How to Compose Poetry (Paul Muldoon)

Paul Muldoon talks about How to Compose Poetry here

Some random favourite things he says are:

1. Don’t leave brain outside the door
2. At the risk of appearing tiresome, cherish ignorance to have half a chance of it happening
3. Patience
4. A 5 Minutes Flat syndrome...

* Amusing and insightful!

Book Gone to Print – Mind Going to Pot!

(Hugging Páidi - Back to Downslope)

Sure, sure I am as excited as can be at the book about to be published but how come my mind feels as if it’s about to go to pot and maybe even pop at the same time…?

A part of me wants to scarper with the book, tuck it under my oxter (nearly said oyster there!) and show it to no one…another part wants to go buy all of them and hand them out willy-nilly on the street. Nutcase, yes! Going to pot, looks like it …

What am I afraid of? Being judged, I suppose… I’m sure it’s power for the course, this feeling of ‘will people like it or not’, by people, I mean friends both blogging and non-blogging…I haven’t got the length of thinking if anyone official- minded will like it or not….that is a whole other day’s worry! I mean …at times I read it and think ‘whoopee, you clever thing, what a way to go’, at other times I read it and think ‘oh heck, why did I think that was a good idea’….I suppose this comes with being a first-timer, I reckon I’ll need to toughen up though… when things fall flat, I cannot afford to take it too much to heart…wish I could be a full-of-myself type of person at times…..no wonder some literary types develop egos, it's all a big fat pretense if you ask me! ; )

At least, the plus side of reading a lot into everything is that it keeps me on my toes and ….and talking of toe-keeping, I am writing a poem a day at the moment with some poet friends and the nearer the book gets to coming into existence, the faster I’m writing….maybe it’s a sort of starting afresh thing or a sort of nulling out of all those poems in the book already. Freud and field day spring to mind. I’ll fasten my seat belt just in case....

Would love to hear any anecdotes/stories/experiences on how it was for you, on the threshold of a book coming out...I can't be the only one who is between two extremes of emotion...¿?:)

Revival - Dogs and Poems

This present issue of Revival has got a poem of mine in it titled, then, 'My Dogs Like to Chorus (Not to Boogie)' and now titled 'Mostly, My Dogs Excel the Gods'

And above are the inspirational dogs themselves...characters, without a doubt. ; )

Box Room and Mrs Quinn's - Periphery Stuff

(Red Leather Jacket by Waterfall)

I know I’m going back a month, but have got to share about my pub box room and Mrs Quinn’s Charity shop in Listowel ….among other things.

I was staying in a very nice box room above a pub…with a great line in music each night! On my first night there, Sunday, it was the fields of Athenry, live, and most singularly by my eardrum as I lay myself down to sleep.

On Monday night, there was a peaceful break and pure bliss. I’m bonding fondly with my box room at this stage. But, ahoy captain, because on Tuesday, it was a rock jamming session, determined guitarists and no string too weak to jam with, till near crack of dawn.

On Wednesday morning, I noticed the pub had put up a poster saying ‘All musicians welcome’ ….how speedy! I thought and was left wondering what eclectic mix I was in for on Wednesday night.

Luckily, we were out till 1 am ourselves and when we returned it was so quiet that we expected eruptions at any minute – you know that type of silence where it is too good to be true and totally untrustworthy. I could hardly sleep for the silence…but yes, loved the musical miscellany of boarding above an Irish pub.

Across the road from my box room was Mrs Quinn’s charity shop. Had I known about this shop beforehand, I would have left my case at home and relied totally on the great clothes Mrs Quinn sold…as it was, I couldn’t resist a red leather jacket (4€) which I duly wore whenever I could, regardless of the heat-wave that saw fit to come within an hour of my buying the jacket. The red leather jacket became like my lucky mascot jacket, I took it everywhere – be it on my back or on the back of a chair, but it was there – a little like a baby’s comfort blanket, so to speak! : )

A few more gems from Mrs Quinn’s charity shop: a signed copy of Billy Collins’ poetry book: Nine Horses, in hardback. (2€)

Walt Whitman’s poetry book – Song of Myself - with a great inscription: ‘
when unsure, read this, love Greg’ (2€)

A Frank O’ Connor short story book and a book of short stories by Edna O’ Brien – I left both these books at a friend’s in Ireland in order to read them when I return in August.

All in all, a jam-packed time…and this was supposedly the periphery stuff. Some of the main stuff being: the discovery, on my part, of a writer named
James Kelman ...more on him later...and not to mention the very nice restaurants and pubs of Listowel too! : )

Salt Author Page and The Wrong Miracle Web Page

My Salt author page is now up plus The Wrong Miracle title webpage with photo and bio...the pdf of sample poems won't be ready yet for a while...(back to a celebratory cup of tea with things looking good for a celebratory vino or two this evening....: ))

The Wrong Miracle Cover and Update...

...I love the cover, thanks to Chris for choosing it!

There have been a few different things happening regarding The Wrong Miracle lately...

* Over a month ago, it looked as if there would be no book and now everything is in all-systems-go mode again thanks to Chris and everyone at Salt for their great gusto and spirit and thanks to friends and family who have rallied round and bought some terrific Salt books. I'm awaiting the delivery of two short story books
Elizabeth Baines' Balancing on the Edge of the World and
Vanessa Gebbie's Words from a Glass Bubble and I cannot wait ....I have a less hectic work schedule now until July so am planning to have many afternoons swinging on the hammock that I rarely get to sit on and relishing in reading these books and others.

* Feet and Mouth and Shoes is the winning poem from the Listowel Writers' Single Poem competition and is in The Wrong Miracle and also in the Listowel Writers' Winners Anthology. ...I'm not too sure how one goes about getting the anthology so must enquire.

* Another poem from The Wrong Miracle called Spring the Life Fandango will be published in a forthcoming issue of The Stinging Fly.

* The author photos are done and awaiting zipping to Salt. I'm having some problems doing this but hoping to get to the bottom of it sooon.

* I've received the 4th proofs from Chris at Salt today and think they might be the last proofs... : )!

* The author webpage is underway - if you go to the Salt author page you can see a description of the book and the list of poems and a sample poem and the blurbs. The author photo and biography and pdf of sample poems have yet to be put up there. I'm getting excited at this stage and if I knew my Irish dancing jigs like all decent Irish girls should, I would be tap, tap, tapping goodo...but am settling for jumping up and down instead! ; )

A New Kind of Book Review

(Leaving Kerry - Trees in a Row)

(Red House - Dingle)


Tim Green of RATTLE has an excellent write-up in his blog about the need to have a new type of book review.

I totally agree with Tim and find the idea of such a book review really refreshing and inspiring. I have never done an official poetry book review as such but would actually enjoy giving this type of poetry book review a go....as a matter of fact, after having bought 5 new poetry titles from SALT, I am going to experiment with reviewing one book (or maybe more...depending on time) in this way and post it here.

This is what he says about the style that RATTLE would prefer to use for their book reviews from now on.

With all prose, RATTLE prefers a personal narrative style, and this is especially applicable with reviews. Poetry is a fundamentally subjective art -- the experience is always too intimate for absolute truth. Each reader brings their own baggage of aethetic tastes, personal histories, and present moods; even our own opinions can change drastically over time. Far too often our discussion of poetry ignores this fact, and we act as if it's possible for one person's reaction to be universal.

In an effort to overcome this schism, we ask that reviewers bring in as much of their personal experience with the text as possible. Tell us why you picked it up in the first place — did you know the poet, were you drawn to the cover, the title, what was it? Where did you read it? How long did it take? Were you transported immediately or did you daydream? Where did your thoughts drift? Which poems resonated with you and why? The speaker in the poem reminded you of your sister? Your experience of Brazil was different? You’re growing tired of poems about divorce? Why is that? Anecdotes and tangents are encouraged -- be creative! Personal stories make the reviews more entertaining to read at the same time as they make them more accurately reflect what poetry actually is.

What do you think of this type of book review? Is it more interesting/relevant...?
Would you be interested in reviewing like this? (Even better, would you like to join me in this experiment and choose a book to review like this...? ): )

P.S. For Reading Out Loud

(me!)

I had forgotten completely to mention that a few days before the Introductions Readings in The Irish Writers Centre, Poetry Ireland got in touch with those of us who were doing the reading on the last Introductions night and asked if we would give permission to be recorded for The Arts Show on RTE 1 Radio. Naturally, I gave permission but put it to the back of my mind as didn't want the extra strain of adding another 'first time' to the whole event...it wasn't a case of the whole evening being recorded, each of us had to go with the radio guy to a quiet room and read one poem on our own and be recorded. I read 'Signs' which was published in The Stinging Fly last Autumn. I'm not sure when the recordings will be on The Arts Show, if at all...I've checked the last two shows and there is no mention in the write up of the readings, if I hear anything I will mention it here.