Ian Gouge's Blog, page 44

Yesterday & Today: 7th March

Something of a varied day yesterday, the highlight probably being the evening’s North Yorkshire Stanza meeting which to my mind was one of our best for a while, with a collection of stand-out poems. My Villanelle, “The Schooner”, went down particularly well – mainly because they’re so hard to write! I think you get kudos … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 7th March →

Yesterday & Today: 6th March

The opening section of my new fiction project “C” introduces the four main characters, but the next chapter to be written introduces the final two. Perhaps that is why, when I started to tackle the latter yesterday, it proved harder going that I might have imagined. It was almost as if I was beginning another … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 6th March →

Yesterday & Today: 5th March

Another surprising one yesterday when again the two key things I ended up doing simply weren’t on my radar at the beginning of the day. The first of these was the completion of a draft of “B” – which is the follow-on to Crash and, if things go as I expect them to, will be … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 5th March →

“Close Range: Wyoming Stories”

Having read The Shipping News I was keen to try something else by Annie Proulx. Close Range: Wyoming Stories is a completely different kettle of fish. I was immediately struck by how hard, brutal, and coarse the stories are. Whilst this is undoubtedly a reflection of the subject matter, it would have been easy for … Continue reading “Close Range: Wyoming Stories” →

Yesterday & Today: 4th March

It’s odd how some days end up with a work-profile you simply hadn’t foreseen. Yesterday was one such day where two of the three things on which I spent my time weren’t really on my radar at all – and those that were, didn’t happen. An hour’s solo rehearsing of Crash trying to consolidate what … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 4th March →

Yesterday & Today: 3rd March

How did the first proper Crash rehearsal go yesterday? I thought really well. Andy and I went through the first section about six times, including the non-verbal context and scene setting. Having someone who knows what they’re doing asking you the right questions and making good suggestions is invaluable. Already I’m wondering how awful it … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 3rd March →

What is Poetry for?

As a sometime poet who has written and published hundreds of poems, I believe I am qualified to ask such a question. Indeed, I will go further and answer it: too many of my poems are – given certain criteria – largely irrelevant, inconsequential, and change nothing. As yours may be – if you write … Continue reading What is Poetry for? →

Yesterday & Today: 2nd March

I managed to get a lot done yesterday, which was good. As planned, I worked through the potential episodes for “C” and now have some kind of sequence which I can further refine and consider. Unplanned was the production of two podcast episodes, one a reading of the draft opening of “C”, the other a … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 2nd March →

New Podcast episodes!

I have just posted two new episode to my podcast: 1 – “What is Poetry for?” – an article which looks at the function and worth of poetry. 2 – “17 Alma Road” – the draft beginning of a work-in-progress which may turn into a novel or novella. You can find both here.

Haiku Play

One of the ‘Haiku Plays’ produced during the ‘Write-on Ripon’ meeting of 28th February. the black cylinders of automatic rifles bitter liquorice black burns the sore throat stinging flavour grasping breath gagging the stomach skin shred like flailed rags seeping scarlet oozing slow warm blood-flecked spittle peaceful people all must suffer at others' hands prey … Continue reading Haiku Play →