Category: Poems

Cheltenham Poetry Festival 2012 (by )

Last week saw the Cheltenham Poetry Festival.

I started off by going to see Domestic Cherry - so funny. It was Michael Scott and Hilda Sheechan in the personas of a Swidon Chav and a hyper kitch Housewife.

Domestic Cherry

The I headed out to dinner with one of the stewards and then onto Slak Bar to see Mab Jones and her Welsh Rare Bits - these guys are amazing! Laughter until tears stream down your face. Unfortunatly I had to leave this event early due to illness.

Leeum as a Rare Bit Another Rare Bit Mab Jones

The next morning saw me up bright and early and sitting in The Muffin Man sipping tea awaiting to share my poetry. I was part of the Poetry Cafe Showcase.

Poetry Cafe Showcase Cheltenham Poetry Festival 2012

I then stayed on to watch The Stroud Pamphlet Poets.

Stroud Pamphlet Poet 2 Stroud Pamphlet Poet Eley Furrell Stroud Pamphlet Poets

Then I headed over to Waterstones to watch various poets there

Jennie Farley Nick Leeum Leeum Johnson

Leeum did like a 20 minute show from memory that had the audience reeling (or in one case wanting to give him a hug).

The next day I had a workshop to run - the Monster Writing Game - it was supposed to be at The Brewery but the weather was just too bad so it was moved to Waterstones.

Monster Bag The Monster Writing Game in Cheltenham Waterstones Writing game in action

We stuck around for a Jean to take part in Joy-Amy Wigman's childrens workshop - also on monster 🙂

Rhyme Time at Waterstones Cheltenham Joy-Amy and Monsters

We stayed on for the Childrens Poetry showcase with Francis Axon - Jeany loves her poetry which she had heard at Christmas in the Brewery. The other poet unfortunatly couldn't attend so I ended up performing some of my childrens poems.

Francis Axon

The next day saw me back out early for more childrens workshops - this time it was The Poetry Bees and Their Story Tree. My poor Dad had to walk through Cheltenham with a giant papier mache purple tree - only happens to people who know me 🙂

Story Tree on the Move Children reading their poems Poetry Bee at Work Sarah reading her childrens poetry Me and The Story Tree The Story Tree complete with Poetry Bee Hive Poetry Bees in Their New Home

Poetic Blooms around the Story Tree Me Reading Kids Poetry in Waterstones Cheltenham

I then got ready for Occupy Poetry - the last night poetry party bonanza.

Purple Poet No Eyes

Alaric was once more forced to listen to poetry - but this time he had company 🙂

Poetry Listening Dudes

I took arty shots

Light on Glass rainbow Glasses

Then the comedy started with Julie Psycho Jones and Josh plus the performance Poet Ash.

Julie Psyco Burlesque Julie Jones Julie Psycho Jones

Comedy, drinks and lighting

Scary Aussy Comic Singing Angry Koala Anger Management Koala

Poetry Festival Slak 2012 Josh

Pink Sniper

Chris

Ash Ash at Slak Bar

It was a brilliant but exhusting week and I wish I'd gotten to see more.

Monster Creation (by )

I have made a short film about the creation of the Muse Monsters from my Monster Writing Game - they turn out to have a complex belief system - some of which is portrayed in this video. Also I like the effect I got with a bamboo flute I picked up a few years ago.

Video is up under Creative Commons Attribution which means as long as you say where you got the material from you can use it in your own creations 🙂

Communion Book Launch (by )

Monday saw me and Alaric in a Chapel within the Campus of the University of Gloucestershire. We were going to the book launch of Communion a beautiful work of stark images and deeply bleak words.

My friend Anna Saunders had written those words and as always her work was hard hitting and brought forth those sirens of the id. The chapel was atmospheric set out with candles.

Candle Light Chapel for the launch of the book Communion Candle Light

We watched a short film of the images and word with haunting music permeating the wonderful acoustics of the building. Then Anna read some of the poems from the book plus some new ones from a work in progress with the same artist.

The Artist Suze Adams images were the perfect accompaniment to Anna's words.

Here is my very poor photography of Anna reading Anna Saunders Reading from Communion Anna Suandars at Communion Book Launch

This was all followed by wine and a piano accordian player who's name I sadly can't remember.

Piano Accordian Dude

Alaric as always sat stoically through the whole thing.

Alaric Once More Being Forced To Listen to Poetry

You can see larger images by clicking on the photos - I apologies the light levels were obviously very low and I'm still running with a cheap happy snappy!

Not The Oxford Literary Festival 2012 (by )

Poetikness of Me at The Not The Oxford Literary Festival

On March 30th I headed to Oxford to read some of my up coming collection Political Converse. Earlier that day I died my hair what was supposed to be purple - it came out not but that didn't matter. I had a weekend then week then month of readings and workshops, it was time to get rid of the four inch roots plus I was nervous and this sort of thing helps me cope and actually go and perform.

Then there was the issue that due to scare mongering there was no fuel to be had so we had which set up a panic but was quickly solved and we were on our way.

We arrived in plenty of time and then spent an hour trying to find somewhere to park - we didn't use the park and ride as our experience with it have not been good and as I'm still struggling with walking we need to be somewhere relatively near the event.

But we arrived in time to catch the end of an interesting session on self publishing and small indie presses. Including a talk from Dennis Hamley who I remembered from my school days! Though this didn't stop me saying that if he ever met my dad and drink was involved - they would never stop discussing the war (as in WWII).

We then had some fantastic music.

Funky Music at Not The Oxford Literary Festival Cute guy playing the guitar at Not The Oxford Literary Festival

And no I don't remember anyones names 🙁 And that goes for the poets too!

UnCut Dude

This guy had been involved in the UnCut protests and got himself arrested for being in a shop and reading poetry which is menacing behaviour - if I understood it correctly.

War Veteran reading about the homeless etc...

This guy is an ex-solider and has PTSD - his poetry was powerful and I also found out that Westminster is trying to make it illegal to help the homeless to get rid of the problem before the Olympics which makes me sick. I shall be looking into that one a bit more - the guy is involved with various charities.

Dan Holloway Reading at Not The Oxford Literary Festival 2012

Dan Holloway the organiser and runner of Eight Cuts Gallery.

I'd bought a posse:

Alaric being forced to listen to poetry Nim being forced to listen to poetry

And then sang my Shit Creek I was very nervous and struggled to get my voice out - Alaric said it was just quiet at the beginning but I still did it 🙂 I then read my poetry.

Me preparing to read at the Albion Beatnik Me Singing at the Albion Beatnik Poetikness of Me at The Not The Oxford Literary Festival

More Poets:

Occupy Poet Bird Eating Your Spin Poet Prison Underware Poet

The whole thing was run in the loveliest book shop in the world (that I have found so far). The Albion Beatnik in Oxford - it is almost what me and Alaric wanted to ran our Salaric Emporium (books, gifts, tea, think), back in my uni days.

Word Roses Visual Poetry VisPo as Ceiling Art Tea! At the Albion Beatnik

The night ended on a high with much laughter and deep thought. People left to put poetry to the public - stringing it on fences and what nots. We left to grab a veggie kebab and drive back to Gloucestershire.

Poetry Out and About

p.s. my set was similar but not the same as I read at the Art Tournament No Hoax on the Sunday which Alaric videoed.

Sound quality is naff sorry about that!

What An Amazing Week! (by )

Friday I went off to Not The Oxford Literature Festival were I read out stuff from an upcoming collection called Political Converse including the song Shit Creek.

I gave out my new business cards which I am very happy with from Moo. Each card has a different picture on either of my art work, photos I've taken or me being arty. I have rationed them to one per person as some people want to collect the pictures 🙂

I came home on Friday feeling great especially as I'd worked out the old guy at the festival was infact the guy who's stories I'd been obsessed with as a child!

He's called Dennis Hamley for those of you who are interested 🙂

Then I checked my emails and.... I've won a Bronze Medal in the Gloucestershire Creative Olympics! For my song Windy Gloucestershire. So I am going to to an awards thing at Battle of the Winds in Stroud at the end of the month!

Then Sunday I went off to Art Tournaments No Hoax where I read out more of my Political Converse including another song 🙂 This was all whilst wearing my flashing corset!

Sound quality is naff and I am competing with the band in the other room! But you get the idea 🙂

I enjoyed watching the other acts and knitting whilst Alaric crotcheted - this was then topped off by winning a place in the finals for the Gloucestershire Poet Laureate! Which will take place at Gloucester Cathedral in August 🙂

So with all this I thought I should start working on my web home/hub, somewhere were all the bits of me are collected - I'm still working on it but here it is 🙂

Then I got an email saying I had made the long list for Flash Fiction South West.

I then made a cake with Alaric and Jean for Al's birthday - it didn't quiet work but tasted brilliant!

I feel I am on a roll at the moment and that I may even have reached the 'tipping point' with getting my work out there etc...

The only iffy thing has been that my SponsorMe account will be closed if I don't get some sponsors soon! People keep saying they will sponsor me but haven't yet - so if you're going to do it now please otherwise it will be too late!

Help me bring science art to all 🙂

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