How much do I want that stage? I went to the Verve Poetry Festival celebration of spoken word open-mic culture in Birmingham. A showcase event for four crews. I knew - to nod to at least - some on stage and audience. I have performed for some. I put my name in the hat for … Continue reading Intentions and actions
Verve Poetry Festival Celebration of Live Poetry
I am celebrating in Birmingham tonight at the Hippodrome for the Verve Poetry Festival https://vervepoetryfestival.com/ celebration of four different Brum open mic scenes. There will be a few open mic slots. I hope to get one but won't mind if I don't. Should be an inspiring night. Poetry filling a big theatre.
Outsideleft Sunday Poet
I am very pleased to have been asked to contribute a poem to Outsideleft, "I Know You're in Pain." https://www.outsideleft.com/main.php?updateID=2955 Jay Lewis, who is one of the editorial team, approached me after I spoke verse at Verve Open Door in Birmingham on 16 Jan 24. We exchanged email addresses. A week later, I saw him … Continue reading Outsideleft Sunday Poet
The objective corellative
The purpose of any writing is to affect a reader's view of the world as it is. Maybe making a judgement in the cold light of a sober morning, or using the righteous incandescence of powder and spirits at night. In the face of Gaza, Aleppo, Mariupol and any number of other mass graves with … Continue reading The objective corellative
Social Posting
I am using JetPack, the WordPress back end spun out into a useful micro and meso blogging/ social-media posting app. Now, if we could read federated (not Meta "curated") posts through a personally chosen interface I might bunny hop back into view 😉
What I want from my poetry
I like clusters, soups and smoothies, putting things together and feeling the energy generated between the one and the many. My cluster of three: individuation, compassion and capacity. Individuation: each person, place and thing is unique, a moment, a point, an instance. Compassion: treat each and all with kindness. Capacity: know your shit; have allies. … Continue reading What I want from my poetry
We are all buried in Gaza
A reply to should an agency cleaner in the basement by Steve Pottinger https://youtu.be/MrWfdTqSRVc?si=43LveP2Q2iJs9gn3 The poem asserts, in its call for peace, that if a "Prime Minister" or a "Diplomat", or a "presidents mistress" [sic] were buried in Gaza rubble there would be serious work done to make a ceasefire work. The thing is, there … Continue reading We are all buried in Gaza
For a new left?
An idea central to my "political philosophy" these days is that Marxism and neoliberalism, while considered antitheses, each grows from European Enlightenment thinking where hierarchy and teleology are both values and organising principles (principles encode values). Each strives to "better" the world through arranging things in orders and directions. "Growth" in wealth is a common … Continue reading For a new left?
Poetry in the sauna
The time I recited one of my poems to a Premier League player in the sauna of a local gym
Spoken Folk
Spoken Folk is what I/we do. Spoken Folk is/are public and/or performances (piece/s) of (mostly) words punctuated with music. There may be print and images or objects but words drive Spoken Folk. The scale can be adapted to venue and event. Spoken Folk could be a small piece of something bigger, or an organising principle … Continue reading Spoken Folk
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