Do You Realise...? - This Blog Isn't Quite Totally Fugazi

Tuesday 18th June 2013

I seem to prepare more and more for the sessions these days. The number (and mood) of participants cannot be predicted, so I always need a full ten copies of all the handouts. Today there were lots from a Sudden Fiction book and a Robert Frost poem. People I didn’t expect to see turned up. We had a good two hours on small press publications, word choices, terza rima and walking in another writer’s shoes. Fell asleep on the bus home… I realise I am totally insular and lack the curiosity to look beyond my snotty nose a lot of the time. Much of what I write wouldn’t make it past an editor; some of it is okay, only a tiny fraction of it finds a home between the covers of small press publications or on the stage of regional spoken word events. I am grateful when anybody pays the slightest interest. I took time off tonight coz I’m frazzled. Been reading for leisure, which always seems like a guilty pleasure. Lots to do tomorrow. 8.31pm.

Wednesday 19th June 2013

Today’s Waddy session went well. Some memoir triggers and fiction sentence stems then marathon surgery session. Stayed over lunchtime to take part in the staff kitchen quiz. Level Two round on David Bowie probably not the best option but didn’t disgrace myself too much. Mowed the lawn for what must be the first time in over a year. Usually pay local kids to do it. Only took 35 minutes, front and back. This evening I made up a dozen Sunshine book covers. Should get the rest done tomorrow after the MIND workshop if the living room curtain rail doesn’t come crashing down on me. I’ve currently got it held up with multiple lengths of embroidery thread. Think I’ll round off this evening with some eggy bread and a read of a small press pamphlet. Last night’s was Ian Dowson. Monday’s was Michael Kriesel. Wish my book was finished. 10.12pm.

Thursday 20th June 2013

MIND this morning. Lots of positive energy in the room. Apology poems and definitions. Was intending to work on Sunshine today, but have been so hammered that I’ve had to lie down every couple of hours to prevent migraine kicking in. Jenni posted a Facebook status in which she expressed a desire to duet with me on a Lion King song. Can’t remember the title but I’d be singing the Rowan Atkinson part. He used to live a couple of streets away from where I grew up in Bridgehill, no lie. Lazing in the bath listening to Leonard Cohen this afternoon and nodding off this evening. I found some old curtain rail down the side of the freezer and snaffled brackets to fix the one threatening collapse in the living room. Hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow. So tired. 10.12pm.

Friday 21st June 2013

Fucking Hell! Can you get a bus with worse suspension, please? This one just isn’t throwing my head against the window quite hard enough to cause concussion. Jesus Christ! What did you spend the inflated fares on – fucking script writers of better bullshit excuses for being late!  My chest feels like it’s got a rock in it. Indigestion or something. Managed to get remaining 12 book covers marked up, scored and folded this afternoon. Jenni has been unwell. Touch and go whether she’ll make it to Hot Words at the Chilli this evening for her feature set. Dominic Berry is headlining. He’s awesome. 6.23pm.

Saturday 22nd June 2013

Fully intended to go to Flash Fiction workshop this morning but managed to turn up at the wrong venue. Came up with an improvised monologue about Animal, who lives on Jenni’s bookcase, having his typewriter confiscated. After lunch we went to Gateshead for supplies. I bought VHS copy of Misery. Jenni predicted the plot but thought it pretty good anyway. This evening more supplies at Tesco. My first proper day off for over a fortnight. 10.15pm.

Sunday 23rd June 2013

Up quite early to do morning pages. Chatted with Jenni after breakfast then braved torrential rain and back to Consett. Eight hours doing college paperwork interspersed with brief Facebook correspondences. Listen to The Mission, Emilie Autumn, Jesus and the Marychain to take the edge off the monotony. How full-time teachers cope is beyond me. Bed please. Please? 10.47pm.

Monday 24th June 2013

Okay, so it’s quarter past four. I’m at the drop-leaf table and my bag is packed for the Spoken Word Megabash gig at Lamplight. Set list, guest biogs, other event announcements. Contact lenses, video camera and tripod. Copies of my books – see, who says I’m not optimistic? It’s taken me most of the day to get sorted. Just as well I did most of my Waddy paperwork yesterday. Still need a session plan for tomorrow. Will do it in the morning. Gonna go buy milk and have chicken pasta for tea then head off to Stanley. 4.16pm.

Later: Absolutely brilliant night at Lamplight in the Derwent Suite. Seven guest performers, 10 open mikers. A packed room upstairs. We went for three hours. So good to give the open mic one last big gig. Thanks everyone. 11.35pm.

Tuesday 25th June 2013

Really tired today. Good responses to last night’s Megabash. Pleased it went so well. Didn’t know how I was going to get through the workshop this afternoon.  We did a review of work since September, got some stuff selected for a possible open day reading. Paperwork a pain. Last week of term is always a headache. I would want at least two grand a week to be a full time teacher. Must get to bed early tonight. Hopefully feel a bit better tomorrow. 10.21pm.

Wednesday 26th June 2013

Today has been a mix of great and awful. Really nice informal end to writing course sparked by one of the newer participants asking about Live for the Word. She’d read it in my copy of Hypomaniac left lying on the seminar room table at the start of the session. Told the group a bit about publishing, creativity and mental health, encouraged participation in upcoming reading and two hours flew by. This afternoon the pain of bureaucracy. I hate filling in forms as much as students do. Didn’t leave the Centre till five. Home by six. New message from one of the Consett MIND writers saying it was the best night out she’s had with her family for a long time. Totally chuffed to read that. Just packed my case for tomorrow’s session in Peterlee. Bit of a headache coming on. Bed soon 9.29pm.

Thursday 27th June 2013

Intimate little MIND workshop with five people in Peterlee. Standard beginners stuff. Just been back into Waddy to drop my case off, will pick up again tomorrow. Had a chat with Ali about student’s pamphlet. Hopefully get to work on it at home next week. Really wanted to work on my own book but I can see it being fucking August before Sunshine comes out. Raining now. Cold air blowing down the back of my neck, on the 21 to Newcastle for JibbaJabba this evening at the Cumberland Arms. Low-key appearance – doorman, ha-ha! Might go and get a seated meal somewhere. Burger at Yates’s or maybe a crown carvery at the Goose. 5.09pm.

Later: Great night at JibbaJabba. Loved the musicians, some excellent open mic. Funny shorts from Ken Creen, storybook fox from Jane Burn, cats from Ettrick Scott, Ian McGregor Hart medley with Parrot Noise. Ira Lightman as off the wall as ever. Loved his opening monologue. His poems that followed really surreal, some ukulele songs as well. Asa was great. Loved his Not Jesus Christ piece. Comedian pretty funny. Jenni did some little stand-up pieces and a poem for our upcoming anniversary. 10.55pm.

Friday 28th June 2013

Not long at the computer this morning before dashing out to buy food supplies. Bit more Facebooking upon my return, egg on toast, then out to Waddy for the leaving party of deputy manager, Susan. A very emotional afternoon. Hope she’s okay in her new job… I pretty much got the words to a sunshine poem in my head on the way to Durham but struggled with it on the way home. Too tired. It’s been a long week. Put ‘Raingods with Zippos’ full album by Fish on YouTube and fell asleep on the bed. Pleased I don’t have to be anywhere this evening. House is a mess. Hopefully get time to give the place a good de-clutter over the summer. Currently listening to Punch and Judy by Fish-era Marillion. Great stuff. Think I’ll need an early night coz I’m off to Jenni’s early morning. We’re going to the Roller Derby. Haven’t seen the Newcastle Roller Girls for months. Looking forward to a lazy weekend. Pleased to be done here. 9.44pm.