under another sun

A full day and no mistake guv'nor. Excellent news ... Doctor Spotlight  is now published online. Also The Grieving   is published in Supernatural Tales today. Sadly there was little time to sit about feeling big and clever.  Friendly email from Yang Lian this morning, and I arranged to interview Brian Holton, his translator. He was available immediately, so I snuck in a cheeky twenty minute call to him this morning, recording the interview. A lovely man, who has translated Lian since the nineties, and also is the only regular translator of Chinese into Scots, as well as being a poet and musician and performer. However this leaves me with a big problem as I now have three interviews with fluent and talkative people to condense into one show.  Sonia here today, but I stayed locked in my room and barely had time to talk to her. Brief chats with Sam and Jade during the day. And snatched ones with Betty about rum, and Anton too. Otherwise working on a new brief....

Gah. Very broken sleep and feeling a bit wan and wussy. Began the day by fiddling with some poems, but mostly breaking them.  Went for a walk this morning, in perfect walking weather bright and cool. Pesky golfers have returned to their links now.  On the way home passed Raven's bakery and bought a bag of hot cross buns. Quips about my nice buns and understanding why people were Raven about them largely under appreciated.  Nice to have Jade and Sam about the place to chat to, both de-stressing quietly after the move. Two bits of good news... Matthew has taken my story  Doctor Spotlight for Horla. Very complimentary about it bless him. Also a lovely email sent to Robin but addressed to Robin and me from Kathryn Maris, she is very kind in it about the podcast which she thinks is very professional. Very good to hear.  Spent most of the day prepping for the two big interviews, LeAnne Howe and then in the evening  Yang Lian .   LeAnne over in Georgia USA ...

Up fairly early and off to buy bread. Lorraine zoomed off to have a walk with Beth by the seaside. I did some bits and pieces of writing, and then went for a walk of my own just up to the hill top on the way home I bought some hot cross buns in the Co-op. I did not have my glasses with me, and only when I returned with my booty did I realise the dark things in it were not raisins but tiny lumps of Belgian chocolate. Sam, Lorraine and I ate the novelty buns with interest but all preferred the normal ones. I wonder what Jesus would have made of them. Early evening, I went to the chippy and bought fish and chips for myself and a bag of chips for Lorraine: £8. You never quite know what you are going to be charged at Jenny's but it is always very reasonable, and the people there are nice.  Sam had leftover curry and Lorraine added fried eggs to her chips.  Later we three played cards, which was fun, and listened to some music that Sam chose, which I quite enjoyed. Then Lorraine and...

Spent Friday going on a few walks and preparing to interview Leanne Howe, who is a poet from the  Choctaw Nation. However we had to bump the interview till Monday shortly before it was due to take place. I was not too worried by this as I was feeling a bit flat this afternoon.  Just before close of the working day got another offer of work starting Wednesday  next week. However it was complicated by agency deciding to employ us under IR35. This is a new tax change designed to wreak havoc on freelancers everywhere, adding layers of admin and uncertainty. The agency is going to treat Keith and I as pay as you earn employees for the week of the job, so deducting all tax and NI at source, leading to lots of accountancy unpicking later -- and a greatly reduced payment meanwhile. We have slightly raised what we are charging because of it, and this job now hangs in the balance. What freelancers need, after the worst business year for many in living memory, is a slew of new obsta...

Plop! That's the sound of me slipping like a lithe young otter into the river having been released back into the wild after Keith and I finished the job to everyone's satisfaction. I had spent till 8pm waiting for feedback, but this was easily dealt with. Meanwhile I interviewed Alireza Abiz, an Iranian poet, translator and author about the Sarah Mcguire prize for which he was chair of judges, and about world poetry. A lovely man, and once edited it will be a good interview. Keith and I may well be teaming up again soon, he has been my lucky mascot when it comes to earning doubloons lately, that's for sure. Drifted downstairs to watch the penultimate episode of The Wire with Lorraine. All is good. Lorraine dragging herself through the week -- and it is only Tuesday. I can't wait till Easter and her having some proper time off. A few bits of short walks between bits of work. But not my full 10k.     

Another weekend in Lockdown, with the sun moving into Aries and Spring quickening. A new year in other words.  Lorraine, needing to recover from a tough week via the medium of chatting to folks on the phone, doing a spot of cross stitch, and computer gaming, and calling on her new games consultant Sam who was able to help her get out of a few scrapes.  Lorraine and I took a couple of afternoon strolls, on Sunday we were up at the Hill Fort, and people sat on the wall itself looking out towards the distant sea as if they were at the beach. Also Lorraine collected baking trays from Argos, which were deployed on Sunday. A game of cards with Sam on Saturday night, which was fun.  I had a few bits to do for the podcast over the weekend, mainly reading translations of poets from around the world. Also a nice note from Trevor in Australia, who said 'I absolutely love this podcast! My only criticism is that there are not years and years worth of past episodes to listen to. This i...

Big news for Kenny Towers today was that Lorraine at last got her jab. I was very happy about this indeed. And will be even happier when she reaches her three weeks afterwards. Lorraine matter of fact about it naturally, although when she got there despite having a booking appointment and so on, she was not in the system properly. However she got one anyhow, and now has to let her GP know. She came home again before going off to school. She had an evening meeting zoom too at home, so a long day for her. I began work on the big job with Keith with an 8am briefing. I like the people we are working with. It is an oncology related job so the subject matter is a little short on laughs. Keith a bit slowish today, having been called up by his doctor for a jab yesterday afternoon and getting one within minutes. He is quite a bit younger than Lorraine, so it shows how quickly they are getting through folks in certain areas. Keith lives a mile or so away from where I used to live in Kew.  Ma...

Got on with work from my French client this morning, after fiddling with some poems. The job fairly easy as I had broken the back of it yesterday afternoon. My French clients seemed pleased with the result, responding with an email that said 'You are Perfect!' which made me smile. Good to have a bit of work, as the big job that was supposed to start today has been bumped for a day. A man from Porlock interlude when a surly and deeply annoying man unexpectedly arrived to install smart meters. Lorraine had got halfway through filling in the form online and changed her mind at the weekend, but they came anyway. He kicked off by asking me to keep an eye on his car, as if I had nothing better to do. I gave him a permit. When made any enquiry, such as why is the house full of gas smell, he replied mostly non verbally or in two or three words. Then he went and sat outside in his car with the front door open for 20 minutes. When I went out and asked the stupid meter man if we were don...

Another fish in the tank this weekend, with the welcome arrival of Sam who will be followed in a couple of weeks by Jade. living with us for a while, till the unpleasantness blows over. Lorraine collected him and a carful of stuff from Sian's place in Kingsbury on Sunday. Sian is moving to a new home, and Jade is staying for a couple of weeks to help her get everything sorted. Sam arrived safely and in good spirits. Otherwise on Saturday Lorraine spent time playing computer games and chatting with Beth. I am working on poems, and it is going quite well. Also I took myself for a long walk. Rather revelling in what was for me effectively a four day weekend -- as I don't start work on the new freelance work till Tuesday. Sauntering about looking at the skies moving rapidly in the wind. Taking photographs with black and white in mind. Including this path that was glistening in the sun, and the others of cloud tones. 

A good day for me -- just a couple of bits of admin and a quick query from mes amis in Paris. Otherwise much of the day was a pause -- a caesura if I am being pretentious and why not? --  where I could think about about poetry for I have the bones of a new collection. It's the hope that kills you. This followed by an untroubled afternoon walk listening to Klara and the Sun . I also attended a zoom reading by my Antony Mair at lunchtime, with Paul Terence Carney and Nancy Hynes. Robin in the zoom crowd. I like Antony and his poems very much and they are full of his own experience and very accomplished. I enjoyed some of Paul's work too. I was unfortunately in the wrong headspace for Nancy. Zoom readings are good because they are so easy to attend, but it is not like attending a real reading.  Spoke to Anton today. Lorraine home early (for her) from school, and I called Mum, and then we had our usual reward of a Friday night curry and a couple of beers, followed by a watch of T...

Up very early to get on with the last of the job I've been working on with Keith this week, after a few comments came in from one of the team in France. Everyone based in France I work with is really nice. After a focused few hours we were done, thank goodness and I could get on arranging some interviews for the podcast. One will be with one of the editors of a Norton anthology of Native Nations Poetry, which will be interesting. A soul restoring walk this afternoon, listening to Klara and the Sun .  A chat with Anton at lunchtime. In the afternoon after my walk, I watched two more episodes of The Terror  which the Tobster told me about and I really like but is not to Lorraine's taste.   Lorraine had a better day today although this has been a very hard week for her. I cooked a salmon stir fry and we watched Masterchef and the last episode of season 4 of The Wire which is great. Below an image from The Terror, and an adorned tree encountered on my walk. Makes me think pe...

Last day on the job with Keith, or so we thought till the 5pm meeting where it became clear there was more to do tomorrow. So another half day tomorrow morning, but I will of course be paid for it so all good. For some reason I found this a bit irritating, as I was hoping to have a full day tomorrow to get down to some of my own stuff.  I was able to go for a longer lunchtime walk up to the hill for and it was pouring and very windy. Returned home soaked through my Berghaus and had to have a hot shower before starting work again. Felt good to have done it. Lorraine having a difficult day again and arrived home shattered. Spoke to Mum briefly this evening, who was cheery. A quick snap in the rain, not that the rain is visible, inside the ring of the hill fort.  

Another day with Keith, working as our virtual team. His regular partner, Ross, is working on a longer contract, so we may be hooking up a bit more regularly for a while.  Otherwise not much to report. I spoke to Mum who said she had been talking to Maureen and was mystified to learn that Maureen had cooked a recipe with pickled walnuts and fox meat. Pickled walnuts are delicious and quite a favourite in Lorraine's family, but the fox meat is new. Reassured Mum, who had been puzzling on this, that there had probably been a miscommunication. Mum also said she got, very early, the card we sent her for Mother's Day. Lorraine had a slightly better day, with parents behaving better. Did a few broken up short walks again to get to my daily total. Began listening to Kazuo Ishiguro's new novel Klara and the sun as I toddled. I am a fan of his work. Calliope's desk nest is still working a treat.   

Lorraine's school now fully open -- and it was a tough day. Not because of the kids, but there seems to be a lot of pent up unhappiness which means one or two parents were acting up. Lorraine has her jab next week, I wish they had given it to her earlier. Working the first three days this week with Keith again, still suffering from a bad neck which hurts when he has to fiddle about on indesign, which is a lot of what he does at this stage. I am looking forward to Thursday, when I can pick up the threads of my own work.   I managed to squeeze in a few short walks during the day so that after work I just had to walk around the block to reach my 10k. Felt quite cheery on my first walk of the day.  I also employed a cat blanket on my desk which Calliope slept on peacefully for hours, an improvement on her usual wanton desk vandalism, trotting on keyboards, knocking stuff pens on the floor and so on. 

A bright cheery weekend, regrouping after a full week. On Saturday morning, I managed to book Lorraine a date for her jab in a week and a half's time -- a full school awaits her on Monday so this is well overdue.  Great to have it in the calendar.  A couple of walks over the weekend, at the top of Stanmer woods and today in Preston Park, which was very busy, two sunlit fresh days. Pottering about doing minor chores, and Lorraine photographing some clothes that are going to be sold. The weekend much freer, with Sonia having been in the week, the necessity to do a top to toe house clean now gone. Not much else going on, a few games of MarioKarts, Lorraine wandering about in the caverns of Pode. When I find I am in the mood, I am reading  Ramsay Campbell  and a bit more of Arthur Machen .  Feeling the need to write poetry now. Robin and I have given ourselves an extra week between episodes -- having reached ten podcasts, to do a bit more interviewing and generally ...

Keith in a foul mood as his neck had flared up and he was in lots of pain, and muttering about telling everyone to off off and throwing the job in and so on. All this made the prospect of two important presentations with him a bit more exciting than necessary. When it came to it, of course, his behaviour was impeccable. But this was not before I had the vision of the week's work and earnings going up in smoke. I remained calm. Interspersing the day with several short walks -- even if it is just 15 mins, seems to help. It is very hard to be your best self under lockdown conditions.   A feeling of relief at being able to head for the gold sofa with Lorraine. Three more days of this job next week. The nameless entities haunting the vast batsqueaky voids of the Kenny coffers may yet find their slumbers disturbed.  A little bit of walking this week, first thing, at lunchtime and so on. Noticed little things like the blooming of spring flowers, and I was so excited by seeing a bird ...

Lorraine working from home today. I had to get up for an 8 o'clock start, but brought her a cup of tea in bed before having the morning to catch up on various jobs she wanted to do, before starting work again. Somewhat gruelling day with Keith, and various creative presentations via Microsoft teams. A generally positive response to the work we have been doing however. A nice bunch of people. Then after work, a spot of recording with Robin for the next episode of Planet Poetry. Only time for a quick 15 minute walk today. And an opinion needed from mes amis in Paris about a forthcoming job. Lorraine and I played a few games of cards this evening, before settling down to another episode of The Wire. The week seems to have been going on for ages, even though it is Wednesday.  An email today from the Romster after I'd sent her congratulations on the huge role she has landed in the Canadian Finance Industry. Toby regularly updated me on the resilience she has shown through a process ...