Late Frost Surprised by the renegade day you had expected the temperate, a welcome more fitting for late May. This chilled air has the tell of a first date bound to fail. In the gathering grey, nothing shines, your prospects dimmed as the dial’s sharp shadow declines with the sun. Sails untrimmed you … Continue reading Late Frost
Category: Reading
“Killing Commendatore”
Having read - and loved - just about everything Haruki Murakami has written, I think I'm allowed to say that "Killing Commendatore" just isn't up to his usual standard. My anticipation for reading this monster of a book was right up there; I had hoped - based on size alone - for something as enthralling … Continue reading “Killing Commendatore”
Why do most people who know you, never buy your books?
You would think, wouldn't you, that when you announce to your friends and family that you have a new book out, a good number would buy it. It may only be out of a sense of loyalty - misplaced or not - but there would surely be a few dozen sales you could count on. … Continue reading Why do most people who know you, never buy your books?
“As Slow As Possible”
Sometimes you read something that simply fails to engage you in any way. Try as I might, Kit Fan's volume of poetry - "As Slow As Possible" - is one such book. I looked for stanzas that grabbed me, tried to be benevolent when filtering for ideas, but I simply struggled. Perhaps it's a wavelength … Continue reading “As Slow As Possible”
Granta 144 – “Generic Love Story”
I don't normally offer a sketch on the Granta quarterlies once I have read them. Often it's because they are too eclectic, too varied to be able to hone in on something specific enough for commentary. Granta 144 is a little different. A number of the stories are told by women and relate to damaged … Continue reading Granta 144 – “Generic Love Story”
“Birthday Letters”
Confession time: I didn't managed to finish this one. And actually, I didn't like it that much. Is that sacrilege? My reasons for finding it 'hard'? Most of the poems felt too personal, as if I was some kind of Peeping Tom looking in on lives and a relationship when I had no right to … Continue reading “Birthday Letters”
“1606: Shakespeare and the Year of Lear”
"1606: Shakespeare and the Year of Lear" is the third volume in James Shapiro's historical / literary amalgam, each book focusing on a single year and setting Shakespeare's output in the context of contemporary events. In the case of "1606", the ramifications of the Gunpowder plot (Shakespeare was really close to the action - but … Continue reading “1606: Shakespeare and the Year of Lear”
“Feral”
Most of Kate Potts' "Feral" isn't really poetry. Normally that's a big red flag for me, but I have to confess, not this time. I really liked "Feral". There was something about the tone, the images, the quality of it - even if it wasn't 'poetry' - that was undeniably pleasing. I told myself that … Continue reading “Feral”
“Milkman”
What. A. Slog. I can't recall when it last took me as long to read a book as it has Ana Burns' Booker winner "Milkman". Be warned, it is not an 'easy' book. I picked it up and put it down far too many times. Firstly, it's very dense. Virtually no reported speech, so page … Continue reading “Milkman”
‘The River’ – a short story
A long time ago, someone explained the difference between a salmon river and a trout river to him. Brown and swirly versus one that was black, quieter. He cannot remember, as he stands looking down at water as dark as ink and filled with menacing eddies, which is which. And then he wonders if it … Continue reading ‘The River’ – a short story
Ian Gouge - Writer 