My website has been down for a long time, and I’m still in the process of fixing it. New poems once I do!
Great Plate 2021
Once again it’s time for the fun Quarry Arts charitable trust fundraiser that has local artists creating and auctioning plates. Looks like another fun year with to potters including Jin Ling , Greg Barron, and Marilyn Wheeler joined by artists as diverse as SallySpicer, Matt Kelly, Aru Singh, and Neil Gaiman.
My plate, ‘Moon poem’ is a very short original poem by me, hand glazed on a ceramic plate; the plate itself was thrown by talented local potter Israel Dawson.
Opening: Thursday 29th July at the Yvonne Rust Gallery, 21 Selwyn Ave, Whangarei.
Listings on Trade Me start on opening night – you can bid on them here, or view them at the Yvonne Rust Gallery.
Sometimes when I think
of the moon, the moon is
thinking of you.
Writer and musician William Direen has edited an anthology to raise awareness on the issue of the disposal of over 600,000 books from the National Library. One of my poems, ‘Footnote concerning a vanished book’ is included. You can read or download the anthology here, and a print version will be distributed later in the year.
The Anthology of Love for the Book brings 52 promising young poets, prominent journalists, and several time-honoured poet laureates, winners of Prime Ministers Awards and Robert Burns Fellows together for a massive Hui.
All the writers share deep concern at continuing disposals of books at the National LIbrary of NZ. Every week, thousands of books are vanishing. Among the writers are Dame Fiona Kidman, herself a former librarian, C.K. Stead, perhaps the most respected literary figure in New Zealand, David Eggleton, poet laureate, current Landfall editor Lynley Edmeades; and Associate Professor Peter Simpson, who has written a special essay about Colin McCahon’s use of libraries.
—press release
In association with Book Guardians Aotearoa.
Paula Green over at New Zealand Poetry Shelf is running a great series this year called Poetry Shelf Seasons, in which she selects poems on successive themes such as “ice”, “land” etc. It’s really interesting to see the myriad ways different poets touch on these themes.
One of my poems, Isthmus, is in the Thirteen Poems About Water section.
Submissions are closing soon for Fast Fibres 8.
This is what I’m working on. The “in a blue heap” is from Yevtushenko’s poem Waiting (in translation).
The theme of Fast Fibres Poetry 8 this year is open.
Editors Piet Nieuwland and Olivia Macassey invite poets with a strong Northland connection to submit 3 of your best poems.
Send submissions by email:fastfibres@live.com by June 11, 2021.
Note: Each poem should preferably be no longer than 20 lines single spaced , 12 point Times New Roman. Poems must be submitted as a single Word document with your name in the filename. PDFs and handwritten submissions will not be considered. Please include a two line biographical statement.
Fast Fibres will be launched in print and online on National Poetry Day, August 27, 2021
Website: www.fastfibres.wordpress.com
Look for me in: Poetry NZ Yearbook, ed Tracey Slaughter.
This is a really exciting edition of PNZ, and i feel really happy to be included. At over 400 pages, it has fantastic poems from guest poet Aimee-Jane Anderson-O’Connor and an amazing 128 other poets, both established and new, as well as reviews and essays.
What I’m reading: As I Wander Along by Prabal Kumar Basu trans. Barnali Roy:
“I have said little
Like a silent tree
With shadows growing large in the afternoon sun”
Last year, I was invited to participate in the 2020 World Poetry Festival (Kotho Kota Kotokotha), a wonderful virtual festival. It featured many interesting and distinguished poets, including the fantastic Bengali-language poet Prabal Kumar Basu.
Here is a video of me reading some poems for the Festival in 2020.
Intangential 2020
This month I’m part of a show at the Whangarei Fringe Festival called Intangential, an eclectic fusion of musicians, including a youth orchestra; poets, and dancers.
Among other things, I am doing a collaborative performance with the wonderful and talented cello player Robert Davis (with beautiful assistants Lisa Young and Matt Kelly).
Music, poetry, dancing… Morgan McCaskill, Toi-Akorangi, Robert Davis, Piet Nieuwland, The Bank St Serious Band, Maggie Buxton, Nur Habibi Dancers.
Intangential, Wednesday 21 October 7.30 pm, ONEONESIX Bank St, Whangarei.
Tickets $10 ($8 concession) from Eventfinda or on the door.
“If you thought you knew who we were, think again”
Whangarei Fringe, 10-26 October 2020
Sometimes I see a copy of a book I own, and stare at it for a moment, both comforted and lost. I rarely take them out – it’s like meeting someone who is no longer in love with you. Slide one from the shelf in greeting, turn a few pages, notice a new jacket and how age and distance have
& occasionally I find one of your books in there. Once at some bright evening I watched a quiet moth leave through an open sash window, into a night of rain and streetlight, unseen by anyone but you
