TamoxifenMy doctor’s given me a massive canof elephant repellent. I’m to sprayit, after washing, on my skin. It willsubstantially reduce … More
Tag: Cancer
Lifesaving Poems: Alden Nowlan’s ‘This is What I Wanted to Sign Off With’
This is What I Wanted to Sign Off With You know what I’m like when I`m sick: I’d sooner curse … More
Lifesaving Poems: Philip Levine’s ‘Magpiety’
In September 2006 my treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma came to an end. I was not told I was officially in … More
Northern Sky and remission
When I began to recover from my treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2006 this lovely article about Nick Drake’s Northern … More
Lifesaving Poems: Jane Kenyon’s ‘Let Evening Come’
Let Evening Come Let the light of late afternoon shine through chinks in the barn, moving up the bales as … More
The poets I go back to
Colin Mallett, Sculptor The poets I go back to This article first appeared in the North magazine, in November 2007. … More
Mogwai vs. chemotherapy
On headphones in the day case ward and in my kitchen late at night, Mogwai’s New Paths to the Helicon, … More
Luke Allnutt on ‘battling’ cancer
Readers of this blog will know of my antipathy to the martial language often used in the culture to describe … More
Review of Love for Now and Riddance
Tomorrow the Church Times publishes a combined review of my memoir of cancer Love for Now and Riddance, my … More
The ‘rollercoaster ride’ of cancer: an Interview with James Landale
It was great to hear the BBC’s Deputy Political Editor James Landale’s interview about his experience of treatment for cancer … More
On disappearing
I wrote recently about poets who disappear from view, specifically Susannah Amoore, from Faber’s Poetry Introduction 6. My point is far … More
I am Fighting
I wrote here a couple of days ago about my aversion to using war metaphor to describe cancer. Judging from … More
Cancer isn’t a battle, it’s cancer
A friend of mine drew my attention via Twitter this week to an article detailing Robert Peston’s thoughts on his … More
When they told me I would live
Nine days after I was told that my chemotherapy treatment was not working in April 2006 the doctors discovered the … More
On reading poetry to dying people
I want to live – Sharon Olds The most intense reading group I ever belonged to wasn’t really a reading … More
Relapsing from cancer…by mistake
Seven years ago this is what happened halfway through my treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I went for a midway scan … More
Diagnosis anniversary 7
Today is the seventh anniversary of my diagnosis with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), an aggressive cancer of the lymphatic system. I … More
Lifesaving Poems: Jo Shapcott’s ‘Era’
EraThe twenty-second day of March two thousand and threeI left home shortly after eight thirtyon foot towards the City. I … More
Lifesaving Poems 