A Candle, Guttered betrayed by this soft groove a fountainhead of hot time melted in darkness its bequest an uneven trail pale witness of lives traded for a compendium of importance or of trivia perhaps did we notice or were we overcome by such moments a testimony compiled from … Continue reading A Candle, Guttered
Category: Uncategorized
“Upstate”
James Wood's "Upstate" is my kind of book. Not just the kind of book I like to read, but the kind of book I'd like to write. In many ways it is the kind of book I do write. It's modest, undramatic (in terms of no false and phoney events and cliff-hangers); it's about people, … Continue reading “Upstate”
Grief
Grief there is a space where you used to be I see it on grey station platforms and in shuffling supermarket aisles strange how it is never occupied despite the throng I feel it during countryside walks my forlorn hand abandoned constantly surprised to find yours not there a voice … Continue reading Grief
“Surge”
Jay Bernard's collection "Surge" is rooted in the New Cross Fire of 1981; a birthday party that went tragically wrong, and where thirteen young black people lost their lives. Whilst "Surge" never strays too far from its source material, it avoids becoming a 'one trick pony', the same song sung time and again, and in … Continue reading “Surge”
Protest
Protest the banners were hand-made crafted from garage leftovers and worn out felt-tips or their kids’ ancient painting sets letters shadowed in highlighter orange for emphasis and fire colours running in the rain they stole chants from the terraces recycled repurposed they stole chants from the home … Continue reading Protest
“Everything Under”
"Everything Under" is a modern delight. Not always an easy read - both in terms of theme and style - it is one of those modern contemporary novels (like "Elmet" perhaps) that simply stands out as being really good. There are two things I particularly love about the book. The first is the way the … Continue reading “Everything Under”
What I think about when I’m running (with apologies to Haruki Murakami)…
Mostly I think about running. Having just started again some nine years - and one knee operation! - after I ran the London Marathon, the predominant current thought is "this used to be easier"! There was a time when I'd think nothing of a fourteen-mile training run, over two hours non-stop, at a pace these … Continue reading What I think about when I’m running (with apologies to Haruki Murakami)…
Something new, every time…
I'm now thirty thousand words in to my latest expedition in fiction. That's probably about a third of the way through, though I'm not sure yet. If my rough plan's about right, I should be done with the first draft around October. What I said in a recent post about that magic tipping point when, … Continue reading Something new, every time…
“The Salt Path”
It was too late when I realised that Raynor Winn's "The Salt Path" was autobiographical non-fiction. These days I rarely read non-fiction; the days of racking up books on sports, history, biography are something of a distant memory. "The Salt Path" being in my possession was, it seems, an example of me not reading the … Continue reading “The Salt Path”
What a wonderful review….
I have just found this 5-star review for "At Maunston Quay" on Amazon (UK): This is a beautiful book, slow-paced but deep, about some very believable people who come to Maunston Quay, an undistinguished seaside place, with its suggestion of 'mourning', and find the possibilities for hope and change. I really liked the way the … Continue reading What a wonderful review….
Ian Gouge - Writer 