Friday, October 19, 2012

Review–Public Property, Andrew Motion

I’m uneasy labelling this blog a review. Its harder than I thought it would be  to cast a glance over the width of poetry in Motion’s  collection. I’ve made it harder still as its taken me two months to read every poem in the book. A poem a day, that was my intention. I’ve not strayed too far from that, and I made some notes, annotations really, sometimes a few lines of  mine on a facing page.

But what of the poems, well, many are ‘in memory’, mostly these are personal, hence I guess the title –publication means they are now public property But there are also poems about.people who have been as people, public property –rather dutiful poems, hardly surprising in a collection by a Poet Laureate.  The personal also penetrates poems of childhood, of remembering, and of moments in the present.

Overall, I’ll remember this collection for the way Motion has of picking a moment, an event that is hardly there and examining it with his keen eye, ear and exaggerated sense of detail. A lot of water is put under his poetic microscope in this way, and a fox and, again, and again, and retrospectively, people.

Finally, the poem I went back to more than once is  ‘What is Given’ – crafted to show control, disintegration, a return of a sort. An engaging use of form and words makes this poem memorable –and every poetry collection needs its memorable poem.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

From the South, warm and gusting …

That’s the wind today … blowing from the mountains, sending the garden chairs this way and that, and creating a sway of trees. The birds have taken shelter in the hedges, or rather all except one has. There is, most certainly, a sparrow hiding in the burner. It would not be enticed out this morning so we’ve shut down any escape hatches for now! It was all quiet when I walked past just now .. not sure what that means.

A day for staying indoors. I discovered the English book seller in Fleurance market on Tuesday and have added to my to-be-read basket. I’ve just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot –the story of the woman who, unbeknown to her, gave the world HeLa cells. A carefully woven set of tales; of the donor, her family, the impact of what then happened to the cell line and the writing of the book. Compelling reading about science and its relationship with humanity … some salutary lessons revealed but not completely learnt. 

In contrast I’m now reading a Michael Dobb’s political thriller –part of my market bargain. Two of what we decided we don’t want, (and I was not at all sure anyone else would either) for one of the hundreds in the book seller’s collection. Its one way to diversity your reading … and we have a suitcase full of books-to-go in the coming weeks.

Really pleased to hear of Hilary Mantel’s 2nd Mann-Booker win .. can’t wait to read Bring up the Bodies but feel I need to re-read Wolf Hall before I do. Perhaps I’ll wait until the final part is out and read all three.

Time to go … Cauliflower soup for lunch, made with about 1/3rd of Paul’s magnificent first cauliflower to be harvested this year –it weighed 3kgm and the soup is so, so creamily delicious. There are plenty more growing nicely but its touch and go whether the caterpillars will get to them first. At least today, in this wind, the butterflies might have to give up laying their eggs –we can but hope. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Review: The Gravedigger’s Daughter

This is the first book from Joyce Carol Oates’ large oeuvre that I’ve read, and now I am wondering why! The Gravedigger’s Daughter takes the reader on the journey of one woman’s life, of re-invention, running away, staying and of love and hope. It has taken me a while to read  -this book is thick with meaning,  the story travels a long way in a short time and it takes turns that always surprised me.

Another book that could have ended at several points and in the end, there was no end at all and that did not matter. Full of authenticity, tension and a celebration (is that the right word) of survival.

A very good read … and wow, i have many more JCO books to read, let’s hope all are as good as this one.

NB I might be blogging about writing some poetry soon!  This week I returned to the Alderney Stones sequence and, almost unbelievably, now have a complete set of first drafts. if nothing else I feel free to write about something else!  

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Upcycled cushion cover–finished at last!

All this summer, I’ve been slowly knitting a cushion cover from yarn in my stash. Creamy wool that is also my favourite cardigan, grey yarn left over from Paul’s sleeveless cardi that's now 2 years old and bits and pieces from the beaded cushion cover I kitted for Bev several Christmas’s ago. Oh, I almost forgot, five buttons that don’t match but do blend, and are either from my collection, or my Mum’s or Peggy’s or possibly my Grandmother’s –such is the diverse provenance of what lurks in my button box.
P1040758

It looks very nice on a chair by the terrace door in the new 1st floor sitting room at Enmatte –a chair that once lived in my parents-in law’s dining room and brings back wonderful memories of family meals at Bower Mount Road.


I will always now associate this cushion with my 2012 summer of surgery and radiotherapy, with my recovery and. mostly, with the kindness of family and friends that sustained and supported me in recent weeks. In this way I have been making more good memories: of assimilating a diagnosis of cancer, having the (slight) burden of its treatments, and the calm distraction afforded by a ball of yarn and needles.

Review–Ancient Light, John Banville

This is a completely wonderful book. Reading it these past few days has been like being fed rich, flavourful, night-coloured chocolate. I’m sure you know the kind I mean –the kind you have to eat one square at a time, the kind that comforts, surprises, and dare I say  - dazzles.

I have been a Banville fan for some time and with this book he has surpassed himself. Ancient LIght –what a great title – has multiple stories woven like fine wool, told with ease and intimacy, and that all of them are slightly unfinished matters not a jot. I’m not sure I liked the story teller but I believed him, I fell for his sorrow, his guile: his story reeled me in. The rest of the cast were a motley bunch of people, all very much alive and active in support of the protagonist’s journey of memory and renewal. Mrs Grey, Billie Stryker, Kitty et al. … each slowly emerges out of the story with force, and no-one is redundant, each is part of the whole from the beginning to the end.

And now I am only left to read it again (and again) and that will be another pleasure. Please read Ancient Light and let me know what you think. This blog entry may sound as though I have shares in Banville Ltd –no, its nothing like that, its just that this is simply a perfect piece of extended prose. 

I am now reading an Icelandic crime noir –Black Skies by By Arnaldur Indridason. A serendipitous find while unpacking and sorting out all my books as part of moving into my 1st floor space at Enmatte. To continue the food metaphor this book is easily digested, the words slip from page to mind –a whodunit with the usual broody detective –part of my light diet of reading. An OK book but soon finished and forgotten.. I doubt I’ll re-read this one, though another by the same author would be fine.