Am I a poet?

A friend recently asked me if I was writing. I replied, as I always do, saying that it was going … More

Lifesaving Poems: Fleur Adcock’s ‘The Soho Hospital for Women (IV)’

The Soho Hospital for Woman (IV)   I am out in the supermarket choosing – this very afternoon, this day … More

Pure distraction

In the rift between what is going to happen and whatever we would wish to happen, poetry holds attention for … More

Ignore everyone, absorb everything

During the mad phase, when everything was a tweet or a share or a retweet, one of my favourite discoveries … More

Nothing doing

Sporting occasions are bad. Or the Corbyn result, that was hard. I seem to remember (no one else does) a … More

Guest blog post: Whose life is it anyway? by John Foggin

  A few weeks ago I was writing in my own blog, the great fogginzo’s cobweb, about the way I … More

Lifesaving Poems: Myra Schneider’s ‘Goulash’

Goulash A crucial ingredient is the right frame of mind so abandon all ideas of getting on. Stop pedalling, dismount, … More

A few days

The afternoon was drawing to a close when I knew I had hit the wall. On its own terms there … More

This may not work

Since I decided to leave Twitter and abscond from Facebook I have been reminded of some of the guiding principles … More

Lifesaving Poems: Charles Wright’s ‘After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard’

After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard   East of me, west of me, full summer. … More

Poets in the audience

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

I quit

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

The woman at the workshop

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

The man kept piling things on

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

Not on speaking terms

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

Thingless

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

After the thing

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

Publish more!

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More