I remember sitting on the pavement with Shaun and Andrew next to the yellow gritbox where Alston Terrace meets Backstone Road on a sunny afternoon. Somehow the conversation turned to diary keeping. I remember saying I would need a big book for a diary to put down all the things that I think in a day.
And about five years later, I was a diarist. Thank you, Henry Rollins and Charles Bukowski.
I was awake till half two this morning after working late. But still back up by nine.
Today I will mostly be very tired. Trying to write on little sleep isn't great. But yesterday was good. I felt like a writer. I liked being able to sit at the screen without having to refer to notes on paper, having to look left to read my scrawl. I think daily typing into the phone works well. I don't care how meta or messy I get in notebooks. You can't edit a blank page.
Two hours a day now will be devoted to 'content' creation. I edit out some of the more candid passages. And keep some of the really good stuff to work up as proper flash vignettes. But I like the idea of just putting stuff out there. I like being a diarist. I like not having to keep getting stuff officially published all the time to feel legitimate. Sure, it's good to get validation - and I will be seeking more of it – but I like just freewriting and sharing as I see fit.
I am easily sidetracked. It's why I limit myself to just a few core activities and sod everything else. Otherwise, I'd never finish anything.
Yesterday, I read the opening story from The Hotel by Daisy Johnson. I'd never heard of her. But she popped up in a feed with a link to an interview. I ordered her novel Sisters from the library. As if I don't have too much to read already. OK. 9.45am.
LATER: Read some of Vanessa Gebbie's 51 AND A HALF on the bus to Gateshead. Me and Jenni watched Women in Rock: Patti Smith, Tina Weymouth, Joni Mitchell, Deborah Harry, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Joan Jett. Even Kira Roessler from Black Flag. Good stuff. OK. 11.28pm.
Sunday 2nd February 2025
And about five years later, I was a diarist. Thank you, Henry Rollins and Charles Bukowski.
I was awake till half two this morning after working late. But still back up by nine.
Today I will mostly be very tired. Trying to write on little sleep isn't great. But yesterday was good. I felt like a writer. I liked being able to sit at the screen without having to refer to notes on paper, having to look left to read my scrawl. I think daily typing into the phone works well. I don't care how meta or messy I get in notebooks. You can't edit a blank page.
Two hours a day now will be devoted to 'content' creation. I edit out some of the more candid passages. And keep some of the really good stuff to work up as proper flash vignettes. But I like the idea of just putting stuff out there. I like being a diarist. I like not having to keep getting stuff officially published all the time to feel legitimate. Sure, it's good to get validation - and I will be seeking more of it – but I like just freewriting and sharing as I see fit.
I am easily sidetracked. It's why I limit myself to just a few core activities and sod everything else. Otherwise, I'd never finish anything.
Yesterday, I read the opening story from The Hotel by Daisy Johnson. I'd never heard of her. But she popped up in a feed with a link to an interview. I ordered her novel Sisters from the library. As if I don't have too much to read already. OK. 9.45am.
LATER: Read some of Vanessa Gebbie's 51 AND A HALF on the bus to Gateshead. Me and Jenni watched Women in Rock: Patti Smith, Tina Weymouth, Joni Mitchell, Deborah Harry, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Joan Jett. Even Kira Roessler from Black Flag. Good stuff. OK. 11.28pm.
Sunday 2nd February 2025
Morning Pages. I kept Jenni awake with my snoring, so she went back to bed, and I did some typing. This afternoon we went into town for supplies. Jenni made a magnificent veggie curry and later we watched Reece Shearsmith's Jekyll and Hyde. Then Ian Rankin exploring origins of the same story. OK. 11.05pm.
Monday 3rd February 2025
Thanks to Alan from Consett Writers (from MIND and ten years at the library) for chat and for buying Octopus and Final today, two of my pamphlets from 2023.
Back home I keyed in notes and did some admin online for Wednesday's Durham Carers Writing Session. Tonight, I uploaded December’s Poetry Jam pix. And typed up two retrospective lesson plans.
Listened to Levitate by Toyah. Wish I could see her play live again. But doubt I'll get to any gigs unless an audiologist can halt the worsening tinnitus.
Chuffed to get my work done. I've got four days of public engagements this week. OK 11.55pm.
Tuesday 4th February 2025
Morning Pages, email checks, more photocopying at Waddy. Fiction read-throughs for session on bus to Durham. Warm-up prompts, titles for stories, location piece. Read Amanda Quinn's 'In Too Deep' and David Almond's circus story. Trimmed marathon promo cards. Printed flyer for Local Author tour. Lots of bag prep tonight for Belmont. Then type-ups. Journal. OK.10.30pm.
Wednesday 5th February 2025
The number 2O bus to Sunderland stops on Eden Terrace just next to the park in Belmont. The community centre is visible from the road.
Monday 3rd February 2025
Thanks to Alan from Consett Writers (from MIND and ten years at the library) for chat and for buying Octopus and Final today, two of my pamphlets from 2023.
Back home I keyed in notes and did some admin online for Wednesday's Durham Carers Writing Session. Tonight, I uploaded December’s Poetry Jam pix. And typed up two retrospective lesson plans.
Listened to Levitate by Toyah. Wish I could see her play live again. But doubt I'll get to any gigs unless an audiologist can halt the worsening tinnitus.
Chuffed to get my work done. I've got four days of public engagements this week. OK 11.55pm.
Tuesday 4th February 2025
Morning Pages, email checks, more photocopying at Waddy. Fiction read-throughs for session on bus to Durham. Warm-up prompts, titles for stories, location piece. Read Amanda Quinn's 'In Too Deep' and David Almond's circus story. Trimmed marathon promo cards. Printed flyer for Local Author tour. Lots of bag prep tonight for Belmont. Then type-ups. Journal. OK.10.30pm.
Wednesday 5th February 2025
The number 2O bus to Sunderland stops on Eden Terrace just next to the park in Belmont. The community centre is visible from the road.
But before that, a skatepark bowl. Use at your own risk, the sign says. There's a bit of gooey water in the bottom. The coping seems beyond vert. I stood on the edge with my workshop box in my arms. Thirty years ago, I might have considered it.
I headed off to get signed in. The writing session went well. I read Dark House, My Box, Piece of String and Goose Carvery. We did Absurd Words, Hero poems, 26 characters. Consequences, I remember. Gaffney/bed fictions. Triolet. Kennings.
The room was well warm. Short sleeves for me. We did over two hours. I did some work-related correspondence tonight and type-ups.
The first Poetry Jam of the year takes place at Waddington Street Centre tomorrow. Looking forward to it. 11.25pm.
Thursday 6th February 2025
It’s minus one and the frost is quite thick out there. An exposed elbow is sore in sixty seconds. My nose is blocked with hard snot and a hot drink is necessary to make the morning start possible. I want to select a couple of poems for the jam, recheck my session notes for tomorrow’s Washington workshop, and buy something nice for tea.
Last night I read ‘How to Enjoy Poetry’ by Frank Skinner – yes, that FS off the telly.
The book is an essay about Pad, a short poem by Stevie Smith. Frank is quite perceptive and reads a lot into the piece. Surely, more than the author put into it, I reckon. You find that quite a lot in poetry appreciators who aren’t poetry creators. Poems to me are flukes. They come when they want, behave how they want. Too much tampering by the author and they lose their spark, I feel. So just be grateful the lines come, tidy them up a bit before official publication, and on to the next. No-one has a year to agonize over a sestina. Not if they know what’s good for them…
WORK LOG: Morning Pages, email checks. Type-ups and copy-ups. Booked four Poetry Jam guests and sorted stuff for tomorrow's workshop. Set up Poetry Jam, hosted and manned the cafe. Locked up. Journal. OK. 11.36pm.
I headed off to get signed in. The writing session went well. I read Dark House, My Box, Piece of String and Goose Carvery. We did Absurd Words, Hero poems, 26 characters. Consequences, I remember. Gaffney/bed fictions. Triolet. Kennings.
The room was well warm. Short sleeves for me. We did over two hours. I did some work-related correspondence tonight and type-ups.
The first Poetry Jam of the year takes place at Waddington Street Centre tomorrow. Looking forward to it. 11.25pm.
Thursday 6th February 2025
It’s minus one and the frost is quite thick out there. An exposed elbow is sore in sixty seconds. My nose is blocked with hard snot and a hot drink is necessary to make the morning start possible. I want to select a couple of poems for the jam, recheck my session notes for tomorrow’s Washington workshop, and buy something nice for tea.
Last night I read ‘How to Enjoy Poetry’ by Frank Skinner – yes, that FS off the telly.
The book is an essay about Pad, a short poem by Stevie Smith. Frank is quite perceptive and reads a lot into the piece. Surely, more than the author put into it, I reckon. You find that quite a lot in poetry appreciators who aren’t poetry creators. Poems to me are flukes. They come when they want, behave how they want. Too much tampering by the author and they lose their spark, I feel. So just be grateful the lines come, tidy them up a bit before official publication, and on to the next. No-one has a year to agonize over a sestina. Not if they know what’s good for them…
WORK LOG: Morning Pages, email checks. Type-ups and copy-ups. Booked four Poetry Jam guests and sorted stuff for tomorrow's workshop. Set up Poetry Jam, hosted and manned the cafe. Locked up. Journal. OK. 11.36pm.
Friday 7th February 2025
Last night it was 22 degrees in Waddy for Poetry Jam. We had 27 chairs. By half seven we needed another six. Lots of people wanted to read. Lots of people probably didn't get a chance. We had quite a few new people in the room. The range of work quite vast. I don't remember specifics too well.
Ivy Hudson read some football stuff, some Christian stuff, some bits from books about her granddaughters. Another Christian poem then a jaw dropping piece inspired by The Joy of Sex. Well, I never, Ivy! An extra big round of applause for that one.
We had political poems. Steve Wood did some scathing stuff about Trump. Aaron Wright did Trumplestiltskin. He is great at satire. Ross Punton introduced an AI poem as a serious piece, but it was actually quite hilarious. We had a Garland Cinquain from Sharon Milley. A one of the newcomers read about her family and Turkish heritage. She got a huge positive response.
Ivy and Steve each read a poem from the recent writing marathons. Very good of them to mention the workshops. Unfortunately, due to short term memory issues I don’t remember stuff in great detail. But I’ve recorded quite a lot on camcorder for future playback.
Catherine Ayres was our headliner, reading from her new collection Janus. Her delivery was superb. The lovely way she engaged with the room, the fearless use of profanity alongside brilliantly constructed lines of poetry. The highlight for me was her verbatim found/gifted poem from a neighbour's rant about kids throwing stones. She read the first half in polite RP as an intro so people got a sense of what was being said. Then did the whole thing in broad Alnwick accent with the expletives, dramatic pauses, aggression, and humour. It was effing magnificent. She assured us it was word for word what the bloke said. I was so chuffed Catherine was able to make it all the way from Alnwick during term time. She sold a fair few books but refused to take any money from me. Very generous of her to gift me a copy.
GRATITUDE: Thanks Catherine, Steve, Ivy, all the open floor readers, all the helpers, and all at Waddington Street Centre last night. Thanks to all at Arts Centre Washington for writing session this afternoon. Alwyn for lift to Gateshead. And all at Blackhill this evening for a great For Better Or Verse'. OK. 11.59pm.
Saturday 8th February 2025
Last night it was 22 degrees in Waddy for Poetry Jam. We had 27 chairs. By half seven we needed another six. Lots of people wanted to read. Lots of people probably didn't get a chance. We had quite a few new people in the room. The range of work quite vast. I don't remember specifics too well.
Ivy Hudson read some football stuff, some Christian stuff, some bits from books about her granddaughters. Another Christian poem then a jaw dropping piece inspired by The Joy of Sex. Well, I never, Ivy! An extra big round of applause for that one.
We had political poems. Steve Wood did some scathing stuff about Trump. Aaron Wright did Trumplestiltskin. He is great at satire. Ross Punton introduced an AI poem as a serious piece, but it was actually quite hilarious. We had a Garland Cinquain from Sharon Milley. A one of the newcomers read about her family and Turkish heritage. She got a huge positive response.
Ivy and Steve each read a poem from the recent writing marathons. Very good of them to mention the workshops. Unfortunately, due to short term memory issues I don’t remember stuff in great detail. But I’ve recorded quite a lot on camcorder for future playback.
Catherine Ayres was our headliner, reading from her new collection Janus. Her delivery was superb. The lovely way she engaged with the room, the fearless use of profanity alongside brilliantly constructed lines of poetry. The highlight for me was her verbatim found/gifted poem from a neighbour's rant about kids throwing stones. She read the first half in polite RP as an intro so people got a sense of what was being said. Then did the whole thing in broad Alnwick accent with the expletives, dramatic pauses, aggression, and humour. It was effing magnificent. She assured us it was word for word what the bloke said. I was so chuffed Catherine was able to make it all the way from Alnwick during term time. She sold a fair few books but refused to take any money from me. Very generous of her to gift me a copy.
GRATITUDE: Thanks Catherine, Steve, Ivy, all the open floor readers, all the helpers, and all at Waddington Street Centre last night. Thanks to all at Arts Centre Washington for writing session this afternoon. Alwyn for lift to Gateshead. And all at Blackhill this evening for a great For Better Or Verse'. OK. 11.59pm.
Saturday 8th February 2025
Better night's sleep. But still up early so I could go to Gateshead for The Smoke Room session. It was great to be at a little music gig without amplification. I saw Your Casket or Mine, St James Infirmary, Mooshi, Young Property Developers and Bedside Manor. Excellent acoustic music, each playing two sets except Casket. Me and Jenni watched Greatest Guitar Riffs documentaries. Great stuff. 10.50pm.
Sunday 9th February 2025
Stayed in bed till almost midday just keying in pages from Friday and Saturday. Me and Jenni went out for a walk up by Shipley Art Gallery and got supplies at Heron Foods. Had vindaloo beans and hotdogs, watched telly. Think I slept a lot if the evening. 10.52pm.
Monday 10th February 2025
Cold, cold and more fucking cold. Endurance waning. I've been in bed most of the evening typing up notes. I have a workshop pretty much good to go for tomorrow. The only one this week. Which is just as well coz I'm pretty peopled out really. There are three spoken word events across the region. I could probably do open mic at all of them, but I need to think about getting the next pamphlet together. Cold, cold and more fucking cold. Four layers of fleece and thermal up top, two pairs of joggers and a hot water bottle, thick slipper socks. I got the official confirmation for my hosting of a writing half marathon in Sunderland. I like half marathons, less to prepare. No buying of food. And I'll be a bit more relaxed. I need an early night. It was one o’clock this morning when I turned in at Jen's. OK. 10.51pm.
Tuesday 11th February 2025
Today will be a long one if I go to Tick Talk, the new spoken word night in Whitley Bay. I might take some poems. I might read ones from the Anomalies book. I am still tired after last night's typing session. I don't really want to type everything – but I've said I will, so I'll keep going. Today I need to look at some publishing guidelines and short stories. We'll use little pictures and text prompts and try different starts to stories again.
I need to check my book stock for Durham County Libraries Local Author Festival. The title for my gig is Coming Back to This – so I can sell copies of Hypomaniac and Prohibition, both containing the title poem. I need to check my pamphlets and make up any I'm missing. If I go to Jen's on Friday, I'll be home on Sunday. I'll do a full rehearsal that day, then another on Wednesday 19th February.
I'd still like to have a new pamphlet sorted for Meet the Author at Gateshead Library on Monday 17th March. It might just be a gig-set done as a limited edition. All previously uncollected. And it should be as long as Prohibition. Title page, verso, contents list, blank, dedication, blank, then poems running from page 7 to page 28, then two blanks, then bio and acknowledgements on one page, and list of previous titles on back page. So about 22 pages of poetry. Some of the pieces will be double spreads. I reckon I’ll need about sixteen to eighteen poems. I'll aim for twenty initially from the archive. I reckon a few days of selecting and sequencing would do it.
It's kind of scary trying to fill a gig set with unpublished material. I'll look at last May's Gateshead set and see if anything there is uncollected. Piece of String? But I've already been using that for a decade. It'll go in my next official collection though. But I'm getting ahead of myself again. I hope the buses are good today… 8,02am.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to all at Waddy for the workshop. Jenni for laughs and cuddles. Steve Lancaster for opportunity to read at Tick Talk and to everyone who took part. Cracking night. OK. 11.25pm.
Wednesday 12th February 2025
I did a couple of poems to close out Steve Lancaster's new night Tick Talk which takes place at the ticket office pub on the platform of Whitley Bay metro station. It's a mix of pure spoken word featuring writers and artists speakers about things they are passionate about. Me and Jenni went along just to support the night.
It was absolutely rammed. Steve Lancaster spoke about the versatility of the wooden clothes peg. James Tucker talked about beekeeping. Christine Fowler read a brilliant essay on cursive writing. We got a father and daughter story from Martin Manasse about singing. And the wonders of the poached egg from Jeff Price. Joan Hewitt read a couple of poems, one about nasty former colleagues ending with the C word. Aiden Clarke did three ten-line poems from his phone.
I'm pleased poems were allowed coz Steve asked me to close the night with something that would leave us on a high. I couldn’t talk off the cuff and stick to a four-minute time limit, so I just said I'm known as a bit of a miserable bastard, but I do like a couple of things. One of them is skateboarding. I then read Skateboard from Final 2023 which ends on the line, ‘Now I just trail trundle on a rigid mountain bike’. And then I said: BUT before the mountain bike there was a little seatless trials bike. This was inspired by Dear Chai Latte by Katie Metcalfe, and it's called Dear Zoo Pitbull. I then did the poem about my beloved competition trials bike. I needed Jen's phone torch to see my page, but it worked; I came in at three minutes 45/50 seconds and I got a canny response.
I'm pleased we went, and I'm really pleased to be asked to get up. If I do it again though, I want to just talk. I might have a couple of short topics on a list, but no script as such.
Elaine Cusack asked if I could make her a pamphlet for a couple of gigs she's got lined up. Initially, I was wary of saying yes, coz we don't have the resources at Waddy that we had when we did ‘Loose Threads and Sacred Spaces’ a couple of years ago. But when I reread her request last night, I saw that she wants something like a 'gig set' booklet similar to my Stanza booklet from 2017. Jenni had a copy of very same on her bookshelf. It's only about sixteen pages with a thin cover. I reckon I could knock out twenty copies in time for her first gig… 6.10am.
LATER: I wrote to Elaine Cusack about the pamphlet she has proposed for April. I'm making a new one of my own stuff, hopefully for Mid-March. Sequencing is a bastard. So many ways to configure and reconfigure. Beginning, middle, end – with links, thread line, contrasts. It's a tough one. I need to hit more open mic nights. I should submit to magazines as well. The house is very cold. A message on the answer machine from GP reception says they have 'information' for me. Sounds ominous. OK. 11.25pm.
Thursday 13th February 2025
I only need to make about half a dozen pamphlets to have at least two copies of the full twelve titles for next Thursday's gig in Lanchester. Only change to the set list from last year is the inclusion of Being Visible from the Washington Writers anthology. If it isn’t broken don't fix it.
I have started pulling good poems together for my next pamphlet that I aim to launch at Gateshead next month. I think 28-32 pages should do it. 9.08am.
LATER: I got all the booklet pages printed for next week. Just need to get them made up tomorrow or Sunday.
I left my place at twenty past four this afternoon and didn't reach Sunderland Pop Recs Ltd till 7.00pm. The place was rammed. All the open mic spots taken but Helen Wilko kindly fitted me in for after the break. So much talent on display and I didn't take notes. Lots of newcomers. Some political poems, some love poems, some cheeky poems.
Aaron did The Day after Valentine's Day and a list poem about masturbation. Scotters did one called Water Boredom - renaming local rivers. Charlie did a lovely poem from memory. Chris Hodgson did a moving piece set to music about his daughter's final resting place. Helen Rogers read one about her dog. Gaeran Southern sang about poisoning pigeons in the park. Helen did her poem about Pritt sticks and school budgets from memory. I did three poems including Tuppenny Chin Wag. Rosemary Sladden did one about sirens. There was a piece about a Disgraced abusive ex-celebrity and Emily Kitching said good riddance to an abusive partner. Hester Dowling tried to steal a painting from the National Portrait Gallery, The hell poet wore someone else's skin and said no thanks to the monarchy. Headliner Lisette Auton performed a piece which mentioned being on the top deck of a bus. She did a fantastic poem about chips – made me very hungry – and after about twenty minutes of top stuff, a short love poem to finish. It was a great night.
Big thanks to Aaron Wright for the lift to Newcastle. I'm now on the X45 to Consett. I’ll get back quicker than the 78 bus I missed in Sunderland. OK. 10.58pm.
Friday 14th February 2025
Stayed in bed till almost midday just keying in pages from Friday and Saturday. Me and Jenni went out for a walk up by Shipley Art Gallery and got supplies at Heron Foods. Had vindaloo beans and hotdogs, watched telly. Think I slept a lot if the evening. 10.52pm.
Monday 10th February 2025
Cold, cold and more fucking cold. Endurance waning. I've been in bed most of the evening typing up notes. I have a workshop pretty much good to go for tomorrow. The only one this week. Which is just as well coz I'm pretty peopled out really. There are three spoken word events across the region. I could probably do open mic at all of them, but I need to think about getting the next pamphlet together. Cold, cold and more fucking cold. Four layers of fleece and thermal up top, two pairs of joggers and a hot water bottle, thick slipper socks. I got the official confirmation for my hosting of a writing half marathon in Sunderland. I like half marathons, less to prepare. No buying of food. And I'll be a bit more relaxed. I need an early night. It was one o’clock this morning when I turned in at Jen's. OK. 10.51pm.
Tuesday 11th February 2025
Today will be a long one if I go to Tick Talk, the new spoken word night in Whitley Bay. I might take some poems. I might read ones from the Anomalies book. I am still tired after last night's typing session. I don't really want to type everything – but I've said I will, so I'll keep going. Today I need to look at some publishing guidelines and short stories. We'll use little pictures and text prompts and try different starts to stories again.
I need to check my book stock for Durham County Libraries Local Author Festival. The title for my gig is Coming Back to This – so I can sell copies of Hypomaniac and Prohibition, both containing the title poem. I need to check my pamphlets and make up any I'm missing. If I go to Jen's on Friday, I'll be home on Sunday. I'll do a full rehearsal that day, then another on Wednesday 19th February.
I'd still like to have a new pamphlet sorted for Meet the Author at Gateshead Library on Monday 17th March. It might just be a gig-set done as a limited edition. All previously uncollected. And it should be as long as Prohibition. Title page, verso, contents list, blank, dedication, blank, then poems running from page 7 to page 28, then two blanks, then bio and acknowledgements on one page, and list of previous titles on back page. So about 22 pages of poetry. Some of the pieces will be double spreads. I reckon I’ll need about sixteen to eighteen poems. I'll aim for twenty initially from the archive. I reckon a few days of selecting and sequencing would do it.
It's kind of scary trying to fill a gig set with unpublished material. I'll look at last May's Gateshead set and see if anything there is uncollected. Piece of String? But I've already been using that for a decade. It'll go in my next official collection though. But I'm getting ahead of myself again. I hope the buses are good today… 8,02am.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to all at Waddy for the workshop. Jenni for laughs and cuddles. Steve Lancaster for opportunity to read at Tick Talk and to everyone who took part. Cracking night. OK. 11.25pm.
Wednesday 12th February 2025
I did a couple of poems to close out Steve Lancaster's new night Tick Talk which takes place at the ticket office pub on the platform of Whitley Bay metro station. It's a mix of pure spoken word featuring writers and artists speakers about things they are passionate about. Me and Jenni went along just to support the night.
It was absolutely rammed. Steve Lancaster spoke about the versatility of the wooden clothes peg. James Tucker talked about beekeeping. Christine Fowler read a brilliant essay on cursive writing. We got a father and daughter story from Martin Manasse about singing. And the wonders of the poached egg from Jeff Price. Joan Hewitt read a couple of poems, one about nasty former colleagues ending with the C word. Aiden Clarke did three ten-line poems from his phone.
I'm pleased poems were allowed coz Steve asked me to close the night with something that would leave us on a high. I couldn’t talk off the cuff and stick to a four-minute time limit, so I just said I'm known as a bit of a miserable bastard, but I do like a couple of things. One of them is skateboarding. I then read Skateboard from Final 2023 which ends on the line, ‘Now I just trail trundle on a rigid mountain bike’. And then I said: BUT before the mountain bike there was a little seatless trials bike. This was inspired by Dear Chai Latte by Katie Metcalfe, and it's called Dear Zoo Pitbull. I then did the poem about my beloved competition trials bike. I needed Jen's phone torch to see my page, but it worked; I came in at three minutes 45/50 seconds and I got a canny response.
I'm pleased we went, and I'm really pleased to be asked to get up. If I do it again though, I want to just talk. I might have a couple of short topics on a list, but no script as such.
Elaine Cusack asked if I could make her a pamphlet for a couple of gigs she's got lined up. Initially, I was wary of saying yes, coz we don't have the resources at Waddy that we had when we did ‘Loose Threads and Sacred Spaces’ a couple of years ago. But when I reread her request last night, I saw that she wants something like a 'gig set' booklet similar to my Stanza booklet from 2017. Jenni had a copy of very same on her bookshelf. It's only about sixteen pages with a thin cover. I reckon I could knock out twenty copies in time for her first gig… 6.10am.
LATER: I wrote to Elaine Cusack about the pamphlet she has proposed for April. I'm making a new one of my own stuff, hopefully for Mid-March. Sequencing is a bastard. So many ways to configure and reconfigure. Beginning, middle, end – with links, thread line, contrasts. It's a tough one. I need to hit more open mic nights. I should submit to magazines as well. The house is very cold. A message on the answer machine from GP reception says they have 'information' for me. Sounds ominous. OK. 11.25pm.
Thursday 13th February 2025
I only need to make about half a dozen pamphlets to have at least two copies of the full twelve titles for next Thursday's gig in Lanchester. Only change to the set list from last year is the inclusion of Being Visible from the Washington Writers anthology. If it isn’t broken don't fix it.
I have started pulling good poems together for my next pamphlet that I aim to launch at Gateshead next month. I think 28-32 pages should do it. 9.08am.
LATER: I got all the booklet pages printed for next week. Just need to get them made up tomorrow or Sunday.
I left my place at twenty past four this afternoon and didn't reach Sunderland Pop Recs Ltd till 7.00pm. The place was rammed. All the open mic spots taken but Helen Wilko kindly fitted me in for after the break. So much talent on display and I didn't take notes. Lots of newcomers. Some political poems, some love poems, some cheeky poems.
Aaron did The Day after Valentine's Day and a list poem about masturbation. Scotters did one called Water Boredom - renaming local rivers. Charlie did a lovely poem from memory. Chris Hodgson did a moving piece set to music about his daughter's final resting place. Helen Rogers read one about her dog. Gaeran Southern sang about poisoning pigeons in the park. Helen did her poem about Pritt sticks and school budgets from memory. I did three poems including Tuppenny Chin Wag. Rosemary Sladden did one about sirens. There was a piece about a Disgraced abusive ex-celebrity and Emily Kitching said good riddance to an abusive partner. Hester Dowling tried to steal a painting from the National Portrait Gallery, The hell poet wore someone else's skin and said no thanks to the monarchy. Headliner Lisette Auton performed a piece which mentioned being on the top deck of a bus. She did a fantastic poem about chips – made me very hungry – and after about twenty minutes of top stuff, a short love poem to finish. It was a great night.
Big thanks to Aaron Wright for the lift to Newcastle. I'm now on the X45 to Consett. I’ll get back quicker than the 78 bus I missed in Sunderland. OK. 10.58pm.
Friday 14th February 2025
Morning Pages, email checks, book make ups. And stock for books. Lots of key-ins. OK. Journal. 11.13pm.
GRATITUDE: to Jenni for the lovely card and comedy gig ticket. Enjoyed doughnuts. OK. 11.16pm.
GRATITUDE: to Jenni for the lovely card and comedy gig ticket. Enjoyed doughnuts. OK. 11.16pm.
Saturday 15th February 2025
I have one more workshop before next Thursday's Lanchester gig. I will try to get all my stuff done at home tomorrow and Monday. I have no idea what the turn out will be like on Thursday afternoon. I wanted to check out some of the other gigs at the Local Author Festival but don't think I'll have time. I'll see how far on I get tomorrow. I've not yet done a run through of my set yet. I reckon I can do that tomorrow evening. But I need to make good use of natural daylight tomorrow to trim pamphlets.
I haven't read much recently. I got no further with the Sister/s novel by Daisy Johnson. It'll probably just start again from scratch. I haven't read Janus by Catherine Ayres yet. I want to reread Martin Hayes MACHINE POEMS. And, at some point, Paul Auster. I still harbour ambitions of cobbling together some long form prose work from existing fragments. I'd like to read Don Bajema's BOY IN THE AIR stories again and some Lydia Davis vignettes. And I'd like to put together a little selection of favourite flash fictions by other authors. I'd like to include My Father Howled in his Sleep by Don Bajema. And something short by David Almond. Maybe BRICK by Henry Rollins. Possibly a very brief Charles Bukowski story. Maybe some of my writing participants' vignettes… 8.23am.
WORK LOG: Morning Pages, email checks, type-ups and prep for Words on the Wall. I read ‘List of Lists’, ‘Little Miss Sleepyhead’ and ‘Hey, Retractable Gel Pen’. OK. Journal. 11.30pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to Jenni for the bigly quiche and the nice day out. Thanks to all at Words on the Wall in Hexham: Emma Purshouse, Steve Pottinger, host Joe Williams, and all who took part in the event. 11.30pm.
Sunday 16th February 2025
Canny lie in. Then a chat with Jenni before heading back to Consett. I bought supplies then walked to Moorside. Took a while to re acclimatize to the stone cold of cellar twelve. I've made copies of my gig sets for Lanchester and had a run through. Switched a couple around in the second half. Keyed notes in from yesterday. It's zero degrees and it's late. I'm only just finishing for the day. Big week ahead. 11.12pm.
I haven't read much recently. I got no further with the Sister/s novel by Daisy Johnson. It'll probably just start again from scratch. I haven't read Janus by Catherine Ayres yet. I want to reread Martin Hayes MACHINE POEMS. And, at some point, Paul Auster. I still harbour ambitions of cobbling together some long form prose work from existing fragments. I'd like to read Don Bajema's BOY IN THE AIR stories again and some Lydia Davis vignettes. And I'd like to put together a little selection of favourite flash fictions by other authors. I'd like to include My Father Howled in his Sleep by Don Bajema. And something short by David Almond. Maybe BRICK by Henry Rollins. Possibly a very brief Charles Bukowski story. Maybe some of my writing participants' vignettes… 8.23am.
WORK LOG: Morning Pages, email checks, type-ups and prep for Words on the Wall. I read ‘List of Lists’, ‘Little Miss Sleepyhead’ and ‘Hey, Retractable Gel Pen’. OK. Journal. 11.30pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to Jenni for the bigly quiche and the nice day out. Thanks to all at Words on the Wall in Hexham: Emma Purshouse, Steve Pottinger, host Joe Williams, and all who took part in the event. 11.30pm.
Sunday 16th February 2025
Canny lie in. Then a chat with Jenni before heading back to Consett. I bought supplies then walked to Moorside. Took a while to re acclimatize to the stone cold of cellar twelve. I've made copies of my gig sets for Lanchester and had a run through. Switched a couple around in the second half. Keyed notes in from yesterday. It's zero degrees and it's late. I'm only just finishing for the day. Big week ahead. 11.12pm.
Monday 17th February 2025
Bookmaking took ages coz my hands just wouldn't warm up. Several cups of hot chocolate and blackcurrant squash. And refills of hot water bottle. Pages felt icy. But I got there eventually. Pamphlet replenishments done for Thursday's gig at Lanchester library. I rang them and was told thirteen people are interested. I'll do another little shout out for it tomorrow. This evening, I sat at the desktop PC and typed up lesson plans. Salmon paste and red pepper sandwich for supper, I reckon. 10.32pm.
Bookmaking took ages coz my hands just wouldn't warm up. Several cups of hot chocolate and blackcurrant squash. And refills of hot water bottle. Pages felt icy. But I got there eventually. Pamphlet replenishments done for Thursday's gig at Lanchester library. I rang them and was told thirteen people are interested. I'll do another little shout out for it tomorrow. This evening, I sat at the desktop PC and typed up lesson plans. Salmon paste and red pepper sandwich for supper, I reckon. 10.32pm.
Tuesday 18th February 2025
Waddy session went well this afternoon. Mainly reading published stories from a magazine and poems from a website. Along with submission guidelines. Good discussion about content, structure, description, plot, lack of, calibre, audience and publisher expectations. We only did one writing exercise, but I've prompted people to submit material for our next little in-house anthology. After the session, I trimmed a batch of writing marathon promo cards then caught a bus home. Very tired this evening. In bed for most of it. Tried to read a bit of One Chord Wonders – History of Punk book but kept nodding off. Reposted info about Lanchester gig. I'm okay but feel a bit hammered. A good long sleep should sort me out OK. 11.04pm.
Wednesday 19th February 2025
Fifteen-and-a-half-hour day. I made up a few more copies of Tiny Tales and rehearsed intros for a couple of poems. I sorted Poetry Jam publicity online and printed extra handouts Friday. My Washington sessions there have been extended to July, which is reassuring. This year seems to be going quite well. Today has been very cold. Especially at the desktop computer. I only really want to use it for page making these days. I can do social media on a mobile. 11.12pm.
Thursday 20th February 2025
I laid out all the book stock for Lanchester then did a pack up. I left early after dinner coz the buses are unreliable. Today, however, they were ace, so I got to the library quite early. There were some community groups in for activities, so I didn't start setting up till four o'clock. The venue was nice. The space was just right, about twenty people in total. I overran by a few minutes in the first half coz I adlibbed some intros. Chuffed to sell some books. Chuffed to get through the sets with no glitches. Peeps seemed to enjoy it. I chatted to quite a few people and got good feedback. And later at home I photocopied a few things for Washington. OK. 10.52pm.
GRATITUDE: Massive thanks to all at Lanchester library for a great gig tonight. Thanks to Joy Peart for buying four books. And to others for purchases. Thanks to Julie Slater, Suzanne Green and local staff for support. Good times. OK. 10.57pm.
Friday 21st February 2025
Morning Pages, email checks, bag pack. Set up at the Arts Centre. Was told four places have sold for April writing marathon. In session we did a seven-minute warm-up from prompts. Then titles for stories. Then a cafe picture prompt freewrite. Then we did a readaround of the story the picture originally accompanied in a magazine. Then another story. Then magazine guidelines for stories and poems, then I read my Why Not Be A Writer? Type-ups at home. Journal. OK. 10.24pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to all at Washington for the writing workshop. Thanks to Alwyn Bathan for a lift to Metro Centre bus station. Enjoyed my beef rissole w/cheese back home. And hot chocolate. OK. 10.25pm.
Saturday 22nd February 2025
Did a write-up of yesterday's session for morning pages at about five o'clock this morning. Took a good few hours to edit and format on the mobile device. I’ll publish it elsewhere later. Bought a lots of edibles for a Sunday feast at Jen's place. We laughed out loud this evening at a load of negative hotel reviews online for one of the cheapest (£94 a night) in London. OK. 10.55pm.
Sunday 23rd February 2025
Big curry for dinner. Watched Renfield film with Jenni. Very ridiculous, but enjoyable. Cherry pie and custard for tea. Checked out reviews for a bunch of books I've already read, including Damage by Josephine Hart and The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks. Watched Robson Green Weekend Getaways tonight. OK. 10.28pm.
Monday 24th February 2025
WORK LOG: Morning Pages, Email checks. Sent out some booklets. Accepted proposal for 52 workshops, pending successful funding bid. Type-ups. Selected more poems for the next booklet. Journal. OK. 11.40pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to Lesley Ann Doogan for interest in my writing. To Jenni for laughs and support ref work situation. Thanks to Durham library for feedback on my Coming Back to This gig. OK. 11.51pm.
Tuesday 25th February 2025
WORK LOG: Morning pages, email checks, invoices, replies to library. Pay log for college, two hours on Elaine's pamphlet, an evening selecting more poems for mine, an hour designing a poster. Then vocal text input. Journal. OK. 11.41pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to college for new passwords. Thanks to people from Lanchester for feedback. Thanks to Elaine for a quick response regarding her new pamphlet layout. Jenni for updates and feedback. I'm really chuffed to get more poems selected for my pamphlet. OK. 11.43pm.
Wednesday 26th February 2025
Another long but productive day. It took me about 10 hours to pull 23 poems together in sequence for my gig at Gateshead Library next month. I have about 19 days to tweak bits and pieces, come up with a cover design, and assemble a run of pamphlets for the event. Jenni said she liked my Caution poem as an opener. I've included several big hitter poems but might have to prune content back a bit. The readthrough tonight took about 40 minutes. I have an hour, but we'll need a bit for Q&A and time for people to buy books. I hope I can tweak the poems by this time next week. I'll try to get a good cover design so I can do a promo card and bill the Gateshead event as a launch. I'm quite chuffed. But still got lots to do. OK. 11.39pm.
Thursday 27th February 2025
Didn't get started till ten this morning but still going at 15 minutes to midnight. More crossed wires and bad communication today. Eventually got my pay log sorted but no guarantee that it will be in time for this weekend. I posted a couple of booklet samples to Elaine. I've got a mock-up of mine done as well, which is provisionally titled Letting the Minimalism Slip. I like it and I like the layout. I will have to write a lot more good stuff now to have enough to use for a full collection. But hey I'm sure it'll be okay. I had another big corned-beef-and-potato rissole for tea. And watched a bit of Ali Clarkson doing bike trial. I haven't been out on a bike for nearly two months. It's quite cold again. I hope I'm okay this weekend. I still have a lot to get through. 11.50pm.
Friday 28th February 2025
Wednesday 19th February 2025
Fifteen-and-a-half-hour day. I made up a few more copies of Tiny Tales and rehearsed intros for a couple of poems. I sorted Poetry Jam publicity online and printed extra handouts Friday. My Washington sessions there have been extended to July, which is reassuring. This year seems to be going quite well. Today has been very cold. Especially at the desktop computer. I only really want to use it for page making these days. I can do social media on a mobile. 11.12pm.
Thursday 20th February 2025
I laid out all the book stock for Lanchester then did a pack up. I left early after dinner coz the buses are unreliable. Today, however, they were ace, so I got to the library quite early. There were some community groups in for activities, so I didn't start setting up till four o'clock. The venue was nice. The space was just right, about twenty people in total. I overran by a few minutes in the first half coz I adlibbed some intros. Chuffed to sell some books. Chuffed to get through the sets with no glitches. Peeps seemed to enjoy it. I chatted to quite a few people and got good feedback. And later at home I photocopied a few things for Washington. OK. 10.52pm.
GRATITUDE: Massive thanks to all at Lanchester library for a great gig tonight. Thanks to Joy Peart for buying four books. And to others for purchases. Thanks to Julie Slater, Suzanne Green and local staff for support. Good times. OK. 10.57pm.
Friday 21st February 2025
Morning Pages, email checks, bag pack. Set up at the Arts Centre. Was told four places have sold for April writing marathon. In session we did a seven-minute warm-up from prompts. Then titles for stories. Then a cafe picture prompt freewrite. Then we did a readaround of the story the picture originally accompanied in a magazine. Then another story. Then magazine guidelines for stories and poems, then I read my Why Not Be A Writer? Type-ups at home. Journal. OK. 10.24pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to all at Washington for the writing workshop. Thanks to Alwyn Bathan for a lift to Metro Centre bus station. Enjoyed my beef rissole w/cheese back home. And hot chocolate. OK. 10.25pm.
Saturday 22nd February 2025
Did a write-up of yesterday's session for morning pages at about five o'clock this morning. Took a good few hours to edit and format on the mobile device. I’ll publish it elsewhere later. Bought a lots of edibles for a Sunday feast at Jen's place. We laughed out loud this evening at a load of negative hotel reviews online for one of the cheapest (£94 a night) in London. OK. 10.55pm.
Sunday 23rd February 2025
Big curry for dinner. Watched Renfield film with Jenni. Very ridiculous, but enjoyable. Cherry pie and custard for tea. Checked out reviews for a bunch of books I've already read, including Damage by Josephine Hart and The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks. Watched Robson Green Weekend Getaways tonight. OK. 10.28pm.
Monday 24th February 2025
WORK LOG: Morning Pages, Email checks. Sent out some booklets. Accepted proposal for 52 workshops, pending successful funding bid. Type-ups. Selected more poems for the next booklet. Journal. OK. 11.40pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to Lesley Ann Doogan for interest in my writing. To Jenni for laughs and support ref work situation. Thanks to Durham library for feedback on my Coming Back to This gig. OK. 11.51pm.
Tuesday 25th February 2025
WORK LOG: Morning pages, email checks, invoices, replies to library. Pay log for college, two hours on Elaine's pamphlet, an evening selecting more poems for mine, an hour designing a poster. Then vocal text input. Journal. OK. 11.41pm.
GRATITUDE: Thanks to college for new passwords. Thanks to people from Lanchester for feedback. Thanks to Elaine for a quick response regarding her new pamphlet layout. Jenni for updates and feedback. I'm really chuffed to get more poems selected for my pamphlet. OK. 11.43pm.
Wednesday 26th February 2025
Another long but productive day. It took me about 10 hours to pull 23 poems together in sequence for my gig at Gateshead Library next month. I have about 19 days to tweak bits and pieces, come up with a cover design, and assemble a run of pamphlets for the event. Jenni said she liked my Caution poem as an opener. I've included several big hitter poems but might have to prune content back a bit. The readthrough tonight took about 40 minutes. I have an hour, but we'll need a bit for Q&A and time for people to buy books. I hope I can tweak the poems by this time next week. I'll try to get a good cover design so I can do a promo card and bill the Gateshead event as a launch. I'm quite chuffed. But still got lots to do. OK. 11.39pm.
Thursday 27th February 2025
Didn't get started till ten this morning but still going at 15 minutes to midnight. More crossed wires and bad communication today. Eventually got my pay log sorted but no guarantee that it will be in time for this weekend. I posted a couple of booklet samples to Elaine. I've got a mock-up of mine done as well, which is provisionally titled Letting the Minimalism Slip. I like it and I like the layout. I will have to write a lot more good stuff now to have enough to use for a full collection. But hey I'm sure it'll be okay. I had another big corned-beef-and-potato rissole for tea. And watched a bit of Ali Clarkson doing bike trial. I haven't been out on a bike for nearly two months. It's quite cold again. I hope I'm okay this weekend. I still have a lot to get through. 11.50pm.
Friday 28th February 2025
I have a health call from the hospital today, but I don't know what time that's going to be. I was just told basically sometime this morning. So I don't want to get engrossed in computer work upstairs or I might miss the call. I've been behind on copy-ups and that's because I couldn't stop myself from completing the first draft of the pamphlet last night. I might hate it if I look at it this morning, but last night I thought it was ace. I loved the typeface. But if I'm not printing at home, I need to ensure the Waddington Street Centre computer has that typeface on it. The pamphlet looks old school. I might still change a poem or two. I don't want to go ultra-modern with the design. I'd much rather it had a very minimalist graphic if possible. A bit like A Warm Space and Soon will Come Thunder. I'd like to be able to hand ink it but still want it to look totally mint. Hand inking allows the use of very heavy card stock. I'd really like to use Canson endpapers. I'd like a very rich colour cover with silver ink. Or light card with a small full colour graphic or typography. Today, though, I will focus on my health meeting and more typing... 7.02am.
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