The Cusp Of Something

Some recent interviews

Jai — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:29:53 +0000

I’ve been fortunate to have been interviewed recently in The Short Review and on Kathryn Koromilas’ thoughtful blog. Some interesting questions on both. Hope you take a look.

Poetry Course with the wonderful Penelope Shuttle in Spain

Jai — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:51:05 +0000

You know if I were a poet I’d grab this. Looks fabulous. sometimes I wish I were a poet and then no one would ask me to be commercial…

MIRROR AND WINDOW POETRY COURSE, WITH PENELOPE SHUTTLE AT ALMASERRA VELLA, RELLEU, ALICANTE, SPAIN 4TH - 11TH OCTOBER, 2008

MIRROR AND WINDOW examine inner and outer vision in Poetry. The poet, like the poem, can be both mirror and window - reflecting and observing. The action of reflection is made active, energized by poetry. The poet’s ’secret working mind’ draws power equally from inner and outer vision - the interior vision where felt experience is mirrored in language, and the outer view where language both sees through and then opens the window to life - there is indeed more than glass between the huge roses and the snow - and we’ll engage with the ways in which language crosses the miraculous threshold of the window. We will focus on self-discovery and on the exploration and re-visioning of the outer world - landscapes, urban and pastoral, the social world with all the challenge, pain, and (sometimes) bliss of daily life, relationships, all the beauty and danger of living. We’ll also be looking at visual images in the form of portraits and self-portraits, and writing responses to these. And we’ll be writing from music, where the ear both mirrors and reveals, in order to free ourselves, through language, from the blindfolds that habit and the pressures of life often place upon our senses. Penelope Shuttle has published seven collections of poems since 1980, including a volume of SELECTED POEMS in 1998, a PBS recommendation. She is co-author of two prose works, THE WISE WOUND,and ALCHEMY FOR WOMEN.She was married to the poet Peter Redgrove who died in 2003. Her most recent collection is REDGROVE’S WIFE, 2006, which was shortlisted for The Forward Prize for Best Single Collection, and for the T S Eliot Award. In 2007 she received a Cholmondeley Award. She is a tutor for The Poetry School, The Arvon Foundation, Second Light Network, and Lapidus. ALMASERRA VELLA is a large village house, originally the village olive press, in Relleu, with views of a Moorish castle and surrounding mountains. Opened in 2002 by Christopher and Marisa North as a Literature and Arts Centre, it has comfortable bedrooms, mostly private bathrooms, a large day-room, loggia, a 3000 book library, a refectory and a meeting place with log fire beside the conserved old mill. Outside there is an extensive rear terrace, swimming pool and almond orchard. In the nearby grounds there is a ruined Moorish farmhouse and olive and citrus groves. Relleu is an ancient mountain village in the dramatic Marina Baja mountains. There is a modern pharmacy, general store, internet cafe and four bars. It is a half hour drive from the sea at Villajoyosa and an hour from Alicante airport. Easyjet, BMI Baby, Flybe and Monarch fly to Alicante daily and can be booked through the internet. Christopher will meet and return all flights 10a m - 5pm on the beginning and close of the course with transport to Relleu. The price of the course is £495 all inclusive (7 nights) save IVA, air flight and insurance. On reservation a £100 deposit is required and the balance 6 weeks prior to the course. The cuisine is Mediterranean. See more details at www.oldolivepress.com Contact Christopher North at christopher@oldolivepress.com or on (0034) 966 856003 If you wish to discuss the course with Penelope, contact her at: Pdshuttle@aol.com or on 07870145918

The Man Booker Booker

Jai — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:53:54 +0000

Who will be your Booker of the Booker? didn’t they do this before and Rushdie won? Should we be bothered by such marketing? does it adversely affect other lit fiction getting coverage? I dunno but as I looked over this list and realized I hadn’t actually read that many.. shocking! So I voted for the one I know will get little coverage on the basis that J G Farrell wrote one of best books ever IMO - TROUBLES, so I voted for the Siege of Krishnapur. Great book. Get you vote in before 8th July http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/vote

Comments

Jai — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:23:33 +0000

my apologies to those who have left comments - I keep forgetting I should log in to approve them. You’d be amazed how many offers for viagra I currently have awaiting my approval!

A Writer is?

Jai — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:35:33 +0000

What is a writer? Someone who puts pen to paper of course (or fingers to plastic) and produces work. Since moving to London I’ve done very little writing. Does that mean I am no longer a writer? Change of environment, need to find new job etc have all affected my creative juices as they say. Also I just hadn’t felt that pressing need. That’s not to say I didn’t have ideas – but not the pressing need to explore them as I once did. Plus I am working (or trying to find work) more than I used to and that eats into my writing time. Plus other life like things happening that again didn’t happen before. Now I think finally I can’t ignore the gnaw inside anymore. The question is what do I turn my attention to.

Writing a novel is much like pushing a rock up hill – it starts slowly and slowly but gradually momentum is built up and the rock rolls itself mostly. but when you know you have one day a week to push that rock and then have to wait another week to push the rock again you know momentum is never going to come. And yet you still have to do it. The last novel I wrote was runner up in the Starcherone Books unpubbed novel award. I haven’t sent it anywhere in the UK as frankly I can’t imagine anyone publishing it. It’s experimental, rude, brusque, unsympathetic. I did have another novel idea in mind but that would be even more uncommercial. Sometime ago I started a thriller novel to see if anyone bit. No one did so I didn’t finish it. I wonder now should I start it again, rewrite the idea the opening chapters? Would that be ok in terms of pushing that rock up hill?

Today I have opened a new Word document. Typed my title. Maybe I will begin copying and editing from the old chapters. Watch this space.

Pix From Cusp Launch Last November and in Truro this March

Jai — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:41:21 +0000

We had a great time. The launch at Waterstones in Truro recently was more formal and I had to talk about myself which I hated but I sold some books and didn’t bore anyone too much. It was a dreadful journey down to Cornwall in gales and rain and lots of Easter tourist traffic but it was great to see old friends including Anne Marie Jackson and DM Thomas and Victoria Field. Do have some mobile pix of that event taken by my partner. Enjoy these. yes that’s me sitting there looking a bit lost! And yes they did a lovely board in the window

The Launch in November

Some competitions for you

Jai — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:22:14 +0000

These came into my inbox - thought I’d pass them on.

SPLIT THE LARK POETRY FESTIVALDEAL AND DOVER POETRY COMPETITION JUNE 2008

First Prize £250, Second Prize £150, Third £75.At least four runner-up Prizes.

ADJUDICATOR: JOHN WHITWORTHNO ENTRY FORM REQUIRED.

Previously unpublished poems up to a maximum of 40 lines each to be typed on a single side of A4 paper. A separate sheet of A4 should contain the titles of poems, name, address and phone number of entrant.

Entry fees: £3 One poem, £5 for Two, £10 for Five. Cheques payable to “Split the Lark Poets”.Liz Turner, 1 King Edward Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 6QL Enquiries: Tel: 01304 380866 E-mail: june.english@btinternet.com

CLOSING DATE 30th June 2008

Visit our website http://www.splitthelarkpoets.co.uk 5th Annual Momaya Short Story Competition – Deadline 30 April

www.momayapress.cominfouk@momayapress.com

As the director of Momaya Press, I am extending an invitation to any writers you think may be interested in publishing a short story.Momaya Press sponsors a Short Story Competition to bring fresh writing to the attention of qualified judges. Submit your short story (2,500 word limit) by 30 April 2008 in order to compete for prize money and publication in the Momaya Annual Review 2008. The judges are Claire Nozières, Literary Agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, and Rosalind Porter, Editor at Random House. All submitting writers will be invited to the Momaya Awards Ceremony, taking place on 25th November at the London Review Bookshop.

Submission details at: www.momayapress.com.

Back?

Jai — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:51:32 +0000

Maybe I am. For those of you who remember I used to have a lit blog of this title that tried to see the world of publishing from the little fella’s pov - that is those now marginalized by the conglomerate world of publishing we now find ourselves in - the world where publisher (mainstream) are like sheep and want to publish what has came before but oh yes only “ORIGINAL” what came before. Publishers (mainstream) don’t know originality if it came and bit them in the bum. They rely instead on rehashing old old and jumping on bandwagons when the public by word of mouth push a book. Nothing’s changed there then. I wasn’t going to close my blog down but one day it had disappeared. I had some of it backed up but not all. Tis a mystery to this day why it vanished. And as I was trying to do my Phd I let it vanish.

meanwhile I am happy to do the odd review here and recip in whatever way necessary but please note I favour unclassifiable fiction or work hard to publish in the mainstream. I can’t guarantee how often I can be here or with the passion of before but I will try. Please be welcome - comment - make suggestion, hackle even and if you want me to link to you let me know!

Thanks to Steve

Jai — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:25:46 +0000

Steve Kane that is - the blog is back. Content coming soon for those strange creatures who stumble here accidentally. meanwhile here’s a plug