Wednesday, April 23, 2008

How not to do NaPo

Oh dear: I've stalled on NaPo around about 17 poems in. Not because I've nothing to write about, but because I suddenly realised that I had a lot of work to do on the pieces that I need to submit for the end of this semester. No-one said it was going to be easy!

NaPo hasn't been a waste of time though: I've written 17 poems, which is 17 more than I had, and I can use about six or so for the major submission. They tie in nicely with the (hopefully)emerging theme of time and memory, so nothing wasted - ever.

I've three assigments on the go: one a set of ten poems about 19thc Victorian attitudes towards sex; a set of twenty as yet unrelated poems (but I'm working on that you can hear the thumping and banging from where you are, I bet) as well as 2000 words of commentary about process, development, themes etc. and finally a review/critique of a poetry collection or collection. That last one sounds simple enough, but I'm having difficulty in sourcing previous collections of the writer whose book I'd like to review for this assignment. I'd like to be able to give a very rounded review and that means researching the previous three... odds bodkins!

6 comments:

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Dear Barbara, I found your poem "The Hippocampus" absolutely marvellous. Will be certainly one of those kept for a major submission?
It goes straight into the deep and it's light and dances like the horse-fish.
Oh, could I see one, from my sea they have all gone.
Best wishes, Davide

Mary Boyle said...

Barbara,

Thanks for leaving round your book to my brother today, I cant wait to read it.

Mary.

Colin Will said...

Hi Barbara. Just heard about your Great Grog reading. I'm sorry, but I'm away on a writers' retreat at the time. I'd have loved to meet you and hear your poetry, but I'm afraid it will have to be another time.
Colin

Unknown said...

Thanks Davide - yes The Hippocampus is a keeper. I've worked on it already and am very pleased with a few of the others. Thanks for your enthusiasm and for getting the connection with Sea Horses.

Mary, you're welcome - I hope you enjoy it!

Colin - these things can't be helped. I could do with a fortnight in a writer's retreat, but I can't abandon my husband to the mercies of six very demanding feicers - not yet anyway - and expect the house to be standing when I got back ;)

Pearl said...

I hear you. I as going strong til around week 3. Nothing wasted, that's a good way to look at it.

Unknown said...

That's me, Pearl, pragmatic as always!