Another Seven Days

Monday 22nd August 2016

Indoors all day catching up on typesetting. Read some Julia Eff material. Listened to lots of songs by The Cult, watched some mint eighties footage of She Sells Sanctuary and Rain plus a 20 minute video of Billy Duffy explaining his guitar set-up. Good to see Southern Death Cult clips for Moya and Fatman. Haven’t spoken to anyone, just sent facebook messages. 10.40 pm.

Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Wanted to be out on the 27-speed tonight but decided to stay in and do some editing instead, save energy for a longboard session after tomorrow’s workshop. Got more material and ideas together for my autumn course. Pretty much sequenced activities for the first four sessions. 

Saw a picture of Martyn Ashton in his wheelchair reunited with his nineties Cannondale trials bike, the one he used in the Tricks and Stunts video – the film that taught me so much of the trials stuff that preoccupied the first half of my thirties. Sad that such a good guy ends up losing his ability to walk... 

Not giving much time to politics at present – most of it is rigged anyway. That said, I don’t wish to become apathetic to the wicked ways of the world. 10.50 pm.

Wednesday 24th August 2016

Awake at half six this morning. Couldn’t get back to sleep. Didn’t leave till after twelve for the workshop. It went well. Characters’ wants and needs. Line breaks in poetry. Last line prompts. Enjoyed hearing all the work produced. Slept a bit on the bus back. Another five hour round trip. Was in two minds about going out tonight. The new longboard isn’t anywhere near as fast as the pintail. This I like. Feel more confident. Couldn’t really hit my favourite lines in the park due to lots of people walking their dogs. I rode in the Car park behind Middle Street. Good session. Could actually crouch right down low with ease. Once or twice I got the back wheels to break into a slide. A bit more oomph and a bit more bottle and I’ll be there. Really chuffed I got the new board. Mediterranean veggie pizza was good tonight. Computer sounds like a hoover. 11.34 pm.

Thursday 25th August 2016

Decided to stay away from the desktop computer as much as possible today and read a novel called "The Sound of Loneliness" by Craig Wallwork. It’s a portrait of the young man as starving artist set in nineties Manchester. I’m over half way through and it’s very good. I don’t usually last more than about three chapters with novels – get sidetracked then never return to them. 

Never thought a couple of hours longboarding would leave me aching all over but things hurt today. Good to just sit on the couch and read, although I always feel as though lengthy reading sessions are leisure and not proper study of the craft. I always feel guilty and think I should be grafting away at lesson plans or keying in prose or critiquing someone’s something or other. Weather’s been shit but forecast good for tomorrow. Another bike ride hopefully. 11.10 pm.

Friday 26th August 2016

Awake at five, morning pages half six. Read a really lousy short story in "Year's Best Short Stories 2016" anthology. Then out on the big bike up Waskerley Way to Parkhead then over to Blanchland. The climb back was a bit full-on  but long descent back into Castleside was mint. Slept for a while then read more of Mr Wallwork’s novel. Thought I’d finish it today but you know what thought did. Had some facebook messages back and forth with Tony Gadd about the C2C cycle route. I’d be keen to do it next year if my knee caps could cope with 45 miles three days in a row. Haven’t been out for bank transactions and groceries yet. Trying not to spend too much for a while. 11.27 pm.

Saturday 27th August 2016

Out this morning to the bank then bought groceries, back to finish ‘The Sound of Loneliness’ this afternoon. I wrote to the author, Craig Wallwork, and got a swift reply and a link to some of his stories. 11.32 pm.

Sunday 28th August 2016

Heard some mint reworkings of Queen songs by Kerry Ellis and Brian May. Got thirty-five pages of selected journals added to the ANOMALIES 1989-2014 book file. Only a few more selections to add and I’ll make a hardback book of it and get some production pix up online. Ok 11.26 pm.