010, his most recent collection is,
Il Avilit. His readings were characterised by simple, effective
language and ear catching observations. Never before have I heard a tale
of bored privately educated schoolgirls uninterested in poetry because
they were destined to be doctors – but that is exactly what unfolded in
Grammars and Comprehensives. That gift of the unexpected twist
ran through many of his pithy selections. Dr Luke Kennard lectures at
Birmingham University and has an effortless manner which beguiles and
delights audiences wherever he goes. He is the youngest poet ever to be
nominated for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, -The Harbour
Beyond the Movie (2007). Including selections from Planet ~
Shaped Horse, he never compromises in content or form, drawing the
audience to join him, not pandering to what they may think they want.
Kennard is in the vanguard of contemporary poetry, leading and setting
the pace, catch him while you can. Death of Journalism was savage
in its brevity, Elija a laconic delight, with the wonderful line, ”All
beautiful women think they can save the world, scoffs Simon, it's a
standard attendant pathology.” It was a particular pleasure to
see the event so well attended by an audience that included local LibDem
MP Martin Horwood, adding his support to a very successful occasion.
In the evening “Pulp Diction”
came to the Pillars Room at Cheltenham Town Hall, a variety night which
mixed spoken word with music organised by Barnaby Eaton Jones, Dan
Parker performed two sets which delivered poetry backed by an electric
guitar, exploring territory visited previously by Lou Reed and John Cale,
whilst Martin Vogwell delivered a traditional folk set. Local star and festival favourite
Amy Rainbow took time out from supporting the likes of John Cooper
Clarke to perform as part of the Imperfect Pair delivering Self
Mastery, Mr Right and The Man Who Wore Tweed with her
customary waspish self- assurance. Catherine Crosswell worked hardest on
the night performing a poetry set, and a musical one, as one part of
“Four Tart Harmony.” Worcestershire and
Gloucestershire have more than their fair share of talented female
poets, and Catherine is amongst the best. She specialises in poems which
commence with the everyday and mundane and then teleport into the
surreal. Recipe for Success moves from home brewing to colonic
irrigation and cake baking becomes intensely erotic. Beautifully paced,
brimful with ideas, and attention holding, her set was a pleasure, and
was warmly and enthusiastically received. “Four Tart Harmony” closed
proceedings. Comprising Dusty (Catherine), Bossy (Grace), Bakewell
(Hattie) and Dotty (Mantha), they entertained and delighted with a well
chosen and well executed a capella performance. Perfect stood
out, as did an ambitious and successful closing mash of Fat Bottomed
Girls and I Get Knocked down (But I Get Up Again). The Tarts
looked good, sang clever arrangements well, and obviously enjoyed
themselves – as did the audience. Both events, although diverse and divergent in content, bore testament to the depth of talent around and augurs well for the continued success of future Poetry Festivals in Cheltenham. 22-04-12 Gary Longden |
Spoken Worlds Old Cottage Tavern, Burton upon Trent
ORGANISED by host Gary Carr, this monthly spoken word event
continues to provide a solid platform for experienced, and less
experienced, writers alike to trial their work in a supportive
atmosphere. Trusty
troubadours arrive from as far away as Buxton, Birmingham, Chesterfield
and Tamworth to read to a knowledgeable and supportive audience. For once, Gary Carr gave himself
some reading time, and very welcome that was too. Dear Diary and
The Collector shone, A Brief History of Time (about
clocks) was the pick of the bunch. Rob Stevens picked up the
zeitgeist of the summer with an amusing discourse on the travels of the
Olympic torch called Sid the Sneeze. At home with a guitar as
well, Rob excels at telling stories whether with musical accompaniment,
comic or serious. He has promised an extended Sound of Music
themed sequence – I can't wait! Ian Ward has been honing his art
in recent months, and it shows. His impressive Lichfield Mysteries trio
showcased a future performance, whilst his first trio, Withered
Wychwood, the Ice Queen and Seasons of Time had him on
familiar fantasy ground. It's a bit like listening to Tales From
Topographic Oceans from Yes, you know that it is good without having
any real idea what it is all about!
A second time visitor was Dwane
Reads from Chaddesden who is enthusiastically launching himself into the
performance poetry circuit. Boasting bags of poems and energy, and
thematically favouring “kitchen sink “ poetry, it will be intriguing to
see how he evolves. Dea Costello is an occasional visitor who
never fails to impress. She offered a wonderful mini sequence on
snapshots of situations to which she then fills in a back-story, and two
beautiful poems about herons and seagulls. Tony Keaton too, drops in
when he can, and invariably shines, this time with the wicked Fly
Tipping. Variety has always been a feature
of Spoken Worlds, and so it proved tonight. Jeannie Jordan showcased an
excerpt from her Buxton Fringe play Imperfect Cadence, Terry and
Ray Holland performed a sketch with dialogue as hard edged as
Tarrantino's Reservoir Dogs. A different and exciting
contribution was made by Mal Dewhirst who played audio recordings of
workshop contributions made by members of the public inspired by Pink
Floyd's Comfortably Numb. The slightly echoey sound, and faint
background noise from a cafe with rain occasionally audible in the
background made for an intriguing and rewarding piece. And as if to
remind us that he can write a bit too, he also dusted down My Town,
a powerful polemic on the death of the High Street that seems to
have improved still further with age. That variety, combined with Karen
Carr making a rare and strong contribution, made for another rich and
enjoyable evening. Spoken Worlds next meets on Friday 18th
May, 7.30pm start, free admission. 21-04-12 Gary Longden |
Writers Retreat Showcase Erdington Library ERDINGTON
Library has been hosting a week long series of poetry workshops curated
by Jan Watts, Birmingham Poet Laureate. This night
was a showcase for those who had worked for four days to develop, and
hone, their poetic skills. Reprising the success of last year's writer's
retreat, a combination of absolute beginners and more seasoned
campaigners gathered to showcase their efforts for the evening's
entertainment. However this was no
self-congratulatory love fest. Jan Watts herself demonstrated that she
could walk the walk as well as talk the talk with a selection of her
current favourites taking in the anti-war Spectacles to
Sainsburys at Maypole. I see and hear a fair bit of Jan, and what is
intriguing is that far from sitting on her laurels she has become more
strident and energised as her year has unfolded, inspiring and cajoling
other poets as she goes. Maintaining Jan's high standard
was Julie Boden, a past Birmingham Poet Laureate whose work I have
admired for some years now. Reading freely from her collection Cut on
the Bias she educated with poems taking in different forms
including Memories in a City Cafe, a sestina, Lady in Red
(nothing to do with Chris De Burgh!) a triolet, and Singing
Happiness, a daisy chain. The sestina is a structured 39 line poem
consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, followed by an envoi of
three lines. The words that end each line of the first stanza are used
as line endings in each of the following stanzas, rotated in a set
pattern. The triolet is a very brief, tightly rhymed eight line poem
that, like the pantoum, takes part of its structure from the repetition
of entire lines. The daisy chain is a poem that ends where it starts.
All three were textbook examples of their forms. Memories in the Cafe
was the most satisfying for me as the language did not seem to be
controlled by the form, it was complimented by it, a difficult feat to
execute. Full time student Samantha
Hunt set quite a marker with her visceral poem about child abuse, Telling
Stories, whose opening stanza is: It merges with rainy
afternoons Dripping through the
past. Where my Mother is
clutching a worn teddy bear In an empty room, drawing
her knees up on the hollow bed Where time has stopped
and night is rushing in Flushing hot on my
cheeks. Restrained, but honest, it
is the gaps between the words which were the most potent. And Sam was not alone in turning
out some excellent work. Vera Gilbert impressed with At This Moment
as did Kathryn Faulkner with her reflections on body image. Other poets
romped through Monet, Iona and Rome in an impressive and confident
display of poetic dexterity. All in all a fine recital by tutors and
tutored alike. 19-04-12 Gary Longden |
Mouth & Music Boars Head Gallery,
Kidderminster The Boars Head is a proper old fashioned pub, full of doors and nooks and crannies. It has also become a cultural hub in Kidderminster. When it first opened in 1888, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats and Tennyson were alive and writing. It is fitting that as part of an artistic platform which takes in art and music, poetry is now on the agenda in the guise of Mouth & Music, promoted by Heather Wastie and Sarah Tamar. Sarah took the lead for this evening with quiet
assurance and a few poems of her own. Heather concentrated on
performing in the Brewers Troupe ensemble who were performing excerpts
from Snug, a bespoke piece about a pub. This was the fourth Mouth & Music and already it is gathering quite a following with over forty people crowded into the first floor gallery space leaving standing room only. The format comprises open mic slots for around three poems for which you can sign up on the night, a few acoustic guitarists, and a headline act which tonight were Brewers Troupe. The audience was pleasingly mixed including
a healthy presence of young talent, the local boho crowd, writers groups
and troubadours from Wolverhampton, Walsall and Worcester ( I may have
missed other locations beginning in W). The content was diverse. Jack Edwards delighted with a clever rehearsed performance piece in which the audience heard half a conversation he was ostensibly having on his mobile phone with an annoyed girlfriend. I like Jack. He writes well, performs his work dramatically, but not to the detriment of the content and engages well with the audience. WANTING MORE Furthermore, he understands that “less is
more”, after that piece he took the applause and sat down leaving us
wanting more. David Calcutt also played the same hand of just one
excellent piece, in this case Achillies,a powerful discourse
on death. A chance conversation resulted in him revealing the extent of
his stage experience and that acting prowess shone. With no book as a
shield, the classical imagery and lyrical verse unerringly found
their mark. Also going for the single shot was Dave Francis, who
performed an adaptation of Pinter's Silence, a clever idea,
very well executed. Snug is unfolding as one of the best, and most frustrating projects I have seen. The concept is perfect, an ensemble performance of a collection of bespoke poems about a pub and the characters within them. The characters are memorably drawn, the drama poignant and amusing, the language a delight. The problem that they face is that with a cast of several, and a script written for the physical surroundings of The Hollybush in Cradley Heath, it is expensive to tour and awkward to make the action fit other surroundings. They overcame those constraints this time by producing a “greatest hits” set which worked well, and left those of us who know the material longing for more. Emma Purshouse's anthropomorphic “Conchita
the slot machine” is a wonderful creation, and one which the gambling
industry would make millions from, if it were allowed. If previously you
have never regarded slot machines as sexy, check out Emma in her long
black Latino wig. Heather Wasties' tipsy Edith was, by contrast,
understated, but no less effective. Acoustic guitar songs were performed by itinerant
Ali 12 string, Omar Anthony and Kate Wragg, the latter of whom
combined the voice of Joan Baez, the edge of Talking Heads, and the
lyrical sharpness of Elvis Costello. A strong list of open micer's
included debutante David Hallard who acquitted himself well, Lisa
Ventura with a defiant, and enjoyably breezy, “I Will Survive” set,and
the always striking and entertaining Suz Winspear,whose Evil
Trees is fast becoming, deservedly, her signature piece. Mouth & Music returns on Tuesday the 8th
May, 7.30pm with The Decadent Divas from Birmingham headlining. Gary Longden |
Poetry Bites Kitchen
Garden Cafe, Kings Heath Poetry
Bites has a deserved reputation for delivering high quality conventional
poetry. It is to
organiser Jacqui Rowe's considerable credit that this time around she
was prepared to take a chance with a more left-field choice of guest
poet, which this month was Ira Lightman – and this review is focused
solely on her.
Concentrating on a single poet is a first for
Behind the Arras
at Poetry Bites but having one, rather than two guest poets, Rowe was
also able to offer Lightman thirty minutes performing time to
enable the audience a proper chance to hear him stretch out in two
fifteen minute sections. Currently from in Newcastle upon
Tyne, but previously living in the Black Country and Kings Heath,
Lightman is a conceptual poet with a particular interest in public art. He regularly appears on BBC Radio
3's The Verb, and has three published collections. Phone in
the Roll, (Knives Forks and Spoons Press), uses poems spoken
into an imperfect dictation transcriber, which produces misheard,
transcriptions of the intended text. Mustard Tart as Lemon ,
(Red Squirrel Press), draws together work written over 15 years and
includes Concrete poetry. Duetcetera, (Shearsman Books), offers
twin column poetry which can be read individually, or together, and is
written as two voices. He has also been featured on New
York based website www.ubu.com/ubu,
a considerable feather n his cap. The Sunday Times named it
one of the top ten benchmark websites in the world. There are just five
UK poets published there, and Lightman is one of them. NO SURPRISE This comes as no surprise to me,
his poetic experimentation is reminiscent of the musical experimentation
of New York based 1970s New Wave band Talking Heads - they embrace this
sort of thing in the Big Apple. That experimentation on the night
included Homing, a piece half sung to a random musical programme,
and an extract from an I- Ching hexagram. Such forays off the beaten track
will not suit all. Conventional patterns are deconstructed and rigid
forms explored, often at the expense of conventional narrative. Critics
may argue that the primacy of form over content produces a result where
the outer shell becomes more important than what is contained therein. Aficionados of Lightman's
work may counter that he is breaking new ground on what is possible, and
that what we are seeing are bold prototypes, with value as such.
Evolution will come. He is a man who does not accept the sclerotic
torpor of mainstream poetic presentation. Phone in the Roll
exploits mishearing as a poetic device. When Lightman dictates, he has
no idea how the transcriber may misinterpret his words. For example
money was mistranscribed as mummy in a serious piece, to
comic effect. On the one hand the conventional
narrative is lost. Equally new possibilities are created. What was the
original word? What new meanings emerge? How is the imagined context of
the original poem altered by successive mistranscriptions? It is a
device of unintended consequences designed to compel the reader, or
listener, to ask questions, not to provide answers. Questions are the
answer.
Homing
was performed to a random musical backing track. The
objective? To artificially randomise the pace, structure, intonation and
therefore meaning of the words, and poem. No two performances can ever
be the same. In application this is more sophisticated than at first
appears. A specimen line, “The timing
tight, the bus arrived, and we headed for the great noun, BIRMINGHAM,
its centre,†is written to be broken up, and is disjointed from
the start. Hence this is not a deconstruction, it becomes a first time
construction- every time. Lightman did not expand on the
mechanics of this, but on the page it appeared to borrow from the
“cut-up†aleatory literary technique whose lineage stretches back
through the likes of David Bowie, William Burroughs and the Dadaists of
the late 1920s. Poems will always be open to
interpretation, the random backing track is an external force which adds
an aural dimension to the existing intrinsic ambivalence of the
writing on the page. The previous two devices had
immediate aural impact in a way that Lightman's I-Ching hexagrams could
not. The I Ching, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic
texts dating back to 475 BC. It centres on the ideas of the
dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and
acceptance of the inevitability of change. Inevitably there are numerous
hybrids of the form but the essence is that it is a set of oracular
statements represented by 64 sets of six lines each called hexagrams. Each hexagram is a figure
composed of six stacked horizontal lines, each line is either Yang, an
unbroken or solid line, or Yin, broken, an open line with
a gap in the centre. With six such lines stacked from bottom to top
there are 64 possible combinations, and thus 64 hexagrams represented.
I had the benefit of seeing it on
the page, as a performed piece it does not do justice to its incredibly
complex and demanding requirements. Some may argue that it is a
mathematical, theoretical, form whose benefits are outweighed by its
rigour. However it has an illustrious and
distinguished history which predates much Western poetry. Over the
decades, poets have always created and battled with new forms. Sir
Thomas Wyatt in the 16th
Century was obsessed with ancient classical forms as he evolved the
sonnet. Lightman, although avant-garde in his approach, has
distinguished antecedents. Duetcetra
definitely is a performance piece, and challenging
work it is too. It takes two columns running independently down the
page, both containing a self sufficient poem, but is also capable of
being read across, line for line, as one poem. Performed, this is an
onerous challenge for Lightman as he delivers the lines read across in
two voices to distinguish between the two poems which have become one. On the page this can look like a
clever exercise, performed with the independent voices, the symmetry and
conflict of the two poems come to life. Physically, it places huge
demands upon Lightman's voice, especially when one voice is that of a
small boy and the other a grown man. I suspect that finding a
sympathetic alter ego to perform the other half of the duet would ease
the load immeasurably, whilst not detracting from the scale of the
achievement, which is considerable. Read out loud, it was innovative,
demanding, funny and a delight. A good poetry evening should
inspire, and Ira Lightman did just that. His allotted time was not long
enough for him to explain the background to much of his work, which was
a pity, I was eager to learn more of that. His work hammers at the gates of
the Gleichschaltung of the Poetry Establishment and was as
rewarding as any conventional lyrical poetry set, but for very different
reasons. Poetry Bites returns on Tuesday 22nd May with Clare Best, before then on 22nd April, Flarestack Press launches new pamphlets by David Hart and Joel Lane at the MAC in Birmingham. 28-03-12 Gary Longden |
Old Cottage Tavern, Burton upon Trent Regular poetry events are not easy to sustain. I organised my first event a few weeks ago and was educated in exactly how much hard work goes intomaking them happen. Those who organise them regularly are heroes, and
that includes Gary Carr who promotes Spoken Worlds. A key ingredient is
creating something which is unique, which makes you want to attend, and
feel that you are missing out if you don't go. At Spoken Worlds, as well
as having “three halves,” that defining characteristic is providing a
platform for performers to experiment with new or reworked material. Steph Knipe from Fradley is a quirky delight who specialises in off-beat poetry about microwave ovens, food sent in the post, and wheely bins. Her poems are regularly published. Tonight she sprung a surprise by bringing along her guitar and putting one of her familiar poems, Bovine Ailments, to a folk style accompaniment. It worked very well, providing an extra dimension to
what is already a very satisfying piece. I hope that she will feel
encouraged to experiment further and try setting more of her work to
music. Although the relationship between lyrics for music and poetry is
an uneasy one, I think that Steph is on to something here.
Mal Dewhirst is experimenting in a different way by
writing fresh contemporaneous lyrical poems themed on Pink Floyd's The
Wall for a summer production in Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Tuesday 5th -
Fri 8th Jun from 7:30pm. I have had the pleasure and privilege of
hearing this unfold. It is an exciting project with one piece in
particular, March of the Worms, capturing the spirit of Roger Waters
circa the mid 1970's, and the zeitgeist of the all pervading dominance
of the Internet in the 21st century. I have become increasingly interested in the link between epic poetry and storytelling in recent months. That link is one that Margaret Torr has also been exploring as she told an extending rhyming story of a monkey and crocodile in her slot, it was a bold move, and one which paid handsomely. Ian Ward has been working exceptionally assiduously
over the past year putting in the hard yards of performing and testing
his poetry at many venues. His latest move has been to create an
imaginary village to explore the fantasy world which he loves to create.
It is an ideal vehicle for his poetic milieu and one which has
considerable potential. Dwane Reads made his Spoken Worlds debut in
confident style. An out-an –out Performance Poet, his material ranged
from donkeys on Blackpool Beach to traffic jams on the A50, the latter
of which was his best piece. His material had promise, however the
delivery was a little strident, the volume stuck on loud. Dwane
explained that he was eager to secure new performance slots in his
poetic journey, I suspect that as he does so, the light and shade which
is required in performance will emerge. Ray and Terri Jolland performed a very accomplished
Shakespeare pastiche, Janet Jenkins orated on a murmuration of
starlings, Tom Wyre read from some well worked Mysteries compositions.
Spoken Worlds returns on Friday 20th April, 7.30pm start, free
admission. 24-03-12 Gary Longden |
Bilston Voices Metro
Cafe A heavyweight bill,with four out of the five readers published poets, brought out another strong attendance, such that the start had to be delayed, a measure both of the success of the event, and the pulling power of poetry in Bilston. Hosted by Emma Purshouse,
the sales table groaned under the weight of the various publications
credited to the evening's authors. First up was Dave Finchett with a well prepared set.
He opened with a trio of love poetry, which is always high risk, albeit
underpinned by the safety net of the sonnet form, but he pulled it off.
I particularly enjoyed his description of street lights as “fiery
pinheads of the night sky” in Light Pollution. But it was
Bullshit, a knockabout satire on the foibles of middle –management
which drew the most applause, including his memorable description of a
“thicket of middle managers”. Jacqui Rowe, co-editor of Flarestack Poets, informed me that the next poet, Joel Lane is the first poet ever to be invited to submit a collection for publication by Flarestack, which has resulted in Instinct, a collection of erotic poetry. Frustratingly, he only read a handful of poems from the collection. Instrumental, about musician Charlie Parker, was excellent. Instead he bravely elected to read a short
story about a mystery cancer cluster on a local estate. Joel is sharing
a joint launch of Instinct with David Hart at the Birmingham
MAC on 22nd April. Closing the first half Jacqui Rowe herself stepped up to perform, visibly relishing the freedom of not having to carry the responsibility of hosting Poetry Bites, her own bi-monthly poetry evening in Birmingham. Most of her reading was from Paint, inspired by her recent residency at Wightwick Manor in Wolverhampton, the ancestral home of the Mander family who made their fortune producing paint in the 19th century. OTTER SKULL Curiously Theodore Mander married Flora Paint, so a
title for the pamphlet was not hard to come by! The poetry itself is
moving and beautiful, with the pamphlet available from her website, but
my favourite poem of her reading came from her most recent residency at
the Warwickshire Museum, Ways of Looking at an Otter, a
response to an exhibit of an otter skull some 170 years old. In the battle of the Poetry Houses, Jane Seabourne,
stepped up representing Offa's Press, to read largely from her
collection Bright Morning. Jane is an easy, comfortable
performer whose warm style and performance manner seamlessly merge with
her readings in winning combination. She is just as at home with the
lightness of Ten Signs of Spring, as she is with the
domesticity of How to make a Chocolate Sponge whilst later
tackling the subject of a survivor of childhood abuse with tenderness
and power. I encounter David Calcutt,who has been published by
Oxford University Press regularly, yet never tire of his imaginative
writing which is always delivered with boyish enthusiasm. Nature,
mystery, magic and forests are recurrent themes, yet his writing is
always precise and realistic, as was evidenced in his opening poem Cattle,
the fantasy always grounded. His descriptions always remind me of
holiday brochure photos, based in fact, yet garnished to please. He
remains the only person whom I know to write a worthwhile sequence on
curlews. Bilston Voices returns on Thursday 26th
April with Jack Edwards, Iris Rhodes, Liz Lefroy, Bobby Parker and
Win Saha, 7.30pm start. Gary Longden |
Western Pub, Leicester FRESH from a hugely successful States of Independence publishing fayre event at De Montfort University, held annually, at the weekend, Shindig made its bi monthly appearance at the Western Public House. Another healthy audience
comprised those for whom Saturday was simply not enough poetry, and
regulars who had been unable to make it. The standard of performance
never fell short of high. The four headline performers were particularly
strong this month, and diverse in styles. Michael W. Thomas is a poet,
novelist and playwright who has lived, been widely published, and
performed,in several countries. His literary credentials are formidable,
and stretch from Finland, to Florida and back to Albania, where he vies
with Norman Wisdom for the international affections of the Albanian
people. He now lives in Worcestershire. His tone tonight was reflective
and elegiac. A poignant sonnet dedicated to his father, moved
through childhood reminiscence, to a particularly fine piece about
schoolmate footballers cloaked in the spirit of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst
and Jack Charlton. His most striking poem was Your Buffet... a
wonderful piece inspired by the practise of American hobos to leave
secret signs on telegraph poles and wires alerting others of their ilk
to local rewards and dangers. Michael performed with a rucksack at his feet
containing his writing. I thought that it neatly symbolised a man whose
writing is as travelled as he has been. Host Jonathan Taylor affectionately described the
next two poets as the country mouse and the town mouse respectively- in
both case they were mice who roared.
Aly Stoneman is Nottingham based, and was promoting her new pamphlet, published by Crystal Clear Creators, Lost Lands. Her presentational style is fey, beguiling, gentle, and easy, as is her writing. The lost lands are the connections we make between places and landscapes which have held significance in our lives, how they came about, and how they change with time. Her skill lies in her ability to juxtapose broad
brush written landscapes with pin sharp observation. Some thirty five years ago I first saw John Cooper
Clarke perform as a support act for Punk band the Buzzcocks as he dodged
beer cans thrown from an impatient crowd. Fortunately the Shindig
audience is more civil. Andrew “The Mulletproof Poet” Graves gladly
acknowledges his debt to the Performance Poet pioneer as is evidenced by
his performance style of delivery. He describes himself as “a troubled poet for
troubled times” and wryly observes that all poets are “miserable
bastards on the road to self destruction” ( a claim left unchallenged by
a poet full audience). Reading from his new pamphlet, published by
Crystal Clear Creators, Citizen Kaned, he took us through
Love in Strange Places, delivered an homage to Yuri Gagarin's
historic first manned space flight with Vostock 1, and ended
with his signature Middle Aged Mod, I could not help but select
Quadrophenia on my i-pod for the journey back home. Although unashamedly
Performance in style, Andrew is no ranty shouty big mouth, his well
chosen subject matter is matched by the economy, vibrancy and brio of
his language. May the pennants on his scooter aerial flutter boldly. Jonathan Davidson is director of Midland Creative Projects Limited, Associate Director of the Birmingham Book Festival and Chief Executive of Writing West Midlands. He is an award winning published playwright and poet, but a reluctant performer, which is a shame, because his performance on the night was quite brilliant. JOYOUS TRIP Light, self-effacing, amusing and entertaining, he
took us on a joyous trip through his wonderful writing with a smile. The
tradition at Shindig is not to applaud a poet other than upon arrival in
anticipation, and upon departure, in appreciation. However such was the
sharpness, wit and joy of The Manager Writes,a waspish satire
on the mangled English and thoughts of a football manager's notes in his
club's programme, that spontaneous cheering was the deserved, and only
possible, outcome. His readings from his two collections, Early
Train and The Living Room,were predominantly homely, but
never overly sentimental and always laced with an acerbic aside. I do
hope that Jonathan can be persuaded to read more regularly. Shindig regularly boasts floor readers of the
highest standard. Once again we were not disappointed. Past Birmingham
Poet Laureate, National Radio's 1&2 DJ, and local commercial and BBC
radio DJ, Charlie Jordan, casually sauntered up to the mike and let her
wonderful, memorized poem Words do the talking for her. Love
poetry is difficult to pull off in front of an audience for several
reasons. Firstly, as it is invariably a first hand account, it risks
being intensely personal, and although significant to the writer, may
not connect beyond. Secondly, over the centuries, Catullus, Donne and
Shakespeare have set a standard which is hard to beat. Which is why I
was drawn to Lindsay Waller-Wilkinson's two efforts, Scars and
I Know. She combined restraint with emotion, and anguish
without vulgarity. I always enjoy listening to Deborah Tyler –Bennett.
Hitherto I have heard her only perform historic period poems. Her
enthusiasm for her writing, sense of time and place, and general joie de
vivre cause me to reflect that if I was transported in a time machine
back to Victorian times, Deborah would be the ideal companion to show me
around. Tonight she only went as far back as the 1960's and 70's, but
was no less engaging. James Bond Will Return was a nostalgic
return to the rat infested flea pits of the era, but it was Cheerful
Revisited, dedicated to Ian Dury which stood out. Cleverly
replicating the metre and rhythm of Dury's Reasons to be Cheerful
Part 3, it pulled off the very difficult task of mimicking, but
redefining the original ( and brought back fond memories of seeing him
perform).Authentic and fond, she never allowed the source material and
images to swamp her writing which is the bear-trap in such pieces. The Old Man of Hoy provided fertile ground for a
magnificent landscape poem by Jayne Stanton, and the Elephant in the
room provided a neat twist for Matt Merritt's nature themed poetry, to
pick just two more performances from a strong field of floor readers. Jonathan Taylor for Crystal Clear Creators,and Jane Commane and Matt Nunn for Nine Arches Press, are to be commended for assembling both such a strong cast of performers, and creating a relaxed easy ambience for them to perform in. Shindig next meets on the 21st May, 7.30pm start, free entry, sign up for an open mic slot on the night. 19-03-12 Gary Longden |
Big Irish Night Old Crown, Digbeth Held as part of the St Patricks festival celebrations, this was a night of poetry spoken word and song in a pub that has seen more St Patricks day celebrations than most. The Old Crown reputedly
can trace its history back to 1368, but much of the existing building is
mere 16th
century with Queen Elizabeth I having been an honoured guest. That sense
of history gives any evening held here a sense of place. A good turnout was orchestrated by the combined skills of Laura Yates, Northfield Arts Forum co-ordinator, and Pat Murphy Wright, Cultural Development co-ordinator for Irish in Birmingham, a charity providing welfare and cultural services to the Irish community in Digbeth. Birmingham and the Midlands has a thriving poetry scene currently, operating from a wide variety of venues. Given the rich Irish tradition of poetry, Pat is
absolutely right to apply her efforts to cultivating that tradition
amongst the Irish community in the city. Laura Yates shared hosting duties with Kurly McGeachie and both had their work cut out to accommodate all the aspiring performers before closing time. Antony R Owen read not only from his own work but also that of Joseph Horgan, from his collection, Slipping Letters Beneath the Sea. Typically Horgan's poems are short, the subject matter often exploring the dislocation of an ex pat Brummie now domiciled in Ireland. The contrast between his urban roots, and his rural
present,is another source of dislocation, and finds expression in his
city poems. Joe skillfully acts as an observer on both a Birmingham
shaped by Imperial migration, and an Ireland shaped by economic
migration. His observation that the more that societies reach out, the
more they contract in their perception of what their core identity is,
was a point shrewdly observed. Councillor Reg Corns read a moving introduction to his book about the mid 19th century forced emigration of Irish citizens to Canada aboard the notorious coffin ships to a destination that was forced to create mass graves for those who had died in the appalling conditions of the journey.tet the evening offered plenty of light and shade too. Shirley Cooper, a stalwart of the Old Crown
entertained, as did Alan Wales with his offbeat Celtic musings from
Under Deadwood. Young Worcestershire Poet Laureate Laura
Deadicoat's poem on horses could not fail in such a setting and the
evening was closed with a traditional Irish song, current
Birmingham Poet Laureate Jan Watts having opened proceedings. The Big Irish Night is part of an occasional series,
details of future such events and other associated cultural activities
can be found on the Irish in Birmingham website:
http://www.irishinbirmingham.com/blog.php Gary Longden |
Phenomenal Women International Women's Day, Birmingham Central
Library Theatre “It's in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips. I'm a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me.” So quoted host Jan
Watts, current Birmingham Poet Laureate, from acclaimed American
feminist poet Angelou Mayou to open an evening of poetry performed
by women, but to a mixed audience, with a strong male contingent.
Promoted in conjunction with Birmingham Libraries, Sue Wilkinson and
Librarian of the year, Nikki Bi, were on hand to help with the
organisation. Ensemble performances are growing in popularity. In
Birmingham, the Decadent Divas, Charlie Jordan, Laura Yates, Lorna
Meehan and Maggie Doyle have been pioneers of the style. The new show,
which ran to around 20 minutes, was entitled Love and Marriage
and comprised almost entirely new material with just a few fond echoes
of the previous show. Maggie Doyle mused that “life has a habit of re-arranging life”, Charlie that we move from “falling in love to standing in love” in two memorable lines. Finished only a few hours before, an already strong script will tighten still further with familiarity. I was also mildly shocked to learn that the Grace Jones song Pull up to my Bumper referred to her backside, and not the back of her car... Naomi Paul is a similarly experienced performer,
and it showed with The Truth About the Goddess of Rhythm and
The Grey Rabbit, the latter a wonderfully atmospheric tale of
her journey as a hippy bussing across America, evoking the spirit of The
Grateful Dead and Paul Simon whilst retaining her Englishness. Kate
Faulkner trod the safe ground of body image, Jude Ashworth cast a spell
with Astara. It was a particular pleasure to see Sam Hunt's disciplined presentation of Dolls House, about child abuse, and a delight to hear novelist and poet Christine Coleman for the first time, especially her tour de force, Becoming a Seal. STRONG TRILOGY From Smart Poets Penny Hewlett read a very
strong trilogy, two of which were sonnets on a converstional theme.
Compelling and innovative, Penny's writing is always worth watching out
for. Cathy Gee explored Ladies in Linen prior to
a particularly strong closing trio. Jacqui Rowe, who had mentored
several of the performers, was as polished as ever, reading from
Paint and reminding all of the importance of Jeannie Senior. Over the past couple of years Janet Smith has
emerged as an outstanding poetic voice, her understated polemic in
Flares debuted with the ink still drying on the page, was
excellent. Egg and Caligo I cannot wait to read
on the page, their fine first impression quite evidently merely an
alluring outer layer for the potency of what lies beneath. Closing the evening was the only straight
performance poetry of the night, from Scrubber Jack, a Coventry poet who
tells of life as a scrubber, or a cleaner to be more precise. Base,
crude and earthy, it was also honest, touching and great fun and went
down very well. The venue is a fitting place to perform poetry, and the
good sized audience went home rewarded and entertained by a strong bill. On the 3rd April, in a month's time, Jan
Watts is running another women performer event themed on loss, gain at
the Library Theatre starting at 7.30pm, between the 16th and
21st she is running a poetry workshop at Erdington
Library.Rachel green from Community Vibe also trailed a collaborative
project with Jan Watts called Poetry City an initiative to
broaden awareness and the appeal of poetry in the city. 08-03-12 Gary Longden |
A Celebration: Milorad Krystanovich (1950-2011), The Moseley Exchange, Birmingham This event was sponsored by Nine Arches Press, publishers of Krystanovic's latest and posthumous collection, Moses' Footsteps, for which the evening was a launch. A Croatian national, he had lived in Birmingham
since 1992 and studied Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham, was a member of Writers Without Borders, Cannon Poets and the Society
of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Milorad had also worked as a
language teacher at the Brasshouse Centre in Birmingham. The full room
was testament to the enduring quality of the affection and admiration
felt for him following his recent death The collection itself is a delight, and a triumph of the dedication of co-editors Jane Commane and Matt Nunn, in association with various local poetic luminaries. Poetry which is written in one language, and
in that cultural tradition, is not easy to translate, even with the
author there to help. Yet the themes are universal, not least of
bridges, bridges between languages, cultures, places, times, pain and
recovery. The primacy of atmosphere, ambience and tone, over
straightforward narrative possessing an ethereal dimension. A glittering roster of readers lined up to read their own selections from Krystanovic's work, reminisce, and explain the reasons for their selections, the latter being both instructive, and illuminating. Martin Underwood, Myra Connell, Julie Boden and John Alcock drew upon their personal experience with Krystanovic as
a friend and fellow poet. Jonathan Morley spoke of his experiences when
as editor he published The Yasen Tree with Heaventree Press,
Jane Commane of her contemporary experiences on editing Moses'
Footprints. Birmingham University academic Dr Luke Kennard's
selection of “Midday Flower Density” was notable in its delivery,
worthiness, and his observations of the poem's merits. A fine evening, and an event fitting to celebrate
the life and work of a man whose reputation is assured.Moses'
Footprints (2012) and Improvising Memory (2010) are
available from Nine Arches Press (www.ninearchespress.com),
and follows on from The Yasen Tree (Heaventree Press, 2007), The Language of Wounds, Where Spirits Touch and
Four Horizons/Ceteri Vidika also previously published. Gary Longden |
Poems That Rhyme John Slim ‘s Poetry
Website
John is a veteran Midland journalist whose wordsmith skills have been finely honed over decades, commenting on events that have mattered, and interviewing people who have made them matter. He is the voice of amateur theatre in the region and
his latest venture is to make a considerable collection of his own poems
available by means of his own website. His manifesto is unapologetic, he favours rhyming
verse, and eschews that which does not. The site itself is attractive and well laid out, the
poetic material eclectic. The index of themed chapters offer a good
indication of his subject matter; Question, Idle Thoughts, Bed, Food,
Breakfast, Garden, Words, Lady, Motion and Time. The verse itself is
formal, with alternate rhyming lines favoured and a consistent,
insistent metre. Nostalgia is to the fore, with a touching homily to
the Queen Mother, Hand in Glove, particularly satisfying, and
Square World, a tribute to the quixotic vagaries of cricket. The author's mastery of his chosen form is
self-evident, and impressive. Yet poetry does have much to offer beyond
John's chosen horizons. Complex metre, irregular rhyme, blank verse and
enjambment all have much to offer the poetic alchemist. Although I
share the view that some formless modern poetry lacks merit or thought,
all art needs to have its boundaries pushed, and that experimentation
can add colour to traditional forms once it has found its place. Not
that there is no experimental material here. He bills Death Sentence
as possibly the world's longest poem to consist of only one
sentence, comprising some 302 words, yet never ends, as the verse turns
full circle. However mainstream poetry has a powerful and
substantial constituency and John knows the themes and forms which that
constituency demands. His choice of language, form and layout, draws
upon the finest traditions of rhyming poetry laced with a wistful, and
at times elegiac air, interspersed with some light humorous pieces. His
warmth pervades it all.
http://www.poemsthatrhyme.co.uk/ Gary Longden |
Poetry Alight Spark Café,
Lichfield The
Lichfield Poets, regulars at poetry events across the Midlands have held
their own event at the Spark Café in the centre of the city, the first
of an occasional series in Lichfield It was
triumph of poetic endeavour that saw 25 poets read, including six guest
poets with six minutes spots at the start and finish of each of the
three parts, mixed in with readers with three minute spots which, in the
main, was respected to ensure that the evening kept to time. Set in the surroundings of an
everyday café that boats the comfort and intimacy the corporate coffee
chains lack, we saw readers and performers from across the Midlands and
one from south Yorkshire, meet to explore themes of love, relationships,
of making soup, praising the roll of the goalkeeper and an observation
that rock and roll deaths are not what they used to be. The evening was hosted by Gary Longden, who did an excellent job, as a natural raconteur with his poetry and imaginative inroductions. PART ONE THE evening's
performances featured three Birmingham Poet Laureates, including the
current incumbent Jan Watts who started the evening with one of
the six minute guest poet spots, with her take on pantomime, with a
modern look at Sleeping Beauty which was delivered with a chorus of I am
Sleeping Beauty in true Spartacus fashion from the audience.
Her next poem was one of a memento from her Grandfather, through his
Desert Spectacles and the wonder at what he saw through them, trying to
capture an insight into a time of his life that he never discussed. She
finished with a poem on the lure of reduced items in Sainsbury's. She
captured the audience with her mix of humour and thoughtfulness and set
a high standard for the night. Jan was followed by the first of the Lichfield Poets, Anthony Webster, who looks like a poet should with his shoulder length hair and hint of a beard. Gary Longden strikes a rhyming note as mine host His experience as an actor
transferred to his delivery of a Love poem and appropriately for the
surroundings a Cafeteria Encounter, these were delivered with a
considered voice that resonated around our ears. Next was one of the Polesworth
Poets Trail poets, Penny Harper, who evoked the spirit of a dusty
road in India as she travelled to a temple, capturing all the feelings
and senses in her words that took you for short time to this sacred
place. She followed this with a poem about the ritual and tranquillity
of her husband making soup that showed an idyllic pace of life that we
can all achieve if we just slow down and contemplate the pleasure of
making something. Wonderful poems. Val Thompson
another of the Lichfield Poets, then explored a fascinating take on the
poetry of creaks and bumps that permeate the house as pipes debate with
radiators punctuated by the interjections of rafter creaks. She followed
this with a piece on that time that is neither night nor day, 4:00 am as
the dark shifts its curtain to introduce the dawn. Val finished with a
poem called Gastric Tract that left the sufferer with pockets of pain to
count the stars. Last years Birmingham Poet
Laureate Roy MacFarlane gave an excellent reading with an
exploration of what freedom really is through the telling of the
experience of Richard Prior at his first gig in Las Vegas where he took
fright and ran away. He followed this with a tender Father and Daughter
experience running through the rain, encouraging his daughter to keep
going because they are nearly there, knowing that as a father this was a
lesson for life, no matter what, you need to keep going because you are
nearly there. This was a poignant piece and one of the readings of the
night.
Roy finished with Poetry and Chocolate,
how he needs both, with words that gave the listener the poetic
experience of eating the finest, smoothest, richest delight. Heather Fowler
then explored an Organic Woman through her relationship with her mother
and the experience of boxing up a lifetime of experience into the
removal van with Job Spec. She finished with Perfect Sight that
questioned what Her Majesty the Queen would think, should she visit one
of her Prisons, all too good effect. This section was finished with second guest poet and former Birmingham Poet Laureate Charlie Jordan whose well crafted clever poems delivered from memory captivated the audience as she explored through sonnets observing a lover shaving with all the tender expectation of young love. She followed this with a sonnet
in praise Goalkeepers, empathising with their plight of being under
appreciated when they save the shot and prevent the goal, to being the
butt of criticism when the ball makes it into the back of the net. Her
final poem delivered another of the performances of the night. The poem
about words and taking care of our words, saw the audience hold its
breath so as not to miss a single nuance of this skilfully crafted poem. PART
TWO THE SECOND part was opened by
Gary who settled the audience back to the poetry with his poem that
suggested that Rock and Roll death's are not what they once were, more
purple hearse than purple haze and that it was what you achieved before
you die rather than an MTV funeral that defined true musical legends.
This was well delivered and very well received. Gary then introduced the next
guest poet, also from Birmingham and a fine poet she is too. Marcia
Calame defines herself through her poems; she is the ink on the page
that needs to be read. Her second poem Bric-a-Brac described the little
shop of everything, where the price of goods was valued by the
customers. This clever poem about doing, believing and getting your
hands dirty, taking hopes and smiles and creating your own bliss by
putting your own value on things and not expecting to be fed your
entertainment and opinions. Another performance of the night. She
finished with My Anthem another defining poem with a rhythm that
describes what drives her. She is someone I have not heard read before
and will certainly try and catch again.
Marcia was followed by a
performance from Ian Ward, another of the Lichfield Poets who
often reads on the poetry circuit. He made the most of his three minutes
through delivering poetry without the preamble, letting the poems speak
for themselves, as he gave us his take on 9/11, our dance and life at
the Borderline. I often see poets give two or three minutes of
explanation and then deliver a sixty second poem and I admire Ian's
approach last night as he maintained our poetry listening ears
throughout his spot. Next came Poet and Actor,
Claire Corfield, whose stage experience showed through her presence
in engaging and audience with an Ode to Speedo's and the unattractive
look that men of a certain age use to haunt Mediterranean beaches. She
followed this with the first of three references on the night that
played some sort of homage to Dylan Thomas. Her poem about the death of
wasps in pints of summer beer was a triumph bringing in the thoughts of
Thomas' famous villanelle and ending with lyrics of Vera Lynn. She
finished with a character piece, in the persona of a titled lady who
liked killing animals. Great poems and an accomplished performance. We were delighted further with
the work of the leader of the Lichfield Poets, Janet Jenkins,
whose imagery in her art inspired poems captured the flow and swirl of
dance in Dancing for Degas; she followed this with Behind the Mask, as
the painting of model Lily Cole wearing a mask berates the viewer as a
voyeur. Janet finished by giving the awkward shaped figure in a
Modigliani painting a voice that expressed her discomfort and dismay of
being the muse, whose likeness would forever be seen as distorted
effigy. Janet is to be commended for her expressive thoughts transferred
into poetry using the art gallery as her muse. Following Janet came the first of
the Runaway Writers' from Burton, Terri Jolland, gave us a
thoughtful piece on some of unconventional nature of her mother through
dress making, which was finished with describing thunder as her late
mother riding a Harley Davidson across the clouds. She further delighted
us with a new take on Gilbert & Sullivan and the Modern High
Executioner. Both well received by the appreciative audience. Janet Smith whose Poetry Trail Poem is about an Owl, continued with the theme of birds through magpies with two poems that gathered together the wild landscape, of moorlands and breezes into word images that occupied our minds, taking the natural world and rippling it into our thoughts. She continued this with her third
poem on Cracker Butterflies and their associations with hamadryads.
Janet is a voice that can hold a room, suspending the moment into which
she fills with her words. To close the second part the
fourth of the guest poets David Calcutt, who gave another
excellent reading, even though it was briefly interrupted by the
departure of the knitting group who had been… knitting – I guess, in the
room upstairs.
David started with a poem inspired by Brontë Country, written in and around Howarth. His second poem that came from his work with people with dementia. Through fading memory come the shaking hands, which his observations led to him questioning “What are these Restless Creatures. This was a moving piece that provides and insight in to a condition that is shunned in the fear that we may end up that way and don't want to face it. David's work in the area of
dementia can only help to break down these barriers. David finished with two nature
poems, The enchanted forest, which described the wonder of the forest
and its destruction, was followed by one of my favourite of David's
poems The Day of Leaving, inspired by a trip to Laugharne (second Dylan
Thomas reference) in South Wales and is the observation of curlews and
the significance of them moving on in the cycle of the year, another
memorable performance of the night. PART THREE I had the honour of being guest
poet to open the third part with a selection from my recent commissions.
I was followed by a poet new to all of us, Sheffield Skinny Matt,
who had, as his name suggests, travelled down from Sheffield. He is to
be commended for travelling all that way to deliver just a single poem.
His humorous take on Matching Cardigan Couples was witty and sharp in
its observation. It would be good to hear more from Matt in the future
and to give him a space to give more than this brief taste of his work. Following Matt, came Ben
McNair who gave use a thoughtful piece entitled – This is how if
feels before the rain, followed by a cleverly crafted unapologetic poem
A Warning, which was well delivered and much appreciated by the audience
– it is one of those poems that you think – wow, why didn't I think of
doing that. Both are available on Ben's recent Kindle E-book collection. Our third homage to Dylan Thomas
came from the hilarious poetic tales from Alan Wales, who read an
instalment from his Under Deadwood, delivered in excited tones as if we
were in Brown's Hotel bar in Laugharne. Alan gave a voice to daily lives
through double entendre and playful quip that left the audience rolling
with laughter in the way that only Alan can. Margaret Torr
from the Burton Runaway Writers followed with a poem Swan –that she
describes as a white warrior on the Trent. She continued with a poem on
the closeness of a relationship that can still have its distances with
Running Parallel. Margaret always captures the essence of a feeling in
her work and then delivers it as an accomplished story teller who
engages the audience with her words and accompanying movements as she
brings the swan into the room and the breeze between the lovers.
Tom Wyre
read from his collection Soliloquy with his well crafted poems Joe
Hamster about life on the treadmill and The Whalers Anthem, the latter
he wrote as a young man, still has the freshness of his more recent
work. Tom has a presence and voice to also hold an audience and last
night was not exception. His collection is one that I would recommend,
with all the proceeds going to charity. The final guest poet was Gary
Carr, fresh from his guest reading at the Fizz and hosting Spoken
Worlds in Burton. Gary gave an assured performance of some of his best
performance pieces. Starting with his take on performing in front of a
Microphone and moving on to nature of a man as an octopus. His love
letter to his daughter has all the tender, caring expression of a
father's joy in being a parent, which he admits took twenty years to
write, but then he was being a dad and enjoying the moments that all
dad's should. His poem Fish captures the relationship between man and
his landscape and sharing the world with all of nature. He finished with
his wonderful poem Without you, where he finds his virginity hiding in a
box under his bed and careful restores it safely so that he does not
lose it again. Gary writes poems that work on many levels from the
sometimes flippant outer level to deeper meanings that nestle in our
thoughts of understanding the world. An excellent performance from a
respected poet. With still a few minutes
remaining there was time for three sixty second slots, which saw
Marcus Taylor tell of how he is God's gift to the women of
Birmingham, Guy Jenkins give his vision of Industry and Brian
Asbury read his poem using only words beginning with M with Mad
Military Mishaps. All to great effect. Poetry Alight was a terrific
evening of poetry and long may it continue even as an occasional event.
It is a welcome addition to the poetry calendar in a place where you
would expect poetry events to happen. The Lichfield Poets are to be
congratulated for organising and promoting this fabulous first event and
especially Gary Longden whose hosting skills made the evening flow
easily and provided for the relaxed enjoyment of poetry. The next Poetry Alight will be on
May 15th 2012 at the Spark Café, Tamworth St, Lichfield. 28-02-12 Mal Dewhirst Mal Dewhirst is the leader of
Polesworth Poets, a poetry broadcaster on Radio Wildfire, and budding
film director. The above review is produced, with permission, from his
blog:Pollysworda:
http://pollysworda.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/it-takes-just-a-spark-to-set-poetry-alight/ |
Puns, Poems 'n' Pints Station Pub, Sutton
Coldfield THERE was something really lovely about
this evening. Maybe it was the fact it was a charity event, raising
money for Sutton Coldfield Amnesty International group, or maybe it was
the massive amount of support emanating from the audience to those
behind the mic. Whether it was comedy, poetry, storytelling or song,
whether it was moving or funny, whether it went to plan or slightly awry
- every act was given rousing applause. It was a patchwork of an evening with contributions
accepted on the night but just about everyone gave it their best shot
and it worked really well. Kicking off the evening was compere and AISC
chairman Andrew Hindle in a comedy alter ego Arthur Boomerangerang.
Easing everyone in lightly, there were plenty of puns (and did I spy a
pint?) to warm the night up. Andrew's other appearances were to read children's
poems and a particularly lively rendition of Michael Rosen's Chocolate
Cake had us all licking our lips. There was plenty of poetry - John Todd read a wry
Deep Sorriness Atonement Song by Glyn Maxwell while Rita Todd adapted
Ogden Nash's Ma, What's a Banker? to bring it bang up to date. Original verse came in the shape of Will Hitchcock's The Christie Poem which cleverly featured the titles of countless books by the Queen of the Crime Novel - I lost count half way through and then starting wondering 'was that a book title after all?' FORMER CLASSMATES James Morris-Knight also shared some verse with us - Falmouth
being a meditation on the Cornish town and Roll Call a particularly dry
and witty round-up of the after-school exploits of his former
classmates. Sutton comedienne Sheila M serenaded the audience
with a tongue-in-cheek version of the song My Guy, rolled out a whole
series of clever one-liners and indulged in a bit of humorous
storytelling. And storytelling also appears to come naturally to
Ann Simpson whose tales of life in Lancashire were both amusing and
colourful with extraneous details really bringing the characters and
situations alive. This is the second year running the AI group has
organised this event and it was thoroughly enjoyable. A small crowd was
the only disappointment, those who were unable to come missed a real
treat. Diane Parkes |
Spoken Worlds Old Cottage Tavern, Burton upon Trent One of the pleasures of spoken word events is that you are never quite sure what you are going to hear when you turn up. This was no exception. The relationship between lyrics and poetry over the years has been an uneasy one. Great songs and albums have frequently been underscored with lyrics which were either aural filler, or pretentious nonsense, with some honourable exceptions. Local poet and film director Mal Dewhirst has turned
his attentions to Pink Floyd's “The Wall” album, and a
fascinating project it is. On their 1977 tour Pink Floyd took exception to the behaviour of some of the very fans on their tour who had helped to make them multimillionaire superstars, with Roger Waters suggesting that they build a wall to cut themselves off from the troublesome oiks, prompting him to write an album on just that theme. Although commercially a huge success, the album has
not worn well, with the exception of Comfortably Numb and
Another Brick in the Wall. Mal has resolved to make good
Water's lyrical shortcomings for an ambitious production of the show in
Tamworth this summer by rewriting some of them. Tonight he debuted
The Thin Ice, and a very good job he made of it too. I await the
results of the remainder of the much needed redrafting with great interest. Whether he will turn his directorial skills to improve on Alan
Parker ‘s film is, as yet, unconfirmed. Jarvis Cocker has recently moved from intelligent lyricist to published poet with his new Faber published collection. The rise of Poetronica may yet see the burgeoning contemporary spoken word scene bite back into the world of contemporary lyricists who seem to have given up political fight, eschew word play, and trawl the lowest common denominator for effect. MAINSTREAM There are some great new mainstream lyricists out there, Matt Berninger (The National), James Mercer (The Shins), Devendra Banhart to name but three, and in England we have a great tradition of lyricists stretching back through Damon Albarn, Neil Tennant, Elvis Costello, Ray Davies to Cole Porter. But maybe a new project might be to rewrite the lyrics for some classic songs? Maybe Mal is onto something here? It is not as
outlandish a concept as it may seem. 19th century hymn
writers did it all the time. Great melody- shame about the words, and
pen in hand they thought nothing of writing something better. Why
shouldn't we do the same? Patti Smith redrafted Bruce Springsteen's
Because the Nigh to great effect. Perhaps the surprise is that
it has not been done more – until now....................... Unusual poetic inspiration was a feature of the
night. Tom Wyre drew upon Dickens for an ambitious themed list
poem, Peter Costelloe opted for 19th century bull-running in
Tutbury. Bert Flitcroft is a dapper urbane sophisticate who turned his
poetic sights upon road rage on the M42 in unlikely, but amusing and
accomplished form. Fresh from her success at Bilston Voices, Janet
Jenkins name-checked Birmingham Art Gallery, which Mal had also used for
inspiration, and Lichfield Cathedral, which Dea Costelloe had in
turn based a poem upon. Ray and Teri Jolland are a Spoken Worlds institution
for heir comedy sketches, and they did not let us down this month with
Its All an Act. It was good to hear host and organiser Gary
Carr read some of his own material, his line “Every mirror taunts with
its own veracity” the most memorable of the evening. As an experiment,
proceedings were audio recorded for the evening, providing a useful
archive for future use. Spoken Worlds returns at 7.30pm on Friday 23rd
March, free admission. 24-02-12 |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Church St, Bilston Running successful poetry nights is not easy. Audiences take time and patience to build, and are fickle.If you don't give them what they want, the venue will be empty next time around. So it is to Emma Pursehouse's great credit, as organiser, that she has built up an audience that invariably fills this cafe, and continues to source poets of sufficient quality to ensure that the audience keeps coming back. Who specifically is performing does not overly
affect attendance. It is the guarantee of good quality and an
entertaining night that does the trick. The evening started in reflective, commemorative, mode as Geoff Stevens was remembered. Geoff was a prodigious local poet and publisher with roots firmly planted in the Black Country, and with many friends. His recent death touched the local and regional poetic community that he served, and entertained so well in his life. His friend Al Barz read three of Geoff's poems in tribute. Geoff's humour in Animal Magic, about the
sponsoring of zoos, brought gales of laughter, Sleeping With You,
a love poem to Geraldine, was sentimental and touching without
being in the least mawkish. A measure of the quality of a poet's writing
often lies in how well others can interpret them – Al Barz did Geoff
proud. First on, and making his Bilston Voices debut, was Alan Glover. Many writers experience the highs and lows of life in magnified form and Alan was happy to lay bare his encounters with the lows with several pieces that felt like works of expiation. Intriguingly, I thought his best work lay outside of
that sequence. Digital photography was a list poem that was
well conceived, sharp and funny, Sixth Form Prose was simple
knockabout stuff that worked brilliantly, read for him, by Emma
Purshouse.
Another Bilston Voices debutante, but an experienced
performer, was Janet Jenkins from Lichfield Poets. She produced a
carefully crafted, and varied set, delivered with confidence and
assurance. Gardens, a writing project at Birmingham Art Gallery, love,
and false teeth all caught Janet's poetic attention. It was her piece on Modigliani from the Art Gallery sequence which stood out tonight. Donna Scott, once of Bilston is now a Milton Keynes
resident and she closed the first half with brio and chutzpah.
I Love Cake is very funny, her Introducing poem very
clever, although the ending was a little abrupt. Charity Case,
she had written that very morning and was hugely enjoyable, introducing
the fascinating concept of the fashion womble. Bright and breezy, she
entertained throughout and even found time to rhyme Bahamas with Judith
Chalmers! Opening the second half was the newly anointed Bard of Stony Stratford, Danni Antagonist. Performing work available in her two collections, Emotion's Memory and NSFW, I was struck by the interesting rhyming patterns she uses and her relaxed delivery. Bless This was her tour de force, and the poem which resonated with me most from the entire evening. OOZED PATHOS The tale of how she is helping her father clear out
the loft of their family home, it oozed pathos, compassion, wistful
reflection and warmth. It worked because although it was ostensibly
about clearing out a clutter filled loft, it was also written in the
shadow of her late mother who was part of that clutter, who wasn't
mentioned, but whose presence lingered implicitly, not explicitly. An
object lesson in good writing. Later on in the evening, the question was asked
as to whether poets should write as observers or participants ? The
writer's skill is in expressing personal experience in a form that is
universally understood, Danni succeeded in that challenge with this
poem. Top of the bill was Mark Niel, now working as a full
time poet. I have watched Mark's career unfold from Slam
champion, to the professional troubadour he has now become. His
slickness as a performer is now finely honed with performance at the
heart of his act. Bubbling full of ideas, he is appearing at the Wenlock Poetry festival in April, and has an exciting project involving
reworking classic poems as modern, accessible performance pieces
in the pipeline. Tonight, he stuck with established favourites like
My Half of the Fridge in a well rehearsed set that felt more
one-man show than poetry reading, and was well received by an
appreciative audience. Bilston Voices returns on Thursday 22nd March with a
terrific line-up that includes Dave Finchett, Jacquie Rowe, Joel Lane,
Jane Seabourne and David Calcutt. Gary Longden And another voice... A NOTE to Bilston Voices virgins; if Emma
books you to a appear please don't think it has to be poetry, you can
tell us a story, or even reminisce a little, as long as you engage with
us. That is the key to getting along with us. The venue is
small enough for you to see most faces as you look around while you are
performing, so please smile at us and treat us like friends, the people
who were booked to join us for February 2012 did. Having said that, Al Barz took on the task of
opening the evening with a short tribute to the late Geoff Stevens by
reading three of his poems. The first one Fixed Wheel
engaged us in Geoff's life away from poetry and reminded us of the
nature of his background. From wistfulness to gentle smiles and
even the odd chuckle, as we listened to Animal magic about
adopting animals and Lovers, a tribute that Geoff wrote to his
wife, Geraldine. Thank you Al. How do you follow that? Alan Glover, a Bilston
Voices virgin, bared his soul to us and took us through the ups and
downs, or is it downs and ups of depression with a selection of poems. I particularly enjoyed Town centre churchyard, a subject that I
have found inspiring in the past. Another BV newcomer Janet Jenkins was next up. As one of the Lichfield poets, she is not inexperienced and soon engaged
us in her lively vocal interpretations of life in her garden. A
couple of pieces written in Birmingham Museum gave voices to a bronze
called Dancing for Degas and to the model in a portrait by
Modigliani.
Donna Scott, on the other hand is a Bilston girl who
moved abroad, first to the east Midlands and now lives in the country
they call Milton Keynes. Donna loves cake, so it was no surprise
that she opened with a poem that said so. Whether she likes her
name is debatable as we heard a lot of alternatives mooted in her poem
Names; her taste in clothes is not, she has a very distinct
style and it suits her, not that a Fashion womble cares anyway. Like many of us, she has a partner who is addicted to a certain TV
programme, in her case Top Gear and I really felt as one with her poem
Life is the Stig. Donna was warmly welcomed home before
we adjourned for a libation and the odd cake. Danni Antagonist is the Bard of Stoney Stratford,
quite a title to live up to, but she did, chatting to us in a very
articulate manner about life and her poetry, the latter mesmerised me,
as she performed one after the other in a very professional manner. As a supporter of Bilston in Bloom, I was very interested in the village
Community orchard and the contemplative Bless this
about clearing out the attic in an old family home really struck a
personal chord. Last up was Mark Niel, who is not a complete
stranger to Bilston, having won a Bilston Love Slam and performed at a
variety night as part of his prize, but it was his first gig after
turning professional. Most of his performance was not new to some
of us, but the way Mark performed made it seem very fresh. Most of
Mark's poetry tends to be lively with a humorous touch and even the
touching Alan Neil 1931 – 2011 a tribute to his late father had
a lightness to the pathos, I loved it. As Mark is not a small man
he filled the room once he got up to perform in the confines of the
café, but that only brought him closer to his audience and Mark loves
audiences, as he told us in his final work, aptly entitled I love
audiences. Would a chest wax be in order, Mark? We had started the evening with a tribute to Geoff
Stevens and I do hope that he was looking in on us because he would most
likely have enjoyed the evening as much as we
did. |
The 5th Bilston Love Slam Imperial Ballroom, Bilston This is now a well established event drawing competitors from as far away as Gloucester and Manchester. That success is down to the alchemy of Emma Purshouse's pre show organisational skills, and the onstage charisma of co-hosts Marcus Moore and Sarah Jane Arbury. The latter's routine is a simple one, Marcus plays
the grumpy old git, Sarah Jane the flighty glamour puss, it works a
treat. They operate under the Spiel Unlimited banner hosting slams
around the country and organising poetry workshops and retreats. The
road honed experience that brings was much in evidence tonight. Fifteen entrants fought it out over three knock-out
rounds, with the first round demanding a love theme. Curiously this
brought out the serious and soppy side in our poets rather than the
satirical and waspish edge which you might have expected. Performer
Fergus McGonigal was even moved to kiss his wife afterwards! Overall this was an event for seasoned performers with two thirds well known to me. Special mention should be made of Jackie Evans, the least experienced of the slammers who performed with courage and conviction. The opening compulsory theme had a curiously
destabilising effect on the pecking order one might have assumed.
Richard Tyrone Jones is a poet of local and national repute, and his
poem form a tower block was very strong, but didn't take him through to
the next round. Equally local star Heather Wastie performed an
intelligent, sharp and wistful piece about the importance of kisses on
e-mails, but met a similar fate. Louise Stokes writes accomplished poetry both as herself, and as her alter-ego, the street sharp chav, Kimmy Sue Ann. This time she hedged her bets by performing a Kimmy Sue Ann poem as herself. It was good to see her “work” a character and idea which has so much potential a bit harder, taking her character on a Spanish holiday this time. Her partner's snoring endeared itself to Jane James in a little gem of a poem, Peter Wyton's word play around his Swiss army wife was possibly a bit too convoluted for its own good. FINAL POET The poet whom I felt most sorry for was Steve
Rooney. Greetings Cards was excellent, but as the final poet before the
break, he acknowledged that the only thing between a hungry audience and
an aromatic curry was him – he didn't get through. At this point it is worth mentioning two curious
features of Slams. The first is “points creep”. The judges always start
low, and as the evening wears on, and alcoholic intake increases, then
ramp up the scoring. The first, arbitrarily chosen trio scored
209/200/200 respectively, the final trio 239/254/218. Were the last trio
really almost 20% better than the first? Fortunately the highest score
from each trio goes through so that even though the lowest score from
the last trio was higher than the highest from the last, that low scorer
from the first group still went through. The second curiosity is that five out of the six semi finalists were men, even though seven out of the fifteen contestants were women. Why is difficult to explain. The audience was roughly 50/50 men and women, the six judges an exact 50/50 split. So this was a case of women voting for men. Of course it is possible that the men were just much better than the women. My own judgement is that was not so, and an experienced female performer suggested to me that, for whatever reason, this outcome was quite common. I don't have an easy answer to this. On my
travels I expect, and find, the best female poets to be more than a
match for their male counterparts, yet still there is substance to the
claim of female disadvantage. I would welcome your thoughts when you
next see me – or by message.
Local circuits can be dominated by familiar faces, so it was a particular pleasure when a Manchester contingent appeared for the night, and did so well. Rod Thames' material was very strong in both rounds, and I suspect would have been amongst the strongest of the evening on the page. Dave Viney oozed smooth Mancunian swagger as
trademarked by Liam Gallagher. I gained the impression that the Noisy
Neighbours whom he name-checked in his poem would have got short shrift
from him. Dominic Berry went one step further and even wore a Noel
Gallagher style parka whilst delivering the performance of the night in
the first round with his paean to aubergines, and his sharp love poem
Time Travellers in the second, but it was Kieren King who made it
through to the final. Fergus McGonigal entertained splendidly with his
Hangover lament, but it was Lorna Meehan's experiences as a lesbian
extras arm on a television show which carried her through to the final. One of the pleasures of reviewing the Midland's
poetry scene for some years now is watching talent grow. Lorna has
always been a very good poet, but now she is adding polish and a relaxed
confidence to her overall performance which manifested itself in a
splendid Rock Chick, which was just trumped by Kieren King's, Whatever
Happened to the Heroes, for the judge's vote, both working on a musical
theme. Kieren was a worthy winner, and I later learned that
all of the Manchester boys were indebted to the inspiration of fellow
Mancunian Ben Mellor, who won the Radio 4 National Slam in Birmingham
three years ago, and is appearing in Worcester next week. Kieren's work
was pithy, economical, and incisive in an evening where comic poetry,
which so often dominates slams, was scarcely in evidence. He has an
invite to join the next variety bill at the Imperial on the 28th
April which also features Steve Rooney from last night's performers. Gary Longden |
Lunchtime Poetry with Write Down Speak Up Ort Cafe, Moseley Rd, Balsall Heath THE ORT cafe is part of the Old Print Works occupying a space previously given over to ink mixing. The building includes 30+ business units for skilled professionals creating fine crafted goods, open access workshop and performance spaces, the cafe itself, a massive gallery hall for exhibitions and community events, as well as a Skills Shed for after school training, apprenticeships and practical hands-on learning sessions for young people. Local older volunteers are encouraged to exchange
their skills with others. This innovative development is taking place at
the old factory of a successful printing company, which stands almost
opposite the historic swimming baths. A major focus of The Old Print
Works is preserving and celebrating its history whilst demonstrating
that old buildings can be rehabilitated through intermediate
technologies for low-carbon and sustainable use. This one off event was a poetry first at a cafe that has only been open since November but which is awash with innovation and activity. Write down Speak Up is Birmingham's leading poetry collective and arrived to bring a suitably innovative event comprising performances from the three visiting poets, and take audio visual recordings of audience contributions to the Big Brum Poem, a compilation of community offerings from across the city being displayed on Victoria Square's Big Screen throughout the year. MARKET FOODS Poet and national and Regional DJ Charlie Jordan
tantalised by imagining various market foods as parts of the male body,
Kurly McGeachie made everyone Smile as the pro-poets set the mood. A very good turn-out elicited contributions from established poetic talents like Elizabeth Charis, Lizzy Piphany, Shabz Ahmed and Chris Akers – as well as several exciting new ones including saxophonist Jo from up and coming local band The Heels. The pro poets inspired, and the enthusiastic
audience followed. A steady stream of latent poetic talent declared
itself as the afternoon unfolded including Mums whose rhyming skills had
been reawakened by reciting nursery rhymes and lapsed or hidden talent
that had simply not had the opportunity to have a go previously. Keep an
eye open on the Big Screen for when the Ort Cafe and its audience and
their contributions are featured. The cafe itself is an excellent venue for poetry and co-owners, and philosophy graduates, Richi, Josephine and Noemi are keen for it to be used more widely as such. An incredibly diverse bill of events which takes in
maths classes, language coaching, theatre, philosophy, film, sewing and
a Swap Shop provides a bohemian arty audience and ambience well suited
to things poetic. Add freshly cooked and baked food and a range of
reasonably priced drinks and you have a resipe for success. For future events Ort Cafe has its own
website:www. ortcafe. co. uk and is on Facebook under Ort Cafe and The
Old Print Works. Gary Longden |
Poetry Evening The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,
Castle Gates, Shrewsbury This was the inaugural evening of what
is to be a monthly event which Behind the Arras was pleased to support.
Normally to be an open mic, the first evening was
launched by Liz Lefroy and Vuyelwa Carwin. Although Shropshire is quite well served by storytelling evenings, poetry
hitherto has been a little thinner on the ground. Wilfred Owen is a past resident, so a resurrection
of the poetic tradition in the town is not before time. The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse itself is a good venue,
centrally situated in Castle Gates by the castle with car parks a short
walk away. It is licensed as well as selling the usual range of
coffee, teas and cakes with a rustic, welcoming ambience offering a good
reception facility. The poetry itself is held downstairs in a dedicated
room, accessible but private, as the upstairs still functions normally
whilst the poetry takes place downstairs. Liz Lefroy lead the evening in some style. She
lectures in Social Care at Glyndwr University in Wrexham. Her pamphlet
Pretending the Weather, published by Long Face Press, won the
Roy Fisher Prize for Poetry and is endorsed by both Carol Ann Duffy and
Gillian Clarke. Although she lives in Shrewsbury she is studying for
an MA in Creative Writing at Keele University. She opened the evening by
commenting on the recent Geoffrey Hill v Carol Ann Duffy spat,
tactfully opining that Poets were not renowned for being team players
whilst also praising the qualities of Mills and Boon writing, which
lead nicely into an airing for her freshly composed Team Players
upon which the ink had barely dried that day.
I had travelled specifically to hear Liz and was not
disappointed. The School Concert was a beautiful hymn to her
son, Leaving told of the familiar desire in all of us sometimes
to run away from work, My Ambiguous Relationship with Rain her
tour de force. A strong spoken performer of her own work, her writing is
economic and stylish, accessible but clever. She read nothing from her
prize winning pamphlet which is a testament to the depth of her
portfolio, and a treat yet to come. The headlining poet was Vuyelwa Carlin who was born
in South Africa,, brought up in Uganda, and has lived for many years now
in Shropshire - Vuyelwa means 'rejoicing at the birth of a girl' in
Xhosa. Her poems have appeared in literary journals and
anthologies in the UK and abroad. She has published four poetry
collections to date and has won prizes in both the Cardiff and National
Poetry Competitions. She is also a Hawthornden Fellow. Her publications include; How We Dream of the
Dead, Marble Sky, Midas' Daughter and The Solitary, published by
Impress Books. The past five years she has worked as a carer in
an Elderly Mentally Infirm unit, inspiring her opening poems about
patients with dementia, which she writes with love and affection.
Thereafter, she took in a sequence on the Holocaust and her own family
relationships. Poetry and Plaques was the strongest of
her dementia sequence, which always referenced her patient's first
names, cementing the identity which they themselves were losing.
Namirembe Cathedral , the red brick cathedral in Kampala, she
dedicated to David Cato the murdered Ugandan gay rights activist. The poem itself was as strong as the diatribe she
offered on the regressive Ugandan regime aided and abetted by a
fundamentalist church element. It offered a strong sense of place
and I would have liked to have heard more of her work set in
Africa. That immediacy and sense of being there was noticeably, and
inevitably stronger, than her Holocaust pieces. In the latter she was
fond of using biblical epigraphs, to mixed effect. On the one hand they
offered solemnity by historical association, but on the other they
softened the impact of the message. Her strength lies in her ability to offer powerful
glimpse into her subjects. Of Ellen she quoted: “ I wish I could be a
little girl again, I wish I could go back in time. ” Of Mary, a
beleaguered centenarian, she observed: “She would have liked to have
gone earlier, but didn't know how to. ” The next Poetry Evening is on Thursday, 01-03-12 at
Shrewsbury Coffee House. 02-02-12. Gary Longden |
Spoken Worlds Old Cottage Tavern,
Burton-Upon-Trent 2012 has now well and truly dusted its
boots off and made itself at home, and as January comes to a close so
the first round of regular poetry events are completed. Establishing, and maintaining success, as a spoken
word event is no easy task, but here there is a device which works
particularly well, three Acts with two intervals. This enables
performers to perform work with wildly varying moods and dynamics on the
same evening in separate chunks. Andy Biddulph “The Burton Poet” combines the
personas of an enfant terrible and eminence grise all in one
enthusiastic package as he stalks the streets of Staffordshire and south
Derbyshire with his distinctive brand of politically inspired poetry. From the soft targets and soft underbelly of
Bankers, to the more oblique, but just as interesting question of
control of the waterways, Andy has a (Left) view, and a welcome one it
is too. His kindle book “An Interesting Life by Mistake” is available on
Amazon. Nudging the evening along, Gary Carr did his usual
seamless job, although I always feel that I would like to hear more from
him as he tends to throw in little gems like Starlings, before
introducing the next act, leaving the audience thinking, “Hang on!” A rewarding aspect of being a long serving part of
the local poetry scene is watching individuals explore their poetic
selves. Ian Ward writes from a wide variety of places, taking in fantasy,
contemporary music, grotesque, and love poetry.
Tonight he surprised me with some Sea Shanty
inspired pieces inspired by his time in the South West which were
delivered with a conviction which transformed the Old Cottage Tavern
into The Smugglers Cove somewhere in Cornwall. Local poet Pete told “Burton Tales”, the most
worrying of which was that “Pizza Hut” has deserted its town centre
pitch (was it too upmarket?). Tom Wyre read extensively, his piece on whale
hunting being the piece i enjoyed most. His bustling off stage
personality an intriguing contrast to the reflective tone and
mellifluous ambience he brings to his work. Margaret Torr did what she
does best, double volley of conceived and executed poems, before
retiring, leaving us wanting more. Ray and Terri Jolland always have some comic light
entertainment written, and this time was no exception, although Mal
Dewhirst amused too with his recollections of the Branston Water Park
Arts Festival where both the audience, and even the geese, were
resistant to verse and rhyme. His Aspiration Boulevard sequence was
particularly strong, howver i can never hear him introduce it by name
without thinking of Heartbreak Avenue by the Maisonettes ! Spoken Worlds next meets on Friday 24th
February at 7. 30pm 27-01-12 Gary Longden |
Bardic Trials The Crown, Stony Stratford THE Bardic Council of Stony Stratford is
proud to announce Danni Antagonist as the new Bard of Stony Stratford.
The Bardic Trials of 2012 were held at the Crown pub in the Market
Square and are now a firm fixture in the town's cultural calendar and
coincide with the Stony Words literary festival. Tthe event invites contenders to compete for the
esteemed status of Town Bard, now recognised as an official civic
position by Stony Stratford Town Council. The Bard personifies the
spirit of collective creativity, culture and community within the town,
acting as its lyrical ambassador and representing its interests at home
and abroad. Ian is attempting to claim overtime payment for the
extra week, a dispute which will hopefully be resolved at a Bardic
Tribunal. As a writer and performer, Danni is a deserving candidate for
Bardic status, regularly performing to high acclaim at live poetry
events all over the country, as well as being a founder and co-host of
Poetry Kapow! She is ideally suited to represent the vibrant spirit of live performance in Stony Stratford. OPEN COMPETITION During the Trials, contenders performed before a
packed audience as well as the The Bardic Council – a panel of judges
comprised of Mark Niel, the Poet Laureate of Milton Keynes; Ian
Freemantle, the outgoing Bard; Fay Roberts, poet and organiser of many
poetry events; Justin Thyme, head of the Bardic Chair of Northampton,
and the Duke of Stony himself, Ken Daniels. This year, seven noble champions entered the trials
- Adam Fox, Naomi Rose, Richard Frost, Kevin Sullivan, Trevor Jones,
Andy Powell and Danni Antagonist. All deserve special recognition for the quality of
their contributions to the Trials. Contenders were eliminated over three
rounds until the remaining two, Danni and Richard, faced each other in
the final. The judges and the audience all voted for their
preferred contender, ensuring a fair and democratic process from which
the Bard emerges as the true choice of the people of Stony. Many thanks
to all who turned out on a cold January evening to create a warm and
receptive atmosphere and help to turn a new chapter in Bardic history. |
Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Bilston It might have been a cold January evening,
but the Bilston Voices regulars turned out in their usual numbers to see
and hear the latest contributors. This month, organiser Emma
Purshouse had brought together a variety of performers, including a
couple from well outside our normal Black Country catchment area. Eileen Ward-Birch kicked off the evening with a pot
pourri of poetry, prose and reminiscence. Eileen gave a warm
and confident performance, entertaining the audience with her verse
and a very well written piece about day trips to Ribbesford. The
set was punctuated with some 'heckling' from Eileen's husband Mick which
gave rise to some lively banter between the two of them, all of which
added to the audience's enjoyment. Ann Clarson from Bloxwich is a mature lady with a
very lively youthful outlook on life that she conveys through her verse. Her comments on defying age as she dressed, but then looking in the
mirror were most insightful, as was her take on dieting. Ann had
come to see us on her birthday, so we all sang Happy Birthday
to her after her performance by way of thanks. Last up before the ‘cake break' Cathryn Ravenhal, a
deceptively demure looking young lady from Rugby, gave us a view of her
job through poetry inspired by people she meets, including an outspoken
list poem called Know Wise Cracks, which consists of words that
could be used as insults; even I heard a couple of new ones, thanks
Cathryn. Having travelled from Nottingham with her ‘bag of
tricks' Nicki Hastie produced a pair of her stress balls that she uses
at work, then told us about growing up uncertain of her sexuality, until
she finally came out as a lesbian. I was most impressed with her poem, Shifting sands about how, as a teenager, she encouraged
her brother to admit that he was gay. The evening ended with a selection of traditional
and not so traditional folk songs by Billy Spakemon (vocals) and Lozz
Hipkiss (guitar). The pair soonhad us all singing along to Shut the
Cairtins Gerald, about Queen Victoria travelling through the Black
Country on her train. Followed by the Bricklayer's Daughter who
caused havoc in Oldbury and hard times in the workhouse. Next meeting, 7. 30pm, 23 February.. Bilston Voices has grown from a tentative beginning to one of the most popular spoken word events in the Black Country where performers who are invited along can be sure of a warm welcome from a good audience. 26-01-12 Emma Purshouse |
Black Country Night Out Café Metro, Bilston JANUARY often leaves people a little low after the big Christmas and New Year celebrations, so the idea of a Black Country night out was very welcome, so much so that the seventy seats available in the Back Room of Café Metro sold out before Christmas and had a waiting list. It was a chilly evening, but we were soon warmed
up by lively Derek Mack and his ‘impressions' of Tom Jones singing some
of Tom's early hits. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, despite
his rapport with the audience, he failed to sell any of his tapes that
he initially assured us that had four songs and were only a pound each.
Dave Reeves was next up with a selection of
works from his new collection, Black Country Dialectics, which was
launched a few weeks previously at Bilston library. Dave's take on
computer jargon is very interesting, as are his tales of Bionic Aynuk
and Boz in the Black Country. He must be near the front of a
growing number of writers who are working hard to preserve our unique
heritage from a modern angle. The first half was brought to a close by The Fizzog Theatre Company with their hilarious take on four old ladies travelling abroad, with a short appearance of Derek Mack, as an ‘Italian stallion'. We rolled with laughter and wondered how such young women could create these characters, but we're glad they do. I must confess that I am in two minds
about the Fizzogs; on the one hand, I think they are so good they should
be getting more recognition outside the region, on the other, I don't
want to see them move out of reach of their regular audiences. Their new show with Barbara Nice can be seen at the Newhampton Arts
Centre on Friday 14 and Saturday 25 February.
After a good Black Country buffet (included in
the ticket price) we enjoyed a selection of Madge Gilbey's dialect
poetry. Her quirky take on life via her thoughts on such subjects
as man boobs, valentines and a friend's funeral got the audience back
from their faggots and grey paes chuckling and ready for the remainder
of the evening. Brendan Hawthorne, a Wednesbury poet, is
well known for his anecdotal tales and poems of growing up in the black
Country. From tin baths to tank tops his mother knitted and
faggots to a teenage permanent wave via his Grandfather's smoking
habits, we lapped it up and remembered similar objects and situations. After a brief appearance by his ventriloquists dummy (complete with
knitted tank top)we were given a cautionary poem about spicing up your
love life at a certain age and Brendan's fictional adventures with his
sotnev, the Sandwell satnav. Another
writer in the forefront of the movement to preserve the Black Country
dialect; perhaps we should have a Black Country laureate. We finished up rolling in the aisles to Emma
Rollason's tribute to the black Country comedienne, the late Dolly
Allen. I never saw Dolly Allen, but I have seen Emma's tribute
before this and it gets better and better, her way of portraying the
gossipy older ‘ooman is superb. If anything, I felt the time
allocated to her was a little short, I know my table companions could
have sat through more. All in all a good first venture into this area
for the team at Café Metro.
Eileen Ward-Birch |
Mouth & Music Boars head Gallery,
Worcester St, Kidderminster I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it
due to my very heavy workload at the moment and my husband having to get
up very early today to travel to London on business, but I managed to
get away from my office at 6. 45pm to make the trip there along with my
husband and good friend/performance poet Suz Winspear. I had the absolute pleasure of being the first ever
“Mouth and Music” open mic performer and I read “A Trail Called Hope”,
“Haiti Earthquake”, “Bad Hair Day” and “Resolutions”. I got to see the first part of Spoz's set and he performed “Disco Dad”, and his take on Sherlock Holmes where he gets “hound of the baskerville” to rhyme with “pound and a flask of pills” and get it to make sense, according to the review of this poem that was in The Birmingham Post. BEST POEM But the best poem of all for me has to be the one he wrote about his Mum and Dad who came to live in the UK from Italy. By coincidence my Dad also came over from Italy to live with his sister and her husband who were already settled here when he was ten years old as the opportunities for education and work were far better than in the little tiny village of Mongrassano in the late 1950s. Every single word and syllable of that poem
rings so true with me and I can almost hear my Dad saying the same
things to me that Spoz said that his mother said to him in this poem –
“you geta a gooda job, and geta gooda pay, and save all the money for a
rainy day. Work with your brain, put away that guitar” or in my case,
put away that pen and paper and stop writing – as if THAT was going to
happen (sorry Dad! It doesn't matter how many times I hear Spoz deliver
that poem, it tugs on my heartstrings every time and last night I
actually had a tear or two in my eye. It was a good job that my husband
was there to give me a hug on the way out! I shall make this a regular event in my poetry
and writing calendar. Heather Wastie and Sarah Tamar are on to a winner
with this and I wish them every success and I hope the night goes from
strength to strength. A new dedicated Facebook page has been set up and
you can access it by going to
www. facebook. com/mouthandmusic. 10-01-12. |
Newhampton Inn, Riches
Street, Wolverhampton I have been trying to get to this spoken word group
for a long time and I was not disappointed. The meetings take
place in the upstairs assembly room at the Newhampton Inn, giving access
to bar facilities etc. without the problem of interference from other
customers, which can be a problem when meeting in pubs. Unfortunately, there is no disabled access. The group was quite small which, as we were meeting
on a Bank Holiday Monday evening, was to be expected. It is very
informal and those who wish to read or tell stories can indicate as they
arrive, or during the evening, time permitting, real open mic without
the mic. SWAN specialises in spoken word of any kind; on this
occasion, it was mainly storytelling with folk stories and legends from
around the world being told enthusiastically by people who obviously
enjoyed what they were doing. We had tales from Afghanistan, the
Isle of Man, India, the Black Country, the English/Welsh border and
more. There was one poet, a young man trying out some of his poems
for the first time, who was made very welcome. Meetings are on the first Monday of every monthat 8
pm, except August when there is no meeting, as it clashes with On The
Edge. Eileen Ward Birch |
Decadent Delights Parole Parlate, Worcester I've been to a fair few Parole Parlate
spoken word evenings on the first Thursday of the month at the Little
Venice in Worcester. They've always been good but I don't think I've
laughed or enjoyed myself so much this year. Okay, so this year's still
very young, but not since last year's Worcestershire Literary Festival
in June. This cracking start to the new year, thanks to the
Worcestershire literary festival team and Bohdan Piasecki at Apple and
Snakes, featured the Decadent Divas as guest act. They were decadent, divatastic and definitely not to
be missed. This hilarious and moving celebration of womanhood by Charlie
Jordan, Maggie Doyle, Lorna Meehan and Laura Yates covers the female
viewpoints of four decades from women in their 20s through to their
fifties, with new poetry included for 2012. From Beckham in bondage,
through student insecurities, to yoga, meditation, Neanderthal males and
yes, maybe just a little bit of sex (!), both the material and their
performance made for an entertaining show. And, warming the audience up, was a typically
wonderful variety of short acts. Worcestershire's Owen Fleet opened the
night (to a packed house) with his comic observations of the cad and a
hilarious bucket list inspired by all those wonderful new year's
resolutions so many of us make. David Calcutt shared a series of his poems, all of
which contained some beautiful, haunting, and thought-provoking images
and lines. It was great to hear him perform both A Conjuring of the
White Owl, which was in the first issue of the Worcestershire Literary
Festival Be: magazine and also his curlew poem included in the second
issue, due out at the end of February. YULETIDE SHOPLIFTERS Suz Winspear's mesmerising performance, complete
with a new costume created for Christmas, featured a range of pieces
written for this time of year, the ‘inertia/hangover/somnolent' weeks. Her ‘dodgy scrotes' poem about yuletide shoplifters – complete with ‘a
clockwork stunt nun which can provide years of fun' – was one of a
number of highlights of the evening. Kidderminster poet Bobby Parker was also on
characteristically fine form with his unflinching poems touching on
estate life, drugs… in his own very unique and humorous style. These
included a number of poems currently up on the Stride magazine website. Shabz Ahmed travelled from Birmingham to give the
audience his three poems on third world hunger, the UK riots and a
memorised piece honouring his mother, while Polly Robinson rounded off
the evening with a fantastic audience-participation poem: Let's Do It,
Let's Write a Blog, featuring a number of regular Parole Parlate and
Worcestershire Literary Festival performers. Too much chatting (oops, me never!) meant I missed
the first two poets of the second half, to my loss. But Nick Munro-Taylor's prose piece did what many
short stories fail to do when performed aloud by managing not only to
keep but maintain the audience's attention, thanks both to its humour
and the fantastic character voices within it. Next up was popular poet Ruth Stacey with three
poems, including her Be: magazine website Christmas Norway Spruce.
Thanks to repeated audience requests, she also treated us to her
memorable and funny Bear poem. Last, but by no means least, Tony Judge brought us
more puntastic fun and delight with his characterful and witty take on
life in Little Hope, complete with incidents, exploits and word play
(not to mention baking road kill!) which had the audience in fits of
laughter. All in all, a great evening! Sarah James
|
Smoke & Mirrors Malvern The vibrancy of poetry events around the Midlands is well documented in Behind the Arras, but nowhere does the poetic muse flourish more healthily than at Smoke and Mirrors in Malvern. Organised by Dee Davidson and Caitlin Belgard. This year has seen performances by John Cooper Clarke, Attila the Stockbroker and Ian McMillan, as well a cornucopia of local talent, all of whom are included in the Smoke and Mirrors book, which was launched on the evening. The book itself was compiled, and a companion audio
recorded, and produced in under a month – a remarkable achievement. But
then remarkable achievements seem routine for a couple who led the
successful campaign to retain the Malvern Youth Centre, the only
community hall in the town, from closure and redevelopment. Formats can make or break poetry events. Yet Dee
and Caitlin like to live dangerously. The performances were to showcase
contributions to the book, with the opportunity for performers to add
a few others. But instead of fixing a running order, a rolling
ballot was in place to determine the order of performance – it worked
brilliantly, primarily due to the calibre of poet and material on show,
adding an uncertain artistic edge to proceedings. First out of the hat were the Very Grimm Bros, vehicle for Adrian Mealing accompanied by his “brother” on acoustic guitar. His urbane and distinguished demeanour was the perfect foil for his raw subject matter which took in Police violence, and a tribute to Gill Scott Heron. WITTY, SHARP AND FRESH Nor was Trish Marsh prepared to settle for the
routine or mundane. She introduced us to the concept of GITS- great
issues of our time, accompanied by placards to prompt audience response.
Witty, sharp and fresh, she bounded through the perils of excess carbon
emissions and the need for recycling, taking in Bin Laden on the way.
Writing simple, effective poetry is far more
difficult than it at first appears. Whenever you hear something which
makes you think “I wish I had written that” it is an implicit
endorsement. That was my reaction to Ali Oxterby's, The Hug, a
joyful, and wry exploration of the pleasures, and perils, of hugging.
Previously, I had met Brenda Read- Brown, and seen her perform during
the day in a library. In the environment of a relaxed, licensed, evening
she was unrecognisable, with two tour-de force pieces, one inspired by
her work with prisoners. Dan Duke is a very strong comic
performance poet. He fuses a Rowan Atkinesque absurd stage demeanour
with a keen intellectual edge neatly balancing fine observation with
base belly laughs. Up a GUM Tree about a visit to a sexually
transmitted diseases clinic (non-auto biographical of course) epitomised
this approach with male members of the audience looking anxiously around
worried that they had laughed a little too readily at some of the
jokes! The likes of Heather Wastie, Ray Miller, Ted
Underwood, Tim Cranmore, and Catherine Crosswell effortlessly vindicated
their selection for publication, with seventeen year old Laura Dedicoat,
current Young Worcestershire Poet Laureate, a shining example of
emerging poetic talent. The evening closed with a contribution from
myself, a batte-of – the-sexes pentalogy duet with the cutting,
but adorable, Amy Rainbow, and a delightfully lewd and bawdy
contribution from Bill Thomas about eating spare ribs. Every event has its own characteristics. Smoke and
Mirrors trick is to be clever, yet unpretentious, diverse but with a
strong poetic core, and performance based whilst never compromising on
the stand alone quality of writing, a summary true of the evening, the
running event, and the book, which is available, including audio disc
for £10 from
www. versatilearts. co. uk Gary Longden |
Hit the Ode End of Year Special
Twice in less than a month I have been
to poetry events celebrating their first anniversary; the first was
Parole Parlate which I have already written about, and the second was
Hit The Ode, The Victoria, Birmingham. All performing poets and writers know that the audience can make or break their performance but audiences can be manipulated. In the good old days of variety or chat shows, the audience was “warmed up” thus making them more eager to see the performers. A lesser known comedian or more inexperienced
performer was commissioned as the “warm up”, and it was their job to
whip the audience (not literally) into a frenzy of excitement – or as
near as they could get. One or two of you may have heard of Peter Kay ! He started life as the warm up for Sir Michael Parkinson. (Peter
compered the re-named Royal Command Performance this month and, I
believe, has just topped sales of ten million with his latest DVD – not
bad for a one-time warm up man!) Fortunately, this specific art form has not become
extinct and is alive and kicking at Hit the Ode in the form of the MC,
Bohdan Piasecki. He is the genial host of the evening
who manages to elicit the best of responses through the oddest of
requests. Degrees of clapping (or of booing – though very rarely
put into effect) and peaks and troughs of laughter carefully
orchestrated under the skillful raising and lowering of his hand.
Ludicrous it may sound, but it works. Bohdan has the audience in
the palm of his hand and then passes them over to the acts for the
evening, almost a show in itself.
November's session started with Shabz Ahmed
who had a thought provoking piece about poverty in the twenty first
century, which was followed by a poem about the riots earlier this year.
Shabz is a great supporter of the Birmingham poetry scene and it was
good to hear some of his work. Emma Whelan shared some
of her concerns and views on mental health issues with her first poem
asking the question “Who isn't sick in the world? I'm just at another
level. ” Her second piece, “Positive Thinking” was
an admitted rant on how mental illness is perceived. Powerful
messages sensitively delivered. Sean Colletti, Irish
name but an American accent took a nostalgic look at Halloween with his
poem “My Father” where his father, through the
decoration of an oak tree at Halloween, provided “a snow globe of
memories for his son. ” Sean was followed by another open mic performer, Leeanne Stoddart with her “Hero”
poem. In truth, this was dedicated to a female – supermomma,
amazing daughter, mother, student, friend. In fact, a Shero. Unusual twist on a common theme. The first half open mic-ers finished
with Shortman, a very individualistic performer who
intrigued the audience with his particular style of delivery. The highlight of the evening for me personally, was
the first guest performer – Matt Harvey. I
had not been fortunate enough to see him before and was eagerly awaiting
his set; I was not disappointed. Matt hails from Totnes and was also
Poet in Residence at Wimbledon, or to give him the official title, the
first official Wimbledon Championships Poet.. He opened with “Works Perks”, a logical
view at what he perceived was “owed” to him from his employers for the
amount of time and diligence afforded to his employment but not totally
covered by wages. A charming and witty piece containing “you take
the best years of my life …… [so, I take] a laminator for my wife”. You can't fault the logic! “Oh Potato” was
commissioned by the Waste and Resources Action Project for its Love Food
Hate Waste Campaign and beautifully illustrated the unsung potential of,
well, yes, the potato. More pieces flowed effortlessly from this
charismatic writer with clever rhyming schemes and witty observations. His IT poem was musical poetry and a Wimbledon Gig
Poem “Thwock” with made up words (lookity, muttery), official commentary
and perfectly timed pauses had the audience re-living a Wimbledon final. If you fancy hearing witty language, clever vocabulary, and enjoyable
poetry enjoyably delivered, look no further than Matt Harvey. SHORT LOVE POEM The second half opened with three more open mic-ers;
Elizabeth Charis who under went a name change with
explanations in her first piece, and ended with a very short love poem.
Gift Nyoni followed with her profound observations of
specific people lost within society “we of no name”, and not being
accepted as natives yet are the backbone of the economy; “we are the
people you refuse to see”. Rehema was the last of the
open mic performers, a very pleasant young lady with a sad love poem –
“I am the books you won't read” being one evocative line. First guest poet of the second half was Irishwoman
Catherine Brogan, the international element of the
evening – who had flown in from Berlin. Having explained the precarious
nature of trying to exist when earning a living as a poet, her opening
poem portrayed Jesus as the original gang leader, disciples being slang
for gang, certainly a different take on bible stories. A piece on
terrorism followed asking the question why does the present generation
keep on killing when they could just chill or go fishing. Her final
piece, a mini history lesson involving Northern Ireland, was both clever
and informative and she received a very good reception from the
audience. The final act of the night, Joe Coglan,
had appeared twice at Hit the Ode as an open mic performer and tonight
was elevated to guest. A youth worker from Derby, his pieces
reflected the work in which he is involved and the part Society plays
but for me his poem “Mary's Secret” about an eight year old
girl with an “indestructible smile” took us to places where perhaps we
would rather not go. Sometimes, however, we need to be reminded
that life is not always rosy. Bullying and child abuse exist and
Joe pulled no punches with his poem. So, Hit the Ode drew to a close and finished its
first year. The audience was not as large as usual – probably something
to do with late night shopping and the German Christmas Market – but the
evening lost none of its enthusiasm for the acts on stage and a good
time was had by all. May I wish all spoken word supporters, writers and
performers a very Happy Christmas/ Winter Festival or whatever is deemed
politically correct, and may Hit the Ode and other events blossom even
more in 2012. Maggie Doyle |
John Edgar – Breton Tales After Dark Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton Twelve months ago,
I persuaded my reluctant husband to brave a wintry evening with me to
see John Edgar tell his
Tales of The Ankou
at the Arena Theatre, this year, he insisted we go to the follow up
event. The Arena might have been built for John Edgar,
large enough to accommodate a good sized audience, but not too large. It gives him just the right size of auditorium for his voice to reach
everybody without the need for amplification, and brings audience
members close enough for him to interact with individuals,
even ad-libbing a few short good natured exchanges, as he prowls the
stage. We listened enthralled, as John began by telling us
macabre tales of people who had encountered Les Lavandeires, washerwomen
of the night who prepare shrouds for those about to die. The story
of the spectacularly monickered Iouennic Bolloc'h in the cathedral on
All Hallows' Eve and the couple who saved his parents from spending
eternity as trees by giving food to the poor held our attention up to
the interval. When the macabre spell cast by John was broken by
humour, we, having been drawn into a story, sometimes laughed nervously,
sometimes chuckled and sometimes laughed aloud. Moreover, this
coupling of macabre and mirth continued into the second half, when we
heard the tale of generous Laou ar Braz and his encounter with The Ankou
after he had slaughtered his largest pig and shared the proceeds with
his neighbours. The Ankou and a handsome sea captain also made
appearances in the closing tales. So many stories told, so many, we
hope, still to tell. For this one evening, John was ably supported by
Billy Spakemon and Lozz who opened each half of
the show with a variety of Black Country songs, including Alley
Pally Sally and Oldbury mon. They will be appearing
at Bilston Voices in January. On my way out, I overheard two women discussing
their night out. The verdict – “mind blowing”. It must have
been their first time, but I tend to agree. Eileen Ward –Birch |
Word Up The
Drum, Aston THIS
was Behind the Arras's ridiculously belated first visit to The Drum,
which is dedicated to developing and promoting contemporary art and
culture of British African, Asian and Caribbean communities.
Its ambitions are bold, as it strives to become a centre of national and international renown,
yet still stay firmly rooted within its local community, leading and
facilitating the development, celebration, performance and exhibition
of the diversity of Black arts and cultures for the benefit of all. It is a place where contemporary
Black arts flourish and are enjoyed, nurturing and broadening the
appreciation of these arts for audiences and participants from the whole
community – Black and White.
It aims to support the
development of contemporary Black artistic practice and involve people
from every section of the community in cultural activities that educate,
inform, entertain, challenge and delight them. When the evening drew to
a close I think that Word Up met those objectives. Led by the charismatic Keisha C
and Cassandra, the evening majored with black artists, though not
exclusively, who were predominantly young, and combined straight poetry,
drama, beat box, hip hop, and some songs sung to backing tracks.
Played on a modest (but higher
than you might expect) stage, there is a good PA system which is needed
in the cavernous surroundings of the foyer and licensed cafe area. Jon Morley is heavily involved in the Drum and he joined Wole Soyinka to perform extracts from Death and
the Kings Horseman. The Drum's new in-house production is a youth music
theatre adaptation of this classic of modern African theatre, set in
Nigeria during World War II. “The King has died, and tonight a
sacrificial victim must escort him to the spirit world. As Chief Elesin
Oba dances through the market, pursued by an entourage of adoring women,
he promises to honour the ancient Yoruba custom of ritual suicide and
accompany his ruler on the final journey. Will Elesin do his duty and
prevent the world from tumbling into catastrophe? Or will meddling
colonial officials precipitate the downfall of his race?” It was a strong reading,
powerfully brought to life by Jon and Wole, the full performances
take place on Dec 8th/9th/10th at the Drum. The other star turn was Mstr
Morrison, whose poetic career continues to flourish. Graveyard Shift is
a live staple of his, telling the down-market, downbeat, tale of Jasmine
and her life in a brothel. A young man, he speaks with the wisdom, and
sometimes world-weariness, of someone far older, and with a humanity
that always enthralls. His latest poem, provisionally
titled Real Life Heroes, represented another step in his writing
evolution as he juxtaposed popular heroes, the sporting ones of
whom will come to the fore next year during the Olympics and European
Football Championships, with the everyday, unsung heroes of day to day
life. Bambino's Freestyle Beatbox,
Anita's singing and Kanski's rap impressed, as did the spoken word
offerings of Jade Richards, Shabz Ahmed and Christian. The “Shake the
Dust” Youth Poetry Slam is taking place at the Drum on Tuesday 6th
December. 01-12-11 Gary Longden
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Bilston Voices Metro Cafe, Bilston THERE is no doubt that a good laugh creates
a pleasant atmosphere and at Bilston Voices regulars like a ‘gudloff',
which is probably why there is usually such a good atmosphere. The latest line up of poets and storytellers gathered together by our
regular lively MC, Emma Purshouse, more than lived up to the Café
Metro's reputation. Ron Davies started the proceedings by telling us
about his childhood visits to the cinema and being a child in wartime. We tittered along as he related tales of the goings on in the back row
and how lads his age would pretend to be the latest cinema hero, in his
case Charles Boyer, complete with home dyed beret and an attempt at a
French accent to impress the local girls. After Ron, wegiggled along with Jill Tromans as she
recited one of her Christmas poems and told us about catching up with an
old boyfriend via Friends Reunited and we continued to chuckle through a
short story. The story, about a man who was pleased about his wife
leaving him, drew us all in, waiting for the punch line, which came just
right – as she roused him out of his dream. Last on before the break and a last minute stand in, Gary Longden had us chuckling with his poems. We had one called Café Blend, which was nothing like Café Metro. This was followed by a piece about pre-decimal coins and another about Aston Hall by candlelight. FAVOURITE WORDS We also heard about Gary's chagrin at reading that
some of his favourite words were to be removed from the dictionary due
to lack of usage. After the interval, Brendan Hawthorne, who really should be crowned Wednesbury Poet Laureate, had us laughing to his poems about a childhood tank top knitted by his mother, having a perm as a teenager and going to a party. Gary Longden stood in as a living ventriloquists
dummy for Brendan's evergreen, ever funny, poem about an entertainer
about to go into retirement. He finished with his Sot Nev, the
Sandwell version of Satnav. All in a fine Wednesbury accent. We chuckled on. Lastly, the storyteller, John Edgar was in fine form adding his own unique twist to his Breton folk tales, a little taste of his show scheduled for the Arena Theatre a few days later. This might seem a dark subject to tackle after all that laughter, but John soon had us guffawing as he added his own twist to story after story of life after dark in Brittany when death walks the land and only the brave dare confront him. It's not just the words that make John funny,
it's the all action performance, as he goes through a series of gestures
to match each story. Anybody who hasn't seen John Edgar has missed
a treat. Altogether, there was not one miserable face as we
left Café Metro, having had a ‘gud loff'. Bilston
Voices next meets on 26 January. 24-11-11 |
Words and Voices 2 3 |