Friday 10th January 2014
Pale blue plimsolls
in the
passageway
White laces tangled
untangled
Crumbled plaster skirting board
on beige carpet
Silent melancholia inside
Carefree chatter of schoolchildren outside
Surprise phone call from Stanley poet Ron Dodd
this evening. Looking for a gig, he asked if Lamplight Open Mic will be
happening again. Not sure about that, but I told him about Poetry Jam and he’s
keen to take part at the next one in February. Was pleased to be able to give a
bit of advice on book production as well. I started making a hardback journal,
but fatigue got the better of me so I knocked off to watch Born to Be Wild –
evolution of American Rock Music. And now Hendrix at Woodstock is on. Haven’t heard him for ages.
I no longer own the records. It’s good to watch him play. Just fucking awesome.
Pleased to get some schemes of learning sorted. Will get more substance to the
lesson plans over the weekend. Must get out to buy food sometime tomorrow as
well. Okay, pretty much beat now. Will be in bed soon. 10.47pm.
Saturday 11th January 2014
Digging into an apple core
She’s got no facial hair again
My fingers taste like margarine
Bit dislocated. Usually with
Jenni on a Saturday night but it’s the weekend before a new term begins and I
need to get stuff sorted for the first sessions. Been trying to come up with
structure but it’s going slow. Went into town for food and materials. Cobbler
has made my resoled Doc Martens real chunky. Glued up a book this evening and
tried to do online research. Early night I reckon to hit it full on tomorrow.
11.08pm.
Sunday 12th January 2014
twitching
squeezing
can’t halt
the inevitable
morning rush
stinging hiss
sheer relief
a gallon
fills the bowl
paper squares
for droplets
then scamper
back to
blank pages
Been trying to multi-task by
making work notes whilst book-building and thinking of what material I’d like
to include in a future volume. Good to read some new approaches and just be on
the couch too. 10.25pm.
Monday 13th January 2014
Bang Said The Gun anthology
sits on the computer printer
but resting atop a stack of paperbacks
the new handmade journal
is King of the Castle
Always anxious on the eve of
a new term. A bit like starting school and not knowing if the other kids will
like you. I’ve been doing workshops at Waddy for over a decade and every year
it starts the same: reams of notes and exercises and then you go in and a large
proportion of it is excess to requirements. I got offered another course at
Clayport Library today. So I’ll be doing five workshops a week until April.
Just as well coz I’ve been spending money like water of late. Feel as though
I’ve got enough options to keep me going for a good while. Haven’t been to Durham for weeks. A
month, almost. Will be pleased to get the ball rolling again tomorrow. 10.30pm.
Tuesday 14th January 2014
Socks, shorts, tee shirt
Under the blankets
Teeth still chattering
Interesting afternoon getting
revved up at Waddy. Focussed on the positives of journaling. Pleased people are
going with the notebooks. Rang Jenni before I left Waddy but her phone was
switched off. Wasn’t sure if she wanted to eat later or should I get something
on the way. Decided to have a reduced price Tesco chicken sandwich. But bought
a steak pie as well. Kids on the bus playing at making giant sandwiches – one
hand, two hands, slap! Old lady at the front seems to have the only copy of the
Metro onboard. A girl opposite is texting and another at the back reading a
book. The Cobain and Morrissey I reserved before Xmas were still at the library today. Bag’s almost splitting at the seams, but pleased to accept the
books. Fuck knows when I’ll get the chance to read them. Anyway – warm on the
X21 to Gateshead. Put in nearly eight hours;
don’t feel the need to prep much for tomorrow. 4.30pm.
Wednesday 15th January 2014
droplets on glass
metal machine insect eyes
bleeding fluorescence
against wet tarmac
bus lurches as yellow
car turns right
Forgot to bring my case of
books home today. Was tempted to go back into Durham but can collect tomorrow. Session went
well. Almost full enrolment and we got some good project ideas for the group.
Sold one of the blank notebooks I made last year. Showed them everything I
wrote last year. Made a stronger impact than just telling them. 1095
morning pages, NaPoWriMo, seven marathon books, Sunshine, a gratitude book.
Maybe I’m a little bit obsessive. But it gets me where I need to go. Been
listening to The Smiths. Used to think they were utterly miserable
when I was fifteen. Now, I find much of their stuff totally hilarious. Been
working all evening. Want to go out and do a big all-day freewrite soon. Maybe
a week on Friday. 10.00pm.
Thursday 16th January 2014
Fondant icing
clags to
brown paper bag
Bite after crunchy
bite into soft
currant dough interior
Boy with a Belgian
bun now licking
greedy sticky fingers
Despite being up two-and-a-half hours before crossing the doorstep I still found things to add to my list
of stuff required for the workshop. Good to catch up with the creative vibe of
the Consett Writers. No newbies at Waddy this afternoon. Hope we can get some
more people in by next weekend. Now on the X21 to Newcastle. Going to look in some shops and
find a place to hang out for a while then go over to the Chilli for HOT WORDS.
Been trying to memorize a couple of pieces today and am almost there. Probably
have the page in hand tonight but will not rely on it too heavily. More later.
5.08pm.
Great Hot Words at the
Chilli. Aidan did some more of his wristwatch poems. Joe Moody: excellent voice and great string work. Marks Potts was there. New love poem from Sarah
Hammersley. Annie gave us a piece about 1914 but not war. Jeff Price
told us some of his least favourite things. Ken Creen did a Pandemonium piece, brilliant Improv Guys, and Sky
Hawkins had a solid ten-minute set. Dan Smith gave us Hertfordshire, video game
fanaticism and doomed relationships. Rowan McCabe excellent Fridge Man piece.
Jenni a Burns Night and Fairytale. I did Beyond Dusk from Sunshine and the
Bible of Ill Will. Jane Burn - mint anti-hunting poem. And then a few more songs
from Joe, including covers by Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen. Cracking night
rounded off with pizza and chips from Clayton
Street chippy. Now on the 45 to Consett and trying
not to think about my nagging bladder. We aren’t even at the Metro Centre yet!
11.32pm.
Friday 17th January 2014
Tangled up in leather
and medical cloth;
eyes bleed track marks
over grizzled skin –
screech of the tormented,
metal riffs and licks.
Mr Cooper is Houdini
so the pretty nurse
comes a cropper –
then guillotine time.
No More Mr Nice Guy, indeed
Only managed to tick a few
things off my list. Bought food at the shop round the corner rather than go into
Consett. Made a 100-page single-signature hardback tonight. Will see how well
when it comes out of the book press. Going to use it for my next On the Move
solo marathon. Intend to get some more work done tomorrow. It’s usually pretty
quiet, as far as internet traffic goes – few distractions. Okay, done here.
10.50pm.
Saturday 18th January 2014
Black rats, tailless, shimmering halos by the swivel
chair
Stunned by the sheer weight of knowledge encased in
ancient
boards
And glossy dust jacket that is the Collins English
Dictionary
Slipper rats awaiting foot injection for reanimation
Bought some art supplies,
watched ‘Q&A With Chris Haskett’ on YouTube this afternoon. A great
guitarist and really friendly guy who went out of his way to ensure a good time
was had at Rollins Band gigs. He let me stash my bag on the tour bus at The
Riverside in 1992 and ushered me into the venue, up to the café where support
act The Beastie Boys were eating their tea. Typesetting and edits this evening.
Jenni is off to Dominic Berry’s workshop tomorrow. I am staying in Cellar
Twelve to catch up with my workload. 9.10pm.
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