In a first Post (see below), I advised that my original website, www.estillpollock-poetry.com, was to be wound-down after ten years, largely because of the cost of maintaining it. The same notice is posted on that site's Home page so that visitors can bookmark http:/estillpollockpoetry.blogspot.com, where archive files have now been moved.
Soon after, I had an email from someone asking where the PDF link to the Blackwater Quartet (Prologue), "Decorative Initials for a Book of Hours," was now located (It had been set within a page link on the old site.), and I replied that the site is still in operation for a time, and that they're welcome to copy the PDF to their own computer, as long as the attribution of my name and copyright is also retained.
When I looked back on the stats for the old site, the two most-visited pages were the Neophyte page and the Prologue file link. I thought it might be helpful then if I created a separate page in the Nav column here, to avoid any confusion in the future, when the old site goes down in June 2014.
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Monday, 27 January 2014
"Lake, in late light, its still surface"
Lake, in late light, its still surface
indigo
kimono, settled shore-folds
etherised
today, yesterday
healing
every dream and then awake.
Somnambulist
cured where threads of blood
aimless endings, twitter feed
ranked opinion, devolved
scar shadow
opulent, corpuscles unravelled
fed red, flexed
along viral paths.
Boat oars knock.
Racked clouds race, repeated
across the lake face.
Halting, I draw the blade
across the rope, the anchor's weight
marking black water, soundless.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Open Mic/Poetry Slams
Since joining the blogger-writing community, I noticed that requests regarding poem choices for open-mic nights appear regularly. A poet will agonise about which poem(s) should be selected for the all-important reading, and ask others to choose the piece they think 'strongest.' Recommendations can be as varied at alphabet combinations.
Poetry Slams are another aspect of writers-as-performers, where text is viewed as secondary to performance. Well, a little showoff-manship never hurt anybody. The nature of the event dictates simplicity of style, one which can be immediately apprehended by an audience (No time for subtleties or hidden meanings - they like their steak upfront and hanging off the edge of the plate.).
I don't have an issue with any of these events. They're popular, and provide entertainment and outlets for poets who might not otherwise have access to an audience. There's a limit of credibility, of course. Just because two drunk people are shouting at each other in the street, and I find the exchange amusing, it doesn't necessarily follow that I think the exchange is worthy of publication.
Years ago, I attended an open-mic night at a pub in Norwich. Ten poets, or so, took part, gathered around tables at the end of a large room. Unfortunately, the organiser hadn't realised it was in fact St Patrick's Day, and the pub, Lucky Shamrock or some such, heaved with about 200 drunken people, guffawing at each other's work/personal stories at the end of a long day.
This was the same room where ten poets had innocently gathered to share their Poetic Thoughts.
It wasn't a successful night for poetry, but the satellite sports channel retained a surprisingly devoted following throughout the evening.
However, on the night, I met a young woman - quirky, inventive, whose dress style was tanktops, a hippie skirt, and Doc Martin boots. She later took it upon herself to gather a poetry 'library' - actually just books she liked - and travel around England, and Europe, parking her van on a city street, and setting up a table with poetry books on it, and invite anyone passing to read poetry with her. She would also hand out cards with 'poetic' thoughts scribbled on them.
Poetry to the people.
Poetry Slams are another aspect of writers-as-performers, where text is viewed as secondary to performance. Well, a little showoff-manship never hurt anybody. The nature of the event dictates simplicity of style, one which can be immediately apprehended by an audience (No time for subtleties or hidden meanings - they like their steak upfront and hanging off the edge of the plate.).
I don't have an issue with any of these events. They're popular, and provide entertainment and outlets for poets who might not otherwise have access to an audience. There's a limit of credibility, of course. Just because two drunk people are shouting at each other in the street, and I find the exchange amusing, it doesn't necessarily follow that I think the exchange is worthy of publication.
Years ago, I attended an open-mic night at a pub in Norwich. Ten poets, or so, took part, gathered around tables at the end of a large room. Unfortunately, the organiser hadn't realised it was in fact St Patrick's Day, and the pub, Lucky Shamrock or some such, heaved with about 200 drunken people, guffawing at each other's work/personal stories at the end of a long day.
This was the same room where ten poets had innocently gathered to share their Poetic Thoughts.
It wasn't a successful night for poetry, but the satellite sports channel retained a surprisingly devoted following throughout the evening.
However, on the night, I met a young woman - quirky, inventive, whose dress style was tanktops, a hippie skirt, and Doc Martin boots. She later took it upon herself to gather a poetry 'library' - actually just books she liked - and travel around England, and Europe, parking her van on a city street, and setting up a table with poetry books on it, and invite anyone passing to read poetry with her. She would also hand out cards with 'poetic' thoughts scribbled on them.
Poetry to the people.
Friday, 24 January 2014
Website transition
Hello Everyone,
For information, the current website www.estillpollock-poetry.com will be wound-down in June 2014.
From that time, all archive information will be available here, on estillpollockpoetry.blogspot.com.
For information, the current website www.estillpollock-poetry.com will be wound-down in June 2014.
From that time, all archive information will be available here, on estillpollockpoetry.blogspot.com.
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