Last Saturday I attended a poetry workshop with The Poetry School at Somerset House in London. I'd not been to an in-person workshop with The Poetry School since they ran courses from their offices in Lambeth, though I had taken some online courses with them.
This course I chose because basically I don't understand this form of poetry, and like certain forms of art, I thought I'd learn about it in the hope I might find this understanding and even use it in my own poetry.
I soon realised I wasn't seeing what others saw! One of the poems was by Andrew McMillan (The Men are Weeping in the Gym). My first thought was that this was a poem with the punctuation taken out. I could not see what others saw with the meaning of the spaces. I began to wonder if I was a real poet!
Now I have to admit I am not a fan of large spaces in poetry. I find them hard to read and the space on the page just turns me off. When they are long poems I don't even bother reading them. I couldn't bring myself to admit this at the workshop, just that I didn't understand them.
We did some writing tasks, but I found myself putting in commas and writing in blocks like I usually do. I found the tasks hard. Some of the poems we looked at were easier on the eye. I liked the poems of Wayne Holloway-Smith and the tutor's own poem, but when I came to write mine, I wasn't happy with the spacing. However, it was the only one I shared.
Maybe it is to do with my logical mind. Writing this way does my head in, I like structure. I don't know what to do with spaces, where to put them. Mine end up a bit random, and everything I wrote on the day has been put back to my own way of writing. It was an interesting exercise, but it hasn't changed my opinion. Even though this way of writing seems to be becoming more popular, I won't be reading them. Sorry, to those find something in them. They are just too abstract (though I like abstract art....weird!).
Book Reviews
Two very different books came my way recently. Both are about religion, but one is fiction and the other is non-fiction.
Father Frank by Paul Burke (a charity shop find) appealed to me. Frank is an Irish Catholic and at the age of eleven sitting in Mass decides he doesn't believe anything that is being said. As he grew older his childhood record collection grew and he often DJ's (I loved the continuous references to music in this book). But when his A Level results come through, the highest grade he gets is a D. His career adviser tells him the only university course he would be eligible for is studying theology at Oxford! Apparently they were too fussy about A level grades and they needed the numbers! Frank decides this is better than ending up working on a building site like his dad. He is an excellent student. After university, he still doesn't know what to do, and the only thing he knows about is religion. Despite his beliefs not changing he becomes a priest and he is good at it. This book is funny, but also thoughtful. I recognised myself in this book, which was just weird! There are several laugh out loud moments, especially when as a parish priest Frank returns Mass to its original language, Latin. He reckons in Latin everyone loved it, though they couldn't understand it. In English the congregation just looked confused!
Father Frank raises masses of funds for the church, including a centre where they put on all kinds of events, raising money for charities. He is left a black taxi by one of his parishioners and begins driving around London wearing his dog collar on his day off. Instead of charging fares he asks for donations to his church. Everyone loves Frank. And then he meets the beautiful Sarah who steps into his taxi one day. They manage to meet again. They are attracted to one another, but what can Frank do? Despite everything, he loves his job. I won't reveal anymore, but there is a follow-up book which I must get hold of one day.
The Dominican Way I discovered in a church I visited last week. It was on a shelf in a book swap. I didn't have a book to swap it with, so I donated money instead. I just had to have it! Some years ago I took a course on the different Orders of monks, nuns and saints they were dedicated to. As a group we visited various orders and churches in London including Jesuit, Benedictines, an enclosed order (the nun spoke behind a grille) and the Dominicans. The Dominicans are the studiers/preachers (I mean they all study, but these are different). They had rather a palatial place in London, but I was rather taken by them. Our parish priest at the time, I think, studied with them for a while. I find it all interesting. What makes people choose this way of life?
The book contains interviews with Dominicans all over the world, including lay Dominicans (those living in the world with an ordinary job, but still part of the order). They come from all walks of life and from many countries and work in different ways. Some cells work for justice, some with Christian-Muslim dialogue, some are artists, scientists, poets. I found the interviews with those working in Latin America particularly moving. A very interesting insight into the lives of Dominicans. Some individuals I found difficult to understand with their way of life. Others seemed very different individuals, committed to helping the poor and righting injustices. They might be one of the most diverse orders, but they all committed to God.
There are several interviews with Timothy Radcliffe, the Master of the Order. I always find him interesting. I've heard him speak at an event once (I think it was St Paul's Cathedral). His interviews bring everything together.
So, two very different books, but with a connection. For those who don't know Dominicans are a Catholic Order.
No comments:
Post a Comment