Magical Realism in Poetry Course

It's all happening in Cork.
(Or is it)

When: Monday 10 January · 19:00 - 22:00
Where: The Long Valley (Hayloft) in Winthrop Street, Cork

O'Bheal: Cork's Weekly Poetry Event

This practical workshop will look at how to set off Dali-esque flights of fancy and explore treatments for the ideas that emerge. The workshop will focus on the idea that the strange and surreal in poetry can make us look at reality afresh.

Ian Wild is a poet, writer, composer and theatre worker from Enniskean, Co. Cork, Ireland. In 2009 he won the Fish International Short Story Prize and received a literature bursary from the Irish Arts Council. His publications and broadcast work include Way Out West – a comedy series for RTE Radio One; The Great Moodini and other stories – 20 children’s stories also broadcast on RTE’s Radio One. He has a collection of short stories published by Fish: The Woman Who Swallowed The Book Of Kells and also a volume of poetry entitled Intercourse With Cacti (Bradshaw Books.)

Cost: €15 (€12 concession)

Places limited.

For further details contact Paul on 085 712 6299 or email Ó Bhéal

Driving the Poetry Bus - My Turn

I was gently reminded earlier of my imminent driving job for the Poetry Bus this Sunday/Monday.

Actually it wasn't gentle at all. He shouted really, really loudly. There was screaming involved (mine) and spittle (his) and also that white stuff that appears at the corner of the mouth when venting (his) and no small amount of teeth-gnashing, hair-pulling out, nose-picking and teeth-brushing (mine) You'd think I had forgotten or thought it was next week or something...

Anyway...

I have had loads of absolutely top notch, brilliant ideas over the last year for great, superb and down-right sparkly prompts for the Poetry Bus, but they have gone the way of all single earrings, important wires and PIN numbers and I can't find them.

So here's a couple of ideas for you. Add your comment when you've something posted. I'll post up the passengers on Sunday/Monday. Enjoy the ride!

Prompt 1
I've just been watching the fabulous, funny, witty, insightful, dashingly handsome (in case he's reading) and very silly Tim Minchin, a Aussie comedian/songwriter who touches a nerve and says many things I've been thinking for years, but he says them out loud.

Here's one he did as a forgiveness/revenge song. Watch the video (the song starts at about 1:30 but the intro's worth watching) and write your own. Is it a critic? An ex-lover, a current lover, a parent, a teacher, a blog commentor, a boss, your best friend at school, the man in the newsagents, a workshop participant, your hairdresser, a woman in a boutique, the milkman, another poet, whatever. Who made you feel small? Write it out. Get your own back now.



Prompt 2
In case you're perfect or not bitter enough. Another Tim Minchin writing prompt. A 9 minute, beat poem. Called Storm

OK. Great, eh? Now write a poem (doesn't have to be a beat poem)

EITHER as a Tim Minchin-like person about someone in touch with their inner angel, homeopathic-loving, reiki-trained Storm-like person

OR (as I know some of you lean a little to the reiki side of lovely)

as a spiritually awakened, nature-loving, Storm-like person about a skeptical, unbelieving, opinionated Tim Minchin-like person.

Exaggerate to taste.

Prompt 3
One thing Tim Minchin did make mention of was L'esprit d'escalier - or Wit of the staircase. You know, when you think of an absolute kick-ass response or retort or argument or answer or insult or joke, but too late. Sometimes much, much too late.

So write a poem about one of yours. Now's your chance to say it.

Interesting Links

How geeky are you? Even a little bit? You'll like this xkcd.com. Why did no one tell me about this before? Hover over the images for more...

Death to The Death of Poetry from Harper Magazine. Everybody today knows that poetry is "useless and completely out of date"--as Flaubert put it in Bouvard and Pécuchet a century ago.

Fascinating essay at Magma on words out of fashion in poetry. Shards? Gossamer wings. Nominations please?

Why it's worth checking amazon for your proposed book title - Similar Titles at She Reads and Reads

Conall Morrison has recently been appointed as Theatre Artist-in-Residence at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, funded by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Arts Council.

As part of his residency Conall will be starting up a playwrights' scriptwriting group based in the Pavilion Theatre from the end of January, which will run for the duration of the residency.

Places in the group are strictly limited, so if you are interested please submit a finished play or substantial extract from a work in progress for consideration to:

Conall Morrison, Theatre Artist in Residence, Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire.

There is no fee for participants, but there may be some photocopying costs. Please refer any queries to conall@paviliontheatre.ie

Please note extended closing date for submissions:Friday 14th January 2011 @ 5.30pm

Mslexia Short Story Competition

Yes, you have to be a girl.

Mslexia’s 2011 Short Story Competition is now open for entries.

Deadline: January 24th 2011.

Shortlisted entries will be judged by short story writer, poet and author Jackie Kay.

First prize is £2,000 plus a week’s writing retreat at Chawton House Library and a day with a Virago editor.

Second Prize is £500, third prize is £250 and three other finalists will receive £100 each.

All the winning stories will be published in the April 2011 edition of Mslexia magazine.

Entries cost £10. Your story or stories should be a maximum of 2,200 words and can be on any topic or theme.

You can submit your entry at online or by post.

For more information www.mslexia.co.uk

Versal Submissions

This Amsterdam based English magazine is looking for submissions. They only read between 15 September and 15 January so get your work in. They also take simultaneous submissions as long as you tell them straight away if it's accepted elsewhere.

Submit online here on wordsinhere. Poetry and Prose and artwork.

Deadline: 15 January

We look for work that is urgent, involved, and unexpected. Well-crafted traditional, non-traditional and innovative forms, hybrids and translations are encouraged.

They pay in contributors copies.

Prairie Schooner

Prairie Schooner, the literary journal of the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, is seeking submissions for an issue dedicated to contemporary poetry and fiction from Ireland.

"Ireland has always occupied a special place in both the literary and the cultural heritage of the United States, and the special issue of Prairie Schooner is intended further to cultivate the depth and breadth of
that relationship."

"Submissions from Irish poets will receive uncommon attention, and final decisions about acceptances will be made by Stephen Behrendt (poetry) and Timothy Schaffert (short fiction)."

Deadline for submissions is 1 May 2011 

via email or post - and should be clearly marked "lrish issue".


The Editors, Prairie Schooner, 123 Andrews Hall,
University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68588-0334 USA