The Book of Ystwyth: Six poets on the art of Clive Hicks-Jenkins, which includes all of the poems from my Temptations of Solitude series, is now out. It’s a stunningly beautiful book; you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. Carolina Wren Press does have some review copies available, I’m told, so if you have a well-trafficked blog or magazine, please consider writing it up.
The book was launched on Friday night with one of the best group readings I’ve ever been privileged to take part in, relaxed and well organized, with no bad readers and an overflowing and attentive audience. One of the six poets, the fantastically gifted (and much too modest) Callum James, blogged about the reading as well as yesterday’s launch of the exhibition, which was and is mind-blowing, for anyone who can get to the National Library at Aberystwyth by August.
I expect I’ll have more to say about all this after my return to Plummer’s Hollow and my own computer. I’ve been bothering all manner of people, including Clive, with my audio recorder, gathering material for the Woodrat podcast, and we have video of the reading, so I’ll have my work cut out for me. But for now, I intend to vacate for another week. Wales is spectacular; were it not for the shortage of forests, I think I could live here.
OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES
- The Book of Ystwyth
- The Grave Dug by Beasts
- The Comfort of Angels Attending the Dying
- The Man Who Lived in a Tree
- The Penitent Roasted by the Sun
- The Barbarian Brought Down by a Lioness
- The Celibate Couple Pursued
- The Righteous Man Surprised by the Devil
- The Beating of the Falsely Accused
- “Tempations of Solitude” series now half as solitary
- The Grave Dug by Beasts (videopoem)
- The Grave Dug by Beasts: a new videopoem by Swoon
Yay for meeting online friends! Yay for your gorgeous book! Enjoy the rest of your trip : )
That all sounds very very wonderful! Congratulations on a spectacular reading… I only wish I could have been there (as I suspect all your followers here on VN and TMP do too). Looking forward to reading and listening to all the great material you are gathering, in the near future. Enjoy!
Dave, I hope it was wonderful, I’m sure it was wonderful – so much talent and imagination and generous spirit of collaboration coming together. I’m so very sorry I didn’t manage to be there and still very much hope to make it to the exhibitioin.
It looks wonderful.
Hi Fiona! Great to meet you.
Dave, have a grand time in London. Hope you get over the sheep-wrath.
Getting up at 4 a.m. to leave… I think we should continue meeting our compatriots in foreign countries instead of at home.
Andrea took a beautiful picture of you…
It all sounds glorious. The best to you, my brother! I can’t wait to see more here when you’re home.