Review for For the Messengers in the Morning Star

After a couple of false alarms, the piece was published, thank you so much to the poetry editor.


http://jprtr.org/2011/08/16/for-the-messengers-jude-cowan-review/

Poem in the Morning Star

My poem Greece: Strikes was in the Morning Star yesterday and has been published online here: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/106756

BBC Radio Lancs

Tonight I'm on John Barnes's show on BBC Radio Lancs, discussing 'For the Messengers'. At 10pm. Tune in live or there's Listen Again on the BBC iplayer.

Morning Star

I should have a review by Jody Porter in the Morning Star this weekend coming. And a poem in this Thursday on strikes in Greece.

Very grateful to Jody and to the Morning Star for this coverage - thanks.

Talking Rhythm

Went to play at Bernadette Reed's and Jazzman John Clarke's lovely poetry night at the Prince of Greenwich - I was the musical interlude. I decided to improvise Reuters stories with my ukelele so that was a first. Sung about a Russian Racoon, a message in a bottle, little Italy in New York and a barber that suffered the tsunami.

British Silent Film Festival

Just been to the Barbican to catch Matthew Sweet's lecture on gossip and the silent film. A salacious time was had by all.

I almost forgot I have a PhD in silent cinema. One day I really have to mix my silent cinema knowledge with my poetic and writing explorations.

Great Granddad's Poetry

Paisley Poet - John Cowan

Bang Said the Gun

One of our two guests on 'The Conversational' radio show today was Dan Cockrill who hosts 'Bang Said the Gun' which is a poetry night that happens every Thursday. I went once when Tim Turnbull was performing. It was ace!

I just wanted to post a link to the website for this rather brilliant evening. Very worth a visit in person, don't just stop by online ...

http://www.bangsaidthegun.com/

What Loving - Naomi Woddis

I present a poetry and music show for Reel Rebels Radio with Naomi Woddis. She is a lovely poet, I really connect to the emotion in her work, it's not overshadowed by other concerns. Her work slips into the heart so simply and beautifully.

What Loving

calls this way? His words a virus, slippery
as an eagle in flight to your eager ears. Loving
is a gun sleeping in a worn holster or a hymn
for those who know what praying is.


Some days he'll tilt his head towards you
like the sun, conjour up a sound and roar.
Others he'll leave you ice bound. What's left
is to hurl your voice upwards and sing.


Anyone can call you sugar. It's not a sign
of anything other than a need for virgin hope,
the gull-cry plucking the air like a violin.
Get a pen, make a poem out of this-

you can be your own savior.

Delia Derbyshire - Pauline Sewards

The very lovely poet Pauline Sewards who I am so proud to call a friend and I share a mutual interest - in Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic workshop. Pauline has written a beautiful poem about her, and she's kindly allowed me to post it here. Thanks Pauline.

Delia Derbyshire

We are in one of those places that isn’t quite anywhere -
the hard shoulder of the M62
Retuning the radio,
the sound comes through
in querulous spikes -
the voice of Delia Derbyshire
syncopates the night

She did her work back in the sixties,
a Sasooned and mini-skirted Goddess of Geeks,
only years later got credit due
she was with Oram and Grainger
in the Radiophonic workshop
but Delia wrote the music to Dr Who

Images of outer space
inside the eyelids of your inner space
evoke those long ago
Saturday egg and chip teatimes when
Delia’s multi phased sonic innovations
reeled us in to the tingling
Science fiction comfort zone.
Fractal patterns breaking
in a world where identity slips
and time trips over and over

She was the Queen of synaesthesia
if you can have synaesthesia in black and white

And now we are stuck in this car
on the highway,
if we could see through the fog
to the other side of the motorway
we‘d be watching our younger selves
coming the other way

Is it interference in between stations?
Or does the voice of Delia Derbyshire
syncopate the night?

Pen Pusher

A poem from my first and forthcoming collection appears in the new Pen Pusher magazine.

http://www.penpushermagazine.co.uk/magazine/extracts/article/399/

A sonnet a day

My friend Antonionioni writes a sonnet a day. They're good! And he lives in Manchester too.

I asked him to write me a sonnet for Kate Bush. I don't know if he normally does requests, but you can always ask ...


Sonnet for Kate Bush
She cartwheels her way across the west York-
Shire moors as the wind howls and the rain falls
The quiet-voiced sparrow learns to fly and talk
In high-pitched notes she makes her mating calls
Answered by males from Wales to far Cornwall
She dances with them but then flies away
Into the air, really ethereal
Not grounded. Then, like Plath, one cloudy day
She finds herself doing his washing. They
Expected so much more. It goes round. Walk
Into the sea, dear Kate; walk among shoals
Like Virginia; the lighthouse in the bay
Will light your way. There’s one in County Cork
The USA’s too far to reach landfall

Antonionioni's 'Hey Jude' sonnet

My dear friend Tony from Manchester writes a sonnet a day. I only hope it keeps the doctor away.

Here is his latest, written for the two of us! We were in Ireland recently at a poetry and music festival, and he walked into a bog. I think this is the incident alluded to.

Anyone hazard a go at the number of Beatles songs referenced?


1414 - Hey Jude
Hey Jude, it only seems like yesterday
You saw me standing there, fool on the hill
That long and winding road to a hard day
Might in the end need your bungalow, Bill
I played it cool, four thousand holes to fill
Or fix, cos I’m the taxman, oh girl, girl
Was your magical mystery tour a thrill?
You’re something to this nowhere man: the world
Is at your command. Say say say the word
I’ve got to get you in my life, blue J
We can work it out, Jude, help me, I will
Hold your hand, come together like the birds
In the trees. Don’t let me down. Here I’ll stay
Another day. From me to you, until…

Kilcrohane here I come

This Saturday I'm off to the last coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula for a poetry and music festival. This might be my only trip to Ireland this summer so I shall make the most of it; I'm going to run down to the sea and breathe very deeply.

I'm playing on the acoustic stage on the Saturday evening. As I have to get up VERY EARLY to get my flight from Luton airport I shall have to nap in the afternoon, or maybe shame myself by falling asleep during 'Future Dialogue' or 'The Lonely Schizophrenic'. Oh the delights of being a modern troubadour.

I'm very much looking forward to meeting Kylyra Ameringer, poet extraordinaire, who is hosting the event, and putting me up on her couch. She's a musician too so we should have lots in common.