Work and Play

Tuesday 14th October 2014

Three good sessions today. Group sestina started this morning at Waddy, mini picture marathon in Newton Acyliffe and characterisation with the evening class. Feel really lucky get to do this stuff. Ten years ago I was doing a couple of publishing sessions a week and draining redundancy money from the warehouse four years after being laid off. If I’d blown a few grand on a big holiday as was suggested to me, I’d be doing some ordinary day job now. I’m going to get to bed early tonight. House is warm due to having heating on to dry hand washed clothes from yesterday. Might read for a little while. Felt the tinges of a headache earlier but seem to be okay. More full-on facilitation tomorrow. 10.19 pm.

Wednesday 15th October 2014

Sessions good again. Pleased to get the Writing Shack group engaged in the memorization process. All present have chosen from various poetry anthologies and will then tackle their own poems. This afternoon was a one to one with a surreal A to Z of advice and characterisation. This evening the private group made a start on a memory themed sestina. Thanks to Nicky’s cookery group for the corned beef hash. Only two sessions tomorrow. Tempted to try out a couple of new pieces at Hot Words tomorrow night. Been checking emails at work but haven’t had the home computer on since Monday. Aiming to get more copies of the monograph printed tomorrow. Hopefully get out on the longboard this weekend.

Thursday 16th October 2014

X21 to Newcastle to meet Jenni, get food then onto HOT WORDS @ the Chilli. Upper deck, some girl at the front opens the window. Come on, think of us poor bald buggers behind you. Take off your fur trimmed coat if you’re so warm. Derwentside Mind asked Consett Writers for a poem to go in the November newsletter so we did a couple of rounds of Exquisite Corpse between six of us and came up with four new collaborative pieces. We’ll let the staff choose. Did some catch-up work with Waddy – looked at sestina and then picture marathon. I have loads of first drafts. Have been asked to do writing sessions in another health centre. Pleased to get the rest of the monographs printed this afternoon. Thanks to Peter in the office for that. Tonight Dominic Berry is the headliner at HOT WORDS. He’s always pretty awesome. Terry Dobson and Catherine Ayres on too. I’m hoping to read a few pages from “Milking a Joe Brainard Riff” and have a run through of Sigil Sammy if possible on open mic. Must give some thought to my Buddy Wakefield support slot as well. Bus is fairly rattling along. Today some Tory shit on the front of the Metro paper said disabled people should work for two pounds an hour. Hopefully the ConDems will be condemned to the scrapheap next year. Hopefully the rain will stop. If the park paths are dry on Saturday I’m going longboarding. Never stood on the deck for over a month. 3.55 pm.

Friday 17th October 2014

Didn’t go to bed till quarter to three this morning so I stayed there till almost midday. Knew yesterday I’d be no good for much today. Sat at the computer, watched some bits and pieces – John Lydon, biketrial – then keyed in Mind poems, came up with some titles, sent them to the office. Wrote a letter to the health centre. Listened to Dead Kennedys tonight and some live Pistols stuff from ’77. Nipped out for a pizza. Found out from Aidan Clarke that last night’s Hot Words was the last. Great to see Dominic. Catherine said she was nervous but her set was brilliant. And I heard two of Terry’s best poems in the best set I’ve seen from him. Hot Words was a great platform. Thanks to Aidan and Annie for all the opportunities. 10.20 pm.

Saturday 18th October 2014

Another lie in. Had to go to Consett for bank transactions and more food. Wanted to be outside more today but lots to do. Mainly focussed on publishing projects. Usually I’m at Jen’s on a Saturday night but not this weekend. Eaten a bit too much today and none of it healthy – cakes, crisps, burgers. Food is a big weakness for me. 10.53 pm.

Sunday 19th October 2014

from Morning Pages

 

Lesson plan type-ups, print handouts, prep a gig for Friday. I’ve got personal book projects that I never have the energy or headspace for. I want to ride my longboard but am too tired. Don’t trust myself to not fall off and fuck myself up. Check registers. Next year I’m not doing as many workshops. I’ll do as much as I can today on the work prep and then have a more relaxed day tomorrow so I’m a bit fresher for Tuesday.

Monday 20th October 2014

At last! A Monday evening at home. First one this month. House is really warm – heating on for bath and drying clothes. Finally got out on the longboard this afternoon for the first time since workshops started about six weeks ago. Bit sketchy in the park with damp leaves on the paths, but no accidents. Made up more copies of monograph today and reworked my Star and Shadow gig set for Friday. Watched Gotham this evening. Now listening to the best Queen album ever: Live at the Rainbow from 1974 newly remastered. My favourite period of the band. Classic. 10.20 pm.