Well, I'm sorry, but I've given up on Paul Muldoon's new collection Joy in Service on the Rue Tagore. And the reason? Partly because I've no idea in terms of what's going on in most of the poems, but largely because they read as if the poet has sat down with a copy of a … Continue reading “Joy in Service on Rue Tagore”
Category: Poetry
The note pinned above my desk…
Sometimes it’s remarkable how quickly a ‘low’ can be followed by a ‘high’…
Some recent posts from my Substack site: "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out"
“May Day”
There's a warning right there on the back cover blurb: "one of the UK's most cherished poets". Whatever that means. But really? Not for me, I'm afraid. Too much 'listing' for my taste, and a great deal of personal reflection with which it is impossible for the reader to associate. All this compounded by dated … Continue reading “May Day”
“Belief Systems”
Ekphrastic poetry needs, I believe, to have a link to its source material which is suitably strong and to some degree self-evident in order for it to work. The twelve poems sitting alongside images of Robert Rauschenberg's work which are at the heart of Tamar Yoseloff's Belief Systems for me just fail to hit the … Continue reading “Belief Systems”
Portal to a range of new content…
Some recent posts from my Substack site: "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out"
“The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea”
I did something slightly unusual for me when reading Mark Haddon's The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea - I put it to one side for a while. The reason was that I hadn't made up my mind about it; I wasn't sure how good it was, or if … Continue reading “The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea”
Performing “Crash” again was great!
It was tremendous fun to perform "Crash - the last thirty minutes of a life" once more, this time at the inaugural Market Rasen 'WordFest' event on Saturday. It could end up being something I do regularly while I am able to... me performing 'Crash' at the Old Courthouse, Market Rasen, 6th July 2024 The … Continue reading Performing “Crash” again was great!
“Crash” performance is tomorrow!
Clip from the Market Rasen Mail: Really excited to be performing Crash again tomorrow, plus further readings of poetry and prose an hour later! Click on the image above to be taken to the booking page, or the button below for the event website. The WordFest website
“No Map Could Show Them”
A familiar story. Here is another collection of poems which is almost entirely single-themed (woman climbers and climbing) and which, as a result, means many of the poems blend into one another and risk losing their individual identity. Which is a shame. Especially as some of them - like the excellent "Kiss" - might be … Continue reading “No Map Could Show Them”
Ian Gouge - Writer 