Living in instances

Most artists do not inhabit all the instances of their art once they have released the piece in whatever form it may take. Performing writers, poets, monologists inhabit the moments of their performance but not that of each of the audience, who brings all their "stuff" to bear: difficult upbringings, hard money, out of the … Continue reading Living in instances

The war machine’s greed

George Monbiot was speaking over Al's shoulder, of the vandals who are wrecking the earth, and spoke of the energy industries, water and other extractive activities. But I didn't hear him name the "war machine", the defense and security industry, the military-industrial complex or the fin-tech infosys sustaining it all. When the masses are happy … Continue reading The war machine’s greed

Ethics and poetry: just a trash bag

I have been re-watching The Good Place and recapitulating reading I did a year or two ago. Warning: suicidality, violence, PTSD Doing bad things and having bad outcomes: selling a cure you know does not work to someone who doesn't need it; phishing attacks on pensions and payments through cold calling, website spoofing, and scam … Continue reading Ethics and poetry: just a trash bag

Good at anything

It is really hard to be really good at anything... thinking of athletics and poetry. The step from fun-run to club runner is huge. And, from club to national team is almost inconceivable. In any sport. Art is different. The rules are unwritten. The class boundaries, permeable. Tastes change. The courage it takes to set … Continue reading Good at anything

Doing it at all

When so many, or at least some, do so much, so well, or well enough why do I bother? There is the doing it as well as the best. But, is there also the Bo Jo bother of not quite working hard enough? Literal and allegorical: did too much instant karma get me? Wanting to … Continue reading Doing it at all

Making models

Phil asked me, as some have done before, what do I want to do with my poetry. Besides bring in a new age of peace and prosperity with compassion for all life, of course. And, yes, I do want that, but I do two things. I make models of the world as it is, and … Continue reading Making models

Getting it out there

I was recently asked what I want to do with my poetry. It may once have been self-evident, if only to me. Now it no longer is. What is the point? Why do I do it? To increase empathy: mine and others'. To reduce suffering and increase pleasure. To do this, I make models of … Continue reading Getting it out there

Economic productivity

I have been thinking about "economic productivity". Since retiring (at 67), on a personal level and now on a socio-economic level. It is all over the news. "We must get Britain back to work..." But why? It appears that "economic productivity" has come to mean: working to enrich... who? The already wealthy? If that is … Continue reading Economic productivity

Small cosmos: virtual hypertext

The magic in poetry is that not only is a poem LIKE a cosmos, it can BE, maybe simply, IS a cosmos of reader, hearer, speaker, writer, words, sounds, spaces, histories, intentions, interpretations, meanings, etc. Every poem carries its shadow and illuminates third spaces. There is a lot of dark matter under and behind and dark energy throughout.

It is about working in poetry

Mick Heron refers to "...anything for a sausage roll poets." A nod to (or at) the futile? Of course, he is right. But, I can make my own sausage rolls and do not need to compete with BAe or BP for a seriously-beyond-sausage-roll piece of the public purse to grift my my writing. So it … Continue reading It is about working in poetry