Ouroboros Review, Succour and Sparks

A few bits of lovely news for me and my writing...

First up, I have two very short pieces of fiction in issue 4 of Ouroboros Review, The Sound of Rain and Take Me Dancing. Ouroboros Review is a great quality literary magazine, I love the photographs of old mailboxes, windowframes, and door handles by Julie E. Bloemeke and the poetry, short fiction etc are a treat, I especially enjoyed poems by Michelle McGrane, Arlene Ang, Jeanpaul Ferro and Susan Millar DuMars.



Also, I have prose poems in the latest issue of Succour magazine. It's an issue on the theme of The Banal. I haven't seen or read a copy yet, but I have the feeling that the writing will be far from banal, and am intruiged to know how other writers have interpreted and written about the theme. It's a print magazine, so is available to buy for £5.95. Hopefully I'll get my copy sometime soon... am very excited to read it.



Finally, you might have caught this on facebook, I found out yesterday that another short short has been accepted for Sparks 7 in Brighton on December 1st. Each story is sent to a photographer and a photograph commissioned. The photo is then projected behind whoever reads the short, usually its the author, but I won't be able to make it down to Brighton on a Tuesday night sadly. I'm hoping someone might either film it or take photos, and I definately want to see the commissioned photo. It is a really exciting that it will be read aloud and I hope people like it. It's one of my crazy adolescent Lancashire stories.

Lots of exciting news hm?

Oh oh oh, and the tiniest piece of writing you might ever see me have published, has been posted at elimae...

the week in realisations...

Muddy wellies are the best kind of wellies. These are my pink polka dots, fresh from three hours on the allotment... It was muddy down there after five days of almost constant rain, and I was covered in mud after filling my new compost bin that I found with surprise when I arrived this morning. Two of the guys had built it for me during the week, how nice it that! Now, the compost bin is almost full. I stripped out tonnes of weeds and old plants, pulled out couch grass from around the raspberries, discovered a gooseberry plant hidden under loads of elbow high weeds, and drank lots of tea. There was a tin of gingerbread in the hut today and we had a few breaks for strong tea and cake.

Stevie Wonder is a genius. He has brightened up my week no end. I bought his definitive collection from ebay and have been playing it when I've got in from work, dancing and foot-tapping. I am in love with 'I don't know why', it must be one of the most emotional songs ever written, and the way he sings it, wow. I've realised that my ideal man is Stevie Wonder circa 1969. If only



It's hot chocolate weather again. I mean hot chocolate is the drink for all seasons, but especially winter, cosy nights in when it's cold or raining outside, cosy cafes in the dark evenings, cosy bars with a friend on Wednesday nights having the most lovely chats.




I've realised that cats become more snuggly in winter. A friend of mine said it's only because they want to be warmer, but my theory is that cats like to cuddle in the winter. Sissy has been getting under the covers and cudding up to my belly in the night, she wants her belly tickling, she wants to be curled up on my knee, and is never far away, after a summer of independance and being constantly outdoors. I feel like my little kitten has come home.

It has been a mixed week, mostly good. A few difficult things, but I've been holding on to the good things and saying thank you thank you thank you that the anxiety has eased.

short stories, taking it easy and clearing the plot

Things have been better this week, not out of the woods yet, but significantly better than they were the previous few weeks. I am trying to take things very easy, and focusing on the few things I really want to do...

For a start, last Saturday, I went out for a lovely short story day. A writers brunch in Manchester with Tania Hershman, Elizabeth Baines, and Melissa lee Houghton. Lots of talk about short stories and writing over scrambled eggs and toast. It was the first time I met Tania and Melissa, even though I have 'talked' with them a lot online. It's weird and wonderful meeting people from the internet, I felt like I already knew them from photos, blogs, emails.

Then, on to the Short Story Weekend at Manchester Literature Festival. My highlights were:
- hearing Adam Marek read the beginning of a very intruiging short story about school children wearing nanoclothing, in a futuristic world. And also getting the chance to meet him. I desperately want to read his collection.
- A video interview with Gazan short story writer, Atef Abu Saif, who was not allowed to leave Gaza to read in person.
- Bernard MacLaverty read a very entertaining story, and answered questions. I loved it when he answered a question by saying, 'yes, I can't remember which of my short story collections that was'. Oh, I aspire to be able to say that.
- I also aspire to be able to say the same as David Constantine, when he told us he had 'found' several novels that he had written in a cupboard recently.
- Finally, Iraqi writer Hassan Blassim read one of his short stories in Arabic, with an English translation projected behind him. It was a very brutal story, black humour, ironic.

I was exhausted after such a full on and intense day. But, how wonderful to be able to indulge in so much short fiction. If only all literature festivals could focus on the short story like this. It is very exciting to discover new writers, and enjoy the vast mix of short fiction writing out there!

I'm back to reading short fiction as well, after a brief foray into novels. I've just finished Alice Zorn's Ruins and Relics and have started Mary Caponegro's All Fall Down. I will be writing reviews for both of them, and will post links when they are online.

Work on the allotment is coming along very well...
I've planted onions and garlic ready for spring, it felt good to get something in the ground, as well as all the digging I've been doing. At least I know that (fingers crossed) something is growing. Last Sunday in the drizzle, me and my sister cleared a little more ground, and I pulled out all the big weeds in the middle of my plot. The compost heap is getting to be huge! It was very muddy and a little cold, but exciting to see how it is progressing.

Yesterday, I went to the Allotment Association AGM, which was an eye-opener. There was so much arguing! People disagreeing about water butts and top soil, and what the money is going to be spent on, and whether we should have a toilet fitted and who would clean it if we did, and whether it's better to have green bins or a skip, and all kinds of other heated debate. Gosh, I didn't know allotments invovled so much politics! I did another couple of hours on my plot, and cleared a little more space, dug it over again, and with the help of Eric (one of my allotment neighhours) built a raised bed...!


I never imagined I would enjoy having an allotment so much. Simple pleasure I mean, a slow kind of satisfaction, seeing how I am slowly getting things done, tidying the ground, digging it over, how little by little, big things can be achieved.

I find life interesting, the way this allotment was given to me, just at a time when I was really struggling, and how it is turning out to be exactly what I needed. Perhaps its sychronicity, I don't know, but it couldn't have arrived at a better time. It's not the answer, but it's given me something to focus on, it's getting me out in the fresh air, exercising more, and introduced me to a very friendly community of people at a time when I was feeling very alone.

Positive, yes?

I have much more to say, mainly about the kindness of others - friends and strangers - I've been surprised by the amount of kindness and also where it has come from. I will save this for another blog, perhaps, as I have a lot of thoughts about it that I'm still working through. But, I do want to acknowledge the kindness people have shown me, often in very simple ways, that has meant such a lot. Thank you!

Digging etc

I've been to the allotment twice this week. Tuesday, I did some digging, but soon got rained off. A little bit of rain is fine, but when it starts plastering hair to your face, and everything around you is turning to mud, I think it's time to pack up and go and get a cup of tea.

Yesterday was a much better day. I was there for four hours. The first half an hour was a bit hard going. I was thinking, there's no way I can manage this allotment by myself, blah blah. Anyway, a few cups of tea in the allotment hut with some of my allotment neighbours soon sorted that out. 'Little and often' was the advice, as well as 'don't kill yourself working too hard' and 'set small targets'. I have to say that cups of tea in the allotment hut is one of the best things about having an allotment. There is a lot of banter and chatter and advice shared, and I now have my very own key to the hut!


I helped shovel and barrow a load of manure, as there was a big stinking delivery. But mostly I was digging. I had help yesterday as well, a friend came and did a couple of hours digging with me. We have cleared an amazing amount of ground, and pulled out the biggest pile of weeds and grass, that is now festering in a makeshift compost heap in the corner of my plot. Hurray...

I'm wondering whether to start an allotment blog, or is that just weird...?

I'm going to do a short visit today, as I have to say that I'm aching a little from yesterday.

This week has been very up and down. But the good things...
1. watching the film Up with my mum and dad, which is brilliant animation, very good fun, endearing and uplifting.
2. not winning an award at the Manchester Blog Awards, but loving the fact that Emily of My Shitty Twenties won two awards.
3. seeing Jenn Ashworth read from her new novel at the blog awards... her reading was fab, and I'm so looking forward to reading her book (once published).
4. the lovely vegetable soup I made for tea last night and sharing it with a lovely friend.

back to a few literary things...

Just to balance out the see-saw that is my blog/life at the moment, I wanted to focus on books, writing and literature for a moment. After all, this is why my blog exists, n'est pas?

I have a new review in The Short Review. There are some excellent collections and anthologies of short fiction on review this month, so many exciting short story writers and publishers out there... I need a second income to be able to afford everything I want to buy. I reviewed Samuel Ligon's Drift and Swerve, a gripping collection of short stories which I described as:

the best weekend you've ever had, without the hangover or having to face your friends wondering what on earth you did to upset them.

This quote doesn't give you much insight into the writing, more how it felt to read the stories, but if you fancy finding out more, have a read of my review... and buy a copy, it's definately worth the dollars.

I also have a couple of mini reviews in Sphinx Magazine, both are reviews of poetry chapbooks (each chapbook is reviewed by three seperate reviewers). Chapbooks hardly ever get reviews so have a little browse on the site, you never know you might find a brilliant little chapbook for as little as three quid, and they make excellent presents... I reviewed Greg McBride's Back of the Envelope and In the Little House by Jenn Habel, both very different... interesting too how my fellow reviewers (male) had a quite different take on the Jenn Habel chapbook.

Erm, what else? I have a number of books to review, but haven't done it yet (sorry editors...). I finished reading The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. Brilliant. What more can I say? I have been a very slow reader these last few weeks, but I have started a new book yesterday, short fiction, and it suits my attention span a little better.

Two of my favourite literature festivals are on at the moment. Lancaster Litfest and Manchester Literature Festival. They both have some very exciting events on. I'm not sure whether I'll get to many of them, but I urge you to go and tell me about it.

I did, however, go to a writing workshop on Saturday in Lancaster. It was described as a fringe event of Litfest. A workshop run by Eliza Mood, at the Alexandria Gallery at the University of Cumbria, where there is an exhibition of work by artist Andrew Ratcliffe. His work is figurative, detailed, at times graphic. I didn't know his work before the workshop, but it was fascinating to wander around the gallery, focusing on different paintings, writing poems/short shorts, and then sharing with the others, seeing what other people had picked up. I wrote some very short character observations and a short story. Very inspirational.

Anyway, off to the allotment for some digging...

Allotment 21b

Sissy told me she is getting bored of all the stress in the house (yawn yawn). She said, come on, write a positive blog for a change.

So, I thought I'd tell you about my allotment. It's weird, don't you think, how sometimes the world gives us what we need at the time we most need it? I've been on the waiting list for an allotment for two or three years. Last week, I was emailed by one of the people on the allotment committee to say, they have half a plot for me, am I still interested?

I had a choice of two half plots, both very overgrown, but I chose the one that looked easier to work on.

First visit, I didn't even get my spade into the ground, before I was offered a cup of tea in the allotment hut. I met three fellow plotters over a cup of very strong tea, and then one of them came down to my plot with me to take a look. His advice was, start with the easiest jobs. He then spent maybe an hour with me helping me to clear my first little rectangle of land, telling me which weeds are the worst and chatting about life on our allotment site. I went home after a tour of his plot with a bag of beetroots fresh from the ground, and the promise of help to strim the worst of my weeds.

Second visit yesterday. I did two hours of digging, to finish clearing a square and boxing it off with scrap wood I found on my plot. I then started digging what will be my main planting area. I have rescued from within the weeds... globe artichokes, three strawberry plants, a raspberry plant, nasturtiums and some lemon balm. I have also rescued a sun dial, plant pots, canes and a trowel. I had another cup of tea in the hut, and was introduced to a number of other people. I was given a lesson in taking hardwood cuttings from blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes (I have a monstrously overgrown blackcurrant bush at one end of my plot). I've had offers of strawberry runners and runner bean seeds. Some scafford boards were mysteriously left for me, and another man has offered to help me build some raised beds, easy, he said.

I've been invited to the annual bonfire and barbeque on Guy Fawke's night, and my £26 dues for the year need to be paid by then... 50 pence a week for a lovely piece of land that once I get digging, get rid of the weeds, start planting, will be my own organic vegetable garden.

It couldn't have come at a better time...

apologies for tonight

I was due to read at Bolton Octagon tonight with Chris Killen. I've had to cancel this, due to what you will already have read about in my blog. I left it until this morning to decide, because I really wanted to be there, reading poetry and enjoying what promises to be a really good evening. But, in all honesty, I'd struggle to even be there.

It's difficult cancelling commitments like this, especially as a writer, because it lets people down and these opportunities come up so rarely for me. So, I apologise to anyone who has bought a ticket specifically to see me. I urge you to do along and hear Chris read, and hopefully they will be able to find an exciting replacement in time. I hope so.

I'm also taking more time off work. Another tough decision, because again I feel as though I'm letting people down. But I have to be realistic.

Probably, there will be a number of things in coming week/s that I might have to pass on.

There is an argument for 'pushing through' and I've spent a lot of time in the past days going over and over this (probably not a good idea to be going over and over things!). Sometimes, though pushing through feels too difficult, and retreating feels like the more sensible course.

Ugh.

So, let me talk positive on this blog for the rest of my post because I'm becoming a total misery guts, and you know, it's important to focus on the positives:

1. I watched Memoirs of a Geisha yesterday with my sister. I've never seen it before and I've no idea why. It's a beautiful film, gorgeous. I loved the story, but the costumes were just amazing, and all the mise en scene, the attention to details, it is visually brilliant.

2. I'm still reading Sarah Water's Night Watch, slow slow reading attention span. But it is brilliantly written... I love her writing.

3. I've been offered an allotment near where I love. Well, it's half an allotment. I've been on the waiting list for 2 or 3 years, and now here it is. I went to see it, and it's a very friendly small site, and I have half an allotment, that needs a lot of work. Any offers for help with digging? It will be wonderful to get out there and do some digging and planting and grow my own stuff.

4. Kindness of friends and strangers. I don't need to say anymore than this. Even small kindnesses are most appreciated.

I want to end on a poem that someone emailed me this week...

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Bark