Setting In

I've been feeling a bit poorly all weekend - I was blaming a dodgy glass of wine
I had at our Italian restaurant, we had noticed before that the house wine can leave
one with a headache...but in the heat of the moment, instead of ordering a beer, as I was pretty thirsty, I ordered a wine and bang, bang, before I knew it, I was feeling queasy and it has continued until now. I think a flu bug may have settled in on top of an already house-wined weakened system and here I am - in and out of a dressing gown all day, feeling nauseous but still picking at food and wanting to eat. Due to me being more or less under bed-arrest, I have written a poem and read lots of poems and news and goings-on in general, all done while nursing a thumping head-ache but not wanting to give in to it. Who says busy-ness is all in the head?
It's hard to lie still and do nothing - just being alone with head-ache thumpiness and one's own self-pitying thoughts is enough to send one scrambling to act busy...well, and then there is the smell of prawns and salmon wafting from the kitchen. Let's see if I can defy nausea and partake - the spirit being willing and all that. ; )

Poetry Talk

This week I received Kathryn Simmonds poetry book 'Sunday at the Skin Launderette' and I really like it. No wonder she has received accolade upon accolade. Just love how her poems take off from the seemingly run-of-the-mill setting such as a launderette or a TV and land the reader in a humorously surreal or spiritual setting, without as much as a by-your-leave. Quirky and moving and unexpected and very inspiring.

Some samples of her work are here:
The World Won't Miss You For a While

The Woman Who Worries Herself to Death

My Darling, My Cliché

Is there anyone you're reading (or who you have read recently)who has prompted you to think similar, in a sort of Mr DelMonte says 'yes' way? ; )

Watching from Around the Corner

I often lament the fact that I am in the back-of-beyond, a paradise type of back-of-beyond alright, but none the less out on a wing here and far, far away from poetry readings which are just not accessible to me, attending-wise...so I'd just like to say a big thank-you to Collin and Rachel who have put excellent youtube videos of their performances up on their blogs. It really is very inspiring for me to see such poets in action - both performances are different in themselves but the two things they have in common is poetry-enthusiasm and a sense of humour...with these two elements, they can't go far wrong.
Hopefully. when I get a spare minute and a new Santa-Claus-lap-top that can stand the pace of youtube recordings, I will investigate the whole 'ins and outs' of getting oneself recorded so that maybe too, one day, I can do a reading, even if it is to an audience of one husband, two dogs and a cat!

Treating Oneself to Books

I've just treated myself to some lovely books that I have been meaning to order for months, now seems like the right time, in anticipation of having my Fridays free after the 21st Nov. and the holiday season coming up. Even reading the list makes me want to hibernate with them big-time! ; )

Actually looking at the list now is making me think why I can't order books in smaller 'packages' - it seems to be heaps of books or nothing! Is anyone else of a similar book-madness-frenzy buying style? Also if you have read any of these books, I'd love to hear your views on them.

Poetry Books

The Lost Leader by Mick Imlah

Sunday at the Skin Launderette by Kathryn Simmonds

Drives by Leontia Flynn

The Clumsy Living by Bob Hicok

I Can Only Go as Fast as the Man in Front of Me by Frank Matagrano

What Narcissm Means to Me by Tony Hoagland

The End of the Poem: Oxford Lectures by Paul Muldoon

The Redress of Poetry: Oxford Lectures by Seamus Heaney

Other Books

The Anatomy School by Bernard Maclaverty

Change We Can Believe In by Barack Obama

Update on Oxfam Poetry Calendar Launch

Ms Malaga on the bar counter (taken on our first night in Malaga, needless to say it augered well for the days and nights ahead.... ; ))

I just got an e-mail from Declan Meade, the editor of
The Stinging Fly and he said that the launch went well and that he read my poem for me and the audience reacted really well to it...this has lifted my heart no end as I found myself being quite distracted last night, in the middle of teaching the relative clause no less, with wondering how the launch was going....; ))

Magma

Yes, yes, yes,: ) I'm delighted to have three poems in this issue of Magma, their titles are of a rather odd nature, though : )

Sometimes when you are bent over chopping leeks...
Exposition of the contents of a heart
Sing me a sort of Lily-the-Pink song

Maggie, a blogger friend, has also some work in this issue - I'm looking forward to reading it.


Unfortunately, it will be impossible for me to make the readings in London in The Troubadour ...dream on, dream on, I say...I will make a reading of some description some time soon, I promise myself ; )!


Rob has a blog entry about Magma's new blog - it looks interesting.

Congratulations America!

Image from The Guardian.

Looking Unlikely...On My Bike!

* On My Bike...I wish!


* Mr Pig in Dublin, taking a peep out.

* As much as I was/am geared up to go to Dublin, it is looking increasingly unlikely - mainly because a friend who usually substitutes for me at work is ill and on re-checking the flight prices, it would now cost nearly 400€ just to get there as opposed to 240€ when I checked ten days ago! Apparently Aerlingus had a 25% discount then but are no longer applying it and have added on some more costs as well! All in all, things are not adding up either way...work-wise it is my busiest time now as I am preparing some students for early December First Certificate Cambridge exams and I cannot just leave them to their own devices without class for three or four days...I am trying not to think about the trip too much as I am disappointed but hopefully there will be another occasion, maybe not as celebratory, but I hope to break the reading-barrier at some stage this year 08/09! ; ) However, I am one to never say 'never' and who knows maybe I will get a brainwave on how to sort this out over the next few days and be able to go! This is how I am consoling myself at the moment anyway... : )

In Other News, I, at last, have got 60 poems together in the hope of getting a first collection published. I sent 10 poem samples to a few publishers and two have gotten back to me asking for the whole manuscript! Fingers crossed something may come from this...