Thursday, May 29, 2008

Almost Done

Well the words are writ, the printer has prunt, and the binder has bound together all the work I'm submitting for the end of term, and indeed the end of this MA year.

It felt at one stage that I was never going to be finished writing, editing, re-writing, editing, re-re-writing ... and those were just the poems, never mind the other assignments.

At the end of this year, I've produced 70 + poems, and done a lot of thinking about what direction I'm going to go, metaphorically, across the summer.

That's because I've still another 30 poems to find for the final dissertation. I have ideas, but I think I'm going to enforce a 'dry spell' on myself for at least the start of June. I couldn't write another thing if you offered me the most divine inspiration.

And the other thing I need to start thinking about is whether this is the end of the study road. PhD or get a real job... oh life!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Gowning Up




Here's what I was up to yesterday. Now that I look at it, I probably should have got himself to take a picture from the back... the top one is me plus 5/6 of the ant-hill mob.
I had the mother and father of a headache when I got back. But the canapes were nice...






Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I'll meet myself coming back...

Well, Edinburgh was only fantastic, even if it was the quickest in and out of a city I've done; excepting the trips to London, I guess.

In any case, I arrived on Sunday lunchtime, and did a quick swizz around the park in Prince's Gardens, which are just at the foot (or should I say root) of Edinburgh Castle. I thought while looking up at it, well, you'd not invade that place easy! Rob and his wean made the perfect tourist guides - and I can say categorically that having a scooter is probably the coolest way to get around downtown Edinburgh!

After getting my bearings and a bite to eat, it was off to the Great Grog to get stuck in. Firstly it's a lovely space, very relaxed with comfy chairs to lounge in, always conducive to reading and hearing readers. I kicked off and then Claire Askew read from her work: saving her best poem till last, and then Sally read sections from her long poem just published in a fine edition: The Bees. It's a great idea and the book has a lovely look to it, on creamy paper with gorgeous black and white prints inside. My ones love it already!

Alan Gillis read then, sumptuous sounds go into his work and you can see why Hawks and Doves got shortlisted for the Eliot prize this year. A pleasure to hear him, and indeed everyone, give voice to their work.

I was so tired yesterday I came straight home, made dinner and retired to bed - so, so tired - but it was worth it. And I seem to have come home with way more books than I left with... oh boy!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Lethargic Diseases

I am gripped by a massive dose of prevaricaritis. It's where you know you have loads of stuff to do, but can't quite get started.

I've even gone as far as making a list of the assignments that I need to have done, the order in which they should be done, and any bits of them that are begun (for encouragement).

But I can't seem to get started. I've decided to go climb a mountain tomorrow instead. A literal one, not metaphorical...

Oh boy. Roll on June 1st...