Gluttony and Velocity, Preparation and Performance

Wednesday 19th February 2014

Work done today: Marathon prompts, booklets, new poem edited for HOT WORDS at the Chilli. Me and Jenni had bangers and mash with green beans, carrots and gravy this afternoon. All-day breakfast a bit later and apple pies with custard for supper. Chuffed to get likes and feedback on an untagged poem on Facebook tonight. 11.38pm.

Thursday 20th February 2014

Up early to go buy supplies for Saturday’s writing marathon. Really chuffed with the response to my little poem last night. It never ceases to amaze me how something scribbled at the drop-leaf table before breakfast can be keyed into a computer, posted online and have resonance. I love writing. Even when it’s a gruelling slog like the ten hours in Consett on Monday, it’s still a buzz… Nice to see the days lengthening. Dusk just before six. Raced around this afternoon to make this bus. Spent an hour getting Poetry Jam event up and running. Photocopied a bunch of pages to key in at Jenni’s but in my absent-minded panic left them on the chair by my desk. Tonight it’s HOT WORDS. Jenni is doing a set. So is Sarah Hammersley and Ettrick Scott. Nev Clay will be providing the music. I’m doing my new piece in the open mic. It’s only three and half minutes. Hope people don’t get bored with it. Brought my art journaling handbook. Might play about with colour over the weekend. Looking forward to the marathon tomorrow. Looking forward to tonight. 5.50 pm.

Friday 21st February 2014

I’m in the Goose, Percy Street, Newcastle on a Friday evening in the little two-seater booth nearest the carvery. Me and Jenni first sat here for a meal just before Christmas 2012. I’ve been here many times since. Have eaten all my veg but the meat remains untouched. It will sit next to my writing pad for at least twenty minutes. Then I’ll go refill my little plate with a load of stuffing, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, mash, roasties and rich gravy. Oh, and don’t forget the mint sauce. Yes, I’m a glutton, but before hitting this divine little eatery all I’ve eaten today is four slices of peanut buttered toast, a gingersnap and gingerbread man. I need to feed. I am disgusting, I know. I have a glass of blackcurrant and soda, a pen and lined paper. Jenni is out this evening going over some work for a radio show with Chris Harland. I can sit here half the evening if I want to. No-one will get this plate off me till about half-seven. I don’t have much to report. I’m just chilling out ahead of the writing marathon. This morning I rehearsed my set for the MATERIAL night at Blakes coffee shop next Tuesday night. Can pretty much do the whole set off-book except (This is Not a) Prose Poem. Having the page to hand won’t diminish it.

   This afternoon I went to DETAILS. Checked out some heavy paper stock and large notebooks/sketchbooks. Over the road from the Black Swan entrance the youngsters were gathering for a gig. I walked past and more were set up picnic style out the back of the Academy. Tour bus and tech trailer there. I remember hanging around venues for The Mission and Sinead O’Connor.

   Bought some Apple Tango, and fruit for tomorrow then a quick look in Scorpio, but they don’t sell rock boots anymore. Not that I need any this year. Went to Wilkinsons then bought the gingerbread man. Read some music magazines for a while – features included Adam Ant, The Stranglers, Metallica, Marc Almond, many others. Then a look at the small press shelf in Travelling Man. Jenni is right; it has a less commercial feel to it than Forbidden Planet. But I looked in the other shop as well. Checked out the display copy of Tim Burton’s mammoth art book, some Batman books and Breaking Bad merchandise. Never seen the tv show but people say it’s pretty good. Then went to Waterstones – there’s a novel called The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer which looks interesting and I’d be keen to read the fully restored text of Naked Lunch. Bought some new joggers to get me through next week’s sessions till I get a chance to wash my other stuff. Then I came here to eat. I have eaten. And am about to eat again. 7.12 pm.

Saturday 22nd February 2014

Marathon a bit stressful to set up due to room not having table when we got there. Wouldn’t have everything ready by eleven if Jenni wasn’t there to help me. But people enjoyed it and produced good writing. Staying at Jen’s again. Wish I could write more and better but feel a bit hammered this evening. 9.19 pm.

Sunday 23rd February 2014

Lazy day at Jen’s. Went out to buy food this afternoon and watched television when we got back. Haven’t seen One Foot In the Grave for a long time – very funny concrete feet and streetlight through the bedroom window episodes. Home earlier than usual. Uploaded marathon and Hot Words at the Chilli pix. Both very well received. Pleased to be involved in them. Feel a bit of a headache coming on. Keen to get to bed before it gets worse. 11.12pm.

Monday 24th February 2014

Camera worked at Valerie Laws book launch this evening but no idea how long batteries are supposed to charge for. Wanted to order a resale ticket for The Cure at the Albert Hall today. But how can you be sure it isn’t fake? Not sure how workshops will go this week. Hope to get some book sales at MATERIAL launch tomorrow night. 11.37 pm.

Tuesday 25th February 2014

Woke up in a total grump. I often see the day as a mountain I’m ill-equipped to conquer. But afternoon session went well: titles for books we’d like to write, flash fiction read-through. Afterwards I rehearsed for a couple of hours. Tripped up a couple of times but think I’ve got it. Now on the 21 to Newcastle. Bit tired. Hoping to get a bit of time to relax before the gig. Doors open half seven, but I’ll be there early. Nail this gig and I’ll feel good. 5.44 pm. 

Wednesday 26th February 2014

Facebook: ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT time at Blakes for the MATERIAL launch last night. So many great people reading. Thanks to the editors for their generosity. So chuffed to to be a part of the night. Loved seeing Yvonne Young reading her work, Pipe Riot were awesome, Dominic Berry on top form. Thanks to people who bought copies of 'So Much for the Sunshine' and gave feedback on my set. Asa J. Maddison and John Baker, you put on a superb night. Wonderful magazine. Keep it going!

Woke early and out to Gateshead from Jen’s to catch the X21 to Durham. Morning session at Waddy was mainly preparation for readings and sequencing sets. Lots of questions from the group. Time whizzed by. Still buzzing from last night’s gig. Chuffed with my set and very grateful to the people who bought copies of Sunshine. This evening just too tired to focus on admin. Uploaded videos of Pipe Riot and Jane Burn poems to YouTube. 10.13 pm.

Thursday 27th February 2014

I was a good boy. I didn’t overload my plate. I ate at a moderate pace, and only got a single scoop of mash, two roasties and a few carrots for my second helping. I cannot feel the weight of my eating against the wall of my stomach. I was a good boy.

   Today has been pretty good. Mind writers never fail. Angels and Demons poems. Book titles. Beginnings and Endings prompts. We had a laugh. At the bus stop afterwards, shovelling in chips with the bus driver’s engine ticking over. He closed the doors and I thought, You awkward twat. If I didn’t intend to get on the bus do you think I’d be pigging out in the departure bay? No, I’d be patiently queuing up in Greggs for a sandwich. I knocked on the glass and he let me in. Once safely upstairs I opened up the crushed polystyrene and stabbed at the remaining chips then uncapped my lemon juice.

   Did a one-to-one on sentence stems and triolets and ‘where I’m coming from’ poems with Paul at Waddy. Then an hour with Chris on his second pamphlet. He’s pretty much nailed the sequencing by himself. Won’t take much to get it up to printable standard.

   I read the intro and a few opening pages of Naked Lunch on the 21. Don’t know if I’ll stick with it. Hailed as a literary masterpiece, but we’ll see. Drug talk gets pretty boring after a paragraph.

   Tonight I’m doing the door for JibbaJabba. Ash Dickinson is headlining. Jack Gardner is the comedy turn, Mandy Maxwell’s doing a set. Mat Harrison music. Think I’ll have a crack at Oblivion in the open mic. Meeting Jenni at the venue around seven. Should be a good night. Think I’ll bus back though. Need time at home to catch up on lesson plans, critiques, journal, etc. 6.24 pm.  

Friday 28th February 2014

Good performances at JibbaJabba last night. Particularly enjoyed Mandy Maxwell’s new stuff and Jane Burn pulled off a great fox poem. Ash was a pleasure to watch – and film – as usual. Never seen comedian Jack Gardner for a while. Hilarious.

Lethargic today. Pleased to announce the next Writing marathon this evening. Info online less than four hours and half the places gone already. 11.36 pm.

Saturday 1st March 2014

Good to meet Salford poet Kieren King who took part in the Street Poetry event at West Denton this afternoon. Thanks to Dominic for organising the event and inviting me to perform alongside some of Tyneside’s finest. Afterwards a few of us got a carvery at The Goose. Then Jenni and AJ went off for a drink elsewhere and I slept on the bus back to Consett. Checked out some chart paperbacks in Tesco coz I missed the Moorside connection. Still a bit dazed, it’s been a busy week. Home to emails. Nearly all the writing marathon places are spoken for. 8.30 pm.