My latest collection of poetry, "Punctuations from History" has now been published under the Coverstory books imprint. [ Coverstory books] Available on-line and on order through all good bookshops!!
My new book – out now!
Category: Poetry
Haiku – 1
Cautiously, he takes his life and shakes it, flakes in a fragile snow globe.
Punctuations from History
My new volume of poetry, "Punctuations from History" is now at the printers and I'm waiting for my draft copy to arrive. It is currently slated to go on sale on February 5th. * I have decided to intersperse re-reading some favourite classics in between new fiction. Perhaps over forty years since I first read … Continue reading Punctuations from History
“Hello, your promise has been extracted”
Maybe I should just stop reading 'modern' poetry. Or should I say, "poetry". Because I'm afraid most of Ahren Warner's book simply doesn't at all fit with what I'd consider to be poetry. Some of it does - but a big chunk doesn't. The good / clever / stunning images that are present just get … Continue reading “Hello, your promise has been extracted”
“Weemoed”
Tim Dooley's collection, "Weemoed", offers a plethora of poetic styles and interpretations, some formal, most less so. There are some really crisp images littered throughout the volume, although some I think are occasionally let down by their stylistic content. The title poem is in a way a microcosm of the book. It moves from one … Continue reading “Weemoed”
Coast
Coast Trace around its outline with great care, there is danger as well as beauty there. Go slowly, cautiously; try to picture postcard scenes of secluded coves, a deserted beach, the caves where smugglers hid and waited for the tide to reach. Pause again where once upon a time you ate greasy fish and chips … Continue reading Coast
“A Watchful Astronomy”
Probably the strongest pieces in Paul Deaton's "A Watchful Astronomy" are those that relate to his relationship with his father. Elsewhere there is the occasional crisp image, but overall I get the impression of someone with talent who is still trying to find their voice. Here and there one might feel evidence of trying too … Continue reading “A Watchful Astronomy”
“All We Saw”
There are undoubtedly a few lovely images in Anne Michaels' "All We Saw". But - how can I put this? - there's also a lot of 'space'... Here is the contents of an entire page (from the title poem, which is spread over 10 pages): dear one That's it. Words fail me. And I'm probably … Continue reading “All We Saw”
“Away from the Welsh Speaking Sea”
Hamish Wilson's two great passions are probably literature and music, and within that a specific love for people like Dylan Thomas and John Lennon. It could be argued, of course, that Thomas' poetry fits both categories quite nicely. "Away from the Welsh Speaking Sea" was born from Wilson's visit to Thomas' childhood home in Swansea. … Continue reading “Away from the Welsh Speaking Sea”
Mentioning no names…
Spoiler alert: I don't often rant... Assuming modern poets wish their verse to be read - and by real, normal, human readers - it would be useful if some of them actually made such a thing possible... There seems to be a trend in some current poetry that - eschews punctuation; avoids capitalisation; inserts bizarre … Continue reading Mentioning no names…
Ian Gouge - Writer 