Seven Days

Monday 29th February 2016

The heating has been on all evening to dry hand-washed clothes on the radiators so I polished off the last of the Carte D’or ice cream. Strawberry with real fruit pieces. That’s about as extravagant as it gets in my place at present. Never crossed the threshold since returning from last Thursday’s JibbaJabba. It’s quite easy to just settle into your own hermetic little way sometimes. And there’s always the internet when you need to know what the fuck is going on outside. February has been a challenging month for me. I’m looking forward to light nights, bike rides and a bit of free time. Only another month or so to go. Typesetting and prepping much of today. Didn’t get to see The X Files coz I had some student feedback forms to do for poems and flash. Good to get a shave, wind down and stuff myself. Good to turn the computer off. Went to bed at half three this morning, Early night tonight. 11.14 pm.

Tuesday 1st March 2016

New month, new mood. And a really warm afternoon. Walked into Waddy with my coat over my arm. Got some work typed and prepped for the evening session. Got offered a 30-40 minute headline gig this afternoon for the summer. Then had a productive penultimate session with my New College Durham evening class; and when I got home there were all these poems and prose of mine published by The Fat Damsel e-zine. Bigly thanks to Jane Burn and all involved. Well chuffed! Today has mostly been great. Except for having to walk home from Consett despite being on the bus that usually brings me all the way from Durham to Moorside – a young lad seated right behind me puked his guts up, narrowly missing my arm, so the floor was awash and the bus had to be taken out of service at Consett. Still, mega gig and a dozen pieces published in one place. Canny start to the month. 11.23 pm.

Wednesday 2nd March 2016

Got some more feedback permissions for the website. Made a little preliminary pamphlet for a student and had a good workshop. And Stephen J Clark gave the green light for use of his painting ‘The Tilting Room’ for the cover of my new book ‘Laughter to Split Glass’. Session tonight included conflicts and intrusions followed by What’s in the Box? Then a verb monologue and a four-paragraph flash fiction. A good two-hour session. On the way back I earmarked 23 poems from the new book for summer gigs. Lots of rehearsals for those but I doubt I’ll be 100% page-free. Snowing as I walked down my street. But no vomit tonight. 

11.20 pm.

Thursday 3rd March 2016

Poetry Jam was a great little night. Matt Cummins stood in for Marianne Pownall with a grand set. Ettrick Scott unplugged was a rare treat, indeed; great patter and I think he sold some books. Sky Hawkins – heartfelt and hilarious in abundance. Thanks to all the open floor people as well: Jenni, Mark Hall, Mark Potts, Alex Birch… Mike Treasure did a mint improvised piece on where we sit in the universe. I road-tested a new one from Laughter to Split Glass. Had a drink in the Bridge afterwards and now on the bus to Stanley before bus to Consett and half hour walk home. 10.33 pm.

Friday 4th March 2016

Sometimes you just need a day off. It was ten before I left my bed. Wrapped up a dvd and wrote out a Mothers Day card then braved the hailstones to reach the Post Office just as the postman was opening the back doors of his van. ‘Three minutes, then I’m away,’ he said. Luckily there was no queue. This afternoon I ate fried eggs, corned beef and oranges and watched some Ivor Culter videos. Then emailed my grumbles about people who say one thing then do the opposite. But hey, the new date is fixed for the Writing Marathon at Broadacre: Saturday 2nd April 2016… I found Nirvana’s entire 1991 Newcastle Mayfair gig online. I remember the ticket line was a mile long and I was so chuffed to get in. Expected a wall of noise but as the vid shows, they were pretty shit-hot. This evening I decided not to post Lydia Lunch’s Facebook profile pic alongside a photograph of Caroline Quentin with the line ‘Separated at Birth’ but right now they do look similar. Uploaded the Poetry Jam pix and listened to classic Venom tracks on YouTube. Ahh, the nostalgia. 10.51 pm.

Saturday 5th March 2016

Spent most of the daylight hours pecking at the keyboard putting morning pages into the file. Made some notes on Marilyn Manson for an essay until a power cut stopped play around four. Nothing to do but go to bed. Fortunately power was restored at eight. Polished my essay and submitted it, did some writing marathon admin then started answering questions send by James Wilkinson about zine culture. Around eleven the phone rang. It was Jenni and she was right outside my house. Got some lemon juice and an apple doughnut and here we are. 11.29 pm.

Sunday 6th March 2016

Heard from Mam and Ernie after breakfast then finished the questionnaire for James. Had bangers and mash lunch with Jenni this afternoon. Fell asleep afterwards and don’t remember much. Watched Pen and Teller on tv this evening and a drama about a girl who escapes captivity after thirteen years. Final writing marathon place was filled this evening. 11.15 pm.