Ian Gouge's Blog, page 4

“Strange Husbandry”

On first reading I was distinctly unimpressed with Lorcán Black’s “Strange Husbandry”. Indeed, I very nearly didn’t finish it. But I put it aside (for a couple of months) and re-read it last week. [This is a new process I seem to have adopted with poetry collections – especially those I struggle with initially.] The … Continue reading “Strange Husbandry” →

“The Black Snow”

The language in Paul Lynch’s “The Black Snow” possesses a kind of sustained lyricism which blends the poetic, the archaic, and the rural vocabulary of old Ireland. If you’re not au fait with the language, occasionally you can get lost in it (in the sense of not being quite sure what is being said) and … Continue reading “The Black Snow” →

“Less” – published today!

I have a new collection of poetry out today: Less. It may well be my last. The blurb: Less (adv.) a smaller amount (of) In this, Ian Gouge’s eleventh collection of poetry, “less” is characterised by absence: of love, of money, of understanding, and of life. We are exposed — on occasion brutally — to an … Continue reading “Less” – published today! →

Book trailers

Over the last few weeks I have been generating short video trailers for my books (most are less than a minute long). Here they all are collected in one place!

“Less” – published on Tuesday!

I have a new collection of poetry out on the 1st April: Less. The blurb: Less (adv.) a smaller amount (of) In this, Ian Gouge’s eleventh collection of poetry, “less” is characterised by absence: of love, of money, of understanding, and of life. We are exposed — on occasion brutally — to an experience of the … Continue reading “Less” – published on Tuesday! →

“Ham on Rye”

I have just read Charles Bukowski’s Ham on Rye in double-quick time. It’s urgent, powerful, raw – and like Henry Chinaski himself, doesn’t pull any punches. It’s a book which also peels back layers on society, on belonging (and not belonging), on the treadmill of vacuous routine. Pointlessness is never very far away, and romance … Continue reading “Ham on Rye” →

“The Big Frog Theory”

A new version of my magic realism novel is coming soon! (19th April) What do you most need when facing the complete disintegration of the life you have been leading? Where does the loss of your job and the betrayal of your wife lead you? Well, in Neville’s case to a small tea shop at … Continue reading “The Big Frog Theory” →

“The City and its Uncertain Walls”

Having read just about everything he’s written, it’s fair to say that I’m a huge fan of Haruki Murakami. On that basis, I started reading “The City and its Uncertain Walls” with a degree of relish. However, whilst in many respects “City” is typical Murakami, there are a couple of things that bother me about … Continue reading “The City and its Uncertain Walls” →

“Less” – coming soon, a new book!

I have a new collection of poetry out on the 1st April: Less. The blurb: Less (adv.) a smaller amount (of) In this, Ian Gouge’s eleventh collection of poetry, “less” is characterised by absence: of love, of money, of understanding, and of life. We are exposed — on occasion brutally — to an experience of the … Continue reading “Less” – coming soon, a new book! →

“An Arbitrary Light Bulb”

There is a challenge in reading poetry which is intrinsically personal to the poet. Often, in order to get the most from a piece, you need to know the people concerned or the places described or the events which happened. Without this, striving for interpretation can feel a little like reading with one metaphorical hand … Continue reading “An Arbitrary Light Bulb” →