Okay so finally I am posting after pulling my finger out and then finally figuring out with all my brain and memory power what my username and password was I am here! :)
On October the 9th, last thursday it was National Poetry Day (with the theme 'Work') and the Waterstones in my local town- Hull had an open mic thing going in the Costa coffee bit of the shop upstairs throughout the day from 2-6, though it really mostly kicked off at 4.
It wasn't a huge event, there was 8 other folks reading, including one of the members of staff- Pete, who had organised the whole thing and only a couple other people sat around listening while they enjoyed their Costa items.
I did a couple of 'sets' and read a mixture of poems from 'Plans...' seeing as it is my book of the moment and the store has copies on sale (hint hint) with some other (slightly) lighter ones from what I am hoping to be my forthcoming collection next year so as not to completely bum everyone out! :)
The poems I read were, from Plans- my 2 fairytale/ childrens nursery rhymes ones- 'Coconuts and Camamile' (aka Humpty Dumpty) and one that is becoming somewhat of a signature poem of mine even though it is one of my more ballsey ones, that I always have to give a parental warning for to begin with for the one use of profenity! :) 'Let Your Hair Down' (aka good ol' Rapunzel).
Also from the book I did 'Love' and due to my fresh discovery, thanks to celebrity MSN news that I am becoming far too interested in that Sir Billiam, or as you may know him- actor Bill Murray's divorce...in June, yeah I'm a bit slow okay! anyway so I did in honour of him, complete with explanation and dedication :) 'Perception of Knowledge' due to having written it after seeing his movie 'Broken Flowers'.
Not from 'Plans' I read- keeping on the kiddie theme one of my favourites 'Rock, Paper, Scissors and You and Me' and ended my short second set, and the open mic itself trying to not seem completley depressive and crazy with the poem I wrote for my sister to read at a friends wedding this year 'Love Like a Tiger' to end on a happy note.
I thought I did more not from the book but they are the only 2 I can remember.
I had a really great time, baring my book launch and the first ever 2 poems I read at an open mic at last years Aldeburgh Poetry Festival (the Rapunzel one and the Rock, Paper, Scissors one actually) and I think I read poems in asembley (at least once) at primary school but since going all proper like and getting a book together and declaring myself a poet/writer and all it was the first reading I had done and I'm not great with the public speaking thing so despite some little nerves at the beginning, that possibly would have stopped me had I not been meeting my sister there to hear me (though I doubt it/ hope not in the end), but once in the place and my sister there and talking to people and knowing what was going to go on I was okay, still a bit shy when reading (it certainly got hotter in the already schorcio Waterstones!)
but yeah it was good, and it was nice to hear other folks from Hull and a couple of people a little further afield.
As Pete did mention on the day, their were a lot of different styles to peoples words, and their were some nice interlinking with people doing poems based on similar or exact themes as ones that others had done, specifically earthquakes.
One of the guys- Philip Wincolmlee Barnes had a free little leaflet he'd done a bit back of a few poems which I took away with me, I have yet to read it but I will comment upon here, the pieces he did at the open mic were good, particularly his Roofing poem so I'm sure it'll be grand.
I was invited out with some of the guys afterwards but sadly I had to run off home but I'm hoping to do some more open mic things, after a little research and get myself a little more immersied into 'the scene' I guess you'd call it (but not in a bad way, only the good way, always!) :)
While I was at Waterstones I bought yet another book- 'Lip' by Catherine Smith. I don't know her stuff but the bit I've started reading seems good, as always patience people- I will say what I think upon it in a wee little while in a post all of its ownsome.
I shall schidaddle now and just say thankyou to my sister for chaperoning me at least half the way through all the wordy madness and to the folks that were friendly and chatty to me- mostly Mark and Chaz and Philip for the book leaflet thingymebob, grazias.
And just a little gleeing happiness to say only 3 weeks to this years Aldeburgh Poetry Festival! and Hollys entire week long hoilday in the Suffokey place- Holly doesn't really do hoildays, her last one was 2 weeks in Berlin when she was 19 i think it was! I'm now 23! :)
Anyway yes toodles and oodles of love :)
X
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