Monday 25th September 2017
Lesson prepped, group profile
written, feedback done for half the participants. ANOMALIES came out of the
book press looking good. Few things I’ll have to move and some white space I
want to fill with graphics, but it’s a great master copy to draw from for a
contents list on the first one proper towards the end of the year. Washed some
clothes in the sink and ate the last of the ham. Sat at the computer listening
to The Smiths. Wasn’t fussed at school, but quite like them now. Should get an
early night and start sharp tomorrow. 10.55 pm.
Tuesday 26th September 2017
Left my cash card in an ATM
this morning. Didn’t realise until I was about to board the Durham bus and noticed it missing from my
wallet. Dashed back to the bank and stood ages waiting to speak to staff.
Luckily I got it back. Another good turn out for the Waddy writing course
today. National Poetry Day ‘Freedom’ stuff. Cut-up word bank, Invictus poem,
freewriting… Tonight I keyed in notes and listened to Ruby Throat, featuring
Katie Jane Garside – great stuff. No work on books. Watched 1973 Bukowski
documentary. Much as I like his stuff, don’t think I’d have lasted long in his
company. 11.09 pm.
Wednesday 27th September 2017
Nice little group at
Appletree today. Bit of univocalism, take three nouns, more ULIPO stuff. Me and
Jenni had awesome burgers of the carnivore and veggie variety, respectively,
from the new range at eat4less. Checked out snazzy coloured Doc Martens in
Schuh. DVDs and vinyl in HMV. Best Queen t-shirt I’ve seen in ages – vintage
News of the World. Also Joker shirts, The Killing Joke film, new Satyricon
album; and yet more Pistols books. Splendid night at Heaven and Hell themed Newcastle
Literary Salon. Steve
Palace had a mix of
contrasting monologues, particularly liked the one about enjoying a stay down
below. Canny set from Anne-Marie Quinn, including well observed piece about a
busker. Richard Atkinson gave a highly engaging seated reading from his book
‘Two Full Stops from Gravity’. Fiction from James Anthony Tucker. Some strong
rhythmical work from Susie McComb on open mic, pieces on Goth Festival and
mortality from Jenni Pascoe. Juli Watson and Ian Waugh read well also.
Thursday 28th September 2017
Happy National Poetry Day!
Theme of Freedom, so I opted to do my own thing. Didn’t get out of bed till
after ten. By half past I found myself casually penning lines for a poem. Well,
you have to really, don’t you. Just riffing on ‘I’m free’. Only aim was to make
it positive. Started out in little three-line stanzas, kept adding to it
throughout the day – in the house, on the street, in shops. Just a little bi-product
of my day off. Finished twenty pages (eighty stanzas) around eleven tonight.
Really chuffed to get out on the longboard after-dark. Went to the Leisure
Centre carpark. Well-lit, not steep, but enough of a slope to get rolling and
carve back and forth. Easy to keep momentum. In fact, I’ve kept momentum pretty
well today. Ten to midnight and there’s a little pamphlet made. But I reckon I
can print it better at Waddy. Felt good to turn it out in just over thirteen
hours. Okay. Knackered. 11.53 pm.
Friday 29th September 2017
Taking the day off yesterday
to be free and positive in my poetry has left me feeling really fucking aggravated
today. Didn’t get half my work done. Pamphlet made last night is pretty lush,
but I can’t get good repros of it until I get to a decent copier next week.
Laser printer has been leaving shadow lines on the paper coz I pre-cut the
pages smaller than A5 before I started writing. Scanned the whole thing, which
allows me to print out a copy in under a minute, but the handwriting looks like
a greyscale photograph; it doesn’t look like black gel ink. Need to make a good
master copy in a decent machine next week. As for the poem, it’s a one take
wonder and I’m not changing a fucking word of it. I’m hoping Poundland have
more of the cherry red heavy duty card I used for the original cover. There was
a pack of red card at Jula Crafts in Consett last week. If it’s still there on
Monday I’ll get it. But would prefer the mottled cherry red.
I treat yesterday like it was a holiday: favourite
food, music, bikes and longboard. Out and about and a new little Talking Pen
monograph made. Expected to get my Speakers’ Corner set worked out today, but
will do it at Jen’s. I made a big long playlist of songs in hopes that some are
suitable for possible inclusion on the Nova Radio NE show I’m appearing on next
Tuesday evening as Wajid Hussain’s guest. A lot of the music I like is pretty
grim. I tried to vary the styles: Tori Amos, Queen, Motorhead, Leonard Cohen,
Nine Inch Nails, Spandau Ballet (!!!), Toyah, Adele, The Cult, Hanoi Rocks, Lou Reed,
Adam and the Ants, Billy Joel, The Mission…
Wonder which ones Wajid chooses to play.
I’m on the X70 to Gateshead.
Jenni is working over half the weekend so it’s best I go in tonight to see her.
It’s creeping close on dusk. Bus stop at Flint Hill. Last night I left the
house at twenty-past seven to ride the longboard and it was already dark. My
watchstrap pin broke. I hate being without a watch. Didn’t have time to get it
fixed today.
Bus driver is shunting and slamming the brakes
on, fiercely lurching. Really fucking annoying. Of course I’m just a whinge and
couldn’t drive if hell had me so I should shut up, but still – the fucking price
of the ticket…
Anyway,
best get more cheerful. Seems the X70 has a new route. One minute we were in
Flint Hill. Now I don’t have a clue where we are. Have a feeling the driver
doesn’t either. Fuck it. 6.55 pm.
PS – Jenni likes the new monograph.
Saturday 30th September 2017
Nice lie in this morning. A
walk into town with Jenni for a sandwich. She went to work this afternoon and I
went look for cardstock, a new watchstrap and Toyah 7-inch singles.
Four-and-a-half hours later, me and Jenni had a drink in the Station Hotel then
went for supplies. Jen cooked us a nice tea: leeks, mash, mushrooms and broccoli
– steak pie for me, veggie sausages
for her. Watched the poetry programmes: Auden on age of Anxiety then Contains
Strong Language spoken word from Hull
festival hosted by Simon Armitage. Good to see Zena Edwards, Kate Fox, Helen
Mort amongst others - prime BBC2 Saturday night slot. Spicy Nik Naks, orange
squash and a bit of Later with Jools Holland. 10.47 pm.
Sunday 1st October 2017
Jenni at work today so I got
my breakfast, sorted some copy-ups for an ‘in-transit’ book project then came
home. Was diverted near Tesco in Consett due to a fatal traffic accident.
Helicopter just taking off as I was told no go… Had another big dinner like last
night, then put together a gig set for next week’s Speakers’ Corner in York. Been checking
updates on shock-rocker Marilyn Manson after he was crushed under a fallen
stage prop. Nine dates postponed… Had a good few runs through my set. Ate
chocolate. Ready for bed. 11.30 pm.
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