Book Stuff - Good Stuff - Bad Stuff - Bike Stuff

Monday 7th May 2018

Slow day. Read the final thirty pages of A GRIM DETAIL by Rollins, wrapped books for Sheila. Checked forty pages of ANOMALIES. Some need rescanning, some enlarging. Don’t know how I’m going to make the book affordable. Takes at least three hours to assemble a standard hardback and a day for the deluxe multiple-signature version. Add cost of materials and printing – I reckon it’ll be special gift-only unless people are really keen to own it. Did lesson plan type-ups, revised tomorrow’s session. Watched Genderquake then Peter Kay’s improvised Car Share. Gong Fu Poets posted a photo of me on Facebook from last month’s gig with a nice write-up. Revisited ‘Pissing in the Gene Pool’ by Rollins. Back to work tomorrow. Looking forward to Ali Lee’s review of Amanda Palmer. 11.02 pm.

Tuesday 8th May 2018

The bus has WiFi but I don’t want to waste my battery. The windows are open coz it’s really sunny but dipping into Lanchester the stench of silage on farmers’ fields is fucking vile. Lucky we blast through it. I left the house early this morning. I want to get flyers printed for my private writing course if possible. I’ll need to do a bit of pedal-powered publicity around the local libraries and community centres over the coming days in hopes of drumming up support. I’ll need eight people to make the course viable. And they need to be newcomers as it’s entry level. I’d like to get on with book edits but I’m out till half midnight. After the workshop I’ll be at Jen’s place then over to Born Lippy spoken word night at Cobalt Studios. Jenni is doing a set. There’s a mini-slam but no point putting myself forward as I’ve nothing prepared – nothing slam-worthy that hasn’t been trotted out dozens of times already… I think tea for me will be a cold steak pie and a bit of fruit. I need to cut down on the junk. I just bought more microwave steam bags but should be having salads, not Sunday dinners. I am about a stone overweight. Need to get biking again ASAP. Might ride over to Jen’s on Saturday. OK. 10.41 am.

LATER: Nice to catch up with Jenni before the gig. Big thanks to Sky Hawkins for lift to Born Lippy. Excellent gig. All mint acts – Ellen Moran, Sammy Dobson, Sez, Jenni, Rowan McCabe and Rick Fury. Slam was good. Lots of energy from the hosts as well. Jenni stayed back, I dashed for bus. I’m in Eldon Square now feeling wrecked.

11.14pm

Wednesday 9th May 2018

Couldn’t motivate myself to do much. Tried to read but fell asleep. Defrosted the fridge this afternoon. Went out later to sort finances, buy food and check out music magazines. RSI in hands from carrying bags of vegetables. Good to have some cakes and a cheese sandwich. House is a bit shit at present, needs tidying. Don’t want to spend much money this summer. Watched Genderquake online tonight and the studio debate afterwards. Panellists were good – although Germaine Greer was called out on previous negative comments. Audience hecklers were terrible. Good to watch stuff on android tablet. Aim to be more productive tomorrow. 11.17 pm.

Thursday 10th May 2018

What a cunt of a fucking day! Hands still cramped from last night’s bag handles. Could hardly hold the pen for morning pages. Hassle with flyers. Hassle with computer. How the fuck can a book that relies solely on archived material take four years to scan, cut, paste and sequence. Currently adjusting page margins for standard single-signature fold-and-stitch hardback version of ‘Anomalies 1989-2014’. Bastard processor on desktop too slow with internet running – scanner and Facebook messenger kept jamming. Need faster fucker ASAP! Got eighty pages sorted, 64 to go – plus re-sequencing of colour photographic inserts. Then it’s the four-hundred-page deluxe - which uses a different binding system, so page margins will be different. What a fuck on… But I’m sure it’ll be worth it eventually. Mmm… 11.41 pm.

Friday 11th May 2018

What a bunch of over-privileged fucking idiots so many of the whingers on a recent NIN Facebook post really are. If you’re not willing to take a day out of your life to ensure you get a ticket in person from the box office, four months in advance, then you really shouldn’t expect to see an extremely popular band. Life isn’t always convenient. What did we ever do before the internet? Forgot morning pages, did evening instead. Lots of admin for workshops. Had fresh interest for private Saturday course – and the college that originally hosted it is helping me out by contacting people who previously expressed an interest before funding cuts. Been asleep a lot this evening. No time for the handmade books until next week. Other work tomorrow. Then Jen’s on Sunday. 11.52 pm.

Saturday 12th May 2018

Keyed in notes, did some prep for next Tuesday’s workshop. Listened to Bad Pollyanna. ‘I See You’, ‘Define Me’ and ‘Invincible Girl’ are all great songs. Would like to see them played live at Think Tank in Newcastle next month. Jenni was in touch with updates on the Eurovision Song Contest. So pleased I don’t have to watch it. Youtube clips of Lydia Lunch, Ozzy Osbourne and Motorhead preferable by far. Keyed in some students’ work. Early bed. 10.42 pm.

Sunday 13th May 2018

Slow bike ride to Bensham. Usually takes eighty minutes. Today 124 minutes. Deliberately keeping it at little more than a trundle and not even bothering with the big chainring – got to save my knees for the big return journey tomorrow evening. Had three sporadic bowls of porridge and some chicken soup for the soul. Me and Jenni watched TV including Ninja Warrior and Taggart. 11.23pm.