I’ve been trying to arrange some babysitting because of a rash of parties that’s broken out all over my formerly pristine diary. I rang my friend Bannister, who has some prime teenagers, and got her answering machine. It spoke very…
Blog Archives
My favourite poem
Let me tell you a secret. I like being bossed about. By poets. Take this poem. BLUNT If we could love the blunt and not the point we would almost constantly have what we want. What is the blunt of…
Tagged with: former poet laureate, good poetry, kay ryan, literature, poet laureate of the united states, writing
Posted in Writing
Posted in Writing
The Empress’s New Clothes: A 7-piece capsule wordrobe anyone can own
It’s a great moment. Isn’t it a great moment? You know the moment I mean. The moment when the small boy points at the Emperor and says, ‘But mother, the Emperor isn’t wearing anything at all.’ Well, if you’ve ever…
How I lost my versinity. At the Oxford Literary Festival. And liked it
Yesterday was a great day for me. It was a first and a personal triumph. I stood up and read out a poem that I had written myself to about fifty strangers. No, I wasn’t arrested. I didn’t even faint,…
Tagged with: beatles songs, fellow poets, literature, personal triumph, textbook definition, writing
Posted in Writing
Posted in Writing
GUEST POST: Angella Scintilla Haloumni on 10 dos and don’ts for new bloggers
Angella Haloumni is one of the most original voices in cyberspace. She’s a good friend and longstanding hand-holder to me in my slow first steps into what is very much her world despite the fact that English is not her…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Writing Formal Verse (with apologies to Douglas Adams)
We didn’t mean to hitchhike. We’d planned to take the bus. But our Italian was so bad we didn’t find the bus stop until the bus had been and gone. We thought we’d take the train but by the time…
Creativity and hats: when E De Bono met JK Rowling
All creativity is merely judicious plagiarism. Voltaire The other half of last week’s seminar was run by James Steel, a five-time published novelist, who challenged us to define creativity. I think I muttered something about mind maps and others talked…
Tagged with: creativity, Dennis Hamley, James Steel, literature, writing
Posted in creativity, reading, Writing, writing novels
Posted in creativity, reading, Writing, writing novels
Dull and lifeless? How some Dutch verbal can help
We were on holiday and having a drink before supper in a hotel. My friend Amphora and I were discussing our hair. ‘I should have washed mine,’ I said. ‘Stop worrying,’ said Amphora, just as her partner Schmutter joined us.…
Tagged with: critiquing, feedback, friendship, hair, Holland, humour, reading, the Netherlands, writing
Posted in characters, feedback, friendship, life writing, literature, reading, Uncategorized, women, Writing, writing novels
Posted in characters, feedback, friendship, life writing, literature, reading, Uncategorized, women, Writing, writing novels
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