Recent Round-up

I am totally behind with poetry news!

So here are are a few things that have happened recently  ...

[1]

The Suffolk Poetry Society (SPS) Desert Island Discs: this was a remarkable evening. Lord Phillips of Sudbury interviewed Terry Waite CBE about his life, Christian faith, captivity, humanitarian work and writing. The evening concluded with SPS member, Tim Gardiner, reading a poem entitled 'The Homeless' written by Terry.

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[2]

The blue painting in the centre is by USA poet and artist Kay Weeks. Kay used my poem and photograph of Loch Scavaig on the Isle of Skye as her inspiration. You can read more about the event here.

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[3]

 

Cadgwith Cove

I was delighted to have a poem about an early Cadgwith lifeboat accepted for The Sea, a poetry anthology published by Rebel Poetry in Ireland, with all profits going to the RNLI. 

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[4]

David and I both had our Corinium poems shortlisted in the first poetry competition organised by the Corinium Museum. You can read about David's poem here.

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[5]

We had a terrific night of poetry last Friday at our first Local Stanza Bonanza, in which a team from Suffolk Poetry Society were joined by a team from the Mosaic poetry group in Essex. The event, sparked by our recent Stanza Bonanza with Paul McGrane of The Poetry Society and Poetry Swindon, took place on the Ipswich Waterfront at University Campus Suffolk. Here are the teams gathering by the Langlands and Bell 'Question?' sculpture. As Ian Griffiths, Chairman of Suffolk Poetry Society and one of the readers, remarked, 'Who better than poets to lay a question on its side?'

Published Poetry: The Ghazal Page, Ekphrastic Issue

Happy New Year!

Philadelphia, January 2012

It seems strange to think that almost exactly a year ago I was having a wonderful picnic lunch here by the ships along the historic waterside in Philadelphia.

This year I am at home in Suffolk, UK, enjoying photographs like this one that conjure up memories.

Speaking of prompts and links, I am delighted to have an illustrated Tercet Ghazal, 'Coat Collage', up on The Ghazal Page in editor, Gene Doty's ekphrastic issue.

You will find the issue here, along with my poem and artwork. Ekphrasis is a subject that continues to fascinate me. You will find a previous post on the subject here.

Be sure to read the ekphrastic poems by the other contributors, including Kay Weeks, who sometimes comments on this blog. David and I met Kay in Philadelphia just a year ago! 

Ars Poetica (4): Nature and Ecopoetry ... Our 21-Word Responses

Some days ago I invited those who read my blog or Facebook page to join me in penning a sentence (or so), defining the difference between nature poetry and ecopoetry, in not more than 21 words. What follows are the responses I received from friends on both sides of the Atlantic, and a bit of commentary from me. I hope something may strike a chord! 

(Re)connection ...

 Nature poetry extols the beauty and splendor of the natural world without sending a warning that it is being ruinously exploited.

Belva Rae Staples, USA

  

I teach a creative writing class devoted to environmental writing versus nature writing! I'll try and think of a neat 21-word definition ... I think in general that you need to be careful with poetry that is trying to deliver a message: too much focus on the message and it becomes a political rant rather than poetry. Having said that, I read so much poetry these days that seems to not really have anything to say that sometimes it's quite refreshing to find an overtly political poem.

Juliet Wilson aka Crafty Green Poet, Scotland, UK

What is Nature?

I liked the six year old’s simple answer to that huge question: 

“Grass and insects.”

Beyond, it gets too romantic.

Kay D. Weeks, USA

Poetry is thoughts in words, not necessarily political, making a point, or angry, but always personal, passionate and always emotionally touching.

Rose Kelland, England, UK

Nature poetry is not didactic per se.

P. Mc Daid (via Facebook)

I think nature poetry is where one takes time to spend in their natural surroundings recording their sightings, etc... and eco poetry asks one to look at nature from a green perspective and identify a way of change, possibly. 

Naquillity, USA  

 

Ecopoetry pushes us beyond our normal landscapes to a world in which our relationship with the universe affords possibilities for change.

Caroline Gill, England, UK

*** 

My thanks to all who sent in their thoughts ... and also to those who read the post and began to think, without formulating a specific statement. Belva's answer takes me right back to Wordsworth and the way in which he claimed that his times of engagement with the natural world were later 'recollected' at an emotional level 'in tranquillity'. There are those these days who find or make little time to 'stand and stare' (or as Naquillity expresses it, to 'take time'), preferring instead to write 'in the raw' and to depict the natural world 'red in tooth and claw'. Interestingly. this second expression, employed by Tennyson in his poem, In Memoriam A. H. H., 1850, originally referred to the nature of human beings, despite the fact that the phrase 'tooth and claw' was in circulation as early as 1837 as a description of wild (animal) nature. 

Those who read my blog posts will know that I struggle with politics, but since this word appears in the statements from both Juliet and Rose, I feel I must make some reference to it! I think we are all pretty much agreed that the poems that work best (in our opinion) as poems tend to be those that allow the reader to feel that he or she is left with the lingering thought along the lines of 'yes ... and if only I had been able to express that nuance/position/thought/point of view myself'. There may also be poems that cause us to shout a resounding 'No!', but we may actually admire the quality of the work, even if we find ourselves in definite disagreement with the sentiment. 

Shelley famously hailed his fellow poets as the 'unacknowledged legislators of the world', but I fear that this may be at best a sweeping statement in our current climate. Speaking personally, the closest I have (probably) come to writing political poems has been when I have touched upon subjects that stir strong negative emotions in me, such as those triggered (sorry!) by the atrocities of war or by unhelpful portrayals of disability. The former example brings me back, of course, to Wilfred Owen and his much cited dictum, 'all a poet can do today is warn. That is why the true poet must be truthful.' 

Speaking of 'truth', I am taken back to a favourite childhood collection that included two very different poems by William Blake, namely 'The Lamb' and 'The Tyger'. And yet, of course, Blake's poems of Innocence and Experience were probably two sides of the same coin. This brings me to the delightful and pertinent response from Kay. 

It is my personal opinion that Nature poems have - and always will have - their place alongside other types of poetry. However, I feel Kay is right to hint at a line somewhere between the bounds of sentimentality or romance and that fresh vision of the world that we can sometimes see or appreciate in work that exudes a fresh childlike (but never childish) vision of the world around us. I'm sure, if we are honest, most of us can name a couple of favourite 'nature' poems that have little to do with saving the whale (important as that may be!) or picking up litter. P. Mc Daid feels that poems of this type are 'not didactic, per se', which is an interesting observation, and not one the ancient Greeks would have taken to readily, as for them the poet (or playwright) was 'teacher'. By the same token I would be astonished if any of our favourite choices were pastorals in which shepherdesses skip lightly through an Arcadian landscape.

But the story doesn't end there. Poetry - or some poetry - has been a vehicle for change for a very long time. Only last month I read a lively section from the Frog Chorus by Aristophanes at our local Poetry Cafe. You can read a summary of the plot here. 

So, zooming forward in time, where do we go from here? Perhaps we need to read more broadly. I suggested that contributors to this topic might like to share the title of a favourite nature poetry/ecopoetry volume, and a few suggestions have been made by Juliet, so thank you for these. 

Juliet recommends Earth Shattering, edited by Neil Astley. 'A wonderful anthology of eco-poetry and nature poetry'. Juliet also recommends the following poets (among others): -

• W.S.Merwin
• Chrystos
• Ruth Padel
• Margaret Atwood

A short selection of my own recommendations - in no particular order - would include:

• Creatures of the Intertidal Zone (Cinnamon Press) by Susan Richardson
• Where the Air is Rarefied (Cinnamon Press) by Susan Richardson, with prints by visual artist, Pat Gregory
• Unthinkable Skies (Calderdale Press) by Juliet Wilson
• The Annotated Collected Poems of Edward Thomas (Bloodaxe), edited by Edna Longley
• The Tree House by Kathleen Jamie (Picador)
• The Thunder Mutters, 101 Poems for the Planet (Faber), edited by Alice Oswald  
• Animated Nature: Selected Poems 1989-2009 (Coypu Press) Richard Bonfield. Sales from this book support the Born Free Foundation
• Heno, wrth Gysgu | Tonight, While Sleeping: Poetry on Climate Change (Royne Tree Press), edited by Emily Hinshelwood 

I have purposely not divided the list above into 'nature poetry' and 'ecopoetry' because the boundaries are blurred in some cases, and it goes without saying that when Edward Thomas was writing, the term ecopoetry had not been coined! 

Many would say that the concept of ecopoetry really began to take shape in the years leading up to the turn of the Millennium, initially in the work of UK writer, Jonathan Bates, and in the writing of the American, Gary Snyder.

And finally, some weblinks that seem helpful to me ...

• Octopus Magazine, 'The Language Habitat: an Ecopoetry Manifesto' by James Engelhardt, who begins by stating that 'ecopoetry is connection'.
• Verse Wisconsin Online, 'Ecopoetry', a highly thought-provoking essay and argument by Laura-Gray Street and Ann Fisher-Wirth.
• EarthLines magazine
• UEA's Ecopoetry in Schools Initiative
• Peter Abbs: Eco-poetry
• The International Times ... highlighting the four elements of (re)connection, witnessing, resistance and visioning.
• The poetry of conservation (USA) 
• Ecopoetry: poems of purpose from the Peabody Institute Library Lectures 
• A truly multi-faceted and fascinating piece by Ruth Padel about her new book on migration

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all who participated in this post. I take a personal interest in ecopoetry, but am certainly no eco-expert. I wear my L-plate on my sleeve, but am keen to learn and share! 

***

P.S. This post has made me realise that I would like to do a follow-up at some point on favourite prose books that have had an impact on our own nature poetry or ecopoetry writing ... Please watch this space. Meanwhile, you might like to contribute to the WWF's Earth Book project here. 

Publications (3): Winter Warmers

The Mumbles Lighthouse: Swansea in the Snow, a year ago

I'm sitting here on a fine sunny afternoon, but there have been hard frosts in our neck of the woods. On an equally chilly note, I have just received the Winter Edition of Wendy Webb's 'TIPS for Writers', issue 80. The magnificent cats on the cover, painted by Kay Weeks, have the right idea and are curled up inside on their best cushions.

The city dogs in my poem, 'Ice Floe', are not so fortunate. My other poem in this number is also on a snowbound theme; 'Ötzi the Iceman', whose death has sparked so much archaeological controversy since his body was discovered. My light-hearted poem about Santa's unruly reindeer has been accepted for the Christmas edition of the online Writelink magazine, Writelinkers, edited by Maureen Vincent-Northam, David Robinson and Trevor Belshaw. My time as Writelink 'Writer of the Month' is drawing to a close - and as the snowy season is definitely not too far away, you might enjoy a peep at the Fenwick's Christmas window, in Newcastle, where I lived and studied many years ago ... 

... Meanwhile, a very Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the USA!

Magazine Moment (17) : Wendy Webb's TIPS for Writers, issue 79

Based on the Mermaid Stall in Zennor Church, Cornwall

I have been greatly enjoying Wendy Webb's 79th edition of TIPS for Writers (and here). The attractive technicolour cover shows Wendy, quill in hand, at Coleridge's desk in Nether Stowey. The back cover (and as a left hander, I usually begin at the back) shows the artwork covers by Kay Weeks and Dee Sunshine of more of Wendy's publications .

The issue begins with a tribute to poet, Simon Wood, whose fine poems I have enjoyed and admired over a number of years. Simon's contribution to the small press world of poetry will be missed.

Bernard Jackson's Rondelet for Autumn sets a seasonal tone, with its 'sunlit groves' and 'jewelled cobwebs'.

We are transported on through a landscape of alliteration (e.g. 'Mordor on a moody moonlit midnight') to the Sagarmatha Himalayas by Dr Marc Latham, creator of the Folding Mirror Poetry form.

For those who like to follow in the enchanting footsteps of the Foodleflap, there is A Foodleflap Sonnet by Bernard M. Jackson, in which the compelling creature pursues its quest for currant buns!

My favourite 'serious' poem is almost certainly Santorini by David Norris-Kay. The poet evokes this fascinating island with its 'small twinkling towns' and 'dark cliffs topped white as burnished bone'. 

Some poems concern subjects that are closer to hand, and I was particularly drawn to the examples of the Brentor Sonnet, a form created by Wendy with its split lines [6/7 and 13/14] 'for visual and sound effect'. Brentor is, in Wendy's words, 'a hill transfigured in the mist' on the edge of Dartmoor, with a chapel perched on the top of it. As it happens, it was a favourite haunt of some of my Tavistock-based relations in the early 1900s. One of the latest Brentor Sonnets in this issue is by John N. Brown. It is about a barge on a canal. Another - this time by Peter Davies - concerns the changing faces of the Suffolk landscape. Two more can be found on p.26, Autumn Love by international Haiku prize winner, Claire Knight - and Oh let me tell by Peter Geoffrey Paul Thompson. 

For those who enjoy taking part in poetry competitions, p15 of the latest issue is devoted to these. They form part of the celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the magazine. Entry is open to those who live in the UK and to those who are members of Norfolk Poets and Writers. 

Why not join us all as TIPS celebrates its first golden decade? The current magazine costs £3 (in the UK). eTIPS is a free pdf which is available to all and can be delivered to your inbox several times a year, on request.

You can find Wendy's email here if you would like to receive the monthly ezine or would like to take out a subscription to the full print magazine. There is something for most tastes ... the formal (with many of Wendy's own forms), the informal, the serious, the funny and even, on occasions, the absurd.

And as I mentioned, the Coleridge cover is wonderful, too!

You may be wondering about the mermaid in the photo above. To find out more about Wendy's association with these fascinating creatures, I would encourage you to take out a subscription to TIPS (or eTIPS). You might also take a look on Amazon ... e.g. here.

Thank you, Wendy, for a most enjoyable read.

Magazine Moment (6): Wendy Webb's TIPS for Writers 75

Cold Snap: Leaf

I was delighted to receive the current issue (75) of Wendy's TIPS for Writers magazine, linked to Norfolk Poets and Writers. I tend to start reading volumes from the back - or at least to flick through from the end to the beginning - so my eye was immediately drawn to the amusing 'Podge' cartoon of a wannabe poet mistaking her Haka for her Haiku! I am not a great rugby fan, though perhaps I will take more interest now that I have discovered that a distant ancestor, Charles Monro, was at least partly responsible for introducing the game to New Zealand in 1870.

Issue 75 is packed with poems, reviews, competition details, publications to buy, and a round-up of news. A sample of work from 'Top Tips Poet', Michael Newman, takes pride of place. The first page of his poetry contains two fine sonnets, 'Cold Snap' and 'Landmark'. I have just spent a birthday book token on 'The Cinder Path' by Andrew Motion, and was very interested to see how Newman's 'Cold Snap' and Motion's 'Raven' both tackle the subject (I can't say persona, can I?) of the raven in distinct ways. I sense a resonance with John Dyer of Aberglasney, too; but this may not be the intention of either of these poets. Newman's 'statue-breaths' and 'willow-pattern dells' are two images that will stay in my mind.

Other treats include two Davidian poems by Claire Knight, ever the queen of the kernel in her ability to pack so much into a nutshell. Other poems that stopped me in my tracks were 'Quiet Lanes of Norfolk' (well, those who know my Norfolk roots will not be surprised here!) by Frank Topley - and 'Transience', a fine Davidian by Peter Davies. On the theme of tugging at the heart-strings, I have much enjoyed 'Ex Libris' by Kay Weeks from Maryland, USA. It never ceases to astound me how some poets can pack so much possibility into so few words.

Bernard Jackson has reviewed 'A Waste Land', Wendy's new anthology (which contains a few poems by guest poets, including one about a Cornish standing stone from yours truly). Speaking of Wendy's work, Jackson feels that the poet 'applies the implied rhetoric surrounding major past and present events, to seek out new hope for our world of the future.'

TIPS for Writers costs £3 per issue and is a print magazine. eTIPS is a free pdf which can be delivered to your inbox on request. You can find Wendy's email here if you would like to receive the monthly ezine or would like to take out a subscription to the full print magazine.

Poetic People (26): Kay Weeks

Happy New Year
from icy South Wales!

My apologies for the delay in this post. However, it has meant that I can now pass on guest access (courtesy of editor, Sharmagne Leland-St. John) for the January issue of Quill and Parchment.

You will find my interview ['Twisting and Turning' in the interviews section] with Kay Weeks, writer and poet from historic Ellicott City in Maryland, USA. Kay has two blogs, one about Camilla the cat; but I will let you discover all this for yourself...

You will also find my Bodmin Moor poem, Dozmary Pool (first published in Reach Poetry), about King Arthur's sword, Excalibur.

Empty Shoes, edited by Patrick T. Randolph and sold to raise funds for those who are hungry and homeless, is reviewed in this issue by Karen Schwartz. The book reached number 2 in the amazon.com pre-Christmas 'Hot New Releases' list of popular new books in the 'religious and inspirational' category. The anthology contains my poem, Stranger.

Please follow the link to the Quill and Parchment site and add the following guest passwords for the January issue:

NAME: january
PASSWORD: snowball

Enjoy!