from Narayani

Just to let you know about that poetry event I mentioned on Tuesday. Its at the LBC which is in Bethnal Green. Its on from 7.30pm on Saturday 19th June and this time the guest poet is Hugo Williams. Its £7 entry and if it takes the previous format there will be a question and answer session first to get a flavour of the poet as a person followed by a reading session. Its a lovely venue and where I first saw Mimi Khalvati whose lovely ghazal we read on Tuesday.

http://www.poetryeast.net/home

http://www.poetryeast.net/News/hugowilliams

I don't know Hugo's poetry but there's a lot of information about him on the web and this event will be a good way to find out more.

Maybe see you there?

Sonnets are back!

Article on the endless appeal of the sonnet in the Times Lit Supplement

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article7142497.ece

Proust : 140 characters at a time

For those of you on twitter - you absolutely must follow @proustr . It is Swann's Way 140 characters (or less) at a time. It is absolutely gripping in a way that yaaaawwnn Swanns Way kinduh just... isnt. todays post so far....
"He knocked again" yes thats it. thats all you get. Proust in nano- bitty bits. It is beautiful and I can really recommend it.

Anthony, Burroughs and Sound

HI everyone this looks SUPER interesting- Anthony is a contributor (we will get him to explain more) it runs through june and july and ooks like a very interesting exhibit/experience that makes us look at words differently and how they can be employed.

Here is the link......

http://www.imagemusictext.com/project-listing/deadfingerstalk

Assignment

So, what is everyone's first impression of the second long assignment?
I was immediately daunted mostly because I am doing the poetry option. I want to be tested on both and as the prose has been done.... I spent some time working through some ideas and a lovely little ideas has come through- i love it as a concept but I think the real test for this assignment is technical. It needs to be technically mastered as well conceptually and poetically presented. That said content is in a way chosen by the from. The same was true for the diary prose piece. There are only certain subject matters which will sustain themselves over the course of the 60 lines in a single sentence. The importance of employing rythm, repetition, rhyme etc in order to "fake a break" in this extended piece means that certain subjects will just run their course too soon. The other trap is that the form could encourage wild self indulgent ramblings. An interior monologue isnt any more interesting just because it employs a bit of clever syntax over 60 lines. And interior ramblings can just be lazy writing: emotional subject matter with pretty words does not a poem make. So the concept and word choice and I think very importantly, the narrative drive of the poem still needs to be kept tight for it to make any kind of impression.
For my own part I know I write very slowly because the first flush comes out either instantly or over a few days in pieces here and there which I work through in my head on long walks, BUT, the actual process of honing and finding the exact words in the right place takes weeks and weeks. You remember the "skinless voice" from my fox poem- many of you loved that phrase (thank you) - but just that 2 word combination took over 10 days there were any number of versions before i found 'skinless". I ust dont think words can be rushed. Soooo 60 lines? not so sure.... oh dear.....
What is everyone elses first impression? Anyone got ideas or thoughts? Would love to hear them- encouragement needed over here!

good websites from Liz

From Liz:

I have found a website, www.chapteronepromotions.com which has competitions, events, workshops, short story and poetry critiques, literary agents, writer's gallery, etc. I thought this would be useful to people in our class. They are currently running a poetry competition.

I found this while searching for jobs on Arts Hub UK (a website advertising opportunities in the arts - performance visual, writing, etc. This includes internships, jobs and competitions).

It's www.artshub.co.uk

thanks so much Liz you often find really interesting things for us to look at.

Anthony's Poetry Reading

Anthony is reading from his new volume this friday in dulwich- the details are below including info on Anthony's book and what the other poets will be reading,

http://dulwichonview.org.uk/2010/04/27/poets-and-the-elements-after-paul-nash/