Monday, February 2, 2009

I've just bought a batch of pamphlets from Peter Hughes' Oystercatcher Press. They are

When blue light falls - Carol Watts

Making Nothing Happen - Rufo Quintavalle

Blanchot's Ghost - David Rushmer

The Sardine Tree - Peter Hughes

At the Emptying of Dustbins - Alistair Noon (aforementioned)

Work - Maurice Scully

I've just read the Maurice Scully - an Irish poet, who for a long time has been associated with the Irish and British "avant-garde". The poems are about the creative process, the craft and mental activity involved in making poems. That may sound rather dry, but in fact, it fizzes and sparkles with wit and verbal energy. These poems are fun to read. They make astute comments on the pretensions and difficulties of poets, and manage to make me laugh while doing it. How come I haven't read this man before? What have I been doing?

Here's one of the shorter poems:

OTHER POEM

They take a poem of yours
& put it in a book called Other.

They always knew this, Father & Mother,
a bit of genius, sure,
but what'll become of him?

That future is here now,
& it's no poem.

To read more, buy the pamphlet - it's less than the price of two pints and will last a lot longer.

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