Isabelle Charlotte Kenyon's Blog, page 7
April 21, 2018
Can there be a life after a suicide?
Charlotte Underwood is a mental health blogger and advocate, as well as the author of 'After Suicide'. As the profits this month from Please Hear What I'm Not Sayingare partly going to The Joshua Nolan Foundation for the prevention of suicide in Scotland, it felt like exactly the right time to talk to Charlotte about mental health and her writing!First, here is the blurb of Charlotte's book, 'After Suicide':"After Suicide is Charlotte's personal account of her fathers suicide, including before and after the event. This books main purpose is to be a support aid for people in a similar situation or people wanting to understand more about suicide and how it affects the survivor, it is not however meant to be a replacement for your doctors recommendations. This book is help from someone that understands. In this book, Charlotte will take you through the her version of her fathers suicide, she talks about the time he got ill, the time he went missing and the time his body was found, through to his funeral. Charlotte then goes on to talk about her own recovery and battle with grief, she explains how she coped with the utmost honestly, the things that helped her and the things she wishes she never did. Charlotte also talks about ideas in which she thinks would benefit a person grieving a suicide such as things that she would have done if she could re do it all. This is Charlotte's first ever published book, a book that may not be of literary perfection but comes straight from the heart."1.What did you hope to achieve when you published 'After Suicide' and do you have accomplished this so far?The only thing I ever wanted to achieve when I published 'After Suicide', was to add some free and accessible support to those left behind after losing a loved one to suicide. When I went through It myself, I found myself alone with no support and no one to understand me, this needs to change so I decided to do just that.2. Have you been surprised by any reactions to your book 'After Suicide'?Though my book was for the purpose of people life me who have joined the club that no one wants to join, the suicide survivors, it has also become a learning tool for those who want to understand what it is to be suicidal and the effects of a suicide taking place. I remember when I got a message from a person who said that because of my book, their kids still had a parent and I cried, it wasn't my original goal for my book to do that but I am so glad it has.3. How does writing help you on a day to day basis?Writing is a form of therapy, it is very similar to painting or knitting. Keeping your hands busy and your mind distracted from the stress life gives is great. However Writing also goes a step further for me, it allows me to remove and organise thoughts that are plaguing me, through doing this I can understand myself better and come to terms with my past. I now feel like I am lighter than air because I write every day, have done since August last year and it's the best thing - my mental health has made milestones in this time. 4. How would you describe your writing style in three words?Candid, blunt and hopeful - just like me.5. What would you say to someone who is struggling right now?Recovery is possible, it may not seem it but I have been in such a dark place, many times. Yet here I am following my writing dream, helping people and achieving everything I ever wanted. Your mental illness does not define you, neither does your pass - the only limits are the ones you set yourself.Thank you Charlotte!The book can be found here.
April 16, 2018
Instapoet at her best
The Circle in the square By K C PearsonConnect with Pearson @kvppoetry on InstagramMy review:Pearson is beautifully cynical – which greatly appeals to me and the own cycnisym I find myself writing into my work! The poem ‘Values’ explores all of the wonderful things she has done and can do, and finishes the poem ‘ But what does it all matter? Compared to someone who is/Beautiful’ , nicely encapsulating the unspoken privilege that the beautiful are sometimes handed. A writer after my own heart, Pearson’s sentiment on determination and success is summed up in her poem, ‘Decisions’: ‘The only Things in life That you Cannot do; Are those that You did not Want badly Enough.’ This poem is a great one for me to highlight the strengths in Pearson’s work – her voice and message, but also a good example for me to dissect. I think some of the poems suffer from a lack of consideration when it comes to line breaks – I honestly think this is such a big part of style and sophistication as a writer. My favourite poems were ‘Society’, in which Pearson analyses our life’s cycle and from her perspective, how marriage is a pre defined role, ‘We only play; It’s all pretend’ and ‘Bread and Circuses’ which explores our vapid generation, conversation revolving around vapid celebrities. This is what I love to explore in my own work – and I enjoy poems which takes a stance on society in this way!What kind of poetry do you enjoy reading?Let me know in the comments!
April 14, 2018
Early reviewers cast their votes on my new chapbook!
I am excited to share with you 3 early reviews of my chapbook, Digging Holes To Another Continent(available to pre order with Clare Songbirds Publishing House!)
Nicholas TrandahlAuthor of Pulling Words and Think of Me (Winter Goose Publishing) 'I was fortunate enough to be an early reader/reviewer of this chapbook, and... wow.Isabelle Kenyon isn’t a person trying to write poetry. Kenyon has a true poetic voice in a world that finds those voices lacking. She’s a serious poetic talent, real and honest. Like the other contemporary greats, she has found that beautiful way of giving voice to an observation, a moment, or a feeling.Her new chapbook, Digging Holes to Another Continent, contains twenty poems, but it speaks volumes. Almost like a small story in verse, the poems in this chapbook chronicle the sights and experiences of a trip to New Zealand. The beaches and the sea feature heavily in these perfect small poems, and these pieces turn the reader into a traveler to far distant shores. For that, I am thankful to Isabelle Kenyon.'Galya VarnaAuthor of Dreams You Thought Were Lost'I was honoured to be invited as an early reader of Isabelle Kenyon’s new chapbook “Digging Holes To Another Continent”, receiving an advanced reading copy of the book from the author. What a strong poetic voice! I have been a fan of Ms Kenyon ever since “This Is not a Spectacle”, but her new work is so powerful and full of wonderful, unexpected imagery and snapshots of a reality she has created with her poems that I had to reread her chapbook a second time, just to prolong the pleasure of experiencing her verse.'Eden SleepwalkerAuthor of Charcoal Mist At Cotton FieldsI'm grateful being one of "Digging Holes To Another Continent" early readers and having the pleasure to read this book in advance. Isabelle Kenyon, traveling one more time, explores with all of her senses, observing as she always does, details only a true poet as her could notice, describing them with strong words, and capturing the reader in a single read.Release date in May to be announced!
Nicholas TrandahlAuthor of Pulling Words and Think of Me (Winter Goose Publishing) 'I was fortunate enough to be an early reader/reviewer of this chapbook, and... wow.Isabelle Kenyon isn’t a person trying to write poetry. Kenyon has a true poetic voice in a world that finds those voices lacking. She’s a serious poetic talent, real and honest. Like the other contemporary greats, she has found that beautiful way of giving voice to an observation, a moment, or a feeling.Her new chapbook, Digging Holes to Another Continent, contains twenty poems, but it speaks volumes. Almost like a small story in verse, the poems in this chapbook chronicle the sights and experiences of a trip to New Zealand. The beaches and the sea feature heavily in these perfect small poems, and these pieces turn the reader into a traveler to far distant shores. For that, I am thankful to Isabelle Kenyon.'Galya VarnaAuthor of Dreams You Thought Were Lost'I was honoured to be invited as an early reader of Isabelle Kenyon’s new chapbook “Digging Holes To Another Continent”, receiving an advanced reading copy of the book from the author. What a strong poetic voice! I have been a fan of Ms Kenyon ever since “This Is not a Spectacle”, but her new work is so powerful and full of wonderful, unexpected imagery and snapshots of a reality she has created with her poems that I had to reread her chapbook a second time, just to prolong the pleasure of experiencing her verse.'Eden SleepwalkerAuthor of Charcoal Mist At Cotton FieldsI'm grateful being one of "Digging Holes To Another Continent" early readers and having the pleasure to read this book in advance. Isabelle Kenyon, traveling one more time, explores with all of her senses, observing as she always does, details only a true poet as her could notice, describing them with strong words, and capturing the reader in a single read.Release date in May to be announced!
April 10, 2018
The benefits of writing to your mental health
Today Mind Poet Katie Lewington, takes over my blog to talk about how writing helps her on a day to day basis.
You cannot really argue with something once it is written on the page. That is the way it is. What are you going to do about it? On the page it is there to be read, to be contemplated, and to be discussed. I think of writing as similar to the pensieve in the popular Harry Potter series of books. The pensieve is a shallow dish, typically made of stone. In this dish the Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore puts his memories to be recreated at a later date. That then serves as a handy reference, because let's face it it is difficult to remember everything.I believe writing gives you power. It can help you to process thoughts, and find solutions too. I have found from the past when you write something from trauma suffered you take control back from your abuser. Writing can take you from a toxic situation, and give your mind somewhere safe to lodge until the danger has passed. When I was in secondary school, between the ages of eleven, and sixteen I was socially isolated, and had anxiety, and depression. I was also self-harming. In my six years at that school I wrote a young adult novel, and created the androgynous protagonist Jude. I poured all of my thoughts and emotions into the story, and into the characters. My notebooks steadily filled with this world, which became a safe place to express myself, and explore how I was feeling. In the story I was the person that I longed to be. It was where I embellished on the injustices I felt that were happening to me, whether that be a teacher who had kept me at lunch for not completing my work, or a teacher parent meeting where I was spoken of, and not to. (Of course, I was a teenager, so a few of these injustices were petty!)Perhaps writing is only counter productive when you are putting too much of yourself into it, because you are effectively speaking to yourself. So need fresh ideas, and to have an open dialogue with somebody to provide balance. This is why writing can work alongside talking to a professional counsellor.Writing is an encompassing activity. It is a way of cornering a certain subject, bundling it up, and putting it on the page, as well as being a record of how far you have come. Many writers would agree that feeling of relief when you have written something from what has been troubling you is immensely satisfying. You can walk away from the piece feeling much lighter, as I did after writing this.Read Katie's work in Please Hear What I'm Not Saying, which this month additionally raises money for The Joshua Nolan Foundation in Scotland, for prevention of suicide.If you enjoyed this post, go follow Katie Lewington on Twitter here!And did you know we've been shortlisted for a Saboteur award? 1 more day to vote to win for 'Best Anthology!' Vote by clicking on the image below.
You cannot really argue with something once it is written on the page. That is the way it is. What are you going to do about it? On the page it is there to be read, to be contemplated, and to be discussed. I think of writing as similar to the pensieve in the popular Harry Potter series of books. The pensieve is a shallow dish, typically made of stone. In this dish the Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore puts his memories to be recreated at a later date. That then serves as a handy reference, because let's face it it is difficult to remember everything.I believe writing gives you power. It can help you to process thoughts, and find solutions too. I have found from the past when you write something from trauma suffered you take control back from your abuser. Writing can take you from a toxic situation, and give your mind somewhere safe to lodge until the danger has passed. When I was in secondary school, between the ages of eleven, and sixteen I was socially isolated, and had anxiety, and depression. I was also self-harming. In my six years at that school I wrote a young adult novel, and created the androgynous protagonist Jude. I poured all of my thoughts and emotions into the story, and into the characters. My notebooks steadily filled with this world, which became a safe place to express myself, and explore how I was feeling. In the story I was the person that I longed to be. It was where I embellished on the injustices I felt that were happening to me, whether that be a teacher who had kept me at lunch for not completing my work, or a teacher parent meeting where I was spoken of, and not to. (Of course, I was a teenager, so a few of these injustices were petty!)Perhaps writing is only counter productive when you are putting too much of yourself into it, because you are effectively speaking to yourself. So need fresh ideas, and to have an open dialogue with somebody to provide balance. This is why writing can work alongside talking to a professional counsellor.Writing is an encompassing activity. It is a way of cornering a certain subject, bundling it up, and putting it on the page, as well as being a record of how far you have come. Many writers would agree that feeling of relief when you have written something from what has been troubling you is immensely satisfying. You can walk away from the piece feeling much lighter, as I did after writing this.Read Katie's work in Please Hear What I'm Not Saying, which this month additionally raises money for The Joshua Nolan Foundation in Scotland, for prevention of suicide.If you enjoyed this post, go follow Katie Lewington on Twitter here!And did you know we've been shortlisted for a Saboteur award? 1 more day to vote to win for 'Best Anthology!' Vote by clicking on the image below.
April 9, 2018
All Things New with Fly on the Wall Poetry!
Fly on the wall is constantly evolving and shifting as new projects come into view!This year alone, I have:1. Signed a professional contract with Clare Songbirds Publishing House, New York, to release a chapbook, Digging Holes to Another Continent, this May, which can be pre ordered here.
2. Published Please Hear What I'm Not Saying, an anthology involving 116 poets and raising money for UK Charity, Mind. This book has been nominated for a Saboteur award and the vote closes on Wednesday 11th so your votes to win under 'Best Anthology' would mean the world! This could really be a chance to give mental health and the writing of 116 poets, a platform. Vote here.3. Become part of a judging board for the first international poetry competition by WeArtFriends, which you can enter here.4. Performed my first spoken word at 1000 Monkeys, Guildford. 5. Opened my first literary festival for Coventry Cathedral's Plum Line and Poetry Festival. (I am set to perform at New Mills Art Festival in September and to perform at the Saboteur Awards all day festival on May 19th, London - come along!)As always, I am completely open to what you want to see on my blog, and for working collaboratively with other writers. Keep in touch! You are all so important to me, by just reading this.
2. Published Please Hear What I'm Not Saying, an anthology involving 116 poets and raising money for UK Charity, Mind. This book has been nominated for a Saboteur award and the vote closes on Wednesday 11th so your votes to win under 'Best Anthology' would mean the world! This could really be a chance to give mental health and the writing of 116 poets, a platform. Vote here.3. Become part of a judging board for the first international poetry competition by WeArtFriends, which you can enter here.4. Performed my first spoken word at 1000 Monkeys, Guildford. 5. Opened my first literary festival for Coventry Cathedral's Plum Line and Poetry Festival. (I am set to perform at New Mills Art Festival in September and to perform at the Saboteur Awards all day festival on May 19th, London - come along!)As always, I am completely open to what you want to see on my blog, and for working collaboratively with other writers. Keep in touch! You are all so important to me, by just reading this.
April 5, 2018
Spotlight on Carla Stein: Mind Poet
Poet and visual artist, Carla Stein’s images and poetry have been published in An Anthology of Nanaimo Poetry, Ascent Aspirations Friday's Poems, Island ArtsMagazine, Island Woman, Stonecoast Review, and Sustenance anthology. She has recently released her first poetry chapbook, Sideways Glances of an Everyday Sailor. Carla is a co-founder of 15 Minutes of Infamy, a Nanaimo-based performance venue for wordcrafters. View her artwork at: www.roaeriestudio.comI talk to featured poet Carla Stein about her writing style and her poem in Mind anthology 'Please Hear What I'm Not Saying'
1. When did you start writing?I started writing poetry in high school where I also worked on the school newspaper. In university I was introduced to poets like, Maxine Kumin, Gary Snyder, and Richard Brautigan and I was hooked on poetry. The newspaper experience eventually lead to a career in broadcast and print journalism. 2. Do you find themes or topics emerging from your work?I find that my work tends to explore people. The ways they treat each other, how they interact with both the natural and human-centric world. 3. In your poem 'Admission Ward', featured in 'Please Hear What I'm Not Saying ', you use jet engines as a metaphor throughout - can you talk a little about this and the influences behind the poem?Along with journalism, I have also worked extensively in the fields of mental health and addictions. My poem, Admission Ward, evolved from talking with patients at a large psychiatric facility about their psychotic episodes. Jet engines serve as a metaphor for the struggle to control what is, at times, a debilitating condition.4. Are you working on anything at the moment?Yes, I am working on a play about artificial intelligence and a poetry manuscript that focuses on my family.5. When you're not writing what can we find you doing?I paint, mostly in acrylics, and make pottery. I’m also involved with a number of community organizations that promote both visual and literary arts.Thank you Carla!Want to be in our next reader collage? Send me your photos! isabellekenyon@hotmail.co.uk or over my social media.
1. When did you start writing?I started writing poetry in high school where I also worked on the school newspaper. In university I was introduced to poets like, Maxine Kumin, Gary Snyder, and Richard Brautigan and I was hooked on poetry. The newspaper experience eventually lead to a career in broadcast and print journalism. 2. Do you find themes or topics emerging from your work?I find that my work tends to explore people. The ways they treat each other, how they interact with both the natural and human-centric world. 3. In your poem 'Admission Ward', featured in 'Please Hear What I'm Not Saying ', you use jet engines as a metaphor throughout - can you talk a little about this and the influences behind the poem?Along with journalism, I have also worked extensively in the fields of mental health and addictions. My poem, Admission Ward, evolved from talking with patients at a large psychiatric facility about their psychotic episodes. Jet engines serve as a metaphor for the struggle to control what is, at times, a debilitating condition.4. Are you working on anything at the moment?Yes, I am working on a play about artificial intelligence and a poetry manuscript that focuses on my family.5. When you're not writing what can we find you doing?I paint, mostly in acrylics, and make pottery. I’m also involved with a number of community organizations that promote both visual and literary arts.Thank you Carla!Want to be in our next reader collage? Send me your photos! isabellekenyon@hotmail.co.uk or over my social media.
April 3, 2018
New Release! 'Digging Holes To Another Continent'
I am excited to say that I have a new chapbook released this May, which is now available to preorder from Clare Songbirds Publishing House!I wanted to give you some early insider information about what inspired me to write 'Digging Holes to Another Continent', which I wrote entirely during my three weeks in New Zealand last Christmas. I've decided to reveal this in pictures...My book starts with a death; a healing process, which is easier to start somewhere as beautiful as New Zealand. Below, Cathedral Cove, is a beautiful but the waters change quickly - a lifeguard had to pull me out as the shallows turned within seconds on me.
We travelled a 24 hour plane journey for a wedding - like in Shakespeare, where a family death warrants a family wedding to bring joy back into life. It was the only day it rained!
My Christmas day was a mix of culture. People of all colour and religions flocked to the beach - but with no mention of baby Jesus. Clearly the Christians celebrated at home. It was a strange day!
All over the north island are abandoned beaches and coastlines. Nature rules the country in a way which is unique to any other place in the world - it cannot be entirely tamed. 
The cover of the book is inspired by the New Zealand landscapes!
I'm really looking forward to sharing this chapbook with you - my first professionally published poetry book, and you can pre order it by clicking on the image below!
We travelled a 24 hour plane journey for a wedding - like in Shakespeare, where a family death warrants a family wedding to bring joy back into life. It was the only day it rained!My Christmas day was a mix of culture. People of all colour and religions flocked to the beach - but with no mention of baby Jesus. Clearly the Christians celebrated at home. It was a strange day!All over the north island are abandoned beaches and coastlines. Nature rules the country in a way which is unique to any other place in the world - it cannot be entirely tamed. The cover of the book is inspired by the New Zealand landscapes!I'm really looking forward to sharing this chapbook with you - my first professionally published poetry book, and you can pre order it by clicking on the image below!
March 27, 2018
A balanced diet: fiction and poetry
Start making some space on that book shelf because my March book reviews are in! (Have you read these? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!)Like Waves: Poetry by Amanda LinsmeierBreathtaking Amanda writes beautifully about seeing her motherhood status and scars as stunning for what they are and what they have created. My heart broke for her when she lay her heart on the line after the loss of babies she desperately wanted to meet. There are no words for that kind of loss and yet Amanda gives a voice to all the women who have ever experienced such awful pain. I think the beauty industry has a lot to answer for if it ever prevents strong and intelligent women like Amanda from feeling desirable. My favourite imagery was the final poem which sums up the title of the anthology perfectly: our loves and lives are like waves. Everything will come and go and that is natural.
Winter by Ali Smith I have always been a fan of Ali Smith's experimental style with form and with character. This book reads like a dream and did not disappoint! Sisters Sophia and Iris, although opposites, are shown to share the same character traits at different stages in their life - Iris is never forgets to lose sight of her passion and dreams, but never quite finds peace with reality, and Sophia is both the dreamer, later the romantic, and then 'falls back to earth'. A telling trait I found to be that Sophia reads the daily mail at this point! My favourite character had to be Lux, a girl picked up at a bus stop by the son of Sophia, Art, in an attempt to take a 'girlfriend' home for Christmas. Ali wants to drip feed us parts of Lux's personality - in some parts, Smith only allows us to read half of the conversation, from the mind of one person, rather than gauging Lux's full reactions first hand. We initially are invited to see Lux as very young and pierced, perhaps rebellious, but later we learn that she has a love of Shakespeare, she is from Croatia, and she understands human nature much more than anyone else in the book. Ali blurs the lines between normality and insanity - somehow, I felt no judgement as a reader that Sophia sees a human head floating. At times Sophia is the strongest character in the book! Certainly, this is a novel in which the female character lead the plot - and stand out as multifaceted individuals.
Winter by Ali Smith I have always been a fan of Ali Smith's experimental style with form and with character. This book reads like a dream and did not disappoint! Sisters Sophia and Iris, although opposites, are shown to share the same character traits at different stages in their life - Iris is never forgets to lose sight of her passion and dreams, but never quite finds peace with reality, and Sophia is both the dreamer, later the romantic, and then 'falls back to earth'. A telling trait I found to be that Sophia reads the daily mail at this point! My favourite character had to be Lux, a girl picked up at a bus stop by the son of Sophia, Art, in an attempt to take a 'girlfriend' home for Christmas. Ali wants to drip feed us parts of Lux's personality - in some parts, Smith only allows us to read half of the conversation, from the mind of one person, rather than gauging Lux's full reactions first hand. We initially are invited to see Lux as very young and pierced, perhaps rebellious, but later we learn that she has a love of Shakespeare, she is from Croatia, and she understands human nature much more than anyone else in the book. Ali blurs the lines between normality and insanity - somehow, I felt no judgement as a reader that Sophia sees a human head floating. At times Sophia is the strongest character in the book! Certainly, this is a novel in which the female character lead the plot - and stand out as multifaceted individuals.
March 24, 2018
Scarlett Ward in the Spotlight
I caught up with the busy bee that is Scarlett Ward! Scarlett is a artist and performance poet who will be performing at the Shakespearience Literary Festival in April.
Isabelle: How do you usually start writing a poem? Is there a process?Scarlett: I don’t necessarily have a strict regime to my writing process. A lot of the time I am struck by the language I’ve picked up through conversation or reading. I’m very fond of onomatopoeic words that sing to you as much as they convey meaning, so if I hear something that chimes nicely in my mind, I’ll jot it down in the notes section of my phone. I have pages and pages of odd words here and there- I’m a big collector of words that I’ll return to and use as the founding blocks of a poem that I’ll build around them. However, I also believe that you must create a fertile space to write, you can’t just rely on inspiration striking, so it’s important to provide yourself with the time to work despite your 9-5 or other responsibilities.Isabelle: When did you start performing your poetry and do you think it is important to speak your words rather than simply write them down?Scarlett: I actually started off as a very visual-based poet. I merged my work with elements of painting, drawing and photography and would make my poetry an image to be looked at rather than just read. I still practice this as I truly believe that form and structure is an integral part of poetry, but it wasn’t until I made good friends with incredible American Poet Kate Foley during my later years at uni that I truly appreciated what performed poetry can offer beyond the written word. I am so grateful to Kate for that, we’d smoke in a student bathroom with a group of pals and I’d be in awe of the way she’d perform her work with such raw emotion. It was like a light went on in my head and I was like “fuck, there are so many other ways to tell a story”. 
We’d go to these crazy and really quite odd open mic nights in Mosely together and I’d park illegally in some dodgy ill-lit lane and we wouldn’t get home till super late because it was the only poetry night we knew of haha. Since then I really tried to overcome my shyness by performing at more and more open mics, and even though we don’t talk often since she moved back to America, I’ll always be so grateful to Kate for that pivotal moment and for her friendship.Isabelle: Can you tell me a bit more about the poetry events you run?Scarlett: My father bought a café in my small town of Cannock, and my whole family was excited to do something creative with this space. I knew I wanted to do a spoken word night in my town because Birmingham is 45 minutes away which can be far for people who work full time or are in education. At the time I teamed up with some friends but they have since moved onto other projects so I run the evenings myself. We have a really chilled out atmosphere, loads of sofas, plenty of coffee and a welcoming atmosphere! I have met some of my very best friends through these spoken word evenings and I think the very nature of baring your soul through poetry brings people together anyway. 
I met young poet laureate Rebecca Lockwood last April and it’s been a pleasure to watch how her work has developed and blossomed with each performance as we’ve gotten closer and closer. She recently released her first pamphlet “Grace” and I am so proud to see the mature and excellent Poet she’s grown into. The same can be said for so many others who I’ve had the pleasure of becoming close to. The next one is Thursday match 29th! It’s always the last Thursday of the month!Isabelle: Who are your favourite poets?Scarlett: Without a moment’s hesitation I say Sylvia Plath, however she’s had decades of accolade, so I want to talk about some of my favourite poets I’ve recently discovered and can’t stop reading right now. Liz Berry has a very special place in my heart because her celebration of the west midlands black country accent has really helped inspire me not just as a poet but as a human to have more self acceptance and identity. Her book “Black Country” is as gentle and vulnerable as it is revolutionary and fierce.Another poet I really love at the moment is Kaveh Akbar. I had the pleasure of watching him perform at Verve Poetry Festival in Waterstones Birmingham. His work has to be chewed, yet will fill you up with every flavour of emotion you can imagine. Like I said earlier, I love words that sing and chime and sound wonderful, and his book “Calling A Wolf A Wolf” is a testament to his wonderful talent. He is also an incredible person, the way he even talks about every day thoughts are soaked in so much poetic meaning that you feel somehow inspired by osmosis. Do buy his book!Isabelle: Do you have any projects you are currently working on or looking forward to?Scarlett: I am currently putting my poetry manuscript together. I want it to be the very best as it can be. I’m constantly writing, but I think the shine comes from the process of editing. I’d love it to be published but for now I’m working on getting it right for myself.I’m guest speaker at Southcart Books in Walsall Saturday 24th March which I’m very excited about because Scott and Amy pour their hearts into that gorgeous little bookshop and with Richard Archer their poetry events are always so lovely and supportive. I’m going to be performing at The Shakespearience literary festival in April and have also volunteered to help out at the Birmingham literature festival this Spring!Thank you Scarlett! Check out Scarlett on social media:TwitterInstagram
Isabelle: How do you usually start writing a poem? Is there a process?Scarlett: I don’t necessarily have a strict regime to my writing process. A lot of the time I am struck by the language I’ve picked up through conversation or reading. I’m very fond of onomatopoeic words that sing to you as much as they convey meaning, so if I hear something that chimes nicely in my mind, I’ll jot it down in the notes section of my phone. I have pages and pages of odd words here and there- I’m a big collector of words that I’ll return to and use as the founding blocks of a poem that I’ll build around them. However, I also believe that you must create a fertile space to write, you can’t just rely on inspiration striking, so it’s important to provide yourself with the time to work despite your 9-5 or other responsibilities.Isabelle: When did you start performing your poetry and do you think it is important to speak your words rather than simply write them down?Scarlett: I actually started off as a very visual-based poet. I merged my work with elements of painting, drawing and photography and would make my poetry an image to be looked at rather than just read. I still practice this as I truly believe that form and structure is an integral part of poetry, but it wasn’t until I made good friends with incredible American Poet Kate Foley during my later years at uni that I truly appreciated what performed poetry can offer beyond the written word. I am so grateful to Kate for that, we’d smoke in a student bathroom with a group of pals and I’d be in awe of the way she’d perform her work with such raw emotion. It was like a light went on in my head and I was like “fuck, there are so many other ways to tell a story”. We’d go to these crazy and really quite odd open mic nights in Mosely together and I’d park illegally in some dodgy ill-lit lane and we wouldn’t get home till super late because it was the only poetry night we knew of haha. Since then I really tried to overcome my shyness by performing at more and more open mics, and even though we don’t talk often since she moved back to America, I’ll always be so grateful to Kate for that pivotal moment and for her friendship.Isabelle: Can you tell me a bit more about the poetry events you run?Scarlett: My father bought a café in my small town of Cannock, and my whole family was excited to do something creative with this space. I knew I wanted to do a spoken word night in my town because Birmingham is 45 minutes away which can be far for people who work full time or are in education. At the time I teamed up with some friends but they have since moved onto other projects so I run the evenings myself. We have a really chilled out atmosphere, loads of sofas, plenty of coffee and a welcoming atmosphere! I have met some of my very best friends through these spoken word evenings and I think the very nature of baring your soul through poetry brings people together anyway. I met young poet laureate Rebecca Lockwood last April and it’s been a pleasure to watch how her work has developed and blossomed with each performance as we’ve gotten closer and closer. She recently released her first pamphlet “Grace” and I am so proud to see the mature and excellent Poet she’s grown into. The same can be said for so many others who I’ve had the pleasure of becoming close to. The next one is Thursday match 29th! It’s always the last Thursday of the month!Isabelle: Who are your favourite poets?Scarlett: Without a moment’s hesitation I say Sylvia Plath, however she’s had decades of accolade, so I want to talk about some of my favourite poets I’ve recently discovered and can’t stop reading right now. Liz Berry has a very special place in my heart because her celebration of the west midlands black country accent has really helped inspire me not just as a poet but as a human to have more self acceptance and identity. Her book “Black Country” is as gentle and vulnerable as it is revolutionary and fierce.Another poet I really love at the moment is Kaveh Akbar. I had the pleasure of watching him perform at Verve Poetry Festival in Waterstones Birmingham. His work has to be chewed, yet will fill you up with every flavour of emotion you can imagine. Like I said earlier, I love words that sing and chime and sound wonderful, and his book “Calling A Wolf A Wolf” is a testament to his wonderful talent. He is also an incredible person, the way he even talks about every day thoughts are soaked in so much poetic meaning that you feel somehow inspired by osmosis. Do buy his book!Isabelle: Do you have any projects you are currently working on or looking forward to?Scarlett: I am currently putting my poetry manuscript together. I want it to be the very best as it can be. I’m constantly writing, but I think the shine comes from the process of editing. I’d love it to be published but for now I’m working on getting it right for myself.I’m guest speaker at Southcart Books in Walsall Saturday 24th March which I’m very excited about because Scott and Amy pour their hearts into that gorgeous little bookshop and with Richard Archer their poetry events are always so lovely and supportive. I’m going to be performing at The Shakespearience literary festival in April and have also volunteered to help out at the Birmingham literature festival this Spring!Thank you Scarlett! Check out Scarlett on social media:TwitterInstagram
March 20, 2018
2 Shining Authors To Watch Out For
I am reviewing these heart breaking poetry books together because the authors, D. E. Kerr and Ashley Rose, unknowingly have written books which complement each other beautifully.Carnival Games by D. E. Kerr
I have always been a big fan of Kerr's writing and I was excited to read an advanced reading copy of her debut poetry book!Carnival Games tells the story of a relationship which became carnivalesque - grotesque in its forced smiles, in the masks the two lovers began to wear.
Parts of my favourite moments from the book are above. Kerr's writing is fierce and unrepentant - although there is remorse, there is a strength in her words. The story of bringing power back into her life after the aftermath of an abusive relationship is what stays with the reader most - words are not prettily dressed up but they have a message to bring and I definitely sat up and listened.Our Own Battles by Ashley Rose
This is a feminist call out and I have to say I was calling out 'YES' the whole time. Ashley's voice was full of strength and confidence and I loved the suggestion of the world that we can live in, if women support each other. My favourite poems deconstructed the 'fairytales' of romance - the 'male' story, and, dare I say it, 'mansplaining'. 
The book's title says it all: Ashley can fight her own battles and she does not need saving! I am intrigued to read the sister book to this: Anne Chivon’s 'In your false kingdoms'.The two books speak of being happy in your own skin - realising that the only person left to fight their battles is themselves, and that they are the only person suited for the job anyway.Add Carnival Games on Goodreads hereAdd Our Own Battles on Goodreads here
I have always been a big fan of Kerr's writing and I was excited to read an advanced reading copy of her debut poetry book!Carnival Games tells the story of a relationship which became carnivalesque - grotesque in its forced smiles, in the masks the two lovers began to wear.Parts of my favourite moments from the book are above. Kerr's writing is fierce and unrepentant - although there is remorse, there is a strength in her words. The story of bringing power back into her life after the aftermath of an abusive relationship is what stays with the reader most - words are not prettily dressed up but they have a message to bring and I definitely sat up and listened.Our Own Battles by Ashley RoseThis is a feminist call out and I have to say I was calling out 'YES' the whole time. Ashley's voice was full of strength and confidence and I loved the suggestion of the world that we can live in, if women support each other. My favourite poems deconstructed the 'fairytales' of romance - the 'male' story, and, dare I say it, 'mansplaining'. The book's title says it all: Ashley can fight her own battles and she does not need saving! I am intrigued to read the sister book to this: Anne Chivon’s 'In your false kingdoms'.The two books speak of being happy in your own skin - realising that the only person left to fight their battles is themselves, and that they are the only person suited for the job anyway.Add Carnival Games on Goodreads hereAdd Our Own Battles on Goodreads here
