Poetanoster: A Collection of Poems

The Attenborough Paternoster, University Of Leicester

The Centre for New Writing at the University of Leicester has commissioned poems to commemorate the Attenborough Tower Paternoster. In my role as Literary Associate, I am currently editing Poetanoster, a collection of poems, the best of which will be published as a pamphlet, together with interviews with porters (in a section called 'Portanoster').

The poems will be archived in Special Collections in David Wilson Library. A forthcoming event will be held with inaugural readings of the poems.

The paternoster is an open lift, with lots of carriages that are continually circulating so you can 'hop on' at any point. Riding up to the top floor gave great views of the university campus and the city.

The Attenborough paternoster was built in 1970 and was one of only three operating paternosters in the UK. It broke down a year ago and will soon be dismantled and replaced with a modern lift. Many have fond memories of this rare and historic lift.

Ideas into Books - a Short Story

On 22nd June, I was invited to give a talk at Northants Writers' Ink, by Mike Richards, the group's Chair. Northants Writers' Ink is a creative writing group based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, which meets every three weeks from 7-10pm.  I became a member in February this year.

For my talk Ideas into Books, I chose the format of the short story, which meant getting to the point immediately.  I talked about the three books I edited and published, and how I approached writing the Grants for the Arts funding application for the first anthology, Brown Eyes. I then went on to talk about the journey of those books: the launches, the poetry readings/performances and how the monthly Shangwe Poetry Nights at the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden, London, evolved.

Back-story was drip-fed at appropriate times and covered my community development work and volunteer work experiences in the 1990s that contributed towards enabling me to get to grips with a tough Arts Council bid. The 60-minute talk soon became an interactive one, which was what I was hoping for and was well received by the six group members.  I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my writing journey and thought the short story format worked particularly well.

Still a Tree

I am back!   Over the past months, I have been beautifully 'distracted' by participating in a few wonderful online courses.  I am thoroughly immersed into the poetry zone of writing and enjoying every minute. There has been a mix of joy and surprise as the writing of a poem takes me on a fascinating journey with my mind and my pen!

First up was How Writers Write Poetry 2015, an International Writing Programme from the University of Iowa, which offered an interactive progression through the principles and practice of writing poetry.  This free online course presented a curated collection of short, intimate talks on craft by two dozen acclaimed poets. Craft topics included persona, note booking, the line, the turn, form, and the lyric. The talks were designed for beginning poets just starting to put words on a page as well as for advanced poets looking for new entry points,  engagement with process, or teaching tips.

This is also where I came across the pantoum poem. The pantoum poem is a poem of any length composed of four-line stanzas.  In each stanza, the second and fourth lines of each stanza serve as the first and third lines of the next stanza.  The last line of a pantoum is generally the same as the first line.  Believe it or not, there is a sense of freedom when writing in this form as it removes certain elements of choice for you as a poet.

Here is a link to my first pantoum poem, now published on Jackee Holder's wonderful tree blog:

Still a Tree

Currently, I am participating in House and Universe: the Poetry of Home and Domestic Objects, an online course run by the Poetry School.  The course involves studying contemporary poems set in kitchens, bathrooms, sitting rooms, bedrooms, gardens, and contemplating what this idea of home means. I will be exploring the drama in domesticity, the importance of objects and possessions, the pull of memory and nostalgia, and the ideas of privacy and space.  The aim is to create a 'house of poems' of my own.

Happy Writing!

Why You Should Read '7 Shades of Love' by Daniella Blechner

7 Shades of Love: Daniella Blechner
Poetry Anthology
Conscious Dreams Publishing 2014
Available on Kindle (Price: £2.52)
(Did you know you can download a Kindle free from Amazon?)

Book Review:

7 Shades of Love by Daniella Blechner is a collection of poems written by international contributors; women and men from England, Jamaica, USA, Malaysia, Canada and Kenya. The collection includes contributions from authors that express their perspective on love in their own unique style. 

Whether you like poetry or not, you will be in for a treat; 7 Shades of Love is much more than a poetry collection. What attracted me, apart from the striking book cover's image and poems, was the 7 shades, which turn out to be the colours of the rainbow and each colour, from red to violet, leads you beautifully and smoothly into each section of the poems.

From the book's introduction, which not only puts the book in context, through to the captivating poetry from many of the contributors, including Daniella, who showcases her own poetic take on love, this book is a gem. As soon as it was released in September 2014, I was eager to download a copy on my Kindle. 

The book's unique quality of exploring the subject of love in 7 shades of colour adds a fascinating layer to the question of what love is. As well as exploring love through colours, Daniella delves into their associated meanings through both Eastern and Western traditions and beliefs. 

7 Shades of Love also provides fascinating and inspiring information about Chakras - there's much to learn, which adds a spiritual element that is rather uplifting. Positive affirmations that provide a soothing page break between chapters remind us of how using 'I' language provides a simple way to stay lovingly and positively focused on ourselves.

I liked 7 Shades of Love a lot.  This collection has something for everyone. You can dip in and out of the wonderful poetry, absorb the information about colours and Chakras and be uplifted by the positive affirmations.

In terms of poetry, there were two that stood out for me: Kate Robinson's Unconditionally was a lyrical delight:

don't love with conditions
and parentheses and quotation marks
and doodled brackets around the reasons
why today you love him but tomorrow you are unsure...

(Excerpt from the Violet Section)

Tamera Malya's thought-provoking poem The Eye drew me right in:

You gave me the eye the other night.
Looked me down hard.
The air between us cracked for a hot moment
with a bolt of ambiguous desire...

(Excerpt from the Orange section)

Daniella Blechner is a South London based writer/director whose real writing journey began by writing comedy sketches for Youth Project Phenomenon '98 featuring Gina Yashere and Richard Blackwood.  She has always been a keen writer and penned her first book All The Happy Animals and Lucille and her Great Adventure at just 8 years old. 

For more on Daniella Blechner

National Poetry Day, remember? Remember! Maya Angelou

This is the beginning of a blog where words matter,

quality counts, and freelance writers or those in the

writing industry, or those of you who love words

can share their thoughts and opinions.

I hope to provide you with valuable information 

to help you in your artistic endeavours. 

 Image from: National Visionary Leadership Project

Today is National Poetry Day, 

The theme for 2014 is 'remember'.

In the spirit of National Poetry Day, I pay tribute to  Maya Angelou, a legendary poet who blessed us with her life.  Maya Angelou's death at the age of  86 on 28th May, 2014, deprives the world of not just a great poet but a woman who was also a civil rights activist, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress and professor.

Image from 20 Beautiful Maya Angelou Picture Quotes

Think of a poem:

Thinking of Maya Angelou's poems, two came easily and immediately to mind:

Still I Rise

Phenomenal Woman

Below you will find a link to the preview of a new lyrical poem Still I Rise:

Still I Rise Exclusive Premiere

Phenomenal Woman has stayed with me ever since I discovered it and shared it at a creative writing class in the 1990s. Both Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman are timeless poems for all of us who appreciate the written word. But more than that, it reminds all women and men how great women are!

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

By Maya Angelou

Who will you remember on National Poetry Day?

Remembering Maya Angelou: Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey Pay
Tribute to Legendary Poet

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More on National Poetry Day

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