under another sun

Up early and getting on with stuff. These include getting a brief for a new video, and working on this and writing other freelance stuff before zooming off to London to attend a Stanza Bonanza this evening. This is when two groups of poets from different areas read with each other at the Poetry Cafe. Tonight it was bards from Brighton versus poets from Kent and Sussex. I read lots of new stuff and generally felt carefree and Robin said it was the best she'd seen me read. All the Brighton folks did well, Robin was top, Susan Evans who is becoming a slick performer, Tony Gill who is innovative and funny, Andie Davidson whose poem about not being invited to her daughter's wedding was heartbreaking, and Marek Urbanowicz who is just a fine poet. Some excellent readers on the Kent side too, and I particularly enjoyed Jess Mookherjee's reading. A quick zoom to the pub afterwards with Robin, Tony and Robin Taylor who now organises the Brighton group. Trained home with a brace of ...

Leg continuing slowly to improve, and moved around in a more humanoid fashion. Also feeling positive and motivated. Up early, because Lorraine had to set off early on a long day. Sent off two lots of poetry manuscripts, and worked on the Centaur project. Also had a long and pleasant chat with The French Bloke and Max about arranging a visit. Have also been in touch with an illustrator in Brighton called Laura about work on an other project that's been hanging about for ages. Lorraine teaching governors this evening, and I went into town to a poetry reading at the Red Roaster cafe where Robin was reading. A really interesting night. Robin read better than I've ever seen her, and the other reader, a young Romanian woman Andreea Stan who also was an animator with extraordinary hair, who put on a interesting reading combining poetry, animation and hair. Robin did a couple from memory today, and this worked really well. Among friends tonight: Sarah Barnsley, Stephen Bone, Andie an...

Up with the sparrows applying Graceful Green coloured paint. Basically grey with suggestion of green. It does however look elegant, next to white. Grown up is what it is. Then broke off at lunchtime as Beth arrived with Gary in a van, full of her London stuff. This rapidly disgorged, and we'd congratulated each other, on Gary's marriage and our house purchase, Gary drove off and Beth's stuff on the floor in her room. Lorraine working from home this afternoon, so all was cheery, despite this  review of The Nightwork . I understand there are a couple of other reviews forthcoming which may be a bit more favourable. But I'd rather get an indifferent review than none at all. In a very good mood, to The Nelson where I read some of poems in the Stanza Bonanza meeting. A very cheery evening, with lots of good poetry read. I tried a new poem primarily written to be performed callled A poet walks into a bar , which went down quite well, as well as a couple of others from The ...

Made a great list of The Cloud of Things that Must Be Done this morning, and managed to work through them in a hard-nosed way. If every day were like this I would be dangerous. On reflection it may be because I was unplagued by cats. We'd left Beth's bedroom door open and they slept there together all afternoon. They increasingly tolerate one another. In the evening to a poetry workshop at the top of the Duke of Wellington, a pub that I always avoided near the Twitten. Bought a pint of soda and lime and went up the stairs to find Robin, Andie and three others around a long table in a poky little room. I felt as if I had intruded on a board meeting. It was an interesting session with lots of time devoted to each poem. Received useful feedback on an older poem of mine I have earmarked for  The Nightwork . Enjoyed this very much, although towards the end, I could barely string a sentence together. Walked back to the station with Andie talking about the symbolism of the Phoenix, ...

In practical mode organising a drains person to do some drain work, admin, returned spare keys to the Twitten, and dragged things around the house in a futile attempt to sort through the detritus from my loft, and the entire van load of stuff that we brought back from Kent. To the gym at lunchtime. The psychological and health bonus from being released from the stress of selling my house is vast. I felt springy and unburdened. A fast shop in Sainsbury's after work, home to eat fish and veggies, before Lorraine went off to sing, and I went to The Lord Nelson where the Brighton Stanza Poets Anthology 2013 was launched. Packed room, and ten readers. Chatted briefly with Antony and Robin Houghton, and Andie Davidson who had produced the book. Plus two pleasant women I think were called Angie and Gay who were fans of a performance poet called Sue, with a man who had just got married to a Cuban. I lost no time in telling them I had just got married too. I made off as the evening was ...