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Don’t have any idea how to celebrate National Poetry Day?

Thankfully, the Scottish Poetry Library is hosting a whole day of poetic action on October the 8th. Below are the details:

Heroic Poetic Extravaganza at the Scottish Poetry Library

National Poetry Day at the SPL will be packed full of free poetry events. We’ve so much to squeeze in, we’re still confirming some of the times – please keep checking back for up to date info!

Nothing But the Poem, 12.30-1.30pm
A relaxed reading group, looking at the postcards produced by the SPL for this year’s NPD theme of Heroes and Heroines.

Poems Aloud, (2-3pm, time tbc)
A chance for people to discuss the poems that mean the most to them, and listen to SPL staffers and our Reader in Residence read poems aloud. Tea and biscuits served.

Arts and crafts!/How do you carry yours? (3-5pm, time tbc)
Drop-in workshops for people to create original ways of carrying the poems that matter to them: mix and match between paper crafts with librarian Julie Johnstone; mad alternative crafts with Knitty Kitty; collage making and screen-printing (tbc). Bring your own materials to make a little something – we will provide some materials too.

The Chapel of Poetry
For those who need some quiet time, poems will be played softly throughout the day in our Members’ Room.

MP3s
A few MP3 posts spread throughout the library will play a mixture of all sorts of poetry.

Lost For Words
Our own Lizzie MacGregor will be manning the Lost For Words stall – all those with half-remembered poems and unnamed fragments of verse, enquire within upon everything…

Poetry Pub Quiz, 7pm – late
At the wonderful Waverley bar on St Mary’s Street – a chance for poetry fans to enter a team and show off their knowledge, with double or nothing rounds, poetic spouses, and audio and picture rounds amongst the fun on offer.

And for those who are tied to the internet – check out the new Global Poetry System!

I thought I’d share this short poem I recently found in an anthology called “Scottish Poems of the Sea” at the SPL. I used it at a Nothing But the Poem session but didn’t get to discuss it long enough.

Mansie Considers the Sea in the Manner of Hugh MacDiarmid

The sea, I think, I lazy

It just obeys the moon

— All the same I remember what Engels said:

‘Freedom is the consciousness of neccessity.’

Ian Hamilton Finlay

published in “Translated Kingdoms: Scottish Poems of the Sea” by NMSE – Publishing Ltd.

The next Nothing But the Poem is at the SPL on 6 October at 18.30. Maybe see you there?

How do you Carry your Poem?

That’s what the Scottish Poetry Library wants to know. I’ll be sharing the poem that I carry in my wallet and the one I have pasted to my bathroom mirror in the coming weeks. The SPL’s Carry a Poem campaign is launched on National Poetry Day (Oct. 8th) but – you can get started now by sharing what poems you carry with you here and now.

I’ll be collecing your poems at the Stockbridge Library on 6 October at 15.00. Come along, listen to poems and swap tales.

Here‘s an example of what they are looking for.

And here’s what they say on their blog:

“We want to know the poem that means the most to you. We want the story that goes with it. And we want to know how you carry it.

We’re searching for people’s most treasured poems – and we need your help. Can you spare five minutes to let us know about a poem that means a lot to you? Maybe it’s one you learned at school, and still know by heart. It could be a poem that was recited at your wedding, or that one that offered some consolation. Perhaps it calls to mind a particular place that’s special to you, or just cheers you up every time you read it. You might love your poem for its comforting familiarity, or its ability to unsettle you; because it takes you right inside yourself, or right outside; because it captures the way you see things, or helps you see things afresh.

As part of our ‘Carry a Poem’ campaign, we’re collecting people’s tales about poems that matter to them. We’re encouraging everyone to think about their vital poems and the stories that lie behind them, and we’re keen to learn about the poem choices of people all over Scotland, from all walks of life.

You’ll be able to read and listen to some of these poems and stories on our website, and maybe even in a publication of some kind. Your choice will strike a chord with people you’ve never met – and maybe you’ll discover a new treasured poem to carry with you.

If you have a poem you carry with you, and you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it. You can either respond to this post, or email peggy.hughes@spl.org.uk. Here’s some guideline questions that might help:

• Where and when did you first encounter the poem?
• What did it mean to you then? How did it make you feel? Did it change you in any way?
• What does it mean to you now?
• Do you actually carry it? (e.g. in your head, on your ipod, in your wallet or diary, etc)
• And would you be willing to take part in audio/video recording for our Carry a Poem site?

We’d be very glad to have your stories on board.”

So, what are you waiting for — let us know the poem you carry with you.

I’m happy to say that our friends – St. Jude’s Infirmary – have a brand new cd out which you can buy here.

This summer St. Jude’s kindly worked with me on a music backed poem called “The Duke and Pines.” The band provided lush, night-gown like melodies behind my words and I think it really worked. They also allowed me to read some poems at their CD launch at the National Portrait Gallery. It was fantastic  – allowing me to live out my rock-star fantasies without anyone getting hurt.

Anyway, their new CD is certainly worth finding, buying and keeping on repeat for a while.

Should you want a taste first – you can check out their song “Tacoma Radar” on my latest SPL podcast. There’s also a pretty good interview with the band about music and poetry. Have a listen:

you can subscribe to the podcast – by cutting and pasting the following into your music player:  http://scottishpoetrylibrary.podomatic.com/rss2.xml

File Under: Better than a Punch in the Neck

Darkness on the Edge of Toast, my often-read ode to Bruce Springsteen has been published this month in Sept/Oct issue of The American Poetry Review.The issue also features new work by Tom Sleigh, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Patrick Donnelly, Patrick Rosal, Joshua Beckman and others great poets. I particularly liked Thomas Sayers Ellis‘ poem The Judges of Craft.

The American Poetry Review has long been a favourite poetry magazine and I highly recommend a subscription. I, personally, find the work published in the APR to be consistently exciting — as in, when I pick up the APR, I always find a line or a form or an idea that stops me in my tracks, a poem which I have to read and re-read till my coffee goes cold. I am, of course, super pleased to be amongst such fine company.

The APR been publishing out of Philidelphia since 1972 and has included the work of over 1,500 writers, among whom there are nine Nobel Prize laureates and thirty-three Pulitzer Prize winners.

Please, do support the APR. You can’t read my poem on-line but subscriptions are reasonably priced for the quality of the magazine and, of course, if you don’t – who will?

If you’d like to come see me read –

I’ll be reading with the Shore Poets at The Lot in Edinburgh.

That’s Sunday September 27th, along side Ron Butlin & Christine De Luca.

There will also be music for two guitars played by Graham Cumberland and Paul Rogers.

The Lot,

4-6 Grassmarket, Edinburgh,

starting at 7.45pm and running for about two and a half hours.

Admission £4 (concessions £3).

The GPS is a nationwide project to find, map and share poetry in all its forms. The site is easy to use and filled with great poems, memories of poems and things that could be poems like poetical lines of graffiti. I’ll be leading a GPS poetry walk from the Stockbridge Library on 14 October, 2009 at 4pm. So, if you want to grab a camera and go on a poetry hunt with me, I’d love to have you. Also, if you are afraid of techno – I’ll help you upload to the site. I’ve been playing with it for the last couple of hours and not only is it easy to use, it actually looks cool and is fun to play with. Type your post code in and see what poetry is near to you!

Here’s the official pitch from the GPS website:

“Poems are on pages, and on the stage. They might be a nursery rhyme your granny sang to you, or lyrics by a chart-topping rapper. Does a line of graffiti on the station wall make you think? Is it poetry? Riddles can be poems, and prayers can be poems. A three line haiku about an urban fox and a hundred-line ballad about maritime history are poems. There is poetry in football chants and street signs, family sayings and birthday cards. You just have to find it… and then share it via GPS.”

GPS is a Southbank Centre project in partnership with Academi, Apples & Snakes, Beverley Literature Festival, The Dylan Thomas Centre, Litfest, NALD GPS Ambassadors, Scottish Poetry Library and Verbal Arts Centre.

I’ve been asked by the good Shore Poets people read some poems publicly. I’ve looked at the line-up and I am confident it won’t be a waste of your time or money.

A perfect literary excursion for a Sunday evening.

Please do come.

When: Sunday, 27 September. 7.45pm.
Where: The Lot, 4-6 Grassmarket, Edinburgh
How Much: Admission £4 (concessions £3).

And, while I’d appreciate you being there to check me out, you definitely do not want to miss the amazing Ron Butlin who delivers fantastic readings every time.

Energy, wit, warmth and humour.

Also, Christine De Luca is reading and I look forward to hearing her for the first time.
There will also be music for two guitars played by Graham Cumberland and Paul Rogers.
And the bar, of course, will be open.

Ron Butlin is currently Edinburgh’s Makar, an official working position more like the traditional bard than the ceremonial poet laureate. Ron’s originally from Dumfries, a background that remains present in award-winning books that include three novels, three collections of short stories, and six volumes of poetry, most recently Without a Backward Glance (Barzan Publishing, 2005).

Ryan Van Winkle is originally from the United States, and has stayed in Edinburgh since 1999. He is currently the Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and Edinburgh City Libraries. He runs the Golden Hour cabaret and is an Editor at Forest Publications.

Next month’s reading is on October 25th, when Shore Poet readers will be Robert Alan Jamieson, Nancy Somerville and Aiko Harman. Later in the season we have readings by Anne Frater, Jen Hadfield, Kei Miller, Mike Stocks and James Robertson. Visit the website diary page for updates as the amazing Shore Poets season progresses. You definately will want to see Aiko, Jen, Kei and Mike and if their quality is any indication – even the poets I don’t know will be worth seeing!

Beyond the Boundaries – Listen Here:

The Scottish Poetry Libraries’ brand new poetry podcast is up and eager to get into your ears.

Join me, Reader in Residence, as I discuss Blake’s ‘The Sick Rose’ with sculptor Michael Bowdidge; poet Robert Alan Jamieson reflects on his recent collection of poems Nort Atlantik Drift and shares an audio excerpt from his DVD of the same name and Edinburgh-based band Saint Jude’s Infirmary air their views on poetry, music and Scotland and play us the track ‘Tacoma Radar’ from the new album, This Has Been The Death Of Us, featuring Iain Rankin and new artwork from Jack Vettriano.

Subscribe via I-Tunes or by simply cutting and pasting this link into your download machine:

http://scottishpoetrylibrary.podomatic.com/rss2.xml

Big thanks to Colin Fraser at Anon magazine for podcast production.

Just a quick post to wish Withered Hand sex perfection, marital happiness and a brilliant LP launch on Wendesday the 23rd. Here are the details of the launch. If you are reading this, you shouldn’t think twice, you should go. Or, at least, find a way to get your hands on this amazing new album. You won’t regret it. You might even thank me. Here are the details:

Withered Hand’s first album, Good News (SL Records), is out NOW-ISH and will be launched via a big joyous party at LEITH DOCKERS CLUB on Wednesday September 23rd. Helping to make this event extra excellent will be some VERY SPECIAL MUSICAL GUESTS, so you should come as soon after 7pm as you possibly can!

Tickets to the magnificent Withered Hand Good News Launch Party cost £4 in advance from wegottickets (http://www.wegottickets.com/event/59136) or from Avalanche Records.

Leith Dockers is located on Academy Street in Leith (http://www.list.co.uk/place/20110-leith-dockers-club/). It is easy to reach by bus or on foot or by bike, and the beverages are all VERY reasonably priced.

If you can’t make it down to Dockers on the 23rd, Withered Hand has kindly offered to play the Golden Hour CD Launch on Friday the 25th at the Forest. It should be a spectacular night — for details click here.

And here’s a song that wasn’t on Withered Hand’s first little EP. We heard it a bunch of times live on the Golden Hour Tour and it has been on repeat in my flat since I got the new CD. I may just be a sucker for songs that mention beards though:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu79IDgDJpc

From Tuesday the 22nd of September, the Stockbridge Library will be my poetic home away from home.

Starting Tuesday with a Meet the Reader in Residence event I’ll be semi-based down in Stockbridge hosting a bunch of poetic events and workshops! The month will feature reading poems aloud, going for a GPS poetry walk, and doing some casual reading and workshops. It should be a brilliant month and – the best thing is – Edinburgh Libraries is letting me bring along a bunch of my favourite poetry books for display! How cool is that? So, come along to any of the events mentioned below or feel free to pop into the library and see what excellent poetry books are on offer!

Tuesday Sept. 22, 15.00 – 16.30 – Meet Your Reader in Residence

Ryan Van Winkle is Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and Edinburgh City Libraries. He is also a working poet who’s work has appeared in Northwords

Now, New Writing Scotland and The American Poetry Review.

Monday Sept. 28, 19.00 – Nothing But The Poem

Fancy a poetry chat? Nothing But The Poem is a relaxed and informal way to meet and discuss poems. Moderated by ECL / SPL Reader-in-Residence Ryan Van Winkle. * We read a poem * We discuss the poem * Only the poem we’ve read. * No Jargon * No experience needed * Nothing to fear * Nothing but the poem.

Tuesday October 6, 15.00 – Carry a Poem

Do you have a favourite poem? Do you love hearing poems read aloud? Come to our poems aloud session where we’ll be sharing the poems we carry with us, in our hearts and even in our pockets. Bring any poem you’d like to hear and share and we’ll read a few from our roving poetry collection.

Wednesday October 14, 15.00 – Poetry Walk with G.P.S. — The Global Poetry System

Poetry is all around us. It is in graffiti, carved into stone, in shop windows and parks. Ryan Van Winkle leads a poetry walk around Stockbridge on a quest for found poetry. Bring a digital camera and we’ll post our finds on the G.P.S. website. (http://gps.southbankcentre.co.uk/). This event is in association with the Southbank Centre in London and is part of a nationwide project to map where poetry is found all over the country. Come put poetry on the map! Find it. Map it. Share it.