Photo below: Laura Kate Smith and Tris Walker discuss sound levels in the studio
So, yes, first bit of news is that I've been to Erewash Sound studios for a very enjoyable (and sometimes hilarious) evening, recording poems and chatting with the wonderful, funny and enthusiastic Spoken Word spread-the-word'ers Tris and Laura - who have already done excellent interviews with Cathy Grindrod, Jeremy Duffield and others. Tris and Laura's Spoken Word interviews are woven effortlessly into their regular Saturday broadcasts and can be found on erewashsound.com/beyond and facebook.com/erewashbeyond. My interviews with them are going to be this Saturday and next Saturday, part of their 1pm to 2pm broadcast. I'm not very good at hearing myself on radio so probably shan't be listening!! However, many thanks to Tris and Laura for such good company and for flying the Spoken Word light aeroplane so tirelessly and joyfully.
As spring approaches, so poetry sap rises and readings and events unfold again. Roger McGough next Monday at Chesterfield Library is very exciting, I was - as a youf - inspired by Penguin Poets 10 which was the Mersey Sound edition, those early very accessible and enjoyable Scouse transformations of ordinary and everyday experience into poetry. And then arguably even more exciting (!), 4 Laureates in the Library on next Wednesday, 14th, that's mysen' and the 3 previous laureateers, River, Cathy, Ann.
Other news is that Chesterfield now has its own regular Open Mic night, hosted by the excellent poet Helen Mort - to find out details go to the Facebook group Spire Writes. And if you're up for a writing challenge, for charity, you are warmly invited by River (Wolton) to a sponsored Writing Marathon - fun, friendly, and the first ever for South Yorkshire. You will also be raising money for SAGE Greenfingers, a vital community project. Saturday 24th March 10am - 5.30pm. Welcome Centre, Nottingham St, Sheffield S3 9AQ. Registration fee £2. To register & start getting sponsored go to: www.writingmarathon.org.uk
Finally, my friend Michael has just put up one of our collaborative pieces on soundcloud, my poem with Michael's soundscape to commemorate the demolition of the cooling towers near Meadowhall in Sheffield. http://soundcloud.com/musicforwords/the-cooling-towers-farewell.
So, tomorrow off to have lunch at the Afro-Caribbean Centre in Chesterfield, share a few poems and have a chat, and then to Quad's Open Mic night in the evening, which I've never been to before.
Spring is in the air, and the poetry sap is rising.
