Poet, playwright, director and lover of words
Picture by Petr Kratochvil ©️ It has been more than a minute since visiting my blog. Life has a habit of getting in the way of writing, and activism, (Palestine and Gaza) has taken, (without regret) a larger slice of my time. However, after the winter solstice and as the turn of the year approaches,… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 29.12.24
Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic. - J. K. Rowling I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering. - Robert Frost I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. - Douglas Adams A sunny August Sunday afternoon, a perfect time to… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 18th August
For this weekend's corner, I looked for a poem about August, it is my birthday month after all. Sara Teasdale is a poet I am unfamiliar with, and I am glad to have found her and this poem. Poets.org describes Teasdale’s work as being characterized by its simplicity and clarity, her use of classical forms,… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 10th August
I have finished reading 'On Poetry' by Glyn Maxwell, published by Oberon books in 2012. It was a Foyles purchase made whilst waiting for my phone repair in Westfield Stratford, and well worth reading. Certainly Adam Newey at The Guardian thought so, as proudly inscribed on the front cover. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/13/on-poetry-glyn-maxwell-review First a little about the… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 4th August
One of my poetry inspirations is U.A. Fanthorpe. The link provides a comprehensive biography, critical perspective and bibliography. https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/u-a-fanthorpe#:~:text=A.%20Fanthorpe%20only%20published%20her%20first%20collection%20of,Cheltenham%20Ladies%20College%20%E2%80%93%20in%20order%20to%20write. The fact that U.A. Fanthorpe only published her first collection of poems, Side Effects (1978), when she was nearly fifty is inspiring. She confessed to being ‘a middle-aged drop-out’, having left teaching – she had been Head of… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 21st July
Here is a question, do artists have a duty to be activists? It is a huge question. Some might answer that their art is personal, a place of retreat in a busy life, a stressful world. It could be argued that maintaining an independent identity is a form of activism, rebellion in a society where… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 14th July
Today I attended a City Lit Masterclass at Keats House, run by the author Helen Cox. It was a wonderful day. Firstly the setting which even the intemperate weather couldn't diminish; and the pleasure of an afternoon of writing poetry, shared with students who were engaged, open and generous and led by a talented writer… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 7th July
This week, I would like to refer to a book that I borrowed from the Poetry Library in the Southbank Centre, (a wonderful place to visit). 'A Ritual on How to Read Together-poems in conversation with William Stafford'© is edited by Becca J.R. Lachman and published in 2013. William Stafford was a prodigious and celebrated… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 30th June
Every weekend, I will highlight a creative inspiration; poet, artist, piece of work. I believe that writing, and creative endeavours are a conversation. Sometimes we are whispering to our own hearts, and other times to others. So, when I read works by other writers, or view art, I am trying to hear the voice of… Continue reading Weekend Creative Corner 23rd June
Bonnie Braw Press 