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 ...

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 ...

To London again. Listening to The Remains of the Day  and seeing Alan Davies doing the magical trick of invisibility on the bus again. Released back into the wild again for a bit from work, which is splendid news as there is such a mountain of my own stuff to do I don't know where to start. No progress on the house negotiations for the Brighton reason that the vendor is on a meditative retreat with no phone signal. Suggested to Lorraine that we keep looking this weekend in case the vendor turns out to an uberflake. There is little that is simple in this world. After work, slipped off to the nearby Poetry Cafe where I met Robin, Anthony, Tom, Ponny and Marion Tracy who made up the Brighton Stanza poets. Ordered a bowl of carrot soup,  no bread,  said the stern eastern European woman behind the counter, and a cup of tea before descending to the basement. A hot evening in the basement of the Poetry Cafe. Twelve poets in this 'Stanza Bonanza' so lots of variety. We were ...