under another sun

Up feeling fresh and working with Keith from early on. Early afternoon, and possibly the worst brief I have ever been taken. Full of irrelevant information and no clarity at all about what they were asking us to do. Cue assorted creatives from both side of the pond trying to make sense of it, asking questions that were not able to be answered. I had to leave early today, so missed a subsequent meeting with the poor CD attempting to re-explain it.  Late afternoon a months-planned meet up with Robin, Charlotte, Sarah and Stephen at the Open House.  I had just escaped from work and it took me a moment or two to tune out of that drivel. But having a beer and putting the world to right about life, managing (or otherwise) the pandemic, the good the bad and the ugly of poetry. Robin, Charlotte and Stephen already there when I arrived and we were soon joined by SJB fresh from the hairdresser and very proud of it. Sarah also has her first collection in the pipeline, which we toasted. I...

Gerald's funeral today. Toby and Mum went to it, and it passed off well apparently. I didn't go to it, but am full of mixed feelings about what was for me a failed relationship, and his death is taking up a lot of mental bandwidth for me. So off to work. Trying to think about money, but generally sunk in loom at the prospect. The week seems like an incredibly long time. Reading and enjoying my Julian Cope book a great deal fortunately, and it it taking me away back in time, and Cope's transparency and honesty about this car crash time of his life, is refreshing. Feeling really out of sorts at work. The chronic disorganisation of the place is maddening, and the lack of clarity does my head in. Also jobs that I would do in minutes are taking me ages. I'm not thinking clearly, which is a pain in the neck for Keith. Journey home aided by Cope's recollections of acid-crazed times. Very pleased to be home with Lorraine tonight. Had a chat with Mum and Toby, who told m...

There's only two Peter Kennys I decided to write to Peter Kenny. The famous, good looking Peter Kenny the actor I mean. I wasn't having a Fats Waller I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter moment. After doing yesterday's blog it occurred to me that when it comes to plays I ought to differentiate myself from Peter Kenny, because when it comes to things theatrical I am the Peter Kenny who ? of Peter Kennys. Later in the day, and slightly to my surprise I got a friendly and charming note from him. This raises the conundrum of what to call myself. Should I be Peter St John Kenny. St John being my unloved middle name. I am flirting with the idea of using a random initial such as Peter X Kenny. Or adopting a completely moniker altogether. I am seek advice and inspiration on this vital issue. Otherwise worked a little on the extra sketch (a glimpse into the homelife of Zombies). Lorraine came around this evening and we ate a moderate amount of brown pilau rice and ...

Economy sized Worked on a corpse dialogue which I have had for some time but never finished, as a companion sketch to Wrong . Then to the gym to waddle on the Hulk legs machine for another half an hour, envisioning a Peter Kenny that wasn't economy sized. Then home to rewrite a line for the doppelganger piece with Matt, then think through some marketing for This concert will fall in love with you , and have a discussion with a former colleague about a pitch. Sam bought me a CD called Merriweather Post Pavilion by a new-fangled combo Animal Collective from Baltimore, which I find I rather like in a busy and layered way. Reading about them on Wikipedia reminded me of Baltimore, a town I couldn't leave fast enough during my American adventures. Nice crabs though. Off to Lorraine's house this evening where, watching an improving BBC programme about the brain, we ate a variety of vegetables and some fish, and drank sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon. For if you booze you l...

Photos and poems Big steps forward with A Guernsey Double , Richard and I are close to agreeing a cover. I took myself out to the magic cafe in the afternoon and worryingly found about five things that needed to be fixed in the poems. The perspective of not looking at them properly for a couple of weeks. But I am comforted by WH Auden who said something to the effect that he never finished a poem, only abandoned it. Also popped in to see Adrian Turner's photos in an exhibition in Kensington Gardens in the laines. His seascape photos look fantastic at a larger scale. Lorraine came by this evening, and we occupied the gold sofa and did nothing, which was almost perfect as I am feeling under the weather. Below some shots by Jane Wrin of This Concert will fall in love with you Matt conducting, Glen on piano, Adam on vibraphone, Ellie on violin, me, and Tom on marimba. Lorraine third from the left singing.

Après moi le Deluge Ghastly night's sleep not helped by a gale which rattled the windows, and Lorraine's cats which kept interfering with me. One of them, Basil, has a habit of patiently resting one of her paws on you till you wake up. This is her cue to step away, sporting an expression which says, in cat language, "that was my idea". Experimenting today with podcasts. As a pilot I uploaded my podcast of this site . As I love the sound of my own voice so much, I may try other bits and pieces. A while ago I added a blog link to Mandy's blog . Mandy, who now lives in NZ was at the same school as me, Copland High School in Wembley in the year below mine. As you can see from her blog which carries a photo of her from 1978 that, unlike me, Mandy looks exactly the same. Galling's what I call it. You may notice that Mandy rather likes Bob Dylan. Also working on my poetry - but in a slightly disorganised way so the day slipped through my fingers with little to show...

under another sun - the podcast This blog is now a podcast too. Yes folks. As recorded in my study just this weekend, it's me reading my entries for June. What could be nicer than having me chat away to you about the minutae of my life as you travel or sit at your computer? Er... Don't answer that. It's a bit of a pilot obviously and I expect it will get slicker if I continue it. But let me know what you think... To spark it up just click here which will take you onto an Internet Archive page. Technophobes should then simply click where it says "underanothersun_june click to start." More advanced users can select one of the other formats. When I tried one randomly it appeared in my iTunes right away.

Being Peter Kenny: 7 great things about it Was tagged by splendid fellow blogger Lucy WithaY who is sounding V positive these days. Her idea is to create a meme, and write 7 positive things about your life down. So here goes... Actually I could have done about twenty. 1 family and friends - my family are also my friends, and many of my friends are like family. There are literally dozens of people I love. To disagree with Sartre, for me hell is not other people - hell is isolation. 2 creativity - frankly my creativity makes me big and clever. When not working as a creative for a living (writing junk mail, radio and TV adverts, tee-shirts, posters, websites etc.) I have acted in theatres, in one obscure movie, performed and written poems, prose, plays, taken photos, drawn, painted, played guitar, and blogged. It enriches my life because it makes the world my source material, not something to drift through. Additionally it helps me appreciate other people's art and expression. When...

Peace and The Dove Friday and feeling very cheerful on the train going to work this morning. Had one of those peaceful Buddhist-type revelations: I have everything I need in my life to be happy. It is just a matter of shuffling the proportions, and looking again with gratitude at what I have. Working hard this morning on various documents and brochures, and then went to lunch with the French Bloke in the Dove, one of my all time favourite pubs. We scarfed a yummy comfort food lunch of sausage and cabbage and potato mash with gravy. Then there were a few pints of London Pride, and some plotting - for the Dove's old bar demands it - and chatting. The FB also telling me about The God Delusion by Dawkins, which I am going to download. Looking at the carved bit of Portland stone on the fireplace which had to be rebuilt after the war thanks to the effects of time and "Mr Hitler". The carving is of a dove with an olive branch in its beak and the ark on the horizon. I love that ...

Dans Le Noir? II After I went to the Dans Le Noir? restaurant, I remembered the poem I had written about blackness which was printed in Poetry London a few years ago. I wrote it after thinking about the Dark Ages, and how not much is known about them, and how there is a lot of conjecture mixed in with history. So I imagined a time in the distant future where there is no light, and how their scholars will make up stuff about our time, which I called the Light Age. An adumbration of the Light Age Scientists classify six creatures that lived in light: Aardvark, elephant, carp, bee, bee-eater, and tern. Their eyes were adapted to blinding conditions Pupils clenched to pinpricks, eyeballs squeezed in sockets. Life, scientists suggest, will persist in peculiar places For this so-called Light Age stretched for millennia Reigned over by a species of squinting hominid Who flinched from blackness, and the comforts of night. Their aggregations of rubble are irrefutable But other signs of their p...

My alter ego is taking over I have become obsessed with Skelly my alter ego. I have found the proper voice for him. He started off too posh and maudlin. And now Skelly's talking properly he seems to be wanting to share his opinions about everything. I have always hated people with opinions. But I have found myself making time late at night to laugh madly to myself and bark outlandish opinions in my study. Should I be worried? Otherwise the day was fine. Had to go off to my pharmaceuticals client from home, which actually meant a late start for me. Was early for the rendezvous with my colleagues and enjoyed an Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks moment, drinking a damn fine cappuccino in the sun outside an Italian cafe and felt a strong sense of everything being right with the world. Another yapfest, but really warming now to my client, which is nice. Then made my way back to the agency, where I caught up with the French Bloke who was back from his holiday. He has moved tantalizingly clos...

Orc foot Argh. Orc foot returns... After twisting my foot yesterday, woke up this morning with a really bad ankle again and unable to put weight on it without pain. Much laughable limping today, appreciated by my colleagues, one of whom remarked I looked like a wounded bear. Felt tired and out of sorts today, and not at all in the mood for work which is making my head explode. Stayed put at my desk when I was not in interminable meetings. Toby sent me some excellent photos of Argentina this morning. I will put some on here shortly. Having kept my sunglasses for some months without wearing them, I walked into the agency reception this morning, and they simply fell apart on my face as one of the tiny screws dropped out and was lost forever. Most annoying. Home to a rejection of one of my stories from wretched Ambit. Will I never learn? They have rejected my work for more than 25 years. Briefly glimpsed into a dark well of rage and despair, but decided not to go there. Instead made a pork...

Hanging wit my boneys...

Oh no, another one...

Corpse monologue #1 Got a camera that hooks into your computer and it has a program that lets you turn into a skeleton. Too good to resist.

My poems on You Tube Had a lovely and relaxed day. Saw Ken and Janet briefly, and they gave me some herbs and a ceramic basin for my yard. Had a chat with Sprinkles, and decided to experiment by making my own You Tube film. Which you can see below.