I immediately engaged with the vivid colours of Christopher English’s contemporary modern symbolist paintings on The Wall: the short-term for-hire exhibition space running alongside the museum’s gift shop and cafe.  Close up, these paintings reveal incredible detail and texture.  On leafing through the (beautifully-produced, A4 glossy, FREE) brochure, I discovered the bigger picture, as it were.  For English is a local artist who paints his poems.  I’ve since spent time between the covers, reading Forewards by Suzanne Iles and Deborah Tyler-Bennett, and the poems which appear opposite their paintings.  I particularly like Hospital Ward and A Game of Cards in a Ploughed Field - both poems and paintings.  And I’m wondering why the poems do not form part of the exhibition…

Upstairs, Lost Lands and New Horizons includes an artwork by women from Leicester’s Somali Development Centre.  Amongst the collaged fragments that the women chose to reflect their homeland, a ‘country of poets,’ is a poem, or part of a poem by (I think) Mohammed Abdullah Hassan.  Via the touch screen, I could read not only the poem but the life stories of some of the women behind the artwork.  And it reminded me of a website I haven’t visited in some time: Poetry Translation Centre.

Click here or here.

Happy reading!

1. A subscribers’ monthly email newsletter
2. My half day at work
3. Paying for three hours’ parking (just in case…)

Thanks to Lydia Towsey’s monthly Word! newsletter, I found out about today’s free-and-open-to-all event at University of Leicester: a poetry masterclass with Seán Body, renowned poet and School of English Creative Writing Fellow.  This was the first event run by UL’s Centre for New Writing (details of the Centre’s forthcoming launch and further events at the end of this post).

Seán Body was born in Co Limerick and has lived his adult life in the Greater Manchester area. He joined Manchester Poets in 1988, establishing Tarantula as a Manchester Poets imprint. He is a founder member of Manchester Irish Writers, which produced several volumes of short stories and poetry, and is editor of the poetry magazine Brando’s Hat. His poetry has won prizes in competitions including, Ver Poets, Peterloo and Bridport, and a short story won the Irish Post Listowel Writers Competition. His many publications include: Seasons (2003); Lines of Dissent (2001); Witness (1995); At the end of the Rodden (as editor); Scríbhneoírí (1997); Poems from the Readaround (as editor). Lapwing are publishing his Collected Poems in 2 volumes, the first of which is out now.          (Biography credit: University of Leicester: News and Events)

Body opened by reading a new (and, as yet, untitled) poem of his own which demonstrated his “…awareness of the strength of restrained, clipped language.” (Sarah Tierney).  Before critiquing poems by three (very brave) English students, Body drew on a wealth of editorial and publishing experience to talk about what he looks for in a poem:

• engaging from the start, an invitation from poet to reader
• well-crafted in terms of rhythm and structure
• a reverence for language: the weight of words; how words and spaces work together
• fresh: the world through new eyes; what’s there, rather than what we are told to see
• capturing the particular with accuracy and precision
• attention to sound, and the pattern of sounds
• words that chime with historical events: “hear it/unpack echoes…the myriad voices/vying for attention…grace notes lingering/in some abandoned room” from Workshop (Witness: Lapwing 2013)

And from his critical commentary:

• be clear about what you are trying to say: why is it important?
• images should be particular and arresting: a conscious camera click rather than an open shutter recording anything and nothing
• make the poem do what you want it to do in the best possible way: ordinary language used well, rather than academically influenced

Afterwards, an opportunity to chat over a cuppa in the cafe with the students, Drs Harry Whitehead and Corinne Fowler, and Seán Body (thank you, Dr Fowler)

As if that wasn’t enough to make my afternoon, a question and answer session with the focus on editorship, sadly taking my leave before my parking time was up (and again, thank you).

I’m looking forward to reading my signed copy of Witness, a revised and extended edition from Lapwing.  Also to attending at least one of the forthcoming events:

John Siddique: Tues 30th April 6.30 – 7.30 pm in Ogden Lewis Suites, Field Johnson Building

SuAndi: Wed 15th May 4 – 5 pm in David Wilson Library, 1st floor Seminar Room

Launch of the Centre for New Writing: May tbc, with Meera Syal in conversation with Graham Rawle, Alison Moore and graham Mort

Further details from Dr Harry Whitehead: email at hdw5@le.ac.uk

Sea poems have been seeking me out for a while now, beginning with a piece of free writing that came out of nowhere on a flight to Barcelona last October.  Perhaps it had something to do with being away from land-locked Leicestershire, or the prospect of a week’s cruise, or flying over the sea – I’ll never know.  Anyway, I’m looking forward to developing these works in progress and to writing new poems sparked by the series of intriguing workshops that Kim and Jennifer have planned for us.

On the reading front, I’ve been revisiting old favourites and reading other sea poems for the first time.

This W H Auden poem I’ve loved since my A Level days:

Seascape 

Look, stranger, on this island now
The leaping light for your delight discovers,
Stand stable here
And silent be,
That through the channels of the ear
May wander like a river
The swaying sound of the sea.

Here at a small field’s ending pause
Where the chalk wall falls to the foam and its tall ledges
Oppose the pluck
And knock of the tide,
And the shingle scrambles after the suck-
-ing surf, and a gull lodges
A moment on its sheer side.

Far off like floating seeds the ships
Diverge on urgent voluntary errands,
And this full view
Indeed may enter
And move in memory as now these clouds do,
That pass the harbour mirror
And all the summer through the water saunter.

Listen to Auden’s reading here (such mastery of sounds).

Richie McAffery’s Flotsam is a wonderful piece of poetry-show-not-tell I loved at first reading on The Poetry Kit’s feature poet series Caught in the Net.

Then I happened upon a beautiful collaboration of art and poetry, Estuary, which I discovered on Michelle McGrane’s Peony Moon.  (Click here for a link to her blog post, or here to preview pages from the book).

John C Nash’s hauntingly beautiful Last Post: Holkham Beach, with accompanying photograph by Samantha Webster, appears on Helen Ivory’s poetry and prose webzine, Ink, Sweat & Tears. (Read it here).

And I could go on, but this blog post may already be over-long.  If you have any suggestions for my further reading, do write titles, links, etc in the comments box below.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, that I’m delighted!

Click here to read judge McCarthy’s comments on the winning and Highly Commended poems (scroll down and click to view).

These poems will be published in the next issue of Southword, Munster Literature Centre’s Literary Journal, available online.  I’ll post a link then.

Sin έ

Cork poet Conor McManus spins a fine yarn.  His Leitrim-Man-in-Peace-City take on this year’s Twin City Poetry Exchange is well worth a read.  It’ll keep me smiling as I make a start on my planning for next week.

Click here to read.

Cork poets in Tamworth
photo: Conor McManus/O’Bheal

Tagged: Conor McManus, Cork, Coventry, Matthew Geden, o'bheal, poetry, Twin City Poetry Exchange ]]> http://jaynestantonpoetry.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/obheal-twin-city-review/feed/ 0 jaynestanton http://jaynestantonpoetry.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/a-study-found-items/ http://jaynestantonpoetry.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/a-study-found-items/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:16:00 +0000 jaynestanton http://jaynestantonpoetry.wordpress.com/?p=536 Continue reading →]]> Five days before term starts (and, yes, I know how lucky I am to have two weeks’ holiday over the festive season).  In a late flurry of physical activity, I’m endeavouring to bring order to the paper mountain and general writerly detritus that is my study.

Significant finds/unearthed treasures/look-sees slowing progress so far (in no particular order):

• Moth, a CD of poems read by Fatima Al Matar from her collection, The Heart and the Subsidiary
• Stephen King’s On Writing
• Helena Nelson’s How Not To Get Your Poetry Published
• art postcards from Florence (including black and white photograph: Riflessi, a campanile in a long puddle)
• last year’s Adriatic diary
• street map of Barcelona
• hand-painted papier maché trinket box (beautiful, empty)
• 2 quill feathers collected on a Leicestershire Landscape Walkshop
• handmade book of 11 poems  and digital voice recorder
• 33 Ways To Stay Creative (printed from a Facebook friend’s shared photo)
• set of bookmarks: a series of 11 haiku by Antony Owen commemorating International Hiroshima Day 2012
• 3 bulging folders of poems: several years’ worth of workshopping and discussion at Soundswrite, Leicester and South Leics stanzas
• 16 filled notebooks of jottings, free writing, first drafts
• 8 new & unused notebooks (they caught my eye/were a bargain/just because)
• notes, writing goals and steps from Continuing Professional Development Workshop
• Putting a Pamphlet Together: Mslexia workshop by Clare Pollard
• editors’ personalized rejection letters
• Poetry in the Waiting Room (for Derby hospitals) vol 5: poems to brighten your wait

Desk and top shelf of bookcase sorted, the rest on hold (so many possibilities…)

This year I’ve ventured beyond Leicester to discover the delights of open mic nights across the Midlands: Poetry Alight in Lichfield, Nightblue Fruits in Coventry, The Fizz in Polesworth and Spoken Worlds in Burton-on-Trent.  Each has its own formula for success, its unique character, thanks to Gary Longden, Antony Owen, Mal Dewhirst and Gary Carr respectively.  I’ve enjoyed meeting up with friends, making new ones and hearing readings by a wide range of featured poets.  Word! at the ‘Y’ and Ping…K! Poetry continue to nurture and surprise.  Leicester Shindig remains a diary ‘must’ - four featured poets, high quality of open mic readings.

My poetry diet has been enriched by attending readings from Ian McMillan, Michael Horovitz, Marianne Boruch, Jackie Kay and Jo Shapcott, amongst others.

Favourite nights out: the Crystal Clear Creators pamphlet launch, my tiny exhibit launch with Galleri Gestur and guest reading at Ping…K! Poetry, Carol Ann Duffy’s reading at Leicester University as part of Literary Leicester week.

Great days: States of Independence at De Monfort University, the Lichfield Festival, Dig the Poetry at Polesworth Abbey and a guided tour of Polesworth’s Poetry Trail.

An impromptu half term getaway: the Hay Festival (even the wet Welsh weather couldn’t put a dampener on readings by Gillian Clarke, Phillip Gross and Ben Okri et al).

Best workshop: Cathy Grindrod’s Creative Development Workshop for shortlisted candidates of Writing East Midlands’ mentorship programme really helped me identify and refine my writing goals for the next twelve months.

Social support network: I’m continually grateful for the support and friendship of fellow poets at Soundswrite, Leicester and South Leics stanzas.  Workshopping my poems remains an essential part of the writing process.  (And friends on Facebook, Twitter and blogs for links, laughs and so much more).

Behind the scenes: writing, writing, writing, submissions, the odd published poem in journals and online.

The highlight of my poetry year: the five inspirational days spent in Cork as part of the Twin City Poetry Exchange: Paul Casey’s welcome and tireless hosting, our O’Bheal guest readings in Cork and Limerick, visits to Grange Stone Circle and Cobh, and the company of fellow poet Janet Smith.

2013: looking forward: my featured poet reading at Leicester Shindig on 14th January (am thrilled) and a half term getaway: a two-day poetry course on the north-west coast (can’t wait).

Wishing you all the very best in health and happiness for 2013.

This day last year, my poem, Snowhenge, inspired by my native city of Lincoln, appeared on Poetry Advent Calendar.  Read it here or here.

Forthcoming on this blog: my poetry year-to-view.

tisane, his tears infused
wormwood, myrrh, angelica, gentian;
bitter on the stomach,
I drank him honey-sweetened.

pixellated, news-real blood,
scarlet spatters on his prison pallor,
fleshing out my naïve images, when
I preferred impressions.

in song, his caged words, released
between bar lines on airwaves,
the unmistakable cadence;
I recognised the bottom line.

Published in Under the Radar issue 9 (Nine Arches Press Feb 2012)

Click here for a video clip of an earlier version.