Writeups
Celebrating past tours
Paper boats and dancing poets at Shakespeare’s, Sheffield
Sheffield, I love your space and street art, your compactness and charm. Sheffield is a place I feel I could direct people around after two days of finding my way. From the back streets of Vicar Lane and Campo Lane to West Bar roundabout in rush hour and the Graves Gallery. I visited the Picture the Poet exhibition at Graves Gallery on the way to my accommodation and chatted with a few visitors about poetry. If I’d known it was on in advance I would have arrived earlier and accosted all the patrons with Sheffield Quiet Compere flyers. I went to check out the venue in the afternoon and my main concern was that the lights were not powerful or pointed at the stage. I had brief visions of the Quiet Compere holding a torch to each poet’s papers. Would have been memorable, but given a gaffer tape impression of the tour. Not a review I am really aiming for. This is the third gig where the mic has been done away with. (Liverpool and Blackpool were the other two). The wandering poets make the event feel less “us and them”, but also made it more difficult for me to take photos of the performers – The mic leash would have kept them out of the lights. Gav Roberts: kicked off the evening with considered words and Paper boats – the theme of water and boats was to continue through the night and we even had real paper boats on the table! I liked his feelings folded away and love the idea that we should: “Always give hope back in the same shape it was given, but bigger”. Sarah Hymas: brought paper boats and exquisite artworks of poetry volumes. She has decided to write about water until she’s bored if it! I loved “I am silence or instruction” and the “intimacy of forecast”. Helen Mort: A local reference to Fagin’s evil pub quiz feels very familiar. Helen admitted she is in fact 80% limestone. The poem about walking the Swiss Alps in a crinoline “An easy day for a lady” amused me. River Wolton:. “Even the shy spelled out/their names/on strangers’ palms” and “Most of all we wanted song/its tide in our ribs.” Were lines that have stayed me from River’s set. I loved the ant poem and the story at the beginning about carefully forming it to the number of legs of an ant (then realising they didn’t have eight legs!). Alan Halsey: The bits of noise and indecipherable commentary were mixed in with the balm of real words. I have no idea what this performance was and whether I like it or not, but it was unusual. Alan is the first poet on the tour who has taken volume in the sense of books (I think). The book title list poem amuse me, a line from it: “Origin of Evil, The – An epic poem”. Martin Collins: read an excellent internet dating poem. I loved the prayer boats and their echo through the who of the night and the water that ran through the event. Geraldine Monk: Her faulty sound system poem and it went down very well with the audience. The poem was set on a boat so the theme continued. Jonathan Eyre: “landing on the moon was the start of the end of mankind/ Frogs are dreaming of the days of tadpoles” the water continues and becomes political. His sex cashpoint poem pays off. Anne Caldwell: She “longed for a starless sky/short circuited everything/a cliff-top house where she sang to herself”. The incantations of places and flowers in the poem Imagining her own death. I had to pause for a second when the son chose his “favourite aunt for a mother” and the solemnity of the poem was lost for a second after the earlier poem stuffed with “ants”. Genevieve L Walsh: rhymed breasts and BBC North West. Got to admire that! I always want Gen to “do” the Depeche Mode one and the skill she has of getting everyone to listen and empathise before she starts. At least half a dozen poets and audience hung around after the event for a couple of beers. This left me with a warm feeling and the continuation of the night, rather than suddenly saying a couple of dozen goodbyes and finding myself stranded in an empty place or alone in a place busy with other people’s lives where I feel I no longer belong. On the Saturday I stayed on for the Sheffield Writer’s Day and I wrote the piece below at the workshop: Leaving on a train when you are not the destination I leave the last tears I can cry for you on Platform 3 of Stockport Station. On Brighton beach I leave the stone you gave me smoother than today. On my cousin’s couch wrapped in a tearless grief I leave self-pity. At the sea’s edge I leave your Budweiser top (that smells of Ariel and Lynx Africa) Waves roughly take it. Promenade footsteps and the growl of a pebble shore erode sentiment. As the train pulls into Stockport station I realise I left the fear of alone on Brighton beach. Oh and I do know this is the Sheffield blog, but more news soon about the National Bid success. Quiet Compere will be continuing in 2015 with a National Tour. Happy dance. xxx |
Raucous, yet Respectful. An Illuminated Exit – Blackpool Blog – 22nd August 2014
Charvas, The Crown Posada, a conversation with a buttercup and smoke-soaked poetry
Emergency Shoe Shopping, Mangoes and Superman – Leeds blog
Bat Applicants at Blackburne House Cafe – Quiet Compere Liverpool Review
Kendal Review
- Running over. All apart from two ran over! Ann said they are used to being there for the night once they arrive and not to worry if night runs over. I am very keen to stick to time, as I think two hour event is long enough to expect people to concentrate and ten o’ clock is late enough finish, it ended up being ten thirty finish. Ann did lengthier introductions and I wasn’t sure in Ann’s half if she was still expecting me time or not, or just not bothering with timings.
- Concern our break may clash with Lee Evans’ break. Check out other events in venue beforehand.
- Anywhere I can extend the visit a little, even to early on the day before or to stay with poets over-night. Much warmer and less of a wrench when it was over.
- Someone at the Birmingham event mentioned exit flyering to me. Something I will consider asking venues to do for future events.
Writing Process Blog
- What am I working on?
Birmingham Quiet Compere Review
York event review
York Blog
Shared Earth, York – My destination
As a claustrophobe
who is 30% control freak
the prospect
of living within walls appeals.
The Minster
where the sceptical are converted
The wavering of faith
compelled to return
Sharp-edged houses
a book-width at the corners
form
natural single volume bookshelves
I discover 13 year old me
loitering in Shared Earth
in a blanket weaved of sandalwood
and whale sounds.
She wears a burgundy hooded top
I still wear now.
Colours of Autumn it says on the front,
But it always reminds her of York in Spring.
She carries her prizes to the checkout:
A dream-catcher,
worry dolls
and a treasure chest sparkling with false gems.
I echo these purchases
with equal enthusiasm,
but am sent to Paperchase
for the animal-themed writing paper.
York Poets
I loved Tanya Nightingale’s “The world where no-one lies”. I encountered and enjoyed the unforgettable performance styles of Rose Drew and Miles Salter. Chris Singleton’s T’was the night before pay day went down well. Amina Rose stood in for Kate Fox and her set was both gentle and musical. Pat Borthwick and Carole Bromley’s poems were packed with exquisite details. John Gilham provided us with a ‘miserabalist catalogue’, his phrase, not mine, but the misery was so eloquent. Will Kemp’s poem about a family falling into water and keeping tally was touching and spare. Oz Hardwick joined in with the film noir theme, echoing one of my pieces and he and his partner led me circuitous way home to avoid drunk people and hen and stag dos, via the pasty shop, of course.
York Stuff
Ok, things about York. The gig went well and as it was the first with a Box Office, I was panicking a bit when only 25 tickets had sold in advance – an audience of 55 filled the place up and more chairs had to be found!
Tony and Chantelle, from Liverpool, who sat opposite me on the train, all head-phones and nudging until our service was diverted by a fatality on the line. This rerouting meant headphones came off and stayed off and we talked of death, life, work and poetry.
Caroline, in property sales for 16 years, still feels the loss five years later.
The fact that no-one in York was from York. None of my performers were originally from York either. Hard to find anyone with the accent. I enjoy being cloaked in vowel sounds and colloquialisms. This felt like a pivotal character missing completely from an episode of a series.
To the girls in The Cornish Pasty Bakery and that local accent at last at 11pm at night, served up with a smile and a warm cheese scone.
The niece and aunt at breakfast who had come to York for the shops and did a sterling job of not selling Sunderland to me.
The lady in the Holgate Hill Hotel who is away from her dementia-suffering husband
To “recharge and hopefully get a bit lost!”. Nothing like getting lost with the luxury of having time to find your way and yourself again.
Meeting people further along the tour:
In the last month I have met up with a Birmingham performer and a Newcastle performer and the bonds being forged through The Quiet Compere Tour are strong. I am making some great connections and even though it is strange to meet virtual friends in reality, this has been such a positive experience on Quiet Compere Tour so far, I am hoping this vibe continues.
Learning Curve
1) No matter how many times you mention that the tour is Arts Council funded people will tick that they weren’t aware on the questionnaire.
2) T-shirts are still not ready. Should be for Birmingham.
3) Flyering/postering Birmingham may have made some new contacts, but not sure investment in time and train ticket is going to show in ticket sales. All York Questionnaires said heard by word of mouth or social media. However, if I can combine the promotional visit with an event, this may make travel over worthwhile.
4) Get in a better position to take photos of guests.
5) I am feeling a little sad that I am half way through the tour for promotion purposes. Each new flyer designed sends a shiver through me. Will just have to start planning the next venture!
PS The Leeds and Liverpool flyers/posters are on their way! T-shirts should arrive by Thursday. I have seen the designs and the excitement at seeing these has kept me from being to cross I haven’t got the real things yet. I will be sporting one in Birmingham on Friday!