Talking Pen, The Stanza, Owl Writers, etc ...

Monday 15th June 2015

Best intentions shot to shit part 667: Up at 20 past five after the swiftest three morning pages in a long time. Out the house at 20 to six to walk into town with my bag in one hand, my magnetic cutting mat and steel ruler in a black bin liner clutched in the other. Got to Waddington Street Centre on a swift 15 bus at seven. By twenty to eight Jane Burn’s pamphlet was printing. By ten past eight the machine began to croak. So I had to accept that it’s not fully happening today. Didn’t get back in the house till after twelve, having to nip into Durham for more paper stock; then to the post office depot in Leadgate to pick up my toner cartridge otherwise I’d be snookered for lesson print-outs. Popped into Griffin Print to get an okay for tweaked cover layout. Then into Consett for a new watchstrap, gift voucher at B&Q then home. Fantastic zines from Tanner Ballengee and Julia Eff today. Apart from a brief lie down after lunch whilst listening to Little Earthquakes I’ve been pushing to catch up on college work. Notes done by ten, a quick shave now back to bed. Try again tomorrow. 10.30 pm.

Tuesday 16th June 2015

Another long day. Left the house almost an hour later than yesterday. In Durham by eight. Got the pages printed for Jane (bar one copy coz I was three sheets of paper short and had to buy another pack, but it’s good to have some spare). Covers will be printed tomorrow morning. A rather gruelling day. Lots of shuffling paperwork, prepping and covering lost ground with people who have been absent. A reasonable memoir session this afternoon; chicken korma and rice for tea; then narrative structure and ways to increase tension with a bit of flash fiction for evening class. Read some Stolen Sharpie Revolution on the bus home. Got in less than half an hour ago and will soon be in bed. Been fending off a headache. Still not overeating like I have been. Fingers crossed I make it through tomorrow. Haven’t written much today. 10.24 pm.

Wednesday 17th June 2015

fAt aRouNd tHe MiddLe by Jane Burn – printed! Folding, stapling anf finishing to follow. Pix in due course. Publication date TBC.

Enormously satisfying to type those words into Facebook this morning. Pages and covers boxed up to bring home after the writing workshops. Those five o’clock wake-ups the last three mornings are taking their toll, so I’ve had the evening off. Luxury to laze and listen to classic tracks. Queen’s News of the World – recorded in ’77 so Freddie and the lads take the opportunity to get in on the punk riffs – especially on Sheer Heart Attack and that bit at the end of It’s Late. Makes you wanna freak out and fuck stuff up. Mint. I posted some pix of the pamphlet printing and Jane has got the original artwork up on her Facebook page. Lots of interest so far. Think I’ll have an early night. One more workshop to plan first thing for Mind then I’ll get the bike back from repair at the shop. 10.00 am.

Thursday 18th June 2015

Morning pages. Great session at Mind. Why Write? Poems by the late Texan poet Albert Huffstickler (paper) and Edinburgh’s Loud Poets (performance video on YouTube). Then our own compositions with readarounds. A look at perzines with discussion afterwards. Then a short ‘Huff’ documentary. And another look at work for possible anthology. Keyed in my own Why Write? poem at home.

Sent card to Ernie for Sunday. Good to get out on the 27-speed with new cromo rigid forks this afternoon. Much better for me than suspension – which I always used to lock-out anyway. Much lighter now and sleeker. No loss of power through a stodgy front end as well. Had an eat4less baguette and fries with Jenni. We met up to work on a poem but I’m too tired. Saturday would be better.

Now in Eldon Square Bus Station after a great night at The Stanza. Loads of good stuff. Loved Asa J Maddison’s poem about Monster Munch. Ken Creen’s suntan television was good – with those obligatory hilarious digressions midway through the poem. Lovely piece by Alix Alixandra followed by a startling poem about a piece of sculpture by Vinny McHugh. Amina Evans kept the audience spellbound with richly descriptive and poignant prose. Rowan McCabe rocked the place with sound clowns and annoying city seagulls. Lots of laughs. Fiona Lindsay sang herself onto the stage and went straight into her set. She talked about her love of travelling alone and read a poem written on a previous train journey to Newcastle about the universe. High praise from her for the Northeast spoken word scene. Renata and Trev played us out (and in) with acoustic songs. Mandy and Harry are great hosts and work well together. Full house again.

Thanks to Mind Staff and Consett Writers. Library for copies of Read Regional booklet. Shaun at Bits 4 Bikes. Jenni for the bigly laughs. And all at The Stanza. 11.10 pm.

Friday 19th June 2015

Recovery day for me. Stayed in bed till ten reading Geoff Hattersley poems and Julia Eff essays. Tired all day. Fell asleep at the computer. Lay down listening to Queen’s debut album for a while then did some booklet layout work onscreen. The weekend is here and I’ve not put a dent in the work needed for next week. Stanza was good last night, but hassle getting back to Newcastle. Jenni has just started posting on Facebook as I turn my computer off for the day. Good to read more Jessie Lynn McMains. Listened to The Cramps this evening. Never a big fan but they are kind of groovy in a fifties B-Movie horror cartoony kind of way. Think I need to buy some trousers tomorrow. All of mine starting to look a bit distressed. Arranged a zine trade with Mat Resist. Going to swap a copy of my ‘So Much for the Sunshine’ for his winter bike journal ‘Minneapolis from the Saddle’. I want to put a decent zine together this summer. Tried to navigate Tumblr. Failed bigly. 10.50 pm.

Saturday 20th June 2015

Bit of a lie in. Read some Rust Belt Jessie and Julia Eff then went to Consett for stationary supplies and new trousers. Didn’t get the latter. Made up a lightweight 75 gsm chapbook version of So Much for the Sunshine for overseas use – postage rates for standard edition being astronomical. Bit tired today. Read some Beckett on the bus. Later arrival than usual at Jen’s; watched an episode of Rebus. Hope to get a good night’s sleep. 10.42 pm.

Sunday 21st June 2015

A bit burnt out and aggravated for a couple of days now. Not the best state to be in for social events. I’m not very sociable at the best of times. Pleased that Ben and Sky had a good handfasting ceremony this afternoon. I stayed at the reception for about an hour then left Newcastle for home. Slept most of the way back. Lots to do for final week of term. Then I can assemble Jane Burn’s pamphlet. 11.30 pm.

 

Monday 22nd June 2015

Had a great time this evening at Owl Writers first birthday party. This showcase event was hosted by Aaron Wright who highly praised the work of Dominic Berry who got the Owls going in Outer West Library in West Denton. The Owls and guests did poems in the first half – Mark Potts, Aidan Clarke, Olya Bowers, Rosie Anderson, Daisy Potts amongst others – and hosts of various spoken word regular events in the second, each gave a little flavour of what the nights have to offer. We heard about Telling Tales plus a dodgy birthday present story from Jeff Price. Mandy Maxwell gave us a cautionary tale about protest along info on The Stanza (which she hosts with Harry Gallagher) and The Black Light Engine Room. I did a few poems and mentioned Poetry Jam. Jenni was up doing a Countdown poem and Geordie Noah’s Ark and talked about Jibba Jabba. We had a poignant set from Patrick Shannon then a story by his King Ink co-host Brian Anderson. Cool to know they have Dave Barbarossa, an original member of Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow, coming to promote his new book. We heard some great music as well. Apologies for lack of name. The upstairs room in the Little Theatre in Gateshead is a lovely intimate venue. Went with Jenni to her friend Leon’s house for a while. I’m now on the last 45 back to Consett. Pleased to feel re-energised. OK. 11.38 pm.