DELUXE

Monday 12th August 2019

Face looking a bit better. But still not great. Well, it was never an oil painting to begin with. Session at Waddy went well – good to see some mini-zines completed this afternoon. I stayed in Durham a little while afterwards. Got a chicken salad sandwich and browsed books in The Works. As if I need any more. Went out on the longboard this evening. Bit scary at first – bit too fast. But I soon got the hang of it. Only fell off once. On the flat. In Consett. In the dark… Got writing half marathon poster re-tweaked tonight and back off to Maureen for Haltwhistle. Emma Margaret Quinn invited me to join the Henry Rollins Fanatics Facebook group. Obviously, I did. Great video story from Hank about breaking his knuckle punching a door. I’m running out of decent ink. Consett Tesco stopped selling the good gel pens. 11.47 pm.

Tuesday 13th August 2019

Still scabby but a bit better. Hard to get motivated. Only done another thirty pages of formatting on Deluxe Anomalies. But it’s looking okay. Aiming for an earlier start tomorrow… “The dirty little night slitherers have found their way up my bike frame and left their snotty trails across my polo shirt. Bastards!” Been listening to Marilyn Manson pretty much all day: Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, Holywood, Portrait of an American Family. And the most incredible live video from Bizarre Festival in Koln, Germany from 1997. Really fucking full radge – Brian obviously off his fucking head that day. Pleased I got to see them on the ‘Guns, God and Government’ tour at Docklands Arena in 2001. Manson’s a bit beyond such ferocity in his early fifties, but would be good to see him one more time. I’d still like to see Michael Monroe in November – depends on money coming in. 11.26 pm.

Wednesday 14th August 2019

Eight hours on Deluxe. Over 300 pages formatted now. Only forty of the remaining hundred aren’t included in the standard version from last year. So it’s only black and white photos to go in the final pages. The book will definitely be at least 400 pages plus colour inserts. I’ve created an overspill file of solid material that can be held in reserve so a few pages can be switched for each handmade assembly to ensure no two books are exactly the same. I’ll probably go for assorted pastel colour pages. Only photograph pages and line drawings will be on gloss white. I’ll trawl files for more black and white images. Hopefully able to sew up a proof copy by the end of next week. 11.45 pm.

Thursday 15th August 2019

Think I’ve done some damage to my throat. Feels like I’ve torn something inside. Or burnt it. Bit of a lump and it hurts when I eat stuff. Hope it’s nothing serious. Today was another good one at the desktop. After using a writing marathon prompt for morning pages, I looked through pix on the hard drive for Deluxe. Only another sixty pages to set. But I’d really like some good pix to balance the closing section of the book. I only have photos from 2010 onwards – from when a new acquaintance by the name of Jenni Pascoe asked me to join Facebook so I could view shots taken of us at the Green Festival in Newcastle. Since then there’s been thousands of uploads. I really want to use something from Whitby, some Lamplight, maybe a JibbaJabba flyer. 10.55 pm.

Friday 16th August 2019

Big lie in. Didn’t get a start on edits till eleven. Over four hundred pages now formatted. Just need to select extra photographs and sort contents list. My intention was to place pix on text pages, but it’s probably best to keep most on separate sheets that can be changed at will with each printing. Had to knock off around six, coz a headache kicked in. Had fish fingers with grilled potatoes and beans for tea. Read online reviews of ‘Jonas’ zines the a lie down to listen to ‘Amidst the Chaos’ by Sara Bareilles then out for more chocolate. Cleaned the kitchen a bit and washed some pants in the sink. Then back online to do some Poetry Jam admin. Just chilling now with Newsnight. 11.08 pm.

Saturday 17th August 2019

First time out of Moorside since Monday. Bank transactions, food and gift shopping. Pleased my face healed okay. Watched a dvd tonight without falling asleep. ‘A Lonely Place to Die’ is a film I bought last year and only now made time for. Mountaineers rescue a girl buried alive and are then pursued by her kidnappers. Pretty good. Nice day away from bookwork. 10.51 pm.

Sunday 18th August 2019

Up late after looking at ‘Black Coffee Blues’ by Rollins and ‘The Mathematics of the Breath and the Way’ by Bukowski. Did a marathon prompt then some online research. Distracted by spoof article posted on Facebook about Christian Bale playing the infamous GG Allin. I got curious and checked out this shit-flinging punk rocker’s exploits online. Not for the faint-hearted or weak stomached. Then I got ready to go to Jen’s. Four buses later, we had a good laugh catching up after her Edinburgh Fringe experience. Had a veggie burger, watched some comedy nostalgia and Taggart. Good day. 10.50 pm.