All comments (page 2162 of 2936)

Wed 6th Jun 2012 11:33

Hi Kirsten
I meant no offence to Apples and Snakes and particularly not to you. We have worked with A and S a lot over the years very successfully at times.
What you guys do is valuable in getting some professionalism and quality into this huge, eclectic live-poetry scene. It was more the mismatch between the Arts Council's perception of what it is about and, I suppose, mine. I think they and A&S see it about performance. I see the live poetry scene's biggest benefit being its engagement with huge numbers of otherwise-non-participating 'poets', many of whom would not have known about the beneficial effects - dammit, the sheer joy - of writing what you want to write/say, and having a forum for your work, regardless of what boxes you tick, or categories you are deemed to be in. This gives a voice to the otherwise unvoiced.
Sure, performance skills are interesting for those who consider it a career path, but I would suggest that most of those on the open-mic circuit are there for the pleasure of sharing their words with others occasionally, being heard and appreciated for what they have to say, and how they have chosen to say it.
An evaluation of Write Out Loud's work compared us favourably with the WEA in terms of the educational value of what we are doing.
The overemphasis on youth is soul-destroying to those people - thousands of them/us - who discover live poetry, which is more accessible than published poetry, more fun, more sociable, late in life. It actually reinforces a sense of there being a small elite that does not want to know about the vast majority.
I do have issues with Apples and Snakes, though have good relationship with some of the individuals.
We have worked with A&S when it was us getting them an audience locally for a tour that was elsewhere playing to the janitor and his missus. A&S had their annual grant reduced to what to us is an eye-wateringly huge sum. We get nothing, and are subsidising our work out of our own pockets because we believe in it and the 1,000 visits a day to our site, the 12,000 unique users monthly are testament to the fact that we tick their boxes, not the funders'. We are doing a service to thousands of poets nationally, but told not to bother applying for portfolio funding. Forgive me for a bit of cynicism. I approached A&S to see if, given that you had the funding and we didn't, you could provide a workshop for our poets, so they could build on their skills. It was a flop because A&S brought someone up from down south who was a great performance poet, but no workshop leader. He 'delivered at' the participants rather than finding out where they where and what they needed.
Arts Council have told us to contact you with a view to working with A&S, as your funding is meant to be used in partnership with other players, apparently. I have tried to talk to your last two directors about and been ignored twice. We do have our dignity. So, again, forgive the cynicism.
I would be happy to hear about the work you do. Perhaps you could write us an article about it for the website? That would be appreciated.

Comment is about Live Poetry: An Integrated Approach to Poetry in Performance by Julia Novak (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Graham Clifford

Wed 6th Jun 2012 10:05

Thanks Stella. that WD40 is wonder stuff.

Comment is about On the dispersal of water (blog)

Original item by Graham Clifford

Marnanel Thurman

Wed 6th Jun 2012 09:23

I was wondering which she meant, because this was a deliberate mashup of Eliot's "Naming of Cats" and Henry Reed's "Naming of Parts". If you don't know both of them, it will make less sense.

Comment is about The naming of cats (blog)

Original item by Marnanel Thurman

<Deleted User> (6315)

Wed 6th Jun 2012 09:09

Clever stuff! Love the bomb shape and the fun.. :)

Comment is about Fury said to a fish (blog)

Original item by Marnanel Thurman

<Deleted User> (6315)

Wed 6th Jun 2012 09:06

Really enjoyed the whole..lovely stuff and a corker of a last line..aye those inner gubbins need to lose their squeaks!

:)

Comment is about On the dispersal of water (blog)

Original item by Graham Clifford

<Deleted User> (6895)

Wed 6th Jun 2012 01:01

Ayup matey!
where the thump have you been hiding?
nice to see thee back young feller me lad.xx

Comment is about Dave Dunn (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Dunn

<Deleted User> (6315)

Wed 6th Jun 2012 00:53

Hiya Thomas I think Ann most probably means T.S. Elliot The Naming of Cats

His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

I enjoyed your cat read.

Comment is about The naming of cats (blog)

Original item by Marnanel Thurman

Isobel

Wed 6th Jun 2012 00:10

I've never pondered upon the difference between less and few before,but maybe I should have - if you'll forgive that sentence structure :)

Something I do notice, is the way people constantly confuse 'amount' with 'number'. Perhaps it's time to pull our fingers out of the damn and just accept that language is changing.

An amusing read. Welcome to WOL Karen.

Comment is about Few and Less (blog)

Original item by Karen Robinson

Marnanel Thurman

Tue 5th Jun 2012 23:50

Thank you! Out of interest, which do you think the original poem is?

Comment is about The naming of cats (blog)

Original item by Marnanel Thurman