Villanelle etc

I can't believe I haven't written in my blog for so long. I had to write 6 poems in two weeks for my course and I wanted to write in forms. I tried 2 ghazals, a pantoum, a villanelle, a sestina and two sevenlings. The pantoum and the sestina gave me my worst headaches. I found the sestina fascinating to write, and although my first attempt is very pathetic, I shall be trying again. The pantoum kept me awake for hours at night as I tried to make something of it. Eventually I stripped it right down to the minimum and it seemed to work much better. I now wait for my tutor's response!

Sylvia Plath's Drawings

I flew into London yesterday afternoon and went straight to a fascinating show of Sylvia Plath's drawings at The Mayor Gallery in Cork Street. These sketches show a glimpse of another aspect of her personality. Her presence was very powerful in these snapshots of her life and I felt honoured to be there. Among the pen and ink drawings there was a beautiful cat titled Curious French Cat, views over the rooftops of Paris, bottles of wine, old stoves and the trappings of everyday life. It's on until December 17th so there is plenty of time to visit!

Nice

I have neglected my blog for the last couple of weeks and above is the reason why. I've been on a fantastic art trip. We were based in Nice and travelled to Vence, St Tropez, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Villefranche, Antibes, Mougins, Vallauris, Biot and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
I wallowed in works by Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Jean Cocteau, Leger, Chagall and many others. I now need to write some poems for my MA which has just started. I do feel truly inspired by the trip and perhaps a glass of Pernod will push the boat further out.

Poetry Workshop

The first Stanza meeting in Portugal was on Thursday and we had a very lively meeting. The group, 12 of us,  were happy to read, write, discuss and generally be involved. I started them off with a writing exercise and then we all read our own poems or poems that we loved. A great discussion got going about free verse versus form...so much so that we are all going to write a sonnet for the next meeting in November. I hope that the group will flourish and not wither by the wayside! I found it very stimulating...

Cambridge

I've had a wonderful week in Cambridge and went to a creative writing workshop at Kettle's Yard. I love the house and all the magic that flows through it. I managed to finish (as much as they are ever finished!)  two poems that started at the workshop. One I've been trying to write as a sonnet which isn't within my comfort zone but I think it's time to put a toe outside. Slant rhymes can be so subtle...if only I could achieve it. I'm going to start a notebook full of slant rhymes and work at my rhymewells.

Stage Fright

Yesterday I did a Voice Day with Susan White who is a drama teacher and voice coach. It was a revelation to me; she taught us with great humour, how to breathe, relax, shout and, above all, read aloud with confidence, putting colour into even the driest piece of text. I can make Credit Derivatives sound like a rose garden! I'm going to arrange a one-to-one session with her as it helped me enormously with my confidence for reading poetry. By the end of the day we were all enjoying reading to the others and we had improved beyond recognition. Thank you Susan!

Aldeburgh Poetry Festival

Just discovered I've got all the tickets I ordered for the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. I'm going to sharpen my pencil to get ready for workshops and readings and put on my running shoes, as I'm going to lots of events in different venues all over Aldeburgh...can't wait. I'll write all about it...
Meanwhile the house is in chaos as I get ready for the start of my MA on October 10th and for my first poetry workshop on October 6th. I have 12 people coming to the workshop which I'm happy with. I'm looking forward to being able to talk poetry with other writers. Meanwhile I'm off to the UK for a drama workshop and I've sneaked in a writers' workshop at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge where I'm going for a few days to stay with my son and family to help with their new baby.

Sonnets

I'm interested in trying to write a crown of sonnets. As I like to write in free verse I wonder if I'll have to call it a crown of 14 liners instead. I'm going to research whether a sonnet really, absolutely, has to rhyme. I've just ordered Tony Harrison's Selected Poems to see if his School of Eloquence sequence of sonnets can give me some answers. That Amazon one click is lethal!

Letters

Had a productive meeting last night with one of my creative writing groups. A member had written a fascinating poem that she'd written using a collection of letters from a friend who was sailing the high seas. It filled me with ideas about some of the letters I have going back to my teenage years. With email, such valuable resources are vanishing.

I have 100's of my mother's poetry books, all of them stuffed with notes and messages. I'd like to research them for a poem but they will take a lot of sorting out, especially as the books are in London and I'm in Portugal. I have visions of Keats twinned with a note such as buy sausages...not very poetic!

Casa Das Historias

This morning I gave myself a treat and went to the Paula Rego museum in Cascais...I go there a lot and I always find it inspirational. Paula's work always stirs up my imagination in the way that Selima Hill's poems stir up my language. I know I'm lucky to have it so nearby and also that it's completely free!

Lists

I've been looking at list poems and trying to write one as wishes granted to a new baby... from a fairy godmother, but, being winter-aconite, there has to be a twist. Must avoid the homespun at all costs!

Twitter

I haven't tweeted yet but am following some great websites such as The Poetry School, Arvon, The Poetry Society and Magma. It's fantastic to get such up-to-the-minute news especially as I feel a bit cut off here in Portugal.
There seems to be a bit of a buzz about my poetry workshops starting in October. Quite a lot of surprise from people who never knew I wrote. I suppose I could be considered as a closet poet. The reactions make me laugh 'You write poetry!'  Followed by raised eyebrow (one only), and a rearrangement of limbs.

Another First

Today I joined Twitter and am wondering what to do with it? I see I can link it to my blog but I'm not sure what the result will be. I think I'll have to investigate further. Meanwhile, I'm deciding who to follow...

I tried posting a photo to Facebook and somehow it landed up on my Sister-in-Law's page. This is all very puzzling.

The Domino Effect

I've been fiddling around with my poem The Keeper of the Winds, changing a word here and a word there. This is a terrible habit of mine as no poem is ever quite finished. Every time I change a word, the whole poem seems to wobble, and there is a domino effect on the rest of the words, before things settle down.

The Life Poetic

I've been dipping into Writing the Life Poetic by Sage Cohen and I can certainly connect with some of her anecdotes. Such as '...being caught driving under the influence of poetry...' If I have a poem composting in my mind I have to make sure I concentrate on the road ahead. It's tempting to reach for the pencil and notebook, while steering with my knees!
I think the book has some exercises which will be useful for the poetry workshops. If the group don't bring work-in-progress I need to have something up my sleeve.

Aeolus

I've been wanting to write a poem about Aeolus, Keeper of the Winds, for a long time. Last night it wouldn't get out of my head and kept me awake for hours. Today there was no option but to get the ideas onto paper and now the poem is written and re-written. I'll put it aside for a few days and see how it looks later. What a relief, now I can concentrate on something else.

Poetry Competitions

I've been looking at poetry competitions and have submitted to a couple...but I feel that they influence the way I write and inhibit creativity. To have a chance in winning I think you need to know the magazine and their ethos, be familiar with the work of the judge, keep to the given theme, etc...
I'm going to try a few more and then put them aside and get on with writing without constraints...or that is the main idea anyway...maybe I would change my mind if I became a winner!

Poetry Workshops

Today I delivered my first fliers for the Stanza Portugal workshops that I am leading, starting in October. I hope I can find enough poets who are secretly scribbling away in their closets. I think we need at least 10 committed writers to make an interesting and active group. I already have about 6 people showing interest from my other Creative Writing groups, but poets writing in English are not so easy to track down near where I live.

Pencil and Paper

Today I want to edit a poem I wrote a few months ago. The poem itself works, for me anyway, but it looks very weak on the page. The last stanza (5th) tapers off into shorter lines, when really the poem is getting stronger. I hope I can improve the look on the page, without messing up the poem. I'm going to bring out pencil and paper to start with, as I like the tactile contact, the feel of the pencil, the movement on the paper...

Another belated first today...I joined Facebook, and am now busy trying to make sure nobody can find me...neurotic or what?

That Title Again.

That elusive title has been captured at last; Refraction...I was just about to stick a pin into my dictionary but help came, as usual, in the middle of the night.
I've read that there can be problems with posting poems online that you might want to submit to magazines...another area I need to explore.

Poem Titles

I've one poem, written about nine months ago, which I can't find a title for...nothing seems right. Titles are vital for reader expectations and often for reader comprehension.  They have to be enticing and sharp. Surely a title like Aconite has got to be more exciting than The Day I Murdered my Husband with a Poisonous Herb. I know which one I would read first in an anthology.

Chancellor's Gold

This morning a beautiful gold coin was delivered to me. I won the first round of a treasure hunt app called The Chancellor's Gold by Interactive Places Ltd. It's not too late to take part in September's hunt. I did the whole thing online, although if you are in London, you can walk it. You need a logical mind and a lot of perseverance!

The Poetry School

I've just seen the new Autumn programme for The Poetry School. It's full of inspiring courses as usual. I'm thinking about a couple of the online ones. I did two last year and they were brilliant. I learnt a lot from the tutor and also from the other members of the course. It was a great supportive environment.

Copyright.

I suddenly had thoughts about copyright for bloggers and as a result I've been doing some research. It looks like a bit of a grey area but if everything is mine I should be okay....I hadn't given it a thought, but woke up in the middle of the night with some niggling doubts. Phew! There is so much to think about with this blogging adventure.

Winter Aconite

Since thinking up the name for my blog yesterday, I now have the urge to write a poem about Winter Aconite. My poems have a dark side which I think is reflected in this plant. Its enticing yellow flowers pop up in surprising places, trying to seduce us... but it is poisonous throughout.

Belated Blogger!

I've been meaning to set up a blog for a very long time...I just didn't take up the challenge. So today's the day and now I'm fumbling around trying to sort the whole thing out.
Why a blog? To talk to myself about my poetry, workshops, road rage, Pilates, and the other things that are just how it is. 
How often will I post? I've no idea, but at least I've got it going, and will try to post regularly.
Living in Portugal, I'm having trouble changing the language to English...some parts have changed, some haven't but that's just how it is, until I learn otherwise.