Shindig, Western PH, Leicester

Posted on March 20, 2012 by garylongden


Fresh from a hugely successful States of Independence publishing fayre event at De Montfort University , held annually, at the weekend, Shindig made its bi monthly appearance at the Western Public House. Another healthy audience comprised those for whom Saturday was simply not enough poetry, and regulars who had been unable to make it. The standard of performance never fell short of high.

The four headline performers were particularly strong this month, and diverse in styles. Michael W. Thomas is a poet, novelist and playwright who has lived, been widely published, and performed ,in several countries. His literary credentials are formidable , and stretch from Finland, to Florida and back to Albania, where he vies with Norman Wisdom for the international affections of the Albanian people. He now lives in Worcestershire. His tone tonight was reflective and elegiac. A poignant sonnet dedicated to his father, moved through childhood reminiscence, to a particularly fine piece about schoolmate footballers cloaked in the spirit of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Jack Charlton. His most striking poem was Your Buffet… a wonderful piece inspired by the practise of American hobos to leave secret signs on telegraph poles and wires alerting others of their ilk to local rewards and dangers. Michael performed with a rucksack at his feet containing his writing. I thought that it neatly symbolised a man whose writing is as travelled as he has been.

Host Jonathan Taylor affectionately described the next two poets as the country mouse and the town mouse respectively- in both cases, they were mice who roared.

Aly Stoneman is Nottingham based , and was promoting her new pamphlet, published by Crystal Clear Creators, Lost Lands. Her presentational style is fey, beguiling , gentle, and easy, as is her writing. The lost lands are the connections we make between places and landscapes which have held significance in our lives, how they came about, and how they change with time. Her skill lies in her ability to juxtapose broad brush written landscapes with pin sharp observation which resonates. Fall of Snow spoke of transience, a landscape which is created then disappears, Waterline was quite beautiful. She is currently working at a hippy-lit English road-trip novel , A Beginners’ Guide to Running Away, and her self-styled description of hippy-lit neatly describes her, and her fondness for myths, water, wilderness and human beings.

Some thirty five years ago I first saw John Cooper Clarke perform as a support act for Punk band the Buzzcocks as he dodged beer cans thrown from an impatient crowd. Fortunately the Shindig audience is more civil. Andrew “The Mulletproof Poet” Graves gladly acknowledges his debt to the Performance Poet pioneer as is evidenced by his performance style of delivery. He describes himself as “a troubled poet for troubled times” and wryly observes that all poets are “miserable bastards on the road to self destruction” ( a claim left unchallenged by a poet full audience). Reading from his new pamphlet, published by Crystal Clear Creators, Citizen Kaned, he took us through Love in Strange Places, delivered an homage to Yuri Gagarin’s historic first manned space flight with Vostock 1, and ended with his signature Middle Aged Mod, I could not help but select Quadrophenia on my i-pod for the journey back home. Although unashamedly Performance in style, Andrew is no ranty shouty big mouth, his well chosen subject matter is matched by the economy, vibrancy and brio of his language. May the pennants on his scooter aerial flutter boldly.

Jonathan Davidson is director of Midland Creative Projects Limited, Associate Director of the Birmingham Book Festival and Chief Executive of Writing West Midlands. He is an award winning published playwright and poet ,but a reluctant performer, which is a shame, because his performance on the night was quite brilliant. Light, self-effacing, amusing and entertaining ,he took us on a joyous trip through his wonderful writing with a smile. The tradition at Shindig is not to applaud a poet other than upon arrival in anticipation, and upon departure, in appreciation. However such was the sharpness, wit and joy of The Manager Writes ,a waspish satire on the mangled English and thoughts of a football manager’s notes in his club’s programme, that spontaneous cheering was the deserved, and only possible, outcome. His readings from his two collections, Early Train and The Living Room ,were predominantly homely, but never overly sentimental and always laced with an acerbic aside. I do hope that Jonathan can be persuaded to read more regularly.

Shindig regularly boasts floor readers of the highest standard. Once again we were not disappointed. Past Birmingham Poet Laureate, National Radio’s 1&2 DJ, and local commercial and BBC radio DJ, Charlie Jordan, casually sauntered up to the mike and let her wonderful, memorized poem Words do the talking for her. Love poetry is difficult to pull off in front of an audience for several reasons. Firstly, as it is invariably a first hand account, it risks being intensely personal, and although significant to the writer, may not connect beyond. Secondly, over the centuries, Catullus, Donne and Shakespeare have set a standard which is hard to beat. Which is why I was drawn to Lindsay Waller-Wilkinson’s two efforts, Scars and I Know. She combined restraint with emotion, and anguish without vulgarity.

I always enjoy listening to Deborah Tyler –Bennett. Hitherto I have heard her only perform historic period poems. Her enthusiasm for her writing, sense of time and place, and general joie de vivre cause me to reflect that if I was transported in a time machine back to Victorian times, Deborah would be the ideal companion to show me around. Tonight she only went as far back as the 1960’s and 70’s, but was no less engaging. James Bond Will Return was a nostalgic return to the rat infested flea pits of the era, but it was Cheerful Revisited, dedicated to Ian Dury which stood out. Cleverly replicating the metre and rhythm of Dury’s Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3, it pulled off the very difficult task of mimicking , but redefining the original ( and brought back fond memories of seeing him perform).Authentic and fond, she never allowed the source material and images to swamp her writing which is the bear-trap in such pieces.

The Old Man of Hoy provided fertile ground for a magnificent landscape poem by Jayne Stanton, and the Elephant in the room provided a neat twist for Matt Merritt’s nature themed poetry, to pick just two more performances from a strong field of floor readers.

Jonathan Taylor for Crystal Clear Creators ,and Jane Commane and Matt Nunn for Nine Arches Press, are to be commended for assembling both such a strong cast of performers, and creating a relaxed easy ambience for them to perform in. Shindig next meets on the 21st May, 7.30pm start, free entry, sign up for an open mic slot on the night.

Gary Longden 19/3/12

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Big Irish Night, Old Crown, Digbeth

Posted on March 15, 2012 by garylongden

Held as part of the St Patricks festival celebrations, this was a night of poetry spoken word and song in a pub that has seen more St Patricks day celebrations than most. The Old Crown reputedly can trace its history back to 1368, but much of the existing building is mere 16th century with Queen Elizabeth the First having been an honoured guest. That sense of history gives any evening held here a sense of place.

A good turnout was orchestrated by the combined skills of Laura Yates, Northfield Arts Forum co-ordinator and Pat Murphy Wright, Cultural Development co-ordinator for Irish in Birmingham, a charity providing welfare and cultural services to the Irish community in Digbeth. Birmingham and the Midlands has a thriving poetry scene currently, operating from a wide variety of venues. Given the rich Irish tradition of poetry, Pat is absolutely right to apply her efforts to cultivating that tradition amongst the Irish community in the city.

Laura Yates shared hosting duties with Kurly McGeachie and both had their work cut out to accommodate all the aspiring performers before closing time. Antony R Owen read not only from his own work but also that of Joseph Horgan, from his collection, Slipping Letters Beneath the Sea. Typically Horgan’s poems are short, the subject matter often exploring the dislocation of an ex pat Brummie now domiciled in Ireland. The contrast between his urban roots, and his rural present ,is another source of dislocation, and finds expression in his city poems. Joe skillfully acts as an observer on both a Birmingham shaped by Imperial migration, and an Ireland shaped by economic migration. His observation that the more that societies reach out, the more they contract in their perception of what their core identity is,was a point shrewdly observed.

Councillor Reg Corns read a moving introduction to his book about the mid 19th century forced emigration of Irish citizens to Canada aboard the notorious coffin ships to a destination that was forced to create mass graves for those who had died in the appalling conditions of the journey.tet the evening offered plenty of light and shade too. Shirley Cooper, a stalwart of the Old Crown entertained, as did Alan Wales with his offbeat Celtic musings from Under Deadwood. Young Worcestershire Poet Laureate Laura Deadicoat’s poem on horses could not fail in such a setting and the evening was closed with a traditional Irish song, current Birmingham Poet Laureate Jan Watts having opened proceedings.

The Big Irish Night is part of an occasional series, details of future such events and other associated cultural activities can be found on the Irish in Birmingham website: http://www.irishinbirmingham.com/blog.php

Gary Longden 14/5/12

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Phenomenal Women, International Women’s Day, Birmingham Central Library Theatre

Posted on March 8, 2012 by garylongden

“It’s in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips.I’m a woman, phenomenally .Phenomenal woman ,that’s me.” So quoted host Jan Watts, current Birmingham Poet Laureate, from acclaimed American feminist poet Angelou Mayou to open an evening of poetry performed by women, but to a mixed audience, with a strong male contingent. Promoted in conjunction with Birmingham Libraries, Sue Wilkinson and Librarian of the year ,Nikki Bi, were on hand to help with the organisation.

Charlie Jordan from the Decadent Divas

Ensemble performances are growing in popularity . In Birmingham, the Decadent Divas, Charlie Jordan, Laura Yates, Lorna Meehan and Maggie Doyle have been pioneers of the style. The new show, which ran to around 20 minutes, was entitled Love and Marriage and comprised almost entirely new material with just a few fond echoes of the previous show. Maggie Doyle mused that “life has a habit of re-arranging life”, Charlie that we move from “falling in love to standing in love” in two memorable lines. Finished only a few hours before, an already strong script will tighten still further with familiarity. I was also mildly shocked to learn that the Grace Jones song Pull up to my Bumper referred to her backside, and not the back of her car……….

Naomi Paul is a similarly experienced performer , and it showed with The Truth About the Goddess of Rhythm and The Grey Rabbit, the latter a wonderfully atmospheric tale of her journey as a hippy bussing across America, evoking the spirit of The Grateful Dead and Paul Simon whilst retaining her Englishness. Kate Faulkner trod the safe ground of body image, Jude Ashworth cast a spell with Astara. It was a particular pleasure to see Sam Hunt’s disciplined presentation of Dolls House, about child abuse, and a delight to hear novelist and poet Christine Coleman for the first time, especially her tour de force, Becoming a Seal. From Smart Poets Penny Hewlett read a very strong trilogy, two of which were sonnets on a converstional theme. Compelling and innovative, Penny’s writing is always worth watching out for.

Cathy Gee explored Ladies in Linen prior to a particularly strong closing trio. Jacqui Rowe, who had mentored several of the performers , was as polished as ever, reading from Paint and reminding all of the importance of Jeannie Senior. Over the past couple of years Janet Smith has emerged as an outstanding poetic voice, her understated polemic in Flares debuted with the ink still drying on the page, was excellent. Egg and Caligo I cannot wait to read on the page, their fine first impression quite evidently merely an alluring outer layer for the potency of what lies beneath .

Closing the evening was the only straight performance poetry of the night, from Scrubber Jack, a Coventry poet who tells of life as a scrubber, or a cleaner to be more precise. Base , crude and earthy, it was also honest, touching and great fun and went down very well. The venue is a fitting place to perform poetry, and the good sized audience went home rewarded and entertained by a strong bill.

On the 3rd May, Jan Watts is running another women performer event themed on loss, gain at the Library Theatre starting at 7.30pm, between the 16th and 21st she is running a poetry workshop at Erdington Library. Rachel green from Community Vibe also trailed a collaborative project with Jan Watts called Poetry City an initiative to broaden awareness and the appeal of poetry in the city.
8/3/12

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Answers to Strange American Poetic Deaths

Posted on March 7, 2012 by garylongden

1. Theodore Roethke- Heart attack in friend’s swimming pool.
2. Robert Johnson – Drank whiskey poisoned by bartender
3. Philip Freneau- Died in a snowstorm while walking home from a tavern.
4. Weldon Kees – Disappeared, north side of Golden Gate Bridge, body never recovered
5. Randall Jarrell – Hit by car while walking to hospital to receive treatment for injuries suffered during a suicide attempt
6. Adelaide Crapsey- Tuberculosis of the brain lining
7. Lew Welch – Walked off with rifle. Never seen again.
8. Frank O’Hara – Hit by a dune buggy.
9. Jack Spicer – Psoriosis .
10. John Berryman – Jumped off the Washington Avenue Bridge between St. Paul and Minneapolis.

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Strange American Poetic Deaths Quiz

Posted on March 7, 2012 by garylongden

It is not surprising that poets like to “check out” in idiosyncratic style, combine poet and American, and that situation is compounded!

Below are the deaths and names of 10 American poets, see how many you can match up? How did I do? One……………Adelaide Crapsey.

Needless to say I shall be investigating the background of those with whom I am not familiar, and posting the results. This will be a neat twist on Mal Dewhirst’s “lost poets”(!) series in his own blog:http://pollysworda.wordpress.com/

Answers in the next post.

Taken from the excellent:http://bookriot.com/
Deaths
A. Hit by a dune buggy.
B. Heart attack in friend’s swimming pool.
C. Hit by car while walking to hospital to receive treatment for injuries suffered during a suicide attempt
D. Psoriosis .
E. Drank whiskey poisoned by bartender
F. Disappeared,north side of Golden Gate Bridge, body never recovered
G. Died in a snowstorm while walking home from a tavern.
H. Jumped off the Washington Avenue Bridge between St. Paul and Minneapolis.
I. Walked off with rifle. Never seen again.
J. Tuberculosis of the brain lining

Poets
1. Theodore Roethke

2. Robert Johnson

3. Philip Freneau

4. Weldon Kees

5. Randall Jarrell

6. Adelaide Crapsey

7. Lew Welch

8. Frank O’Hara

9. Jack Spicer

10.John Berryman

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A Celebration: Milorad Krystanovich (1950-2011), The Moseley Exchange, Birmingham

Posted on March 3, 2012 by garylongden

This event was sponsored by Nine Arches Press, publishers of Krystanovic’s latest and posthumous collection , Moses’ Footsteps ,for which the evening was a launch. A Croatian national, he had lived in Birmingham since 1992 and studied Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham , was a member of Writers Without Borders, Cannon Poets and the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. Milorad had also worked as a language teacher at the Brasshouse Centre in Birmingham. The full room was testament to the enduring quality of the affection and admiration felt for him following his recent death.

The collection itself is a delight, and a triumph of the dedication of co-editors Jane Commane and Matt Nunn, in association with various local poetic luminaries. Poetry which is written in one language, and in that cultural tradition, is not easy to translate, even with the author there to help. Yet the themes are universal, not least of bridges, bridges between languages, cultures, places, times, pain and recovery. The primacy of atmosphere, ambience and tone, over straightforward narrative possessing an ethereal dimension.

A glittering roster of readers lined up to read their own selections from Krystanovic’s work, reminisce, and explain the reasons for their selections, the latter being both instructive, and illuminating. Martin Underwood, Myra Connell , Julie Boden and John Alcock drew upon their personal experience with Krystanovic as a friend and fellow poet. Jonathan Morley spoke of his experiences when as editor he published The Yasen Tree with Heaventree Press, Jane Commane of her contemporary experiences on editing Moses Footprints. Birmingham University academic Dr Luke Kennard’s selection of “Midday Flower Density” was notable both in its delivery, worthiness, and his observations of the poem’s merits.

A fine evening, and an event fitting to celebrate the life and work of a man whose reputation is assured. Moses’ Footprints (2012) and Improvising Memory (2010) are available from Nine Arches Press, and follow on from The Yasen Tree (Heaventree Press, 2007), The Language of Wounds, Where Spirits Touch and Four Horizons/Ceteri Vidika were also previously published.

Gary Longden 3/3/12

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Undeleted Texts

Posted on February 26, 2012 by garylongden

They scroll falling as tears
There is no GPS tag
But I can remember the location
Each time my phone pulsed

Tantalising snippets
Of what once was
My replies remembered
But unrecorded

Saved to my soul
Not just my memory
I reread searching
For a nuance unnoticed

Neatly date ordered
They can be summoned
At the press of a key
In perpetuity

You can edit them
If you want
Reconsider a reply
Be wise after the event

Punctuation
And abbreviation
Can mislead
Sometimes

You can press send
But never recall
You can read
Or just delete

But never again
Will my heart
Miss a beat
At that bleep

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March 2012 – What’s On, Midlands Spoken Word

Posted on February 26, 2012 by garylongden

Thur 1st Word Up Poetry Open Mic plus headliners,The Drum Arts Centre,The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4UU,0121 333 2444, http://www.the-drum.org.uk Seasonal monthly, first Thursdays, 8pm, £5in.j.morley@the-drum.org.uk

Thur 1st Word Life vs Opus Acoustics, The riverside pub, sheffield,1 Mowbray Street, S3 8EN,7.30pm:
Word Life teams up with Opus Acoustics to bring you a night of music and poetry. Top quality acts for FREE ENTRY alongside all of the Riverside’s usual range of real ale, food, wine and cheese boards and much more.Featuring
*****************
Dariush and Jade
*****************
Amazing jazz/blues trio based in Huddersfield. Influenced by a mix of old blues/jazz standards with some contemporary twists like Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.
**********
Open Mic
**********
We’ve got several 5 minute open mic slots open to anyone who’d like to perform their own poetry/prose. Just add your name to the wall to sign up.Plus:
Wordgames – The Collective Story and the The Quote Quest
Cheese Wine and Chutney Boards (£5/10)
Candles, and Good Booze, etc
FREE ENTRY
7.30pm @ the Riverside
Get the no. 87 bus from London road to just outside the pub!

If you fancy keeping up to date on other Opus Acoustics goings on/listings then ‘like’ our page here:

http://www.facebook.com/​OpusAcoustics,or visit,www.opusindependents.com

Thur 1st Candi Miller ,Burton upon trent Library, 7pm;£3.50 . Candi Miller, born in Zambia and brought up in South Africa, has been a journalist and advertising copywriter. She now lives in Stafffordshire where she teaches Creative Writing. In 1994 she undertook an expedition to the Kalahari Desert to visit groups of San (Bushman) people. There she was caught up in a huge veld fire, charged by a bull elephant and enchanted by Ju/‘hoansi story-telling around a campfire. She is the author of the novels: “Salt and Honey” and “Kalahari Passage” (Tindall St Press)

Thurs 1st Parole Parlate, Little Venice, St Nicholas St, Worcester,Set Bill Poetry, 7.30pm £3 in.Lyndsay Stanberry-Flynn, Amanda Bonnick, Fergus McGonigal, Beth “Knuckles” Edwards, Nathan Williams, Sue Thompson, Rowan Standish-Haynes – Worcestershire’s second Young Poet Laureate

Thurs 1stYard of Tales, Storytelling,Joules Yard, rear of 53-55 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7AF.
Joules Yard is a unique venue with a licensed bar after 7pm, also serving tea and coffee. If you would like to order a vegetarian meal for the evening, provided by ‘The Green House’ please telephone 01858 463250

Thurs 1stThe Poetry Evening The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE,After the success of their first poetry evening back in May 2011 Liz Lefroy will be returning to run this monthly Poetry Evening.First Thursday of the month.
Born in London in 1964, Liz now lives in Shrewsbury and was recenly awarded the Roy Fisher Prize – a new poetry prize endowed by the Poet Laureate. Attendance is FREE, 8pm start, Open mic, David Calcutt, Deborah Alma,D Ted Eames Kate Innes Adrian Perks Carol Witherow Jeff Fox

Fri 2nd Cradley Heath,Spoken word and Music, Hollybush PH, Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath, 8.30pm start, free in, with Richard Bruce Clay

Fri 2nd, Poetry Evening Crystal Clear Creators, Cultural Exchanges Festival, Clephan Building 2.30, Leicester De Montfort University, 6pm-7.30pm: An evening of poetry and story-telling, to mark the launch of a new series of pamphlets by six exciting new voices, published by Crystal Clear Creators (www.crystalclearcreators.org.uk) and funded by Arts Council England. The six writers are Jessica Mayhew, Andrew ‘Mulletproof’ Graves, Roy Marshall, Hannah Stevens, Charles Lauder Jr and Aly Stoneman. The evening includes readings from the writers, plus open-mic slots. All are welcome. For further information, contact Jonathan Taylor, co-director of Crystal Clear Creators, at jtaylor@dmu.ac.uk.

Fri 2nd A Celebration: Milorad Krystanovich,The Moseley Exchange (courtyard behind the Post Office), 149-153 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8JP Event starts at 7.30pm. Free entry and refreshments available.
The launch of Milorad Krystanovich’s seventh and last collection of poetry, Moses’ Footprints, and a celebration of his extraordinary legacy of poetry.Including music and readings of poems by Milorad Krystanovich by John Alcock, Julie Boden, David Hart, Luke Kennard, Myra Connell, Martin Underwood, and others.

About Moses’ Footprints: In the shadows of war, loss and longing, a poet seeking his homeland finds his memories and dreams of its distinctive beauty refracted through a second language. These subtle, elusive and potent poems build bridges of imagery and language between the past and present, the lost and found.

“The poems seem driven, necessary; Croatia and its language call him back, his distinctively developed English finds image after pertinent image. The book is a bounty of metaphor as he is led by Moses and by delight and necessity of observation and discovery; the natural world seems to come to him to be named.” – David Hart

“I can’t stop reading these poems. This is work of atmosphere and tone first, narrative second, but it’s a narrative that combines deep melancholy with a hard-won sense of joy in the slightest shaft of light, and the thought it provokes.” – Luke Kennard

http://www.ninearchespress.com/mosesfootprints.html

Sun 4th ARTournamaent,Sunday Chill, New Inn Gloucester Gloucester, 3-9pm £5 in, multi bill:Sunday 4th March 2012 Doors open at 3.00pm – 9.00pm Our acts are unsuitable for under 18’s. £5 on the door but all confirmed performers are free. We have an amazing seventh line up for you at The New inn Gloucester which includes the usual eclectic mix of acts bands singers and spoken word performers but for March we will have a predominantly large and diverse range of hilarious stand up comedy and music…lucky lucky Gloucester!! As usual ARTournament will be giving away £100 in cash for the best audience voted performance of the day. Each member of the audience will be given one vote on the door when they arrive. The performer/s with the most votes at 8.45pm will be presented with £100 in cash-good luck everyone. IMPORTANT…..PLEASE CAN ALL ACTS SIGN IN AN HOUR BEFORE THEY ARE DUE TO PERFORM AS DUE TO ILLNESS TRAINS PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE THE TIME SLOTS TO EARLIER OR LATER DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS ARE RUNNING and THERE WILL BE A FILM CREW ON SITE, IF ANYONE OBJECTS TO BEING FILMED CAN YOU PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP. On the Elephant Stage we have a good PA, 2 sm58 mics and can use CDs for backing tracks. The Moroccan Stage has a small PA and MIc and is acoustic/spoken word. if you need any help our engineer is James Candler (in friends list) Thanks MARCH 2012 Elephant Stage-Bands and Comedy March 2012 Compered by the hilarious Comedy Guru Josh Richards and his alter ego the Koala… . 3.00-3.30pm Lisa Wilkinson-Acoustic 3.30-3.45pm Alison Hustwitt and her hilarious little songs 3.45-4.10pm Way Out West-a band you have to see to believe! 4.15-4.30pm Darren Hoskins and his box of comedy tricks 4.30-4.50pm Martin Thorne-An amazing blues singer and guitarist 5.00-5.10pm James Rushbrook and his new 2012 comedy set-lucky lucky us 5.15-5.25pm Mark Chatterley-A laugh a minute 5.30-5.45pm Julie ‘Psycho’Jones – Januarys winner and hilarious is an understatement! 5.45-6.00pm Demitris Deech-brilliant, witty, fast stand up and Febs Winner 6.00-6.15pm Josh Richards brings in the Koala-be scared, very scared! 6.15-6.45pm Stephen Grimes will be treating us all to a bit of hip hop 6.45-6.55pm Paul Cook With Some New Stand Up Comedy 7.00-7.30pm Martin Maidment and his infamous band Gagarin 7.30-8.00pm Club 41 James Alexander Dart and his rocking band 8.00-8.20pm Damon Thomas and his beautiful blues-came in second last month! 8.30-9.00pm Liam Dunn and his band http://www.stereoinfluence.com Moroccan Stage-Spoken Word and Acoustic Compered by the brains behind Worcester Literary Festival and a poet in her own right…the multi talented Lisa Ventura. 3.00-3.30pm Rebecca Cant-Decembers winner and an unbeleivable voice. TBC 3.30-3.45pm Lisa Ventura-Worcester Literary Festival 3.45-4.00pm Andrew Owens-An american import we love 4.00-4.15pm Keith Hyatt-bringing some acoustic flamenco guitar and poetry 4.15-4.30pm Sarah Snell Pym-a purple poet 4.30-4.45pm Mark Chatterley-a laugh a minute 4.45-5.00pm Julie Jones and her comedy from the freezer 5.00-5.15pm Tony Judge-satirical short stories. 5.15-5.30pm Jeremy Toombs-another fave of ours TBC 5.30-5.45pm Lyn Cinderry-scary scary ghost stories TBC 5.45-6.00pm James Bunting-Amazing Bristol Poet 6.00-6.15pm Chloe Lees-Grown up stories 6.15-6.30pm John Bassetts Dark Tales TBC 6.30-6.45pm Guy Williams-a regular poet and fave. 6.45-7.00pm Suz Winspear-visual and verbally spectacular 7.00-7.15pm Dan Holloway-http://www.youtube.com/​watch?v=qXXdIqA8LsI 7.15-7.30pm Joel Denno-a performance poet and fave. 7.30-8.00pm Shabz Ahmed and Friends 8.00-8.30pm Closing from the multi talented Lisa Ventura

By: Artournament Glos

Sun 4th Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop open mic plus Elizabeth Cook

Mon 5th SW @N,Newhampton Inn, Riches Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, WV6 ODW.8pm, Poetry, Storytelling and song, Peter Chand hosts.

Mon 5th/Tues 6th Brewers’ Troupe present SNUG The Hollybush, 53 Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath B64 5EA 8pm: £5in SNUG, set in an unknown date in the future, is a historical tour, after the last pub in Britain has closed. A tour guide takes the audience into the action, where they meet some of the locals who were cryogenically frozen in the year 2011. It is quickly apparent how important the pub is to all of these characters and that the trade is dying.

Tues 6thNight Blue Fruit, Taylor Johns,Canal Basin, Coventry 8pm: Free in Jan Watts headlines

Wed 7th Funny Women Long Knowle Library, Wood End Road, Wolverhampton, 6-7pm. Free event. For further info ring Elaine on 01902 556290.Funny Women are, Emma Purshouse, Jane Seabourne & Win Saha who will be performing their poetry

Thurs 8th The Shipping Forecast Open Mic, Rude Shipyard Cafe,89 Abbeydale Rd Sheffield, S7 1FE:7.45 Hosted by moi miss piggy or stan skinny, message for slots.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Yorkshire-Word-search/275766372495584?sk=wall#!/pages/The-Shipping-Forecast-spoken-word/276780052333840?sk=info

Thurs 8th Mar Women’s Poetry Evening , Library Theatre, Birmingham.7.30pm; Free in.Women readers only,all welcome as audience.BPL Jan Watts leads to support International Women’s Day , which is this very day.

Sat 10th Poetry & Music at the Foxlowe Cafe, Leek, 7.30pm:Packhorse Poets will be displaying their wares in the Cafe at the Foxlowe, Leek’s prime arts venue with contributions from Leek Writers, U3A creative writing group and Borderland Voices, plus MUSIC from Val Williamson and family also an open mic. session time permitting.

Sat 10thDroitwich Arts 4 All – Live Lit @ Park’s Cafe, Noon- 4pm;Free in,This Live Lit event kicks off at noon, with delicious words and tasty music from a top line-up of Worcestershire writers and performers on offer throughout the afternoon.

Sheryl Browne will be entertaining audiences with her Recipe for Disaster rom-com, while Worcestershire Bard 2011 stunner-up Fergus McGonigal promises poetry, laughter and lots more…

Published poet, Jenny Hope, will be tree-ting people with some of her nature-inspired poems and her collection Petrolhead.

The angelic voice of Deborah Rose, poetry-inspired singer-song-writer, will also be on the afternoon’s literary menu.

Town poet Sarah James will be reading from her collection Into the Yell as well as being the live lit poet in residence for the day, dishing up bitesize portions of poetry via twitter. (Using the tag #arts4all .)

The poet, singer and generally artistically talented Catherine Crosswell will also be providing poetic food for thought, lightly seasoned with some laughter.

Other readers and performers lined up so far include short story writer Andrew Owens and children’s writer Carys Thurlby.

Authors will also be available to chat to people, answer writing questions and sign books.

Our poet in residence will also be leading a special Bedtime Story Session at 4pm, where children are invited to bring a short story along to share. Sarah will then choose a selection to read aloud for youngsters.

Timings for these writers will be announced later, so please check back. There are still some slots available for writers wishing to share their work, and this includes the option of having someone else read their writing for them. Please see below for more details.

Live Lit @ Park’s Cafe is one of a range of Arts 4 All events taking place across Droitwich on Saturday, March 10.

Mon 12th Pub Poetry Nottingham The Canal house, 48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH,8pm, Free in, Open micContact Nick on pubpoetry@nottscomedyfestival.co.uk

Monday 12 – Roger McGough presents That Awkward Age – an evening of poems to amaze and delight! Tickets are £10, concessions £8, available from the library helpdesk, or you can ring and reserve them on 01629 533400. Starts 7.30pm. For adults and 14 and over.

Mon 12th PureandGoodandRight 19:30 The Sozzled Sausage 141 Regent St, Leamington Spa CV32 4NX Open mic + geust poet, Mstr Morrison, George Hardwick hosts

Tues 13th Brewers’ Troupe present SNUG The Hollybush, 53 Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath B64 5EA 8pm: £5in SNUG, set in an unknown date in the future, is a historical tour, after the last pub in Britain has closed. A tour guide takes the audience into the action, where they meet some of the locals who were cryogenically frozen in the year 2011. It is quickly apparent how important the pub is to all of these characters and that the trade is dying.

Tues 13th City Voices, City Bar, kig St, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm: Set bill poetry with Simon Fletcher.

Tues 13th Tales at the Edge, White Lion Inn, Bridgnorth, Shropshire,Tales at the Edge is one of the country’s oldest and most established storytelling clubs, meeting in Bridgenorth on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (except August) at 8 pm.

Hear tales, myths and legends from all over the world in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you are new to storytelling, an experienced teller or just enjoy listening to stories. There is no charge for admission.

For more details contact: Mike Rust 01694 771 379.

Tues 13th Mouth & Music Boars Head,39 Worcester Street, DY101EW Kidderminster, 8pm
We’re very excited about our March guests – Worcestershire’s First Young Poet Laureate, the amazingly talented Laura Dedicoat, and – yes – local band Red Shoes! Plus spoken word and music open mic sign-up from 7.30, though there will be no actual mic in the intimate BHG (Boar’s Head Gallery).

Red Shoes are currently creating waves of excitement amongst the Folk and Acoustic circuit, both in clubs and at festivals. Championed by none other than Dave Pegg of Fairport Convention, songwriters Carolyn & Mark Evans take your emotions via foot tapping folk to heart wrenching songs about the downfall of Cadbury’s or the grim murderous tale of Two Sisters. Red Shoes debut album Ring Around The Land has become one of the most critically acclaimed folk albums of 2010 and the opening song Celtic Moon was recently recorded by Fairport Convention on their album Festival Bell.

“I went to a Red Shoes gig last night. After they played ‘River Rea’, it took a week for the hairs on the back of my neck to go down” – Brum Beat

“Whether playing as a band or performing as a duo, Red Shoes create a warm, relaxed atmosphere and have the songs and the sound to bring a room to an awed hush” – Roots & Branches

Admission £3 (free to performers)

Presented by Sarah Tamar (MC) for kaf creatives

Wed 14th The Quad Derby, QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS 19.30 Free in, A monthly night of performed poetry for everyone, new performers always welcome or just come and listen, Les hosts.

Wednesday 14 : The Derbyshire Poets: Laureates Live in the Library. Local poets Ann Atkinson, Matt Black, Cathy Grindrod and River Wolton share their poems inspired by Derbyshire. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £3, concessions £2, available from the library helpdesk

Wed 14th Mar , The Voicebox, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ7.30pm,Dame Fortune’s Wheel and the three estates -Dave Tong aka “The Yarnsmith of Norwich” is a storyteller from Norfolk who travels throughout the UK and is known for his love of historical based folk and factual tales. His stories are very well researched, and exhibit a very appealing mischievous sense of humour. Combining a warm, open wit and a mastery of crowd control (!) Dave is a very experienced storyteller who is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face even whilst describing some of the worst aspects of human nature.

In this new show, Dave explores the three “classes” of men and women from long ago. Those who worked, those who prayed and those who fought. The performance vividly illustrates the ups and downs of people’s lives as they rode upon Fortune’s Wheel. Whilst also celebrating the use of the mystical number three, a motif commonly found in many traditional tales. The performance promises a compelling mix of humourous and revealing tales, interwoven with Dave’s unique take on the crafty and relevant riddles of the time.

This is a telling that brings the long past into the here and now, and it is a particular delight to welcome Dave to Flying Donkeys.

http://www.theyarnsmithofnorwich.com

Thurs 15th / Sat 23 rd Aspire 4 U Joseph Chamberlain 6th Form College, Belgrave road, Balsall Heath Birmingham B12 9FF:5-9pm, Aspire4u are looking for talent individuals to enter a competition based in birmingham.The talent 2012 competition offers the opportunity for Singers, dancers, rappers,poets, MC’s,fashion designers and models to showwcase their talents, with the possibility of winning amazing prizes. prizes include a proffesional photoshoot and a full page spread in flavour magazine.Judges include- Simon Britton (producer/ songwriter) and Ray paul (founder of BBC 1Xtra).Talent2012 finale competition 2nd June at Town hall Birmingham.To register your interest and book an audition slot email video/audio and or images of your talent to nfo@projecttalent.co.uk OR contact sue/sharleen on 0121 622 3602

Thurs 15th Speak Up, Bulls Head, Moseley, Birmingham, 7.30pm: headliners plus open mic,£5in http://www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/

Saturday 17th Lunchtime cabaret Saturday Lounge, 12-2pm Brewsmiths Coffee and Tea Bar, Livery Street (by new Snow Hill station Jewellery Quarter entrance.)Relaxed lunch time cabaret event in an independent coffee shop!

Saturday 17th march (12pm-5) The rainbow, 160 Digbeth high street,Digbeth,Birmingham, B120LD: Aspire4u are looking for talent individuals to enter a competition based in birmingham.The talent 2012 competition offers the opportunity for Singers, dancers, rappers,poets, MC’s,fashion designers and models to showwcase their talents, with the possibility of winning amazing prizes. prizes include a proffesional photoshoot and a full page spread in flavour magazine.Judges include- Simon Britton (producer/ songwriter) and Ray paul (founder of BBC 1Xtra).Talent2012 finale competition 2nd June at Town hall Birmingham.To register your interest and book an audition slot email video/audio and or images of your talent to nfo@projecttalent.co.uk OR contact sue/sharleen on 0121 622 3602

Sat 17thJacqui Rowe,Markethall Museum, warwick:7pm, free in. A performance from the Flarestack Publishing editor, open mic, plus bar!

Sat 17th States of Independence 3: Independent Publishers’ Fayre at De Montfort University, Leicester, – lots of stalls, readings, panels, book launches. Free entry to all!

Mon 19th Shindig, The Western PH, Western Rd Leicester, 4th ,7.30pm: Headliners and open mic, with Crystal Clear Creators and Nine Arches Press, Jonathan Taylor & Matt Nunn hosting.

Tues 20thPoetry Club Giggling Goblin Coffee Shop, Mill Lane, Ashby de la Zouch– 8:30, free in, with a licensed bar and great coffee. Third Tuesday of the month. Open mic poetry and folk

The event is hosted by Brian B. Langtry, who ran a poetry and folk club in the Black Country in the Mid 1970’s, which ran until the pub closed down. Brian has always been keen to mix the arts and has decided to give the Folk and Poetry format a revival in Ashby. As Brian’s flyer says the Performers are from the audience.

Wed 21ndTemplar Poetry,Lamb & Flag, The Tyhthing, Worcester, 8pm; Open mic, third Wednesday, Alex officiates contact:Alex McMillen, Alex McMillen,Templar Poetry, PO BOX 7082, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 9AF,Tel: 01629 582500, Mobile: 07918166975

info@templarpoetry.co.uk

Wed 21stStorytelling Cafe, Kitchen Garden Cafe , York St Kings Heath 7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm),£7in, The Court Of The Queen Of Claywood Flats,Tonight’s guest Tim Ralphs brings the tradition of adult storytelling into the 21st century. A block of flats is about to be pulled down. Death stalks the concrete steps, dragons coil on mildewed mattresses, a knarl of knitters complete an ancient conspiracy, and in a damp basement the Queen of Claywood Flats convenes her last court. Six plaintiffs are dragged before the ragged Queen to tell their stories, each a compelling hybrid of urban energy and traditional folktale; all debts must be settled before the night is through!

Thurs 22nd Mar Bilston Voices, Metro Cafe Church St, Bilston: 7.30pm,£3in Emma Purshouse hosts:Dave Finchett, Jacquie Rowe, Joel Lane, Jane Seabourne and David Calcutt

Fri 23rd Mar Spoken Worlds, Old Cottage tavern, Byrkely St, Burton on Trent, 7.30pm , Free in, Open Mic, Gary Carr hosts.

Sat 24th Oxford Literary Festival, till 1st April, a superstar laden event: http://www.literaryfestivals.co.uk/oxford.html#.TwG7Vrezzdw.facebook

Sunday 25th “Tell me on a Sunday” Storytelling, Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HS, 4pm – 6.30pm; Free in, Participants tell stories based around a specially selected theme, all with truth (and a good performance!) at their heart. Each month, five storytellers will be chosen to perform a seven minute story live.The events feature special guests and are curated by Cat Weatherill, one of Europe’s leading performance storytellers, who will also tell her own story.These events begin at 4pm with Story Supper, a chance to meet fellow audience members and story tellers over a special Cafe Ikonmenu. Performances commence at 5pm, finishing at 6.30pm.Theme – Hope and Glory

Please note these events are intended for adult audiences. .

http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/events-2011/tell-me-on-a-sunday/?utm_source=BBF+MASTER+LIST&utm_campaign=eddd0a194f-Bham_Book_Fes_News_Aug_20118_17_2011&utm_medium=email

Sun 25thSunday Xpress Fourth Sunday Doors 1500, Start 16:30 Adam & Eve Bradford Street, Birmingham B12 0JD Open mic
jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk

Sun 25thRhyme and Tells at the Six Bells in Bishops Castle, Shropshire,Meets every 4th Sunday of the month (except for public holidays) at 8 pm – 10.30 pm. It is free admission and an open session for poetry, prose and storytelling.

For further details please contact Mike on 01588 680685.

Tuesday 27th Fizz, Polesworth Abbey, Poleworth, Open Mic and Guest 7.30pm, Free in, Barry Patterosn guests, Mal Dewhirst host.

Tueday 27thPoetry Bites, Kitchen Garden Cafe, York St Kings Heath, 7.30pm, £5, opne mic plus special guest Caleb Klaces, Ira Lightman and David Hart.

Tues 27th Word Wizards, Grove Hotel, Buxton,7.30pm, £3 in , open mic. Rob Stevens hosts

Tues 27th MarPoetry and stories at Two for Tea, 92 Derby Road, Stapleford​, Nottingham​,NG9 7AD, GB,7.30pm, free in
An evening of poems and stories from two local performers – Will Juckes and Nick (poetress).Sign up on the door for open spots. Anything spoken word is fine lasting between 3 -5 minutes. A great chance to try out your writing in a fun way.

Wed 28th Smart Poets Open Mic, Vegged out, Fletchers walk, Birmingham 7.30pm: All welcome.

Thursday 29th Hit the Ode,Victorai PH Birmingham , £5 in, Bohdan Piasecki hosts
Hit the Ode is back as always, and this month I’m proud to say we’re bringing our international guest all the way from Brazil: Luanda Casella is coming to town, and really, you owe it to yourself to see her, especially since you will also get to hear John Berkavitch and Molly Naylor, too. After the last HtO, which saw a packed Victoria almost explode with glee at all the poetry goodness on offer, all I’ll say is – come early if you want a chance to sit down. Like the Facebook page for updates and a video countdown…

Sat 31st Mar earth Hour hand in Glove Sidbury Worcester, 7pm: £5 in:Worcestershire Literary Festival and Transition Worcester present an unplugged candlelit evening of Poetry, Spoken Word and Music, with an overall Earth Hour theme.Already confirmed to perform:
Catherine Crosswell
Sarah James
Suz Winspear
Jenny Hope
The May Dolls

with more perfomers to be announced soon.

Tickets £5/£3 & are available from the Worcestershire Literary Festival office or online (www.worceslitfest.com) or from the Hand in Glove.

http://www.worcslitfest.com
http://www.transitionworcester.or​g.uk

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Spoken Worlds, Old Cottage Tavern, Burton upon Trent

Posted on February 25, 2012 by garylongden

One of the pleasures of spoken word events is that you are never quite sure what you are going to hear when you turn up. This was no exception. The relationship between lyrics and poetry over the years has been an uneasy one. Great songs and albums have frequently been underscored with lyrics which were either aural filler, or pretentious nonsense, with some honourable exceptions. Local poet and film director Mal Dewhirst has turned his attentions to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” album, and a fascinating project it is.


The history of the The Wall is one of bloated rock star paranoia and excess . On their 1977 tour Pink Floyd took exception to the behaviour of some of the very fans on their tour who had helped to make them multimillionaire superstars , with Roger Waters suggesting that they build a wall to cut themselves off from the troublesome oiks, prompting him to write an album on just that theme. Although commercially a huge success, the album has not worn well, with the exception of Comfortably Numb and Another Brick in the Wall. Mal has resolved to make good Water’s lyrical shortcomings for a production of the show in Tamworth this summer by rewriting some of them. The project, titled The Wall, is based on the Pink Floyd rock opus and will be held at Tamworth Assembly Rooms from June 5-8. Tonight he debuted The Thin Ice, and a very good job he made of it too. I await the results of the remainder of the much needed redrafting with great interest. Whether he will turn his directorial skills to improve on Alan Parker ‘s film is, as yet ,unconfirmed.

Jarvis Cocker has recently moved from intelligent lyricist to published poet with his new Faber published collection. The rise of Poetronica may yet see the burgeoning contemporary spoken word scene bite back into the world of contemporary lyricists who seem to have given up political fight, eschew word play ,and trawl the lowest common denominator for effect. There are some great new mainstream lyricists out there, Matt Berninger (The National),James Mercer (The Shins), Devendra Banhart to name but three, and in England we have a great tradition of lyricists stretching back through Damon Albarn, Neil Tennant, Elvis Costello, Ray Davies to Cole Porter. But maybe a new project might be to rewrite the lyrics for some classic songs? Maybe Mal is onto something here?

It is not as outlandish a concept as it may seem. 19th century hymn writers did it all the time. Great melody- shame about the words, and pen in hand they thought nothing of writing something better. Why shouldn’t we do the same? Patti Smith redrafted Bruce Springsteen’s “ Because the Night” to great effect. Perhaps the surprise is that it has not been done more – until now…………………..

Unusual poetic inspiration was a feature of the night. Tom Wyre drew upon Dickens for an ambitious themed list poem, Peter Costelloe opted for 19th century bull-running in Tutbury. Bert Flitcroft is a dapper urbane sophisticate who turned his poetic sights upon road rage on the M42 in unlikely, but amusing and accomplished form. Fresh from her success at Bilston Voices, Janet Jenkins name-checked Birmingham Art Gallery, which Mal had also used for inspiration, and Lichfield Cathedral, which Dea Costelloe had in turn based a poem upon.

Ray and Teri Jolland are a Spoken Worlds institution for heir comedy sketches, and they did not let us down this month with Its All an Act. It was good to hear host and organiser Gary Carr read some of his own material, his line “Every mirror taunts with its own veracity” the most memorable of the evening. As an experiment , proceedings were audio recorded for the evening ,providing a useful archive for future use.

Spoken Worlds returns at 7.30pm on Friday 23rd March, free admission.

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Bilston Voices, Metro Cafe, Church St, Bilston

Posted on February 24, 2012 by garylongden

Running successful poetry nights is not easy. Audiences take time and patience to build, and are fickle .If you don’t give them what they want, the venue will be empty next time around. So it is to Emma Pursehouse’s great credit, as organiser ,that she has built up an audience that invariably fills this cafe, and continues to source poets of sufficient quality to ensure that the audience keeps coming back. Who specifically is performing does not overly affect attendance. It is the guarantee of good quality and an entertaining night that does the trick.

The evening started in reflective, commemorative, mode as Geoff Stevens was remembered. Geoff was a prodigious local poet and publisher with roots firmly planted in the Black Country, and with many friends. His recent death touched the local and regional poetic community that he served, and entertained so well in his life. His friend Al Barz read three of Geoff’s poems in tribute. Geoff’s humour in Animal Magic , about the sponsoring of zoos ,brought gales of laughter, Sleeping With You, a love poem to Geraldine ,was sentimental and touching without being in the least mawkish. A measure of the quality of a poet’s writing often lies in how well others can interpret them – Al Barz did Geoff proud.

First on, and making his Bilston Voices debut, was Alan Glover. Many writers experience the highs and lows of life in magnified form and Alan was happy to lay bare his encounters with the lows with several pieces that felt like works of expiation. Intriguingly, I thought his best work lay outside of that sequence. Digital photography was a list poem that was well conceived , sharp and funny, Sixth Form Prose was simple knockabout stuff that worked brilliantly, read for him, by Emma Purshouse.

Another Bilston Voices debutante, but an experienced performer, was Janet Jenkins from Lichfield Poets. She produced a carefully crafted, and varied set, delivered with confidence and assurance. Gardens, a writing project at Birmingham Art Gallery, love, and false teeth all caught Janet’s poetic attention. It was her piece on Modigliani from the Art Gallery sequence which stood out tonight.

Donna Scott, once of Bilston is now a Milton Keynes resident and she closed the first half with brio and chutzpah. I Love Cake is very funny, her Introducing poem very clever, although the ending was a little abrupt. Charity Case , she had written that very morning and was hugely enjoyable, introducing the fascinating concept of the fashion womble. Bright and breezy ,she entertained throughout and even found time to rhyme Bahamas with Judith Chalmers!

Opening the second half was the newly anointed Bard of Stony Stratford , Danni Antagonist. Performing work available in her two collections, Emotion’s Memory and NSFW, I was struck by the interesting rhyming patterns she uses and her relaxed delivery. Bless This was her tour de force , and the poem which resonated with me most from the entire evening. The tale of how she is helping her father clear out the loft of their family home, it oozed pathos, compassion, wistful reflection and warmth. It worked because although it was ostensibly about clearing out a clutter filled loft, it was also written in the shadow of her late mother who was part of that clutter, who wasn’t mentioned, but whose presence lingered implicitly, not explicitly. An object lesson in good writing.

Later on in the evening , the question was asked as to whether poets should write as observers or participants ? The writer’s skill is in expressing personal experience in a form that is universally understood, Danni succeeded in that challenge with this poem.

Top of the bill was Mark Niel, now working as a full time poet. I have watched Mark’s career unfold from Slam champion, to the professional troubadour he has now become. His slickness as a performer is now finely honed with performance at the heart of his act. Bubbling full of ideas, he is appearing at the Wenlock Poetry festival in April, and has an exciting project involving reworking classic poems as modern, accessible performance pieces in the pipeline. Tonight, he stuck with established favourites like My Half of the Fridge in a well rehearsed set that felt more one-man show than poetry reading, and was well received by an appreciative audience.

Bilston Voices returns on Thursday 22nd March with a terrific line-up that includes Dave Finchett, Jacquie Rowe, Joel Lane, Jane Seabourne and David Calcutt.

Gary Longden 23/2/12

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