The Tuesday poem phenomena is expanding, and has gotten it's own blog.
The blog will act as a kind of hub, with a feature Tuesday poem, and links to the other Tuesday poets, who will continue publishing a Tuesday poem on their own blogs. Mary McCallum, who started it all, will be posting the first Tuesday poem on the blog this Tuesday. Other Tuesday poets will be taking a turn to be the editor every week.
To see what we're up to, or to get involved, visit the Tuesday Poem blog: http://tuesdaypoem.blogspot.com/.
12 April 2010
11 April 2010
NaPoWriMo, one week (and a bit) in
As I said last week, I was going to do NaPoWriMo this year. And just over a week in, apart from the very first day when I didn't, I've written at least one poem every day.
I was helped by beginning with Easter, where four days off gave me some time to get back into my head and do some writing. I've also been helped by the fact that I'm not doing it publicly, and so told myself I could write whatever crap I felt like, so long as it was a poem, and that it didn't have to be very long. And some of the poems have been rather short, and some of them probably pretty rubbish. But I've written them, every day.
So, I guess what I've been enjoying is the fluency, the feeling that I don't have to wait for inspiration to hit to write poetry, and the feeling of freedom that not requiring it to be deep or even good brings.
That said, while I haven't read over most of the poems yet, I'm feeling resistance to writing stuff that doesn't matter. I'm feeling that it's a bit of a waste of time - there's already a lot of poetry in the world, and the world doesn't need more unnecessary words. I have to say, this has been exacerbated a bit by the fact that I've started reading my way through the JAAM 28 poetry submissions. I don't mean this as a comment on the quality of the submissions - there are some absolute gems already - rather on the sheer volume.
So, it's an interesting tension. I'll keep going for the month, and I'll see at the end if I've gotten much salvageable out of, or if I've gotten something more abstract out of it. Or whether it's just distracting me from properly finishing Cinema (the next book).
I was helped by beginning with Easter, where four days off gave me some time to get back into my head and do some writing. I've also been helped by the fact that I'm not doing it publicly, and so told myself I could write whatever crap I felt like, so long as it was a poem, and that it didn't have to be very long. And some of the poems have been rather short, and some of them probably pretty rubbish. But I've written them, every day.
So, I guess what I've been enjoying is the fluency, the feeling that I don't have to wait for inspiration to hit to write poetry, and the feeling of freedom that not requiring it to be deep or even good brings.
That said, while I haven't read over most of the poems yet, I'm feeling resistance to writing stuff that doesn't matter. I'm feeling that it's a bit of a waste of time - there's already a lot of poetry in the world, and the world doesn't need more unnecessary words. I have to say, this has been exacerbated a bit by the fact that I've started reading my way through the JAAM 28 poetry submissions. I don't mean this as a comment on the quality of the submissions - there are some absolute gems already - rather on the sheer volume.
So, it's an interesting tension. I'll keep going for the month, and I'll see at the end if I've gotten much salvageable out of, or if I've gotten something more abstract out of it. Or whether it's just distracting me from properly finishing Cinema (the next book).
08 April 2010
Best New Zealand Poems 2009
Well, no poems from my two 2009 Seraph Press publications (Watching for Smoke and Ithaca Island Bay Leaves) were included in Best New Zealand Poems 2009, though I think they totally deserved to be (well, I would wouldn't I?).
Seraph Press and Watching for Smoke did get a wee mention in 2009 editor Robyn Marsack's introduction though, when she talks about chapbook publishers:
JAAM also gets a mention in the intro:
Seraph Press and Watching for Smoke did get a wee mention in 2009 editor Robyn Marsack's introduction though, when she talks about chapbook publishers:
I was glad to see some very beautifully designed and printed publications: from Neoismist Press, from Seraph Press – one with its string and knitting needle (fortunately not impounded at the Post Office), from Gumtree Press and Fernbank Studio/Wellington Plains.I was pleased that she did include a couple of poems from from JAAM 27 (edited by Ingrid Horrocks): ‘North’ by Sarah Broom and ‘A Hassidic story might start . . .‘ by Lynn Jenner.
JAAM also gets a mention in the intro:
Poets shouldn’t take for granted the handsome New Zealand periodicals – such publications are few and far between here in the north. Landfall, Sport and JAAM suggest a very confident literary culture, and they’re the tip of it – Takahe, Bravado, the online issues such as 4th Floor and Turbine, all create a sense that poets have plenty of ways of getting poems out to readers.Huh, does that make us the institution?
06 April 2010
Tuesday poem: Chris's life as directed by Ken Russell
Chris’s life, as directed by Ken Russell
Ever since Ken Russell started directing my life
it’s been one explosion after another
And one morning I woke
to find an anteater on my chest
tearing at my throat
‘That’s the anteater of self doubt’
explained Ken, who was standing
beside my wardrobe
just out of shot
(Poem previously published in Sport.)
The Tuesday poem thing really took of last week, with 12 poets joining in. This week there may be even more. Visit O Audacious Book (www.mary-mccallum.blogspot.com) for a list of Tuesday poems. I'll probably add some links later, when I get home from work.
Tuesday poets:
Mary McCallum
Janice Freegard
claire beynon
harvey molloy
helen heath (new)
tim jones
cilla mcqueen - nz poet laureate - who posts monday, wednesday, friday
fifi colston
ilikesweating (new)
paradoxical cat
Vespersparrow
kay mckenzie cooke
penelope todd
Ever since Ken Russell started directing my life
it’s been one explosion after another
And one morning I woke
to find an anteater on my chest
tearing at my throat
‘That’s the anteater of self doubt’
explained Ken, who was standing
beside my wardrobe
just out of shot
(Poem previously published in Sport.)
The Tuesday poem thing really took of last week, with 12 poets joining in. This week there may be even more. Visit O Audacious Book (www.mary-mccallum.blogspot.com) for a list of Tuesday poems. I'll probably add some links later, when I get home from work.
Tuesday poets:
Mary McCallum
Janice Freegard
claire beynon
harvey molloy
helen heath (new)
tim jones
cilla mcqueen - nz poet laureate - who posts monday, wednesday, friday
fifi colston
ilikesweating (new)
paradoxical cat
Vespersparrow
kay mckenzie cooke
penelope todd
02 April 2010
NaPoWriMo – can I do it?
I didn’t think that NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month), where you’re supposed to write a poem a day for all of April, was something I’d ever do. I don’t usually like to write on demand, I hate being told what to do, and I tend to have an itchy reaction to rules.
But, it’s been a pretty slow poetry-writing year, and when Emma said she was planning to do it, I had a sudden feeling that that might be just what I needed to give me a bit more of a poetry-writing kick. Knowing my issues with rules, and with an eye to practicality, I know it’s likely that I won’t write a poem every day, and I’ve accepted that most of the ones I write might well be crap, but if I’m thinking about poetry every day, and trying to write something, that can only be good.
In fact, I’ve already broken the rules. April, and NaPoWriMo, began yesterday and I didn’t even think to write a poem. In my defence, it was the end of a busy week, the JAAM deadline was the day before, and I wasn’t feeling very well. But to make up for it, today I’ve written three poems. Or rather three poem-like things. Unlike many other NaPoWriMo participaters, I will not be publishing my fresh new poems on my blog – I’m generally not much of a poem sharer until I’m pretty happy with something, and it usually takes me quite a bit of time before I know whether I’m happy with it or not.
Of course, April is kind of a stupid month for me to be doing this because, as I mentioned earlier, the deadline for JAAM 28 has just passed, which means that Clare and I are going to spend the next wee while elbow deep in submissions for our DanceDanceDance issue. Though, on the plus side, I find that reading other people’s poetry tends to get me into a poetry space, and can send me spinning off into quite random poetry directions. So, am I planning to parasitically use to your submissions to inspire me to write my own poems? Yes, yes I am.
But, it’s been a pretty slow poetry-writing year, and when Emma said she was planning to do it, I had a sudden feeling that that might be just what I needed to give me a bit more of a poetry-writing kick. Knowing my issues with rules, and with an eye to practicality, I know it’s likely that I won’t write a poem every day, and I’ve accepted that most of the ones I write might well be crap, but if I’m thinking about poetry every day, and trying to write something, that can only be good.
In fact, I’ve already broken the rules. April, and NaPoWriMo, began yesterday and I didn’t even think to write a poem. In my defence, it was the end of a busy week, the JAAM deadline was the day before, and I wasn’t feeling very well. But to make up for it, today I’ve written three poems. Or rather three poem-like things. Unlike many other NaPoWriMo participaters, I will not be publishing my fresh new poems on my blog – I’m generally not much of a poem sharer until I’m pretty happy with something, and it usually takes me quite a bit of time before I know whether I’m happy with it or not.
Of course, April is kind of a stupid month for me to be doing this because, as I mentioned earlier, the deadline for JAAM 28 has just passed, which means that Clare and I are going to spend the next wee while elbow deep in submissions for our DanceDanceDance issue. Though, on the plus side, I find that reading other people’s poetry tends to get me into a poetry space, and can send me spinning off into quite random poetry directions. So, am I planning to parasitically use to your submissions to inspire me to write my own poems? Yes, yes I am.
31 March 2010
Last minute reminder: deadline for JAAM 28 DanceDanceDance is today
So I should really have reminded everyone a couple of weeks ago. Sorry. If you haven't submitted and you want to, then you'd better get moving. Call for submissions is here: http://jaam.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/call-for-submissions-for-jaam-28-dancedancedance/.
We already have an exciting, but somewhat daunting, number of submissions - there's about 160 emails in the JAAM 28 submissions mailbox (many with multiple submissions), plus the snail mail (which is much less popular these days). I'm going to be selecting the poetry, Clare the fictional prose, and we'll collaborate on the non-fiction. I've got an exciting and busy time ahead of me. Wish me luck!
We already have an exciting, but somewhat daunting, number of submissions - there's about 160 emails in the JAAM 28 submissions mailbox (many with multiple submissions), plus the snail mail (which is much less popular these days). I'm going to be selecting the poetry, Clare the fictional prose, and we'll collaborate on the non-fiction. I've got an exciting and busy time ahead of me. Wish me luck!
30 March 2010
Tuesday poem: 'When the lights go down'
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted. I’d like to say that I’ve been doing lots of poetry writing instead, but that’d be a lie. I have been writing a little, but I’ve been thinking a lot.
Anyway, what has dragged me out of temporary blog retirement is Mary McCallum’s new Tuesday Poem thing – movement perhaps, or maybe I’m being a little optimistic.
Basically, Mary has started posting a poem on Tuesdays – one of her own or one of someone else’s, and has invited other poetry/writing bloggers to join her. Other Tuesday poemers are: Tim Jones, the Paradoxical Cat, Harvey Molloy and possibly Fifi Colston.
To begin with, I’m posting one of my own, but most likely I’ll be more often posting out-of-copyright poems by other people.
Anyway, so this Tuesday’s poem is one of my cinema poems. It has previously been published in Sport 37.
When the lights go down
One
I can’t be sure, but I think
it was my first time
in the dark, while the white snow beasts yowled
my mother at my side
Possibly I fell asleep
It was for my brothers really
I think my mother wore her white coat
Two
It seemed unlikely that it was my first day of school
but this was later confirmed by reliable sources
There were lions and elephants
and someone rolled jaffas down the aisle
I guess it must have been educational
Three
My first time alone, I was already twenty-two
I went in the afternoon
It was disappointing –
a lust-piece for the beauty of youth and Tuscany
very nearly put me off Jeremy Irons forever
Four
The longest was a three-at-once
or rather, one after the other
Water, Snow, Blood
My intermission burger was mundane
When I came out, it was raining
and already twilight
Anyway, what has dragged me out of temporary blog retirement is Mary McCallum’s new Tuesday Poem thing – movement perhaps, or maybe I’m being a little optimistic.
Basically, Mary has started posting a poem on Tuesdays – one of her own or one of someone else’s, and has invited other poetry/writing bloggers to join her. Other Tuesday poemers are: Tim Jones, the Paradoxical Cat, Harvey Molloy and possibly Fifi Colston.
To begin with, I’m posting one of my own, but most likely I’ll be more often posting out-of-copyright poems by other people.
Anyway, so this Tuesday’s poem is one of my cinema poems. It has previously been published in Sport 37.
When the lights go down
One
I can’t be sure, but I think
it was my first time
in the dark, while the white snow beasts yowled
my mother at my side
Possibly I fell asleep
It was for my brothers really
I think my mother wore her white coat
Two
It seemed unlikely that it was my first day of school
but this was later confirmed by reliable sources
There were lions and elephants
and someone rolled jaffas down the aisle
I guess it must have been educational
Three
My first time alone, I was already twenty-two
I went in the afternoon
It was disappointing –
a lust-piece for the beauty of youth and Tuscany
very nearly put me off Jeremy Irons forever
Four
The longest was a three-at-once
or rather, one after the other
Water, Snow, Blood
My intermission burger was mundane
When I came out, it was raining
and already twilight
23 February 2010
Poetryish stuff to do: Haimona by Mike Eager at the Wellington Fringe Festival
I've seen Mike Eager perform some of this poetry before, and it's well worth seeing.Here's all the info:
Rush Hour Productions Presents
Haimona
Featuring the poetry of Simon Williamson
Arranged and performed by Mike Eager
3-7 March, 8.00pm
Katipo Café, 76 Willis St, Wellington
Bookings: 021 064 5893 (text or call) Cost: $15/12/11
www.fringe.org.nz
"Every poet is a bit like Maui; part myth, part reality"
So begins Haimona, a fringe festival show of rich language and imagery performed by Mike Eager telling the story of his friend Simon Williamson using Simon's own poetry.
Simon died in 1999 at the age of thirty-one. He was well known in the New Zealand underground poetry scene and was regularly published in publications such as Takahe and Jaam, but greater recognition has come posthumously with two published books displaying the range of his poetic vision (Storyteller and Twenty-five Cars).
Mike has arranged and linked a sequence of Simon’s moving poems to form a narrative - taking the audience on a journey from Simon's childhood in the Waikato into the tumultuous experience of mental illness, which included a short stay in Purehurehu, a locked ward at Porirua Hospital. From there a road trip to the serenity of the Hokianga and a return to Wellington's Lyall Bay resulting in a recovery of self and belief in his artistic mission.
A copy of Simon Williamson's book Twenty-five Cars - which includes the poetic sequence Haimona as well as Miss you, bro, a powerful sequence against suicide - will be a bonus with each ticket that is purchased.
Poetryish stuff to do: Poetry Brothel
Side Stream, a poetry zine from the north (north of me anyway), is organising a rather creative event to raise some money to keep the going. If you're in Auckland, it sounds worth checking out, if you're game...
Poetry Brothel you can enjoy an intimate evening with poets of your choice - all good clean fun I'm sure! For more information check out: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=175368106754
Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 9:00pm
Forde's Front Bench
122 Anzac Avenue
Auckland
Poetry Brothel you can enjoy an intimate evening with poets of your choice - all good clean fun I'm sure! For more information check out: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=175368106754
Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 9:00pm
Forde's Front Bench
122 Anzac Avenue
Auckland
20 February 2010
Ithaca reviewed
It's been a gorgeously sunny day today. And it's been a fine Saturday for Ithaca Island Bay Leaves by Vana Manasiadis too - not just one review, but two!
It's only thanks to Ms Art and My Life that I know about the review in the Otago Daily Times. Poetry-reviewing stalwart Hamesh Wyatt seems to like Ithaca, but doesn't seem to be entirely up his alley. He's impressed (or intimidated?) with its intelligence, but doesn't seem to have found the thread that carries through it and instead finds it a bit random. Nevertheless, he says 'This is clever stuff that takes the reader in unexpected directions', 'Manasiadis knows how to craft a poem', and wonders 'where she will take us next.' You can read it yourself here: http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/94309/review-special-poetry?page=0%2C1
I'm smiling a particularly proud publisher smile about the review in the New Zealand Herald by Paula Green - a poet who I have a lot of respect for. And none of the books I've published have been reviewed in the Herald before! And, best of all, she really likes it.
She says that it is 'a treat', and that the bringing together of Greek mythology and everyday Wellington 'feels authentic rather than literary trickery'. She continues: 'I lingered on each page to absorb the deliciously fresh lines and the nimble sound effects, then I gravitated to the chorus of voices.' And concludes: 'This elegantly produced book, with a stunning Marian Maguire print on the cover, is a little gem.' Yay!
Postscript, the Herald review is now online.
It's only thanks to Ms Art and My Life that I know about the review in the Otago Daily Times. Poetry-reviewing stalwart Hamesh Wyatt seems to like Ithaca, but doesn't seem to be entirely up his alley. He's impressed (or intimidated?) with its intelligence, but doesn't seem to have found the thread that carries through it and instead finds it a bit random. Nevertheless, he says 'This is clever stuff that takes the reader in unexpected directions', 'Manasiadis knows how to craft a poem', and wonders 'where she will take us next.' You can read it yourself here: http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/94309/review-special-poetry?page=0%2C1
I'm smiling a particularly proud publisher smile about the review in the New Zealand Herald by Paula Green - a poet who I have a lot of respect for. And none of the books I've published have been reviewed in the Herald before! And, best of all, she really likes it.
She says that it is 'a treat', and that the bringing together of Greek mythology and everyday Wellington 'feels authentic rather than literary trickery'. She continues: 'I lingered on each page to absorb the deliciously fresh lines and the nimble sound effects, then I gravitated to the chorus of voices.' And concludes: 'This elegantly produced book, with a stunning Marian Maguire print on the cover, is a little gem.' Yay!
Postscript, the Herald review is now online.
13 February 2010
Poetryish stuff to do: Poetry Cafe at the Ballroom Cafe
A new Poetry Cafe is starting up next Sunday at the Ballroom Cafe in Newtown. I believe it's being run by Neil Furby, who previously ran the Poetry Cafe in Porirua, and L E Scott, our local jazz poet. I'm really pleased to see another regular poetry event in Wellington - I think all we had left was the Poetry Society after the sad demise of Aunt Daisy's in Titahi Bay.
Anyway, the details:
Sunday 21 Feb (and the third Sunday of the month thereafter)
4 pm onwards
Ballroom Cafe, upstairs, corner of Adelaide Road and Riddiford Street, Newtown.
Anyway, the details:
Sunday 21 Feb (and the third Sunday of the month thereafter)
4 pm onwards
Ballroom Cafe, upstairs, corner of Adelaide Road and Riddiford Street, Newtown.
Poetryish stuff to do: John Ansell at the Poetry Society
This Monday the Poetry Society kicks off for the year with John Ansell, poet and 'funny man', as the guest reader. It will start off with an open mic.
Mon 15 Feb 10, 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Thistle Inn, 3 Mulgrave St, Thorndon, Wellington
$2 at the door
Mon 15 Feb 10, 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Thistle Inn, 3 Mulgrave St, Thorndon, Wellington
$2 at the door
02 February 2010
Vana on the radio
It was a proud day in my life as a publisher to get Vana on the radio to talk about Ithaca Island Bay Leaves. Lynn Freeman interviewed Vana on her Arts on Sunday programme, which played last Sunday - you can listen to her here: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/art/2010/01/31/poetry_-_vana_manasiadis.Yay Vana - you did an excellent job.
I have been rather neglectful of this blog of late, and in fact I haven't managed much writing of my own either. But I have some blog posts planned, and I wrote some kind of poem this evening, so hopefully I'm on the up and up.
21 January 2010
Ithaca in the media, or, thank god I'm not such a bad publicist as I feared
I certainly wouldn't claim to be a good publicist, that would be going too far, but I'm delighted that more people will find out about Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: a Mythistorima by Vana Manasiadis because of my efforts.
My first triumph is that one of the poems from Ithaca - Son of Chaos - is the Thursday poem in the Dominion Post. You'll find it in the little tabloid-size arts section. It's at the bottom of the page, and a little squashed, and they got the title a teeny bit wrong, but I'm delighted nevertheless.
The second exciting thing to happen this week is that Vana is going to be interviewed about her book by Lynn Freeman for the Arts on Sunday programme on Radio New Zealand. It's going to play on 31 Jan. I'll be sure to post a link to it when it's up on their website.
You can read my media release about Ithaca here on The Big Idea website: http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/connect/media-releases/2010/jan/64810-greek-myths-walk-into-wellington-poetry, and I've sent it to various media. Now I shall await the hordes of journalists...
My first triumph is that one of the poems from Ithaca - Son of Chaos - is the Thursday poem in the Dominion Post. You'll find it in the little tabloid-size arts section. It's at the bottom of the page, and a little squashed, and they got the title a teeny bit wrong, but I'm delighted nevertheless.
The second exciting thing to happen this week is that Vana is going to be interviewed about her book by Lynn Freeman for the Arts on Sunday programme on Radio New Zealand. It's going to play on 31 Jan. I'll be sure to post a link to it when it's up on their website.
You can read my media release about Ithaca here on The Big Idea website: http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/connect/media-releases/2010/jan/64810-greek-myths-walk-into-wellington-poetry, and I've sent it to various media. Now I shall await the hordes of journalists...
03 January 2010
Happy new year, and Turbine
Happy new year! For me so far it has been a pretty subdued one. I hope the rest of the year won't be though. I'm hoping for a year of growth and action.
Turbine online literary magazine was published late last year, and includes work by several people of importance to me. I haven't read through all of it yet, but want to point out in particular new work by Vana Manasiadis, whose first collection I just published (Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: a Mythistorima). As well as her two poems 'Was it Only a Scratch' (which is particularly exquisitely beautiful) and 'Essay', there are sound files of her reading them - and she reads very well.
Helen Heath, whose debut chapbook, Watching for Smoke, I published in October, has five poems from a longer series (Nostos – Ithaka) included, and also fascinating excerpts from her reading journal.
And among many other notable contributors I'm pleased to see new work from Emma Barnes, 'Landslide' and 'Last Year'.
Turbine online literary magazine was published late last year, and includes work by several people of importance to me. I haven't read through all of it yet, but want to point out in particular new work by Vana Manasiadis, whose first collection I just published (Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: a Mythistorima). As well as her two poems 'Was it Only a Scratch' (which is particularly exquisitely beautiful) and 'Essay', there are sound files of her reading them - and she reads very well.
Helen Heath, whose debut chapbook, Watching for Smoke, I published in October, has five poems from a longer series (Nostos – Ithaka) included, and also fascinating excerpts from her reading journal.
And among many other notable contributors I'm pleased to see new work from Emma Barnes, 'Landslide' and 'Last Year'.
30 December 2009
Artemisia Gentileschi
When I did my reading at the Poetry Society in October, the last poem I read was 'Artemisia Gentileschi'. It's a long poem, and each section refers to a painting of hers - in describing it, she's kind of telling the story of her life. When I wrote it I hoped that the reader would be able to imagine the paintings in their mind from what I described - at least enough for the poem to work. And I think people can, but the twice I've performed this with slides of the paintings projected behind me, I've got a really good reaction.
Recently I got an email from an English lecturer from Vienna who is going to be teaching a course about fictional biographies. She'd come across a mention of 'Artemisia Gentileschi' and wanted to know where she could get her hands on it. That course seemed right up my poetic alley, so I sent her my book. Students in Vienna might be studying my work!
Both of these things had led me to think that it might be helpful to link the paintings with the poem. Rather than breaching anyone's copyright by including the images on this blog, I'm going to link the titles of sections to the painting it refers to. Hopefully it will add a new element to the poem. (Links should open in a new tab or window.)
Artemisia Gentileschi, 1593–circa 1642
Woman Playing a Lute, circa 1610
She seems naïve to me now
holding the lute
across her body
as she looks
towards the sky
My father taught
me to paint
‘You are very precocious’
he said, ‘for a girl’
but he thought some extra
tuition in technique
would be beneficial
And Tassi certainly taught me
I learned my lesson well
Susanna and the Elders, 1610
Susanna is a serpentine S
as she twists away
from the gaze
from the faces of the
lechers, one old
one younger
They taunt her, they
whisper as they refuse
to share the paints, as they
leave her only the worst brushes
‘Hey girl,’ they say, ‘I’d like
to get a lick of you’
‘She can’t be a virgin
just look at that mouth’
The other men, the judges
heard evidence that
indeed I was a virgin
until, by force
and I swore to it as they tightened
the thumbscrews
Tassi was out of jail
by the next time it rained
Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1612–1613
Your eye is drawn
to the place where their arms
all meet
Holofernes, the tyrant
lies back, tangled
in the sheet while
Judith, with calm
precision, slices off
his head
Abra, her maid, has the trace
of a smile
as she holds him down
The blood on the bedclothes
is the same colour
as Abra’s dress
You may note
that Holofernes
bears a striking resemblance
to Tassi
Judith and Her Maidservant, circa 1613–1614
Judith and Abra
have done their deed
and changed their clothes
Tassi’s head
is in a basket, his blood leaks
between the weaving – a detail
of which I am especially proud
Judith and Abra
are escaping
the enemy camp, but
hearing a sound
they look back, out of the painting
to the right
The sword is flung
casually over my shoulder
They will escape
unharmed
Jael and Sisera, 1620
Jael was a heroine
of the Israelites
a woman of action
She isn’t afraid
of getting her hands dirty
getting a bit of blood
on her saffron dress
Sisera appears to be asleep
almost curled
on her lap, his head resting
on his arm
Jael’s hammer almost
disappears at the top
of the canvas, her arm stretched up
and the tent peg resting
below his right ear
The pounding is about to begin
Judith Beheading Holofernes, circa 1620
There is more force
this time
and the blood spurts
like a fountain, staining
the sheets
I admit
I still have some issues
Lucretia, circa 1621
Lucretia was a woman of honour
a virtuous wife
who couldn’t bear the shame
She kneels on the bed
her knee and shoulder
catching the light
She looks skyward, like
the lute player, but she contemplates
not God but her dagger, glinting
in the shadows, that she holds
in her left hand
She grasps her tempting breast
and imagines plunging
the knife through and into
her heart, over and over
again and again
until she is split
with the pain, she’ll kick
and bite and bloody
the bedclothes, cry
for it to stop stop
stop and then
in the next moment she will not
as the story would have you believe
make herself a victim
again – instead she will throw down the blade
draw her petticoat closed
put on her dress
and go back
to her studio
Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, 1630
My shoulder
in my favourite green gown
protrudes from the picture plane
towards you
I am paused, caught
in the act of painting
I am both artist and model
both creator and muse
a perfect synthesis
Igegno – a genius light
strikes my forehead
My painterly arm
is strong
Recently I got an email from an English lecturer from Vienna who is going to be teaching a course about fictional biographies. She'd come across a mention of 'Artemisia Gentileschi' and wanted to know where she could get her hands on it. That course seemed right up my poetic alley, so I sent her my book. Students in Vienna might be studying my work!
Both of these things had led me to think that it might be helpful to link the paintings with the poem. Rather than breaching anyone's copyright by including the images on this blog, I'm going to link the titles of sections to the painting it refers to. Hopefully it will add a new element to the poem. (Links should open in a new tab or window.)
Artemisia Gentileschi, 1593–circa 1642
Woman Playing a Lute, circa 1610
She seems naïve to me now
holding the lute
across her body
as she looks
towards the sky
My father taught
me to paint
‘You are very precocious’
he said, ‘for a girl’
but he thought some extra
tuition in technique
would be beneficial
And Tassi certainly taught me
I learned my lesson well
Susanna and the Elders, 1610
Susanna is a serpentine S
as she twists away
from the gaze
from the faces of the
lechers, one old
one younger
They taunt her, they
whisper as they refuse
to share the paints, as they
leave her only the worst brushes
‘Hey girl,’ they say, ‘I’d like
to get a lick of you’
‘She can’t be a virgin
just look at that mouth’
The other men, the judges
heard evidence that
indeed I was a virgin
until, by force
and I swore to it as they tightened
the thumbscrews
Tassi was out of jail
by the next time it rained
Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1612–1613
Your eye is drawn
to the place where their arms
all meet
Holofernes, the tyrant
lies back, tangled
in the sheet while
Judith, with calm
precision, slices off
his head
Abra, her maid, has the trace
of a smile
as she holds him down
The blood on the bedclothes
is the same colour
as Abra’s dress
You may note
that Holofernes
bears a striking resemblance
to Tassi
Judith and Her Maidservant, circa 1613–1614
Judith and Abra
have done their deed
and changed their clothes
Tassi’s head
is in a basket, his blood leaks
between the weaving – a detail
of which I am especially proud
Judith and Abra
are escaping
the enemy camp, but
hearing a sound
they look back, out of the painting
to the right
The sword is flung
casually over my shoulder
They will escape
unharmed
Jael and Sisera, 1620
Jael was a heroine
of the Israelites
a woman of action
She isn’t afraid
of getting her hands dirty
getting a bit of blood
on her saffron dress
Sisera appears to be asleep
almost curled
on her lap, his head resting
on his arm
Jael’s hammer almost
disappears at the top
of the canvas, her arm stretched up
and the tent peg resting
below his right ear
The pounding is about to begin
Judith Beheading Holofernes, circa 1620
There is more force
this time
and the blood spurts
like a fountain, staining
the sheets
I admit
I still have some issues
Lucretia, circa 1621
Lucretia was a woman of honour
a virtuous wife
who couldn’t bear the shame
She kneels on the bed
her knee and shoulder
catching the light
She looks skyward, like
the lute player, but she contemplates
not God but her dagger, glinting
in the shadows, that she holds
in her left hand
She grasps her tempting breast
and imagines plunging
the knife through and into
her heart, over and over
again and again
until she is split
with the pain, she’ll kick
and bite and bloody
the bedclothes, cry
for it to stop stop
stop and then
in the next moment she will not
as the story would have you believe
make herself a victim
again – instead she will throw down the blade
draw her petticoat closed
put on her dress
and go back
to her studio
Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, 1630
My shoulder
in my favourite green gown
protrudes from the picture plane
towards you
I am paused, caught
in the act of painting
I am both artist and model
both creator and muse
a perfect synthesis
Igegno – a genius light
strikes my forehead
My painterly arm
is strong
29 December 2009
End of the year
And, in fact, the end of the decade. This probably comes as no surprise to you, but it keeps on surprising me. How did this decade go so fast? It was the fastest decade ever. Crazy! I guess I've done some stuff and all, but surely not a decade's worth.
At the end of every year (and around my birthday, and around pretty much any other opportunity) I reflect on stuff that I've done, and stuff that I want to do, especially related to writing. This is generally a little bit depressing (is that all I've done?) but also hopeful as I think about what I'm planning to do. And now I have to start doing it, or perhaps not until Friday.
My major writing goal for the year is finish Cinema, and also to submit more poems to journals (only one submission in the last six months? Feeble!).
What are yours?
At the end of every year (and around my birthday, and around pretty much any other opportunity) I reflect on stuff that I've done, and stuff that I want to do, especially related to writing. This is generally a little bit depressing (is that all I've done?) but also hopeful as I think about what I'm planning to do. And now I have to start doing it, or perhaps not until Friday.
My major writing goal for the year is finish Cinema, and also to submit more poems to journals (only one submission in the last six months? Feeble!).
What are yours?
13 December 2009
Coming back to myself
(Weirdly, after writing the first draft of this, I found I’d written a very similar post around this time last year – perhaps its part of my annual cycle - though it does make me think that I haven't learned anything.)
For most of this year a lot of my non-day-job work has been publishing stuff – I’ve been wearing my publisher hat with JAAM magazine, and as Seraph Press I’ve published a record two books this year – Watching for Smoke by Helen Heath, and Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: A Mythistorima, by Vana Manasiadis. (I’ve previously averaged about one book every year-and-a-half.) And it isn’t that my publishing responsibilities are over – there’s still my attempts at publicity and distribution for those aforementioned publications, and the next issue of JAAM to prepare for, but ever since I signed off the print proofs for Ithaca I started feeling like it was time to take a look at my own writing again, and, even, that I had a little bit of spare time in which I could do that. Since then I’ve written a few things – mostly poems and mostly fairly mediocre, but that’s ok. I think what what to do now is take stock of where I’m at, and what I have.
One of my goals for this year was to have finished a draft of Cinema – my movie-inspired poems that I hope will become my next collection. I’m pretty sure I haven’t done that – I think I probably have enough-ish poems, but not enough poems that are good enough, and that work together to do what I want them to do. What I want them to do is work individually and together to create something of meaning.
When I started on this project I was kind of steering clear of the personal in my poetry. I’ve been reluctant to write too much about myself, because it feels self-indulgent. I guess that probably comes from having written so many dreadful teen-angst poems about how I felt (usually misunderstood, disappointed, unappreciated and frequently infatuated). But lately, considering what I really love in other people’s poetry (and even some of my own) is when they manage to turn personal stories or details into something bigger than themselves. I’ve appreciated that in both the books I’ve just published. The personal can give you, the reader, something to connect to (though it can also alienate you, of course, if it doesn’t work for you). I think that connection is maybe what I want a bit more of in Cinema.
Something I didn’t expect to do this year was write a long poem sequence about a (literal and kind of psychological) journey. But I did. In one day. One of my next tasks is to revise that and then kick it out for a reader or two to have a read of it, and then see what is to be done with it.
Another thing I need to do is send out some more submissions to literary journals – it’s been a while.
And I think it’s time to restart my ‘weekly’ writing reports to Clare (my last one was in August – I think they were mostly sort of bi-monthly before that). I find they help me keep track of what I’m up to and keep me motivated.
So, yeah, I’m back on the wagon.
For most of this year a lot of my non-day-job work has been publishing stuff – I’ve been wearing my publisher hat with JAAM magazine, and as Seraph Press I’ve published a record two books this year – Watching for Smoke by Helen Heath, and Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: A Mythistorima, by Vana Manasiadis. (I’ve previously averaged about one book every year-and-a-half.) And it isn’t that my publishing responsibilities are over – there’s still my attempts at publicity and distribution for those aforementioned publications, and the next issue of JAAM to prepare for, but ever since I signed off the print proofs for Ithaca I started feeling like it was time to take a look at my own writing again, and, even, that I had a little bit of spare time in which I could do that. Since then I’ve written a few things – mostly poems and mostly fairly mediocre, but that’s ok. I think what what to do now is take stock of where I’m at, and what I have.
One of my goals for this year was to have finished a draft of Cinema – my movie-inspired poems that I hope will become my next collection. I’m pretty sure I haven’t done that – I think I probably have enough-ish poems, but not enough poems that are good enough, and that work together to do what I want them to do. What I want them to do is work individually and together to create something of meaning.
When I started on this project I was kind of steering clear of the personal in my poetry. I’ve been reluctant to write too much about myself, because it feels self-indulgent. I guess that probably comes from having written so many dreadful teen-angst poems about how I felt (usually misunderstood, disappointed, unappreciated and frequently infatuated). But lately, considering what I really love in other people’s poetry (and even some of my own) is when they manage to turn personal stories or details into something bigger than themselves. I’ve appreciated that in both the books I’ve just published. The personal can give you, the reader, something to connect to (though it can also alienate you, of course, if it doesn’t work for you). I think that connection is maybe what I want a bit more of in Cinema.
Something I didn’t expect to do this year was write a long poem sequence about a (literal and kind of psychological) journey. But I did. In one day. One of my next tasks is to revise that and then kick it out for a reader or two to have a read of it, and then see what is to be done with it.
Another thing I need to do is send out some more submissions to literary journals – it’s been a while.
And I think it’s time to restart my ‘weekly’ writing reports to Clare (my last one was in August – I think they were mostly sort of bi-monthly before that). I find they help me keep track of what I’m up to and keep me motivated.
So, yeah, I’m back on the wagon.
12 December 2009
Places to buy Ithaca
Excitingly, you can now buy Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: A Mythistorima by Vana Manasiadis not only from me, and from the wonderful Unity Books in Wellington, but also from the PaperGraphica website. PaperGraphica is the gallery that represents Marian Maguire, who is the artist whose work features on the front cover of the book, and amongst whose artwork we launched Ithaca last week. Hopefully some people who are interested in Marian's art might be interested in Vana's book.It's particularly cool, because Vana is listed as one of the artists. The other cool thing is that because it's an e-commerce site, from this page about the book people can just click 'purchase, and buy it. I hope lots of people do!
Also, you could waltz in to your local bookshop and ask them to order it for you. They might want to know the ISBN, which is: 978-0-473-15235-2.
03 December 2009
Ithaca launched
The author arrived from Crete on Monday, the book arrived from the printers on Tuesday, and we launched Ithaca Island Bay Leaves: A Mythistorima by Vana Manasiadis on Wednesday - last night. It was great.The Adam Art Gallery was the perfect venue, as the launch took place among Greek vases and Greek-vase-inspired lithographs (by Marian Maguire, whose artwork, as I've said before, graces the cover of Ithaca).
Damien Wilkins, who was the course convener of Vana's masters in creative writing class, launched the book. He had been around during its genesis, and so it was appropriate he should send it out into the world. He'd read it in its earlier incarnation as Vana's masters portfolio, and said that, reading it again, it seemed to have gotten younger. I think I know what he means. While it was almost all there in that earlier form, the work Vana has done on it over the last few years have made each poem sharper, more of what it is.
Vana got lots of compliments on her poems, and I got lots of compliments for how beautiful the book looks, Marian (who was able to be at the launch, which was lovely) got lots of compliments about her artwork (both on the wall and on the book), and me and my mum got lots of compliments about the catering. Yay!
Thanks to all who came and celebrated with us, and thanks for buying so many books. I really hope this book finds the audience it deserves (a big one), and we've made a good start so far.
Copies of Ithaca are now available from Unity Books in Wellington (I dropped them off today), can be ordered through bookshops, or can be ordered directly through me (email me at seraphpress@paradise.net.nz).
Ok, it's been an exhausting week, and now it's time to go to bed...
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