Recent books and films

I recently read Psychogeography by Merlin Coverley. Even though I think Psychogeography is a bit pretentious, I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction, especially the many referenced books about and set in London. I am planning to read many of them – I took a lot of notes. I also bought a DVD of the two Patrick Keiller films mentioned (London and Robinson in Space). Paul and I watched London yesterday and I just loved its ambling story – from a never-seen narator – of wandering through 1992 London accompanied by the stories and thoughts of his – also-never-seen – companion, Robinson. London was such a gem. I can’t wait to watch Robinson in Space – where they leave London and wander around Britain.

I am interested in reading Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and A History of the Plague Year, as well as work by Iain Sinclair, Robert Louis Stevenson, Will Self, Arthur Machen, Edgar Allen Poe, Peter Ackroyd and probably others.

literary tattoos

I have just found a website with lots of pictures of literary tattoos, Contrariwise (I heard about it on the Radio National Book Show). There are some I really really like. There are (Tolkien) Elvish tattoos, the Little Prince, e. e. cummings and Kurt Vonnegut. I like some Sylvia Plath quotes and I kind of like the Death Eater tattoo (from the Harry Potter books).

Sylvia Plath poetry

The Applicant

First, are you our sort of a person?
Do you wear
A glass eye, false teeth or a crutch,
A brace or a hook,
Rubber breasts or a rubber crotch,

Stitches to show something’s missing? No, no? Then
How can we give you a thing?
Stop crying.
Open your hand.
Empty? Empty. Here is a hand

To fill it and willing
To bring teacups and roll away headaches
And do whatever you tell it.
Will you marry it?
It is guaranteed

To thumb shut your eyes at the end
And dissolve of sorrow.
We make new stock from the salt.
I notice you are stark naked.
How about this suit—-

Black and stiff, but not a bad fit.
Will you marry it?
It is waterproof, shatterproof, proof
Against fire and bombs through the roof.
Believe me, they’ll bury you in it.

Now your head, excuse me, is empty.
I have the ticket for that.
Come here, sweetie, out of the closet.
Well, what do you think of that ?
Naked as paper to start

But in twenty-five years she’ll be silver,
In fifty, gold.
A living doll, everywhere you look.
It can sew, it can cook,
It can talk, talk , talk.

It works, there is nothing wrong with it.
You have a hole, it’s a poultice.
You have an eye, it’s an image.
My boy, it’s your last resort.
Will you marry it, marry it, marry it.

My new favourite podcast: Indiefeed Performance Poetry

Since getting my ipod for Christmas I have been LOVING downloading and listening to podcasts. A lot of the podcasts I was downloading fit into the following categories: science/skeptical, book review/authors speaking, and poetry.

This past week I started listening to the Indiefeed: Performance Poetry podcast and I’m absolutely loving it. I’ve been introduced to a lot of amazing poetry and poets who I plan to look into more. I’ve even friended them on myspace! It is based in the New York area in the US so a lot of the poets are from around there.

Last year some time I joined the Poetry Society here in the UK and I have yet to go to their Poetry Cafe where they have lots of events, but I now feel inspired to seek out some local spoken word events and go along.

head cold, Spaced and Saul Williams

I’ve spent most of this week home with a head cold. I think it’s a viral infection – which is certainly better than all the nasty bacterial infections I had over winter (all the tonsilitis, chest infections, etc). I don’t feel as bad but am still miserable.

I have been reading the Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson. I don’t think it’s her best book but I am only two thirds through it. I’ve also been watching Spaced episodes and films from Wholphin 3.

I have bought tickets for Paul and I to see Saul Williams in May. I’m really looking forward to it. He is a poet and spoken word performer as well as a singer and his stuff is amazing! I had been meaning to check him out for ages and then when Lucy came to stay she recommended I go see him so the other day I watched a bunch of clips of him on Youtube and was very impressed. Check it out below!

Above is Not In Our Name (the Pledge of Resistance) which (I’m pretty sure) was on a CD I once got with New Internationalist.

Why Gordon? Why?

Why Gordon? Why?
Why couldn’t you ask for help Gordon?
Why did you forget you had people who loved you Gordon?
People who cared
People who would have dropped everything and come
If only you had asked?
Why didn’t you call them Gordon?
Those friends, or family, or acquaintances, even,
Who didn’t like to see you suffer.
Why did you feel so sad, Gordon?
Why did you feel so alone?
Why did you make that decision, Gordon?
Why did you dress in dark clothes and step in front of that truck, Gordon?
Why?

Interesting books, myths of mars and venus, poetry

I was just looking at Neil Gaiman’s blog where he linked to a recording of a radio show he appeared on last week (The Verb, on the BBC’s Radio 3). I had a listen and it was quite interesting. Apart from hearing Neil Gaiman talk about writing, and reading from a children’s novel he is currently writing, I also heard from a couple of interesting writers.

London siteseeing, parcels, art, poetry and blooming love!

Last night I finally got a parcel from Amazon I’d been waiting for for weeks (I even had to email them to check what had happened to it!). It was VERY exciting.

My illness and other animals

On days when I go out
My illness is a small, frail bird
With a broken wing.
I know if it tried to fend for itself
Alone in this city
It would perish.
So I carry it next to my heart
For warmth,
Buttoned up in my winter coat,
And try to make sure
No one jostles me.

On days when I stay in
Everything’s different
It’s me who is frail and small
While my illness is a large Alsatian dog.
It sits at my feet licking its enormous paws
And growls at the door.
When it yawns you can see
Its pointed white teeth.
I’m glad of the protection
But I worry too –
It could frighten away
Even my closest friends.

MARIA JASTRZEBSKA

I make a cup of tea by Carmen

I make a cup of tea
I think
I think
What can I do?
Who am I?
Am I special?
Am I just another shirt on the rack?
Am I a complete waste of space?
Do I have potential?
I really hope I can get out of this black hole I am engulfed in.
Is there a way out?
I look
I look
I can’t see it
I can’t see anything
My head hurts
My heart aches
My body is heavy
I can’t talk
I check that the phone is off the hook
I make another cup of tea

Written in 2004 when I was 26.