In October of 2008 I was invited to talk about poetry on The Book Cafe with Lilias Fraser from The Scottish Poetry Library and presenter Clare English. In case you missed us, or want to hear us again, here is the edited interview.
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An open call to comic artists and illustrators.
The Edinburgh-based Forest Publishing is putting together a graphic novel anthology and we are looking for work from artists who combine words and images in various ways.
This anthology is an imaginary encyclopedia: a compendium of knowledge that is true, half-true, false, absurd or very confusing. A reader will come away from this book intrigued, amazed, mystified, puzzled, perplexed, bewildered, bemused and befuddled but not necessarily informed.
Your entry should explain something. It can be a piece of disinformation, speculation or thorough nonsense. It could be about how a tractor works, what heart burn really is, an explanation of long-distance running or zen. Facts are fine but, for this project, they are not the ultimate point. We’re looking for unique points of view on a wide-range of objects and ideas.
The Golden Hour is going to be at the Aye Write festival in Glasgow on March 10th. 21.00 – 22.30! £7/6 admission!
We’re turning the cafe/bar at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow into a literary cabaret for the Golden Hour – poetry and prose, and music acoustic and electric. Hosted by Ryan Van Winkle, Reader-in-Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and featuring sharp words from Forest Publication’s latest collection (Stolen Stories), brilliant music and visual rubbish with writers Nick Holdstock and Kapka Kassabova (author of Street Without a Name) and performances by Black Diamond Express, The Sea is Salt and The Zorras.
Reading:
Nick Holdstock -his work has appeared in Stand, Edinburgh Review, New Leaf, Textualities, V: New International Writing from Edinburgh, The Golden Hour Book, The Southern Review and Stolen Stories.
The Sea is Salt @ Mono in Glasgow
Kapka Kassabova – a charming Bloodaxe poet whose memoir (Street Without a Name) has won loads of praise.
Ryan Van Winkle – his poems have appeared in New Writing Scotland and Northwords Now.
Music:
Black Diamond Express – a rocking, hell-playing, old time string band.
The Sea is Salt – Original dreamy folk songs with a dark twist.
The Zorras – kicking their brand of “poetry-music fusion weirdness” with megaphones and a wicked loop pedal.
Now available for the £2 is the fine short story The Wolves by David Gow, the first in a series of chapbooks printed by Forest Publications.
Here’s a small sample of what you can expect:
There was a wolf on the mountain that took his grouse and killed his deer and sometimes came down murderously amongst his farmer’s sheep. It was not a real wolf but an animal descended from the dogs he’d turned out to die or go feral, so it was no mystery why it knew and despised him especially. He felt it was the opposite of a dog now, its attitude towards him something like the opposite of loyalty. At night he heard it howling through the wind while the rest of the valley slept. He’d lie there and tell himself he was lucky that all his torment was bound up in one living creature. How many could say that, and then set out in the morning with a gun to kill their troubles?”
Want to read more? Buy the book.
My poem, They Tore the Bridge Down a Year Later, was published in this fine issue of Northwords Now. It features, among others, Robert Alan Jamieson and Les Murray. A really enjoyable read and you can download the whole issue of issue number 9 as a .pdf here.
* Go to the North Words Now website to browse the issue.
BBC Radio Scotland has invited me to appear on The Book Cafe on Monday 16 February. I’ll be talking to the host, Chris Dolan, about poetry and my job as Reader in Residence. I’ll also be sharing some of my favorite poems with Sam Kelly and the writer Denise Mina who wrote the Garnethill books as well as Hellblazer for Vertigo. The show is live at 1.15pm or you can listen on the iplayer here.
Michael Bowdidge who makes mad beautiful humbling sculpture out of the oddest items comments on one of his favourite poems. “The Sick Rose” by William Blake. Read it here.
A little sound poem of mine for Valentine’s Day.
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With apologies to Richard Brautigan from whom I stole the audio style of the piece.
The poem is a very old poem of mine and is very short. Embarrassingly, this makes it the only poem of mine I’ve learned by heart.
The voices were recorded in The Cave, at The Forest and features random people from the cafe. Gareth Warner helped with the recording.
A drink and a poetic mingle at The Scottish Poetry Library.
Saturday 14 February, 6 – 8pm
Tim Turnbull and Robin Cairns make sure you have a healthy perspective on this whole thing. With a champagne glass in your hand, and a broad grin on your face, this is the way to spend your Valentine’s evening. What you do with your new knowledge is your business.
£8 (£5 concessions and Friends of the SPL)
Please email reception@spl.org.uk to reserve your place.
All performances will have a Lost World Theme that will tie together One City / One Book campaign!
Date + Time: Wed. February 18th, 8pm
Cost: FREE
Booze: BYOB, but pay your corkage
Readings:
David Gow – Prose that makes you lean in and listen, keeping you close to the edge beyond your seat. Launching a new Chapbook from Forest Publications.
Kona Macphee – Bloodaxe poet who won the acclaimed Eric Gregory prize and who’s work is sometimes described as “bleak, but never bitter.”
Tails, by Kona Macphee
Music:
Jed Milroy – Legendary local singer songwriter finally back from the Woods.
Jed Milroy at The Golden Hour, Cambridge
Robert Sarazin Blake – A folkie able to subdue the punk-est crowds armed with only a guitar and a mean set of pipes with insightful, raise-a-glass lyrics. On tour from the USA!
Special Performance:
Paper Cinema and Kora – A real treat! A cast of hand-drawn marionettes are magically brought to life with a special “Lost World” theme.
Paper Cinema
