‘You look tired.’ ‘I am tired,’ I say. ‘But term hasn’t even started yet. You’re not match fit. Just you … More
Tag: Writing Poems
Moral ethics
‘I’m tired.’ ‘Go to sleep then,’ the book says. ‘There’s plenty for me to be getting on with while you’re … More
No one you know
‘You look upset.’ ‘I am upset,’ I say. ‘Well, not so much upset as disappointed.’ ‘Want to talk about it?’ … More
Gazing out of someone else’s window
‘Where have you been?’ the book says. ‘Where have you been?’ ‘Here, waiting for you,’ the book says. ‘Working.’ ‘Same … More
I hope your new book is a disaster
‘How’s it going then?’ ‘What going?’ ‘Your ‘New Book’,’ says the book. ‘Fine, thanks,’ I say. ‘No early difficulties with … More
Starting a new book
‘Where have you been?’ ‘Out,’ I say. ‘You were out for a long time,’ the book says. ‘Days.’ ‘I was … More
All of The Book blog posts in one place
Thank you to all my readers who have been asking to see a page with all of The Book blog … More
A list of found poems
Here is a list of the found poems I have been posting over the summer, including older posts from last … More
Who would we be?, by Susan Sontag
A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world. That means trying to understand, take in, connect … More
When poetry moved underground, by Czeslaw Milosz
When poets discover that their words refer only to other words and not to reality which must be described as … More
The back of an envelope thing
‘An amazing stillness this morning. A sense of impending exhaustion in the air. There was one robin as I went … More
Not to forget
‘What drives you?’ says the book. ‘Haven’t we been here before?’ ‘What drives you?’ ‘Are you serious?’ ‘Never more,’ says … More
Only the imperfections
‘What keeps you going?’ ‘You do,’ I say. ‘Not the others?’ ‘No, just you.’ ‘Do you ever think about the … More
This divine breath, by Johann Herder
A breath of our mouth Becomes the portrait of the world, The type of our thoughts And our feelings … More
Poets who remain poets, by Stephen Dunn
Young poets Who don’t think of themselves As apprentices Are notorious For resisting influences. They’ve experienced The first stages Of … More
The wedding speech
‘Where have you been?’ says the book. ‘And good morning to you, too!’ I say. ‘Where have you been?’ the … More
A need to answer, by Robert Pinsky
An artist needs not so much an audience as to feel a need to answer, a promise to respond. … More
Why did I write it down?, by Joan Didion
Why did I write it down? In order to remember. Of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to … More