the continuing conversation between art and life
Listening to "The Verb" BBC Podcast (episode 3 Feb 2018) on writing, yesterday, on a bus, I was astonished and captivated by comments on writing, by A L Kennedy: What a writer should write: "From the writer's point of view, if you're not saying what it's burningly necessary for you to say, absolutely to …
Continue reading "A L Kennedy – what good writing is"
How to develop better scriptwriting skills by Corey Mandell
For the first time, I watched "Rocky" through - best of all, the attached DVD commentary by Sylvester Stallone - who comes across clearly as a writer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6bLJrQE4QY He talks about finding the heart of the story - and how financially broke he was when writing. There are wry and ironic looks back - and …
Continue reading "Writing his First Movie Script: Sylvester Stallone"
"I don't analyse it too much, otherwise I'd freeze up and fall over, like a fridge". Interviewed at the Edinburgh Festival, on BBC Radio 5 Live, this is sparkling, fascinating, honest talk on political power, the world, the universe and writing comedy. The interviewer, Nihal Arthanayake, talks to him about how he goes about writing …
I've just watched "Paterson" - a Jim Jarmusch film about a bus driver who secretly writes poetry and delights in overheard conversation. It's a really gentle, observant film with not much action, but a lot of listening. Here's a really good summary of it by reviewer Mark Kermode, who sums it up as a 'mood …
Mary Oliver on modern poetry, her writing practice, early morning as a time to be creative, and loving concern for the environment
As a fully-paid up comedy writing fan, I'm delighted by a Youtube documentary "Life before the Flying Circus" - featuring the background to the Monty Python comedy team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYtlFoe-biY I've watched lots of comedy documentaries in my time, and will seek out ones on Monty Python - but this programme seems to have the edge …
W H Auden reads his poem about the death of W B Yeats (anniversary today) - not only the passing of the man, but the way poetry lives on in the world after the death of its writer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlS_Vbip_Q Interesting to bear in mind that we are listening to the spoken words of a poet who has been …
"creativity begins in rest", a musician muses on creativity and conditions for beginning
10 poets read as shortlisted for the annual T S Eliot prize - audio recording on Youtube videos
