"Writing until the light goes out" When I was a child I was always good with numbers. Top in maths at school, that kind of thing. Gradually, as a love of literature and writing took over, my interest in numbers’ purity began to wane. I believe I can date the start of that decline to … Continue reading The year in numbers…
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“The Four Books”
It is difficult to know whether Carlos Rojas' translation of Yan Lianke's The Four Books is as long as it is because of the size of the original text. Or maybe there's a tradition in Chinese literature which embraces repetition. Perhaps it's unavoidable. For my taste however, The Four Books is about 50% longer than … Continue reading “The Four Books”
“Agimat”
There is an awful lot to admire in Romalyn Ante's collection Agimat: some beautiful images, wonderful use of language, effective communication of emotion. She seems to treat all her subjects - even the difficult ones (and there are a few!) - with a kind of even-handed respect. And there is a haunting, lyrical quality about … Continue reading “Agimat”
Dismantling the wardrobe with a cucumber…
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“Even the Dogs”
I am a big fan of Jon McGregor's work, and even though it may take a little while to adapt to the style of Even the Dogs, the effort in doing so is rewarded. Even the Dogs offers a bleak insight into the world of drug addiction and poverty. McGregor pulls no punches here, yet … Continue reading “Even the Dogs”
“Writing to Gisella”
Writing to Gisella is one of three novellas included in my collection Losing Moby Dick. I have just published an extract from Writing to Gisella here. A second extract will be published next week.
“Signs, Music”
When unsure about a volume of poetry, I have now adopted the process of putting it aside for a while (1 or 2 months) and then go back to it. This is paying dividends, and Raymond Antrobus's Signs, Music is a case in point. Second time through I really liked it. The collection is full … Continue reading “Signs, Music”
November’s highlights…
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of links to recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" And a link to my new … Continue reading November’s highlights…
“Bluff”
The beginning of Danez Smith's "anti poetica" in Bluff starts "who cares how long i've spent with my poems" - and frankly, I don't. Many of these pieces are pure gimmickry; 'anti poetica' indeed. There is clearly a lot of rage and anger in Smith's work - and quite justifiably so - but when poets … Continue reading “Bluff”
“Baumgartner”
It strikes me that, were a creative writing tutor to use Paul Auster's Baumgartner as a sample text, they might tell you that it was a good example of how not to write a novel. The reasons? Firstly, masses of 'telling' rather than 'showing'; and secondly, enormously long sentences - sometimes half a page - … Continue reading “Baumgartner”
Ian Gouge - Writer 