By the time you read this I will be far away from here. It has not happened yet, but I … More
Tag: Teaching Writing
Allan Ahlberg’s genius
Photo credit: Felix Clay, The Guardian Heard I can’t remember a time in my teaching career when there wasn’t … More
Influences: Alan Booth
Alan Booth wasn’t the first teacher to teach me something, but he was the first who drew me into the … More
Poetry vs 9/11
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work … More
Lifesaving Poems: the book
Photograph © Bloodaxe Books Ltd I am delighted to announce that my Lifesaving Poems series of blog posts has now become … More
Influence
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work … More
In memory of Michael Baldwin
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More
Teaching people who hate poetry
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More
My hero: Michael Laskey
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More
It is summer for months
It Is Summer for Months Clothes are skimpy and tans are got without flight bags. We saunter beside a … More
Thingless
I am not at a thing. The things have dried up (or I have stopped going). I am thingless. I … More
How to be a writing tutor
Thanks to the vision and generosity of Jean Sprackland, between 1999-2001 I had the privilege of working with the great … More
The power of poetry (free download) #NATEconf
Here are the text and ppt presentations of my NATE Conference 2014 keynote speech on The Power of Poetry. PDF … More
The burnt horizon
I am at a thing. It is my thing, contributing to the thing of others, who I do not know. … More
Influences: Duncan Kramer
I met the furniture designer Duncan Kramer at summer camp. Not as kids but as what we laughingly called leaders. … More
Now the silences are right
I am completely torn apart -Rupert Loydell When I first read Raymond Carver’s Fires I loved and understood all of it, … More
Lifesaving Poets: Gerard Benson
I was saddened to hear of the death of Gerard Benson last week. A poet and anthologist, he was probably … More
The bow and the lyre
I followed a lead, nudged by a hunch, and it brought me here. The book is In Their Own Words (edited by … More