Pages

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Hull statue stolen

I was telling you about the statue called Voyage in Hull which I was impressed with.  Well, on Sunday 24th July the 6ft twenty one stone bronze statute was stolen from its plinth.  The statute was erected to celebtrate the connection between Hull and the Icelandic town of Vik, where a sister statute stands.  How does one remove such a large heavy object without being seen?  It is quiet down by the Victoria Dock and I guess at night no one much goes there.  Even so.....it's not an easy item to walk away with under your coat!  I do hope it is recovered soon.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Inspiration....maybe!

Having just returned from a few days in Hull I find there are seeds of inspiration growing for a poem (maybe more if I'm lucky).  I was rather taken by a sculpture on Victoria Pier called Voyage and I started writing a few notes and lines back at the hotel.  I realised that I didn't have enough to go on and though I had taken a photo of the plaque I felt the need to return to it, which I did.  I took some more notes and am now trying to form a poem.  Hull is steeped in history and I am hoping to write a few poems to express my feelings about the place.  Here for now is a photo of the sculpture.
Voyage sculpture at Victoria Pier, Hull

Sunday 17 July 2011

Have a go at a Villanelle



Dylan Thomas
  Something for you to work on over the next week! 

Write a Villanelle:

This is a poem of 19 lines
  • It has 5 stanzas, each with three lines and a final one of four lines
  • The first line of the first stanza is repeated as the last line of the second and fourth stanzas
  • The third line of the first stanza is repeated as the last line of the third and fifth stanzas
  • These two refrain lines follow each other to become the second to last and last line of the poem
  • The rhyme scheme is aba. The rhymes are repeated according to the refrains.

Got that?  If it's as clear as mud check out Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas,
One Art by Elizabeth Bishop or Reading Scheme by Wendy Cope.  Click the links to read them. 

If you feel brave post your musings here.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Deadlines

There are deadlines coming up for various competitions and I have to get myself sorted.  Not having written a great deal in the last few weeks I have to fall back on previously written poems.  The poems I have written recently are still in their early stages of re-writes and editing so I don't think they will be ready in time.  I have to make decisions this week and find something strong enough. I have entered a 100 word micro fiction competition - a first for me - it's a challenge and we all need that from time to time.

Sorry my post is so short - other things have been eating into my writing time!

Thursday 7 July 2011

First Prize Winner!

I have won the Summer Poetry Competition in Areopagus!!!
I am still jumping about in excitement.  Apparently there is a prize of money involved - I don't know how much but I don't think it's a lot as this is a very small press magazine but this is the first monetary prize I have ever won so I don't care!  The poem I wrote was the one in the style of George Manley Hopkins.  I will post it on here in due course but I haven't seen it in print yet - the editor is working away as I speak trying to get the magazine out!

Sunday 3 July 2011

Poetry in action

Have had an email from the editor of Areopagus magazine to say that he will be publishing my poem The Tree in the summer edition.  My poem is inspired by a William Barnes poem called Trees Be Company which I came across recently and loved.  Barnes who lived in the 1800's was a poet-parson who wrote mainly in Dorset dialect.

It's been a busy week.  On Thursday I went with a friend along to a Rhythm & Muse night at a pub in the next town.  The club meets once a month and this night there was a singing due The Flying Blueberries,  a guest poet, June English, as well as open mic spots.  I was interested to see how these things work, what the standard is, how the audience react etc.  The club has a good atmosphere, an intimate feel and all ages were represented.  All performances were well received and the subjects quite diverse.  It was a great evening, very inspiring and there was much laughter (many poems were humorous).  It's good to see what's out there, what people are writing and nice to see that poetry is alive and kicking!

At lunch time today I and another friend were at the Purcell Rooms on the South Bank (London) to see the author Alexander McCall Smith in interview with the book critic from The Guardian newspaper.  I have read virtually everything this man has written!  Hearing him speak was great, and he read a passage from the most recent 'Scotland Street' series The Importance of Being Seven.  He spoke about how he began writing books and the characters (he has to juggle so many). He said he loves listening to conversations on buses and in cafes (a good thing for all us writers to do!). He also said that often people make suggestions for stories for his characters and that if he thinks it's good he might use it.  One person asked if something nasty could happen to Bruce from 'Scotland Street' (he is a very vain character). There was a question and answer slot at the end and when one boy pointed out a mistake about the first 'case' the lady detective had made (McCall has written a pre-quel where the case is different). McCall invited him on to the stage and gave him a prize of £20 for the best question he'd come across!  There was much humour in the interview which I would have expected as his books often make me laugh out loud.  He seems very genuine and it was a shame when our time was up.