The blogs I read (2)

When Ezra Pound claimed that ‘Poetry is news that stays news’ it is likely he was thinking of Katy Evans-Bush’s Baroque … More

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I was at a thing recently. Not my thing, a good thing. Luminosity filled the evening. In the pouring of … More

[S]everal things dovetailed in my mind, & at once it struck me, what quality went to form a Man … More

The poem is not happy. It glares up at me, its eyes spitting fury. ‘How dare you take me in … More

Lately I have been pondering the practice of paying attention, vis-à-vis my habit of keeping a notebook to capture impressions, … More

Readers of this blog will know I have been thinking a lot about stationery recently. (Actually, that is something of … More

At the start of each academic year, usually when I have known them for a week or so, I make … More

I was very saddened to learn recently of the death of Michael Baldwin, the novelist, poet, writing tutor and former … More

One of the most powerful performances on my old Faber cassette tape of Ted Hughes reading his poems is ‘Bride … More

The third Writing Research Across Borders conference takes place this week in Paris. I will be presenting a poster of … More

When I visit schools to read and talk about poetry there is often some sort of Q and A following … More

Phil Bowen gave me this poem, written by a ten-year-old girl, in 1998 to illustrate a writing game he submitted … More

In 1991 I made the decision to teach part-time so that I could put poetry more at the centre of … More

Sometime in 1997 I went to hear Kevin Crossley-Holland give a reading at Exeter Central Library. I’d heard he was … More

Wind This house has been far out at sea all night,The woods crashing through darkness, the booming hills,Winds stampeding the … More

Ann Sansom is one of my all-time favourite people, poets or normal, ever. I count myself fortunate to have worked … More

When I speak to trainee primary school teachers about their views of poetry I am often struck by their divergent … More

I wrote yesterday about pitching poems in the classroom which are aimed not at the crowd but perhaps one … More