Pete Cox, Poet - Guest Blog, September 2012

“Amongst the many things that I enjoy writing, site-specific poetry has to be near the top of the list. Back when I was Poet-in-Residence for one of my city’s cemeteries (2005-2008) I created poetry trails through the old Victorian graveyard. The first was a series of riddles relating to the wild life of the site and as they ended with “What Am I?” one of the drinkers found something sharp to engrave into the laminated cardboard precisely what he thought the answer was. I’ve kept it as a memento of interaction with my audience, though not on general display. Now that I’m P-i-R for St. John’s church I’ve so-far written about the font, the church clock, the pulpit and a memorial stone. Now every-so-often an event will come up that sparks some creativity and if I can write a series of poems, I’ll put them together as a pamphlet to be given away and hopefully (shamelessly) generate some publicity for myself. 
 

As it would be easy to label me a geek (my life is much like the characters in the American comedy series Big Bang Theory, except I have poetry rather than science) and I have always had a love of almost all things science fiction, the events at which I’m dishing out these pamphlets are often science fiction conventions. I can argue that poetry of the fantastical has a long and noble tradition passing back through Tennyson’s Locksley Hall to Beowulf and Gilgamesh. From Edgar Allen Poe the dark torch was passed to the writers who contributed to Weird Tales and other pulps of the ’thirties, H.P. Lovecraft and his circle. A couple of the most prominent  poets who have used sf tropes in their work are Edwin Morgan this year’s Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy K. Smith. (If you want to know more about genre poetry and current markets, I’ve written a piece for the blog of the horror author Sam Stone http://www.sam-stone.com/) As a result of these and other poems published in the genre small-press I’ve picked up quiet good reviews and been placed in the top three for the Data Dump award (a British prize for best published sf poem) a handful of times. Recently I found that an American book-dealer was advertising one of my pamphlets for a nominal amount. My reaction was to send him a few more and wish him well. In his own way he’s helping to publicise me and for the amount he wanted ($5) he was hardly exploiting the workers.

One British small-press publisher who both uses and reviews genre and non-genre poetry is Southend-on-Sea’s Atlantean Publications, who you can find out more about at http://atlanteanpublishing.blogspot.co.uk/ ".

© Pete Cox 2012

Guest Blog from Cardinal Cox, Poet-in-Residence at St John the Baptist Church, Peterborough

My second month as Poet-in-Residence at the St John the Baptist church in Peterborough started with being featured in one of the monthly listings magazines for the area (Nene Valley Living). Feedback came quick at my day job as people mentioned they’d seen it. The best part (I thought) was that it didn’t focus just on me but on the wider poetry scene in Peterborough as none of us exist in isolation. The article mentioned a couple of the poetry groups that are active in the city and some of the other high profile poets (such as Mark Grist and Mixy who you’ll find elsewhere on the Book A Poet site). Local listings magazines are always looking for filler so I’d recommend that every poet build up a list of your local publications to help raise your own profiles.

I have a good idea of what is happening in the local poetry/literature scene in and around the city and have had my own column for two years in a magazine that is distributed around the pubs (Rhythm and Booze), and before that wrote a similar one for another magazine, until they decided to change the focus. Fair enough, just wished they’d chatted about the changes before dropping me as I like to think I could have wrote to their new target.

The down side of the national poetry scene has been losses to the Small Press of the West Midlands poet and editor Geoff Stevens, whose magazine Purple Patch was a regular fixture for many years. Also the Scottish based publication Earth Love closed due to rises in Post Office charges (for PO Box as well as stamps) and I fear that this is only the first of many. Both Geoff and Earth Love will be missed.

On lighter notes, I was standing in Cathedral Square in Peterborough with a bunch of flowers for my girlfriend when a guy from the council came up flashing his identity card, asking to see my pedlar’s licence. Seems that one bunch of flowers is enough to make you a suspicious character. Then when I was coming back from performing at the Wisbech Arts Festival (who have big plans for future years, just hope that they can fit me in again) the bus driver asked if I knew the route. Other passengers were shouting encouragement and directions, we had one brief reversal and (after ending up in the wilds of the fens with mist rising) a swift return along a country road we’d just driven along.

Peter Cox

June Pint of Poetry at Charters Bar, Peterborough

Just a quick reminder that Pint of Poetry and a Dash of Drama is, as ever, on at Charters Bar on the 2nd Wednesday of this month. What does this mean? ... well it means that on the 13th June at 8:30 at Charters Bar Pint of Poetry shall be gathering with microphones, performances, a few drinks, general mirth and the loveliest atmosphere that any performer or audience did ever experience.

Last month was an absolute corker of a night, with a record number of performances and new performers so Mark and Summer are very excited to see what you all have in store for them next week!

This month is slightly special as Refugee week will be happening soon. Some folk from the Red Cross will be joining them next week, so the suggestion is a bit of a theme if anyone would like to help mark the occassion - so if this cause means something to you, why not express it through the medium of poetry and share it with everyone next week?

Aside from the theme of Refugee week, all other poetry and drama acts are welcome ...you know ... the usual - serious, funny an downright ludicrous ...