‘It’s even true of Ted Hughes.’ I look across at the book, whose head is now slumped on my desk, … More
Tag: Being a Writer
The whole gang
‘Are you going to do one?’ ‘Who let you in?’ ‘Are you?’ The book has its feet up on my … More
Oh, but you love writing!
When I write, I feel like an armless, legless many with a crayon in his mouth -Kurt Vonnegut A friend … More
To my fearless guest bloggers
One of the great joys of writing this blog in the last year has been to invite some of my … More
Guest blog post: Strong Heart Songs, by Jo Bell
Anthony often writes that he is ‘at a Thing.’ I go to Things all the time. Poetry World is full … More
On reputation (2)
It’s complicated. There I am in the bookshop, the one we all love, looking for a book. No one is … More
On truancy
There is a certain jubilation and truancy at the heart of an inspiration […a] liberation and abundance which is the … More
The return of the book
I arrive late back at the house. It is already dark. The usual reassuring things are there: unopened mail, the … More
Thirteen ways of remembering Ted Hughes
Teachers’ words should not be ‘How to write’ but ‘How to try to say what you really mean’ – which … More
Mowing the lawn with Maura Dooley
‘There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as … More
Why poetry matters
The value of poetry is that it should matter … first to the writer and then to the reader. Michael … More
About Maurice
I first met Maurice in the sitting room of a mutual friend, a lifelong Labour supporter, the night after the … More
KBO
‘80% of success is showing up.’ -Woody Allen I was chatting with a student the other day when I said … More
Waiting to be picked
If you’re not enough without the gold medal, you’ll never be enough with it. – John Candy, Cool Runnings I did not … More
What I learned this week
That CK Williams has died. More than two weeks ago! One of my heroes. This is the first thing I … More
Why social media doesn’t create intelligence
Those kind and wonderful people at Change This have just released a new batch of free, downloadable manifestos. These articles … More
Guest blog post: Poetry and Work, by Shawna Lemay
Poetry and Work I recently took out a book via Interlibrary loan called, The Mind at Work: Valuing the … More
Guest blog post: Travelling without a visa, by Finuala Dowling
Travelling without a visa It seems to me that all writing comes from a place of resistance inside – … More