Mind over natter

The YouTube clip below is a recording of a reading I made last week for the University of Exeter Guild … More

Notebooks are taking over my life

I am love with making notes. I makes notes in the morning, at bedtime, in the private places, in meetings, … More

I write a lot of things down. In part this is because I no longer remember anything. If I do … More

A little taster for you. This is an essay from my forthcoming book Deck Shoes. – I was having … More

Anne Lamott suggests an index card, and I have used these, but they suggest something pre-planned, organised. The envelope, especially … More

‘I’m trying again. A man has to begin over and over – to try to think and feel only in … More

After Charles Wright Strives for perfection-Thursday Is begun day after votings Old envelope from the hospital) Will … More

Monday: people are starting to recognise each other on my picket line. They exchange news of how the strike is … More

A passerby comes up to my group and hands us a brown paper bag. ‘It’s full of flat whites,’ she … More

Aesthetics of Creating Something This doesn’t just happen: It happens to you. Kenneth Koch, from One Train, p.64 ∞ ‘Even … More

‘The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to … More

I was having a coffee with a new writer friend the other day. Not having known each other for … More

Blind panic when the anthology I am in arrives. The hunt, ever more despairing, for my poem, certain that they … More

[…] you write because you know them not because you understand them because you don’t you are … More

Barely any bird-life since the gales. A robin’s song this morning, from behind the curtains. And yesterday one tiny blue … More

Two successes I can claim as a parent: they both love music and football (even if one of them supports … More

Dean Paul Granny § ‘What students in classrooms say is an exceptionally precious learning resource. Every time a teacher receives … More

‘You look upset.’ ‘I am upset,’ I say. ‘Well, not so much upset as disappointed.’ ‘Want to talk about it?’ … More