The good people behind the Free Verse publishers fair have started a new venture, a fair for small magazines. The event on 13th May was smaller than its book-publishing equivalent - I presume cost constraints played a part - so that by no means all the outlets for new poetry were represented. All … [Read more...]
Bedford Events 2017
February 20, 2017 By
Forgive me website, for I have sinned, and not updated thee for pretty much a year. I won't bother with my excuses - though I have them. So to begin a near-flurry(!) of posts let me mention some events in Bedford which are coming up. Ouse Muse is still alive and kicking. We have five more dates … [Read more...]
What is a poem VI: Show1/Show2
April 25, 2016 By
I do not want to claim that the two senses of 'show' that seem to me important are without overlap. Perhaps they represent two ends of a spectrum in which there are middle points of various kinds. I also think that more often than not poems/poets use both kinds of showing in the space of a single … [Read more...]
What is a Poem V: Proof and Poems
January 17, 2016 By
So far I've suggested that poetry is a form of language use (language act) which is special, havers on the border between mention and use, and is a means of expanding the possibilities of language. Let me be clear again that I do not want to assimilate every single thing we might want to call a poem … [Read more...]
Bedford Events 2016
January 17, 2016 By
January - time to remind you of the roster of forthcoming events for 2016. Ouse Muse will be back with its usual mix of open mic and guest poet(s). Usually the third Wednesday of the month, dates and guests for the 2016 first half Jan 20th, Janet Sutherland Feb 17th, Julia Bird Mar … [Read more...]
Bedford Events 2015/16
September 6, 2015 By
Here's an update on a pretty packed poetry events calendar for the next season in Bedford. Ouse Muse is back, starting on 16th September, in a new venue, The Auction Room bar, 1 Duke St, 7.45pm. Our guest poet will be Richard Frost and as usual plenty of open mic slots. Same time same place for … [Read more...]
Of Fetes and Tongue Twisters
September 5, 2015 By
I've just spent another lovely Saturday afternoon in Arlington Square Gardens, where I'd been invited back to do something poetic at the annual Summer fete. And what we mostly did was tongue twisters. Let's be fair, the poet is not as popular as the hog roast, but I was pleased to gather some posses … [Read more...]
What is a poem IV: mention and use
August 11, 2015 By
It's clear from the comments of the many/several/actually one reader of the story so far that I have not explained myself yet. What I mean by 'make it new' is radical (I am not going to discuss whether Pound also had this more radical sense in mind, though I am fairly clear that Eliot did). … [Read more...]
Reading is(n’t) working
June 29, 2015 By
That big package that is Poetry Review....apparently The Poetry Review (as if package-bulk were not statement enough) flopped through the letterbox this weekend. So today I is mostly reading, which leads to the battle of the guilt gnomes: Guilt gnome 1: You should be writing. Guilt gnome 2: … [Read more...]
Open Garden Squares Weekend
June 15, 2015 By
The weather was not exactly kind to Open Garden Squares weekend - but there was not too much rain and the sun put in a cameo appearance on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Although Saturday morning visitors were a small band a hardy few came early to pick up their 'Symmetry Breakfasts' which … [Read more...]
I am a poet writing in a range of styles from performance-led to page-based and limerick to avant-garde.