The second of our guest curators this month on Global Poetry System is Melanie Abrahams, an arts entrepreneur who curates literature and runs Tilt and renaissance one.
It’s been a pleasure to dip in and out of the selection of poems on GPS all day. Dipping in head first to Spain I find a delicate delightful poem Golden Wine, suitable for teetotalers and drunkards alike and no doubt with the recent football, about to make a comeback.
I’m on a high this evening having returned from a enlivening Royal Institution talk between Sir David Attenborough and sound-recordist Chris Watson. Sir D is a deserved national treasure, a dapper picture in the cream suit of the seasoned navigator. The camaraderie, gentle jostling and the way both speakers warmly responded to audience questions was a joy. By chance I was sitting next to Bill Oddie. Another delight (The Goodies was part of the poetry diet I gorged on as a teenager). After making sure I’d recognised him correctly followed by a bit of light conversation I told him that I had grown up watching him (on TV). ‘You can’t be grown up then’ he jokily retorted. Playfulness is just as important as the serious stuff I responded. Which brings me to the witty and very playful Airy Mouse by Rosie Luff.
Sir D A described how female birds are discerning and perspicacious when it came to choosing the right male. They distinguish minute differences between the song of male birds, can distinguish between a 39 trill composite trill sounds – the super alpha male variety – and the lesser specimen of 35 composite trill sounds. This level of discernment is suggested in the evocative poem-song by Tamara Parsons-Baker in the An ex lover and a sperm whale video posting by Henry Stead. Consisting of two pieces, the song performed by Tamara and a poem by Simon Armitage, the posting captures the buzz, rapid drinking, and excitement of a student poetry night, what some in the arts sector would term ‘live literature’. ‘It’s like an old fashioned poetry reading’ guest poet Simon Armitage quips. Certainly it’s compelling and shows poetry in its best live element.
Moving from Oxford to Reading, I find an old favourite The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde. Beautiful phrasing, musical wordplay. As a youngun thought it was about reading, and directing one’s efforts. One can read much too fast.
Earlier today after rewatching Howard Hawks film ‘Bringing up Baby’, I browse for poems on a play or journey theme. Find The Journey to le Repentir by fabulous Guyanese author Mark McWatt, posted by publisher Hannah Bannister of Peepal Tree. The text reminds me of the multi-form architecture of GPS and anything, or anyone, aiming for scale and breadth. Lattices of connections, a textural world wide web of memories and imprints, in a post post colonial new world still fringed with what went before.
Onward to Liverpool, a city of fond memories, I find poem On The Pier by Rosie Frost. Enjoy the way it conveys a suspension of the stuff of fear and judgement between two people. And is suggestive of the times when a couple – whether friends or lovers – are present to each other.
For this exercise I dipped into my notebook to check for poems or text I could add to the mix. Found this phrase ‘to name something is to wait for it in the place you think it will pass’ by Amiri Baraka. The simplicity is deceptive, so much said in one line about patience and resilience. Years ago I witnessed Baraka performing to a rapt 2000+ audience, with a backdrop of the ocean, on Treasure Beach, Jamaica. It was as if he was Loki commanding the winds and sea. A blustery day and too much rum as it happened. For someone so controversial to many and often written off as belligerent this simple phrase casts a different sheen, showing depth and a restrained presence.
Looking forward in a few hours to a day at Edinburgh Fringe to catch some gigs and yes, some are poetry shows. Kate Fox, Tim Clare and Ross Sutherland among others are waving the poetry flag! Let’s celebrate your fortunes. As the Fortune Teller wording says You’re next.
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