The Horowitz Question

These are strange times for the publishing industry. At least, that's how it appears to me. Having only had my debut collection published nine months ago, I'm hardly a wizened veteran of the field. Nonetheless, with the future of traditional large-scale publishers up in the air because of e-readers, Amazon, digital production accessibility and all that jive, it appears obvious that I've just entered a world in something of a state of flux. You've got your self-publishers making a quick buck off authors not patient or talented enough to go through the usual channels. The again, you've got business-savvy writers like Terry Jones cutting out traditional publishing contracts by going through those very same channels. You've got hi-tech software on your iPhones and the ability to publish widely online.

You've got writers like Anthony Horowitz, who is a wizened veteran of the field, questioning the very need for traditional publishing houses as the literary industry moves into the modern age. With companies like Apple and Amazon waiting at the gates with offers of 70% royalty on all profits from books published via their digital platforms, there are now a myriad of ways to publish your writing without needing to send of those pesky submissions or wait in the Withnail and I hinterland for commissions.

Interestingly, Horowitz acknowledged the dangers that placing so much control in the hands of said corporations (as Apple and Amazon's schemes require) and ponders how much power publishers really have. It's a pertinent question; Tesco barging in on retail prices, supermarkets dictating age-bracketing and generally swallowing up all the train-station fiction and 'next-Harry-Potter' kids' books. He also questions whether authors really need publishers any more? It's certainly a conundrum.

The antithesis to Horowitz' musing is staring you in the face as you read this. Valley Press is a grass roots product of literary enthusiasm and by looking for the best in new and exciting writing, it's only gone and got itself nominated for a national business award. I'm pretty certain that I could have published my book through other channels; I could have paid to have it self-published, released it as an ebook, whatever. I'm also pretty sure the end-product wouldn't be half the quality of the finished 'Encore' that I and Jamie came out with. Where would the promotion have come from? The editing? The keen literary eye that turned my poems from random internet ramblings into a beautifully designed, coherent book? These are all aspects that writers cannot offer themselves. They require outside assistance and those within the publishing industry offer the best form of that assistance.

Horowitz acknowledged this, paying tribute to the contributions of his editors past and present and he actually read out a passage of self-published fiction to bring the to the attention of the audience the tiny oversights and repetitions that made it 'ploddy' rather than cutting and incisive. He notes, then that publishers help to raise the a for writers and the quality of their work. So Horowitz answers his own question in the end; He enjoys being part of the literary tradition that brings publisher and author together, and so do I. Again, though my experiences are thus far limited, it's definitely not a case of publisher v. author, as some camps might be chanting, including the Society of Authors. The fact that publishers are keen to focus on content, and design and all those fiddly bits that you get to bypass by self-publishing should be something to celebrate amongst writers.

If all publishers began to focus on just the money, as Horowitz concludes, they'd probably end up far better off, but where would that leave the readers who crave decent fiction, or poetry, or a cheeky bit of non-fiction? We'd be littered with more Dan Browns and Katie Prices and screen glare. The industry may be in flux, but I'm glad to be in the eye of the storm, and I'm glad to remain part of the long writer/publisher tradition.

How to read poetry

An interesting sermon of sorts from the masterful Leonard Cohen on how to treat spoken poetry

Enjoy. And do feel free to discuss, in the comments, whether you have any of your own techniques or influences when you get up and blab!

Valley Press Fest! - Scarborough

Saturday 21st January 2012 - Taylors Cafe & Books / Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, UK

The official poster.

The genesis of 'Valley Press Fest' came in three stages: 1) Jo Brandon told me she was happy to do one more event while she was 'up North' for her launch, 2) a realisation that the strong sales I'd been enjoying before Christmas might not continue as strongly into January, which ideally could be compensated for with a big 'VP day', and 3) I noticed that the word 'Press' rhymes (a bit) with the word 'Fest', which is a perfect word to use when you are holding one day with multiple events.  Rejected ideas include 'Valley Presstival', and my old collaborator Howard Staveley's suggestion, 'Valley Press Conference' (see what he did there?)

Jo Brandon and Deirdre McGarry.

As I mentioned on the day, one of the great strengths of VP (which is still a very young operation, lest we forget!) is the sense of comradeship between authors - a real sense of working together, of a whole that is greater than the sum of its (already great) parts, and maybe even a sense of family... a slightly dysfunctional family perhaps, with me as everyone's strange cousin, but a family nonetheless.  The people performing on the 21st January were united by a love of literature, poetry in particular, and also by a shared experience... though everyone's road differs, they'd all experienced the 'Valley Press process' to get their books into print, so had a lot of experiences to compare.  I'm very much trying to foster the idea that the success of anyone helps everyone, and I think that's been taken on board.  As I looked around during the signing, and saw everyone talking to each other and getting on, I can honestly say I've never felt prouder.

Anyway, that's the sentimental bit taken care of!  The day had two parts, a signing (with short bursts of reading) in the new Scarborough independent bookstore/cafe Taylors, and a two-hour reading in the library.  Let me draw your attention immediately to the photographs of the day, taken by Marcos Avlonitis who I've raved about at length elsewhere - the man's a genius, enough said!  You can see some scattered around this entry, but also full sets on Facebook, from Taylors here and from the library here.  He's really captured the day, if you ask me - having a professional photographer on hand is invaluable, I plan to never go into battle without one again.

Steve Rudd and James Mcloughlin debate some important literary issues.

Our time in the cafe was an interesting experiment... not many books sold (five, if anyone's counting - apparently everyone was waiting to get them later!) and the people enjoying tea and coffee were a bit baffled at first by the onslaught of poetry, but I think they came around to the idea in the end.  Our progress was further hindered by me experiencing a problem at the bank on the way there, meaning for the first 15 mins there were just a lot of authors with no books!  When I did get there, I spent much of my time looking at submissions... I didn't see that coming!  People were quite right in thinking if they caught me off-guard, face-to-face, they'd have a good chance of getting their work read.  We'll see if anything comes of it... I told them to drop the final copies in at the front desk at Woodend in July, which allowed me to make good my escape.  But we will have to open submissions again soon, without a doubt - I'm spending much of my time at present thinking of the most effective way to receive them, the way that's easiest for me and least painful for the writers.  Any ideas, feel free to comment below!

Norah Hanson in full flow.

I was really impressed by everyone's performances at the library; it was well timed, and there wasn't a weak link in the chain... where are all those mumbling poets I occasionally see elsewhere (often after having paid several pounds!)?  Not here, apparently!  We also met one of my targets, which was to fill the room we half-filled last time... however, as I made this event free as well as waiting four months, I can't be sure which change led to the increase in numbers... it's just not scientific!  Anyway, as I say, the reading was a great success, and though we were chased out by the caretaker (apparently the library closes at 4pm on a Saturday, and not a second later), I think everyone went home satisfied.

I'd like to announce now that the next big Valley Press event will be in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, Sunday June 17th, all day at the Spa Theatre - put it in your diaries now, and I'll do more thorough advertising nearer the time.  I'd also welcome ideas; we have seven hours in total to fill on that day, and as of yet nothing planned!  Whatever we do though, if it's half as good as the 'Valley Press Fest', I'll be a happy man.  Hope to see you then!

A week after this event, some authors headed south for Valley Press Fest London - you can read all the details on how that went here.

The Valley Press Reading 2011 - 22nd September

This post is one of the few with no content other than shameless advertising - I'm writing to let you know about the first ever Valley Press Reading, which will be held at Scarborough Public Library on the 22nd September 2011, with a relaxed 6pm start and an optimistic 7.30pm finish.  If my plans all come to fruition (and they have been known to) the reading will feature all eight authors I've published this year; they will be reading from their work, signing books (of course) and possibly answering a few questions.

Nigel Folds, artist behind Lonely Destiny, will be bringing some of the original artwork for the book (ensuring your eyes are as entertained as your ears), and the public will have their first chance to see (and buy?) copies of our seventeenth publication, Miles Cain's The Border (though of course it is available to pre-order here - expect the usual barrage of posts about that one shortly).

If you're a person with a Facebook, you can RSVP in the most convenient fashion on the event page here.  For a map to the venue, try here.  I'm afraid you do have to pay to come - £3 in fact, tickets on the door - but a lot of you already own all the books, and I gotta pay those room fees somehow!  Plus, think of all that great entertainment... to say nothing of the complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits.

I'm hoping this could be a regular thing, twice-yearly, especially if it goes as well as I think it will.  Also, I hear rumours the whole thing will be professionally filmed, so we'll be on our best behaviour (and this means international VP fans might get a look too, at some point).  Either way, wish us luck, and I'll see you there!

VP Live: Saturday August 13th

Valley Press was all over Yorkshire this Saturday, attending the first ever 'VP book signing' at the Scarborough branch of Waterstone's, and performing as part of the 'Poetry Showcase' at Bridlington's Spotlight Theatre.  I was there with my camera to capture some highlights, and thus the photo recap below was born...

The Valley Press table - sadly not a permanent feature in the shop - organised on the day by 'merchandising' whizz and all-round genius staff member Sean Lewis.

The day was a big one for collaboration - I left home that morning with two heavy boxes of books, in a superbly designed wheeled suitcase (almost classifiable as a sled) which had been donated to the VP effort by Jo Reed the previous Thursday.  Steve Rudd was also there during the initial trek, to help with another bag containing sellotape, blu-tac, the signage, a small bowl... all the other important items needed for the day's success.  In addition to this, we recieved several lifts from Helen Burke and her partner Phil (star of her poem, 'Why I Fancy Him'), and James Mcloughlin made a four-hour journey from Southport under his own steam, all to aid the VP effort.  This is what Valley Press is about, of course - great authors coming together to be greater than the sum of their parts, to offer a bit of mutual assistance.  As I considered the people I'd published since May, I felt a great sense of pride.  Here's a photo of all of us, taken by the multi-talented Phil:

One for the scrapbook - five VP authors in one place.  Left to right, James Mcloughlin, Jo Reed, Steve Rudd, Jamie McGarry, Helen Burke.

As part of my continuing interest in raffles, there was one held during the signing - visitors were invited to enter in order to win signed copies of all five books; worth 30p of anyone's money I believe.  The raffle was eventually drawn as we departed at 4pm, by Waterstone's staff member John (who pointed out a flaw with my administration of the raffle, which I won't reprint here, thus relegating the flaw into the fog of history).  The winner of the raffle was David Goh, who I have been emailing recently regarding his book about how to improve your skills at lawn bowling using sophisticated mental techniques.  Should that end up being published, you heard it here first!  His victory must be a good omen for that book.

James Mcloughlin explains something; possibly a sophisticated technique on how to improve your lawn bowling.

James and Steve wait for the rush to start.  I attempted to kick it off by personally approaching every person who came in and informing them of the remarkable gathering currently taking place.

With the signing wrapped up, we bid farewell to James and Jo, and the remaining VP-sters headed to Bridlington for the 'Poetry Showcase', which was hosted and organised by yet another one of the fold, Deirdre McGarry, pictured below introducing us with a glowing monologue which allegedly made me blush.  'Even if you don't read the books,' she said, 'just pick them up, have a feel... they're beautifully produced items!'

There was a very healthy turnout for the 'Poetry Showcase' - even the Mayor of Bridlington turned up (that's him in the red tie and blue sash).  He was an unusually cool and hip Mayor by anyone's standards; I've never seen a politican make such a decent attempt at stand-up comedy.  Behind the performers (not pictured) was a dozen full-size original paintings by Nigel Folds, mimicing the Lonely Destiny launch, and meaning every author published by VP this year was involved in the day.

The only slight problem with this event was that Deirdre had neglected to mention the words 'Poetry Showcase' to me in the run up; it had always been referred to as the 'Spotlight Theatre'.  This put Steve in an interesting position, promoting his travel writing (and armed with nothing else), but I think we got away with it by introducing him as 'a poet who on this occasion will be delighting you with some poetic prose.'  Here he is at work:

Steve was bookended by me reading some of my snail poems (after which it was gently suggested that I retire them, lest I be known only for those two poems - 'it didn't hurt Frost!' was my response) and Helen reading from The Ruby Slippers.  She went down extremely well, in fact people were clamouring to pick up a copy before she even took to the stage!  Here she is charming the crowd:

We returned to our respective homes that night, tired and happy - thanks to all the authors for their contributions, and everyone who came to see us at both venues, it was all highly appreciated!  I'm aiming to top all this on the 22nd September with our Valley Press Reading, 6pm at Scarborough Library - more information on that soon.

Rudd's Reviews: James Mcloughlin's Encore

Latest Valley Press author Steve Rudd is continuing his attempt to review every VP publication from 2011, though sadly his travel-weary netbook is struggling to load up the blog; thus, I will be posting the articles for him.  The next book to fall under his critical microscope is Encore by James Mcloughlin, so without further ado, over to Steve...

Ripping at the seams with thirty-three profound poems, Encore couldn’t be any more apt as a title, for the reader is left craving for much, much more from this exciting young talent. Opening with the four-part title-piece, James comments upon the changing seasons without further ado (‘I am a guest at nature’s costume change’), going on to regulate the beat of ‘A Calmer Child’ with an alternative but no less alluring rhythm: ‘I was a hassock child, kneeling at the altars of faraway trees and galleons, gallivants and glory’. Literally within a minute, James eloquently transports all those willing to read and reflect on his entrancing train of thought, his reality-rooted flight of fancy.

‘Expanding Borders’ boasts a volley of superb lines (consider the oft-repeated chorus-line ‘A twenty-year-old’s expanding borders are not of outstanding order’ for instance), while the genius of ‘For Ireland’ - a personal favourite - reveals itself with a startling succession of perfectly conceived line-breaks, leaving ‘the flame of the wordsmith, silent, exiled’. The questioning nature of ‘Digested Read’ (‘The pointless comet hurtles closer’) looks towards ‘Lost Bothers’, the latter piece a beautiful poem in which James unleashes his anger at the speed of time’s indifferent passing. Indeed, ‘Where does life go and when does it come around again, to make hours happy?’

‘Lucidity I’ (‘I wore his garb to advise myself to cut my love’) runs into James as he expertly details a detached encounter with his own conscience. For those folk hopelessly hankering after love-leaning poetry, ‘Remind You’ proffers terse observations about love and its associated fallout, maturely acknowledging ‘the river of guttural instinct’. ‘Photos in the Sun’ proves equally as pensive, before the deliciously dark thrum of ‘Mud Money’ (‘Cigarette fugues and blackened teeth speak for bodies in the ground’) leads readers towards the insightful mastery of ‘OCD’.

Few poems are as poignant as the purposefully misspelt ‘Wntr’ (‘Their wrinkled laughs don’t tell of autumn or age – just wisdom’) which revolves around an aged couple unwittingly approaching the inevitable, yet the crafty arrangement of ‘Trampoline’ imprints the most impact, its cliffhanger of an ending proving delightful as opposed to frustrating.

In spite of having spent so much time on Merseyside and in Yorkshire (he’s in the midst of undertaking a degree in Leeds), James often alludes to America in his writing, yet his style remains distinctly British, the quality of language artistically framing his output in both time and place. Splurges of his poems closely resemble song lyrics, yet the deep and meaningful nature of all that’s conveyed elevates every aspect of the content, not least because all manner of themes are embraced. Luring readers into his world, James uses vivid description to his advantage, regardless of whether he’s muscling through disdainful reality, or his fantastical imagination.

If one didn’t know that he’s in his early twenties, it certainly wouldn’t be obvious to the casual poetry consumer. The manner in which sentences flow and stories emerge speaks volumes about James’s ability to capture moments and distill emotions. What’s more, his work manages to be as true-to-life as it is fiendishly surreal, the idealistic ‘I Imagine’ (‘I imagine arid deserts that heighten the glory of the saviour, the oasis…’) sharply contrasting with the textured flavour of ‘Tangible’. Evidently - and understandably - confident about his way with words, James is teetering on the verge of a glittering literary career. Remember where you heard his name first.

A News Roundup (July/August Events)

A special post today to summarise some recent interesting developments in the Valley Press world... a couple of upcoming events, first:

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The Dead Snail Diaries - Live!

Venue: Scarborough Library & Information Centre
Date: Thursday 28th July 2011
Time: 6pm-7.30pm
Ticket price: £3, available on the door

As I didn't have time to host a 'launch' for my Snail book when it was first released (too busy with everyone else... Mr. Selfless eh!), I've decided to do a one-off event at the end of July - a reading of the entire book, cover to cover, in Scarborough library.  It might be a bit much to listen to me talk about snails for that amount of time, so I'm in the process of recruiting guest readers to play the various characters.

It would be great to see you there - £3 is (hopefully) a very reasonable price for an evening's entertainment of this calibre, plus you get as much tea and coffee as you can drink, and (if you want) you can have £3 off a copy of the book.  Or buy one in advance and be an educated listener - all the info on the book is here, and there's a Facebook event here for you social-networking fiends.

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Steve Rudd's 'Pulse' - The Book Launch

Venue: The Bell Hotel, Driffield
Date: Friday 5th August 2011
Time: 7.30pm onwards
Free entry

The next VP book is Steve Rudd's epic travel diary Pulse, which will be launched in his home town of Driffield on the 5th August.  It's free to come, and the books will be cheap too, so I don't know what could possibly put you off!  Precise details are still to be worked out (and I'm still hard at work producing the books), but the evening will definitely feature a Q&A with the author, readings from the book, and general milling around admiring the guy's hard work and adventurous spirit - all part of what makes book launches such pleasant ways to spend a summer evening.

Find out more about Pulse here, or see the FB event here.

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As promised, there are just a couple of other things worth mentioning - Sabotage Reviews very kindly took it upon themselves to review our 2010 charity anthology The Day of Small Things, and they appear to like it - have a read here.  Also, James Mcloughlin was interviewed by James Nash on his latest podcast (July 2011), which you can listen to here - he appears about 4:45 in, if you're impatient!

Great to see so much positive 'Valley Press press' - long may it continue.

Poetry in Music: A Decline?

We all love music (if you don't, go away). It can cause great surges of emotion, inspire you, distract you and impress (or disgust) you. Often what I look for in music, in order to acquire these things from it, is creative, admirable lyrics or at least creative, admirable instrumentation. Most of my love for poetry stems mainly from great lyricists of the past and present and much that I write finds its origins in a rhythmic, musical womb.

However, is poetry and careful lyricism dying out in music? Modern day 'popstars' such as Rihanna, Chris Brown and Katy Perry seem to think it should be. Lyrics like ' Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?' are hardly the most incisive, heart-rending, spine-tingling lyrics one can ever have heard. Compare the inane lyrics of Rihanna's 'What's My Name' with the masterful, beautiful lines in Leonard Cohen's 'So Long, Marianne' and you'll begin to see what I mean.

Poignant, poetic and even bizarre themes & lyrics seem to have had much more prominence in the past decades of music. In the 90s, Stephen Malkmus and Pavement brought a madcap touch of poetry to their alt-surf rock, whilst Trent Reznor haunted listeners everywhere with chilling, goosebumptastic Nine Inch Nails songs. Going back further and to even more obvious examples, Bob Dylan's constantly brilliant wordplay and imagery make his lyrics just as effective on the page as in the earphones. See the heartbreaking but brilliant 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll' for just one example.

Despite the fact that it would be both harsh and naive to state that there is no great poetry remaining in music (bands such as Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens & Frank Turner keep that flame alight), it would perhaps be acceptable to say that the majority of modern music eschews meaningful subject or theme in favour of distressingly uninteresting ideas. Notice how often the words 'dj' and 'floor' are used these days? Jeez. Hardly the pagan imagery and beautiful acoustics of 'Stairway To Heaven' is it?

That being said, it's wonderful that bands with provocative, engaged lyrics such as Arcade Fire are beginning to get the recognition that they thoroughly deserve. What's not so wonderful are the countless number of genuinely poetic, earnest bands and songwriters left in the shadows because of a mass clamour for trash like that already mentioned. If I hear 'Do It Like A Dude' one more time....

I'd love for something of a resurgence of original, thought-provoking lyrics. Until then, though, I'll make do with this:

Keep it surreal.

Encore: Back Story, Launch Photos & Miscellany

Back in the dark, cold mists of January (which now seems like a lifetime ago), only a week or two after I'd made the decision to run Valley Press full time, I got an email from one James Mcloughlin, expressing an interest in 'me and my publishing company' (which at the time, would have elicited a big grin - now I just nod and think 'so you should').  The rest is history - I read his poems, and loved them enough to commission a slim volume, which is out now and available through all good book vendors.  You've got to know him since then through his regular posts on this blog, more of which will be on the way I'm sure.

James' book was officially launched last Wednesday (25th May) in Leeds, and in my humble opinion the event went very well.  We certainly filled the venue, and James did brilliantly... making himself heard over a reggae festival downstairs (who were kind enough to turn down the speakers, actually; good blokes).  He did an especially good job considering he's a modest young man, and no veteran of the public-speaking circuit - though well on the way after this.  He was introduced by long-time Valley Press friend James Nash, who is a veteran and brought plenty of gravitas to the night (without diluting the sense of youth and vigour).  Appropriately enough, it was Mr. Nash who first gave James my contact details, so he was there for the birth and graduation of this particular child of VP (referring to the book, of course).

We also had help from fellow VP author Felix Hodcroft, who read James' darkly mysterious poem 'Lucidity II' - though when I sent it to him, he quipped 'is that Lucidity 2, or the notorious philosophical football team Lucidity 11?'  Public awareness for 'Encore' was also boosted by Andrew McMillan, who not only provided a great endorsement for the back cover, but also posted some of the poems on respected ezine Cadaverine - click here to read the poems and accompanying article. 

I'll finish this post with some pictures from the launch, and a video (which James has kindly uploaded to his YouTube channel), but before then I'd like to thank everyone who turned up on the night or helped with the book's production, and remind people who haven't read this excellent book that it is still available for a highly reasonable price, both as a paperback and now for the Kindle.  Tell your friends!

The crowd assembles, bracing themselves for some great poetry.

James Nash (left) introduces James Mcloughlin (right).

James reads his poem 'Expanding Borders'.

James Nash tackles 'Euphoric Nausea'.

Felix Hodcroft reads 'Lucidity II', also showing off the book.

And as promised, video evidence from the launch - James reading the title poem from his book.  Sorry about the quality, by the way; if anyone would like to donate a decent camera to the Valley Press effort, you know where to find me.  Also, excuse the carry-over from the reggae night downstairs... though I think it adds a bit of drama.  Think of it as a soundtrack.

Valley Press Live - Summer 2011

Felix Hodcroft doin' his thing, 2010

It has become apparent that the VP website is sorely missing a page listing forthcoming live events (and there are a few other issues - but hey, you only find out by using the thing.)  With plenty of stuff coming up in the next couple of months, I've started (and will regularly update) this post, your guide to them all at-a-glance.  Updated: 11th May.

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MAY

Wednesday 25th - Book Launch
9pm till late, 'Clock Cafe', Headingley,
Leeds, LS6 2AS

James Mcloughlin will launch his first poetry collection Encore in a venue described on Google Maps as follows: 'Very stylish. Huge amount of clocks on the wall.'  So, come for the great poetry, stay for the timepieces.  RSVP on Facebook, why don't you?

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JUNE

Friday 3rd - Poetry Workshop
7-9pm, 'Fruit', Hull, HU1 1TU

Part of the Merge Arts Festival, who describe the event as follows: 'A chance to work on a poem of your own with local poet and publisher Jamie McGarry, as well as enjoy a lively, informal discussion on the craft of poetry with like-minded people. Book your place, then send your poem to Merge on education@mergearts.org.uk so it can be considered by Jamie beforehand. Only twelve places are available; book now to avoid disappointment!'  For more details and a map, see the Merge site here.

Saturday 11th - 'The Ruby Slippers' Book Launch
7.30pm, 'The Poetry Cafe', London, WC2H 9BX

Helen Burke introduces her long-awaited first collection, in what should be the biggest Valley Press-related event ever held.  Key features of the evening include a reading from Helen, a musical interlude, and you paying a £4 entry fee (it'll be worth it).

Thursday 23rd - The Hull Scarborough Line
7pm, 'Fudge', Hull, HU5 3QP

Felix Hodcroft and Sue Wilsea return with their outstanding double-act - a mixture of poetry and prose, worked up into a peerless spectacle of literary performance.  There will also be an open-mic spot to show off your own wares (should you have any).  Contact Fudge for tickets on 01482 441019; the last event was sold-out, so don't delay!

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JULY

Saturday 9th - The Hull Scarborough Line
7pm, 'Cafe Venus', Scarborough, YO11 2LW

As befitting their title, the dynamic literary duo will reprise their performance in Scarborough - in the town's finest vegetarian restaurant, no less.  Tickets are £8, with food and drink included.  Call in at the cafe to book.

T.O.A.S.T

New video post by yours truly - a little lighter than West Street, T.O.A.S.T mourns the occasional sparse provision of food with a little bounce and a grin. Forgive me for my terribly monotonous voice.

What do people think of taking advantage is these technological platforms to broadcast poetry and creative works? It's hardly a new idea - I'm no pioneer - but it's something I haven't really seen take off massively with poetry as of yet, so it'd be great to know what people think on the issue!

Enjoy!

21st Century Boy

I'd just like to take a little time to do some shameless self-promotion here. I've just set up a YouTube account in order to upload some videos of me reading my poetry out. I may look a fop and feel a fool, but it's just part of an attempt to reach that wider audience and broaden my experience of performing, which at the current moment is very minimal.

Here, for your pleasure, is the first and so far only video:

If you have any comments or feedback please let me know. Indeed, requests are even considered! Enjoy.

War of The Platforms

Look at the comments section on any literary website, peek at the writers' forums or listen in on radio discussion shows and you'll be splattered with sticky, dark debris from the diatribes on the rise (or not) of the e-book.

If you're reading this blog, chance is that you're interested in literature, fiction, poetry, reading, writing and all that artsy jazz. Chance is also, then, that you've heard a few rumbles in the blogosphere regarding the progression of e-books from clunky, difficult novelty products into a serious (or not) threat to the future of paper-print books. You may even have your opinions formulated already; I certainly hope so.

I hope so because it's a massive issue, not only for publishers but for writers and readers, too. The implications go way beyond the financial to the environmental and even further. The current debate rages mainly around the decreased enjoyability an impersonal object like the Kindle can offer the reader; many a man and more have complained that e-readers can never match up the the feel and smell of a fresh paper book. Furthermore, detractors of the new-age state, e-readers are no match for the durability of a good book, vulnerable to spillages, malfunctions, dropping, anything. Should a beverage seep its way toward your reader with all the malevolence of Lord Voldemort that is, seemingly, the end of it. Fork out on a new one. Start your collection again. The truth is most likely at variance with this but I'll leave that to you to discuss...

However, there are supporters to the contrary. E-readers offer greater portability than a stack of books, being smaller, lighter and more compact in general. They are just as easily readable as most regular books, with a slight advantage in the ability to zoom and re-size text or have the book read to you in a charmingly jerky, Stephen Hawking-type computerised fashion. They're also much more environmentally friendly and really make very little difference to the reading experience, whatever critics might say. This applies particularly to the Amazon Kindle, which I own and therefore have the most knowledge and experience of. I'm really not sure about other devices. The eBooks available on such devices are inevitably cheaper, too, given the absence of print-costs for publishers, making e-readers a little more enticing to the reader. The drawback comes, of course, with the price-tags for the readers, which at present are rather inflated.

This is far from an in-depth article and could have done with a lot more sourcing and individual interpretation but that, I feel, leaves the topic open for further debate. I invite you here to add your own views on the issue: which side are you on, if any? Do you own an e-reader? Can they ever really replace the good old paper book? Does any of this even matter (for all you Hegelians out there)?

Have fun!

Dust Covers

I love books. I love reading, the total immersion of adventure, fantasy, thriller, firecracker action scenes and literary excellence. However, I also love the acquisition of books and I love hoarding these little treasures of my own. I very rarely go a month without buying a book, meaning my personal collection is quite impressive and wide-ranging.

In spite of this, though, my reading pace has slowed a little as I've grown. Pesky obstacles like jobs, essays and people have severed the white cord of time quite disproportionately, so that when, in the twilight time still reserved for reading, I can barely keep my eyes open past a few pages. I read as much as I can in the days off from this and that but essentially I have dozens of books on my selves, in the garage and at my Mum's that have never been read. A total crime!

So what I wanted to do with this post was to invite a little discussion. Here's a list of the top ten books I already own but still need to read. I encourage you to leave your own examples in the comments section; first of all because you might be inspired to go on and read those books but mainly because I might not feel so lazy if you do!

1. A Clockwork Orange - A. Burgess
2. A Farewell To Arms - E. Hemingway
3. The House Of The Spirits - I. Allende
4. Through The Looking Glass - L. Carroll
5. A Portrait of The Artist... - J. Joyce
6. The Diary Of A Young Girl - A. Frank
7. The Social Contract - J.J. Rousseau
8. The Finkler Question - H. Jacobson
9. Metamorphoses - Ovid
10. The Great Shark Hunt - H. S. Thompson

Just a short one today, then. Hope you enjoyed my list and/or found some little stimulation amongst those titles. I certainly did. I'm going to redouble my reading efforts on Hilary Mantel's Booker-prize winning Wolf Hall and get ploughing through that delightful lot asap!

Happy weekend.

The Renaissance of Poetry

I'll have to apologise, initially, if this post is lacking in depth or wide ranging reference; since returning to my (very) humble student abode in Leeds, I've suffered the crippling snags of a dire internet connection. I'd like, first of all, to thank Valley Press for inviting me to take part in this collaborative creative effort and to applaud myself heartily upon the back for contributing so promptly.

My part within the starry stratospheres of literature is as an (as yet) unknown poet, unpublished, unsought after, unsure. You may indeed say I play no part at all and yet I like to think of myself as playing some role, even just as a reader. We live in a society whereby consumers keep accounts working, after all. Over the past 12 months, I've been buying and hunting down new poetry as much as I can. This is probably a not-so-unconscious way of integrating myself a little more into the literary community. That's by-the-by for now, though.

Whilst I've been unearthing my sometime buried poetical fancies, it seems, too, that the country's critics, commentators and creative connoisseurs have been doing something the same. Two years in a row, now, a collection of poems has taken top gong at the yearly Costa Book Awards: Jo Shapcott followed this year in the footsteps of Christopher Reid. Influential nationals such as The Guardian and The Independent give greater prominence to verse than ever in their arts sections and websites. Hell, even the Daily Mail puzzled the curious rebirth of poesy (in an article I can't, for the life of me, find). Triggered by the wider publicity of authors like Shapcott, Reid & others, poetry nights and festivals are springing up all over the spot, whilst previously existing events go from strength to strength. Is this really the poetical phoenix rising from the ashes or have I turned up on the scene at rush hour and got excited by the same old traffic?

Someone (I'm going to hazard at Carol Ann Duffy, because I can't look it up at minute) said recently that, if one listened to the press all the time, you would have believed the 'renaissance of poetry' had been going on for decades now. Made me wonder. Made me wonder if poetry ever really falls off the radar. Does it ever stop mattering? Of course, the kind of folk perusing this here blog would cry blasphemy at the mere suggestion of such and yet the true question is: does it ever matter more or less to the casual reader?

It's something to consider, certainly and I'm left feeling like this blog has planted the seed of question rather than harvested the fruit of answer, as I might have liked. Still, all this rum-do over versification is good news for a guy like me....