the continuing conversation between art and life
good things to read
Poets: if you manage to get a publisher to print your work in a pamphlet - how can you increase sales? (And also - how many sales can you expect, in which ways?) Poet Fiona Moore had a "moderately successful" pamphlet of her work printed by poetry published Happenstance - and noted how many copies …
Continue reading "Sales of a Poetry Pamphlet"
Which books do we ever get round to reading - and which fall by the wayside and remain unread? Popular book reviewer on Youtube, Sanne, ponders.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu_YIpRnoa8 You can follow Sanne at her Youtube channel, booksandquills. If you have a seemingly endless list of books you want to read - my sympathy as a fellow …
"What are the arts for? Why do we encourage creativity? Why do we teach children to play, to perform, to paint?" This is a very old question - one which a cultural leader in Britain has just made a very direct statement about: the Arts Council Chief Executive in the Times Educational Supplement. Key advantages of …
Micah Purnell has put his poetry on billboards in a project "Dear Progress". He meditates on progress - and what it's doing for us as a society. Displayed in Manchester.
Poetry can inspire by acknowledging a person, telling their story, celebrating their life's witness. I just came across a poem by Luci Shaw, which tells us another poet/person's story, their persistence through harsh circumstances. Encouraging. Luci's poem begins with her introduction to Irina, in italics. Irina Ratushinskaya —Russian poet and physicist who was sentenced to …
Continue reading "Poetry of Resilience – Irina Ratushinskaya"
If you're feeling the need to lose a few pounds for the new year, you have my sympathies. I am very amateur at this process, but have found a few useful hints along the way. I am not a medical doctor nor qualified to be a weight loss counsellor - any weight loss programme should …
A Commandco exclusive: poet Dobby Gibson gives his personal reading recommendation and what he's writing, now.
Getting the story on a practising poet and how he works with publisher and editor - and what a book launch is like.
Poet Andrew Motion's tips on writing better poetry
If you've ever wanted advice on "How to be a Poet", there's a book with precisely that title, by key UK poetry publisher Nine Arches press, published in a few days' time (20th December 2017.) It's written by Jo Bell and Jane Commane - who are poets and editors in their own write (right). The …
