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.