Mark Ward's Blog, page 4

Notes from the Margins #24

Three months! It’s been a long time folks!

News. I’ve two new things. First, one of my favourite poems from my (yes, I’m still working on it) book,��Circumference��called Night Sweats was published in��Glitterwolf��#8

Secondly, Glitterwolf had a special called��Letter to My Sixteen Year Old Self and I’ve a letter in that as well. It’s in the back of issue 8 of Glitterwolf AND the letters are printed in their own standalone special with exclusive, gorgeous cover.

In other news, I spent the past few months collating,��working on, reworking and finishing a new chapbook called��How to Live When Life Subtracts.��Spanning ten years (!) of poetry, it’s the shortest collection I’ve ever put together – it’s laser sharp in its focus and I think it is the best thing I’ve done yet. It’s off across an ocean to The Publisher of My Dreams���. Keep your fingers, toes and bits crossed for me.

Apart from that, I’m slowly ripping apart, rebuilding and rewriting��Circumference. Some poems bear little, if any, resemblance to what they did a year ago. This is good. It’s going to take some time, but I’ll get there – the new versions are��much��improved. :)

Notes from the Margins #23

So far, I must say, January has been excellent. Two��Three more bits of poetry news for you.

Firstly, there’s a new “queer lit rag” on the scene called��The Wild Ones and I have a poem in their first issue (due at the end of January). I rather like the poem’s title which is��The Night It Was Decided That Dublin Needed a New Gay Sauna.

Secondlly, Sibling Rivalry Press teamed up with HBO and Looking to promote the new season and were looking for ten poems about San Francisco (past or present). Winners��got Season 1’s boxset and (more importantly), the winning poems have been sent to Looking’s marketing team. What they do with them nobody knows (although I like to think that there’s a poet character next season and they needed a poem and then they read mine….. a boy can dream). Anywho, the favourites are:

Finally, I decided that Dublin needed a dedicated queer poetry night and, in conjunction with Outhouse Library, I have set up WELL-VERSED which is a monthly LGBTQ poetry night. Each one features two invited poets (who each read for 15-20 minutes) and an open mic. First up, we have journalist and historian, Una Mullally and shining light of the spoken word scene, Stephen Clare. Details here.

Notes from the Margin #22

Big News.

I’ve been asked (and OBVIOUSLY accepted) to be Glitterwolf’s 2015 Poet Laureate! Utterly thrilled, delighted and excited at this! My first issue as Laureate is #7 (cover below) and I’ve three poems from Circumference in it – they’re a trilogy/triptych called Religious Education. Thanks so much Matt Cresswell!

Notes from the Margin #21

I somehow completly forgot to post this here (!)

My short short story, The Next Village, is in the new issue (#6) of Jonathan, published by SRP! Delighted!

Copies can be ordered direct from SRP, through The Book Depository and Amazon.

Notes from the Margins #20

(Click the above picture to see it in its full size beauty.)

Delighted to announce that my particularly vicious poem, Revenge, is due to be published in Glitterwolf‘s Halloween Special. As you can see from above it will have FOUR beautiful variant covers. I very well may have to get all four! Chuffed to be featured in the mighty Glitterwolf again!

~

In other news, I have been collating/working on a new chapbook made up of old and new pieces. It’s called How To Live When Life Subtracts. Submitting it to a very nice chapbook contest soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Otherwise, I have been mostly writing odd little single poems and working on and off on my cyborg-with-a-gambling-addiction-and-now-a-backstory poem.

 

Notes from the Margins #19

OUT OF SEQUENCE: THE SONNETS REMIXED is a 154-part anthology edited by D. Gilson where each poet remixes a sonnet. My poem, The Full Deck, used a remixed first line of Sonnet 75 as its jumping off point. A huge undertaking (what with 155 contributers!) it is published today on Upstart: A Journal of English Renaissance Studies’ website. The index page to OoS, listing all of the poets and their poems is here. A print version comes later this year from Parlor Press. Delighted to be part of this anthology! Thanks D.!

In other news, my gambling-addicted cyborg is gaining a backstory, and separate to that, I am writing lots of unconnected poems which is nice as its something I haven’t been able to do for quite some time.

I should hear about whether or not my book is accepted by the publisher of my dreams in the next few weeks and I can currently think of little else.

 

Notes from the Margins #18

Brief update!

The first poem from Circumference to be published – A School Photograph – will be in Storm Cellar Vol 4, no.1, which is out on the 15th August.

Details about how to order (it comes in both print and electronic format, fyi), and a link to the journal’s webpage are here.

In other news, due to an inspiring typo, I am writing a poem about a cyborg with a gambling addiction.

Notes from the Margins #17

Firstly, and foremostly, my poem Next Town Over Kid was published today on the excellent Good Men Project website. They feature some stellar poets and I’m delighted and honoured to have my poem there.

Next Town Over Kid , it may be of interest, is an out-take from Circumference, which is the first in my American G.I. series. It would not fit anywhere in the book so I’m glad it has found a home.

In other news, there’s not much other news. My cabaret muscles are being flexed this week with underCURRENT’s summer show. If you’re in Dublin, and the thought of drag, choreography, jazz hands, singing and general faggotry appeals, then come down and see it.

Writing-wise, things are quiet. A few new pieces that I’m still ruminating on, and a haiku that I’m very happy with. Oh, and a poem with a title I’m incredibly proud of: The Priapic Prepubescent.

Finally, Circumference is currently being considered for publication by the publisher of my dreams. Do me a favour and throw me a little prayer/goodwill/fairy dust/positive thinking towards the book. I am keeping all of my bits crossed.

Until next time…

Notes from the Margins #16

NEWS!

Blue Boy went very well. I freaked audiences out, and occasionally made them cry. Which is all you can hope for as an actrine of the highest calibration

*ahem*

The book, which is titled Circumference, is finished and being sent to the publisher of my dreams next week. Keep all your bits crossed for me.

The first poem from that manuscript to be accepted for publication is A School Photograph which will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Storm Cellar.

In other news, I will have a short story called The Next Village in the next issue of Jonathan, which I am utterly delighted about!

Had a great time in the festival this year. The absolute highlight for me was Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho which if you get a chance to see (or even read) do!

This bullet point news post has been brought to you by the need to rush as I am on my teabreak

BAI

Notes from the Margins #15

NEWS!

I am sitting with the manuscript of Book One of American G.I. in my hands. I hope to finish it this month (this WEEK if I have MY way). AND THEN TAKE OVER THE WORLD *koffkoff*

Interesting fact: there are 33 poems in the book. Perhaps I am trying to be Jesus, no?

NEWS!

Blue Boy has been programmed into the 2014 International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival (!) as part of the International Theatre Shorts Programme (!).

It will be on for a week (from 12th – 17th May) in the Cobalt Cafe in North Great Georges St and yours truly will be starring in it (doing a one-man show! I’M NOT SCARED AT ALL)

Below is the blurb for the show and for more info, including where to buy tickets go here.

As James Cullen steps up to the microphone to read a batch of poems he’s read hundreds of times before, he shivers, thinking he saw something he couldn’t, something from his past and instead he decides to read the poem that’s been living for years at the back of his head. Tonight is when he finally faces up to what happened. And what he did.

Blurring the lines between dramatic monologue and performance poetry, acclaimed writer/performer Mark Ward (Saliva 2011, The Middle Distance 2010) returns to the Theatre Shorts with an unconventional, challenging and confrontational new show.

PS. My good friends, Lady K and Ruby Noir, have a musical extravaganza of a show called Acceptable in the 80′s on in the festival as well AND YOU SHOULD GO SEE THAT TOO. Info, pics, tickets here.