Congratulations to David Harsent for winning the T S Eliot prize 2014 with his collection Fire Songs. It was an incredible evening at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 11 January hearing poems from the entire short list.
I thought the poetry collections were so strong. The judges must have had quite a tough job.
Click here for a brief article about the winner.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Reading at The Troubdour
I've been invited to read at The Troubadour this coming Monday 15th December at some point between 8.00 - 10.00 with probably another 40 poets.
Come down - it will be great to see you. It will be a packed evening of poetry, quiz and drinking!
Click here for a link to the event
Come down - it will be great to see you. It will be a packed evening of poetry, quiz and drinking!
Click here for a link to the event
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Georgia O'Keeffe
We were discussing Georgia O'Keeffe in class last week and the next day this article was published in The Guardian.
Click here for the link to the article.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Anselm Kiefer - programme on BBC 1
I don't know how long this programme is available for but it's a fascinating documentary about the artist Anselm Kiefer. His work is being exhibited at the Royal Academy right now. Really worth watching the programme and then then visiting the exhibition at the RA, I think.
Click here for a link.
Click here for a link.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Anselm Kiefer at the Royal Academy
Over the last couple of years I've written poems about the work of this artist and am in the process of writing a third poem after seeing 'Sick Art' at the Summer Exhibition in August.
Anyway his work is on at the Royal Academy until the middle of December. I shall be going.
Click here for a link to the page.
Anyway his work is on at the Royal Academy until the middle of December. I shall be going.
Click here for a link to the page.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Leaving St Kilda - Robin Robertson
Click here for a reading of Leaving St Kilda by Robin Robertson with a great accompaniment by Alistair Roberts
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Friday, January 31, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets performance on Radio 4
I remembered this afternoon that my friend
Debra - who died suddenly almost two weeks ago - and me went to hear
Stephen Dillane's performance of T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets at The
Donmar Warehouse in 2009 exactly 5 years ago.
I remembered it because the whole poem was broadcast this afternoon on Radio 4. This time Jeremy Irons performed the poem.
I remember that before we went in to the performance she quoted from the poem by heart this section.
"Old men ought to be explorers
Here and there does not matter
We must be still and still moving
Into another intensity
For a further union, a deeper communion
Through the dark cold and the empty desolation,
The wave cry and the wind cry, the vast waters
Of the petrel and the porpoise. In the end is my beginning."
If you have an hour and fifteen minutes then listen to it here and now.
I remembered it because the whole poem was broadcast this afternoon on Radio 4. This time Jeremy Irons performed the poem.
I remember that before we went in to the performance she quoted from the poem by heart this section.
"Old men ought to be explorers
Here and there does not matter
We must be still and still moving
Into another intensity
For a further union, a deeper communion
Through the dark cold and the empty desolation,
The wave cry and the wind cry, the vast waters
Of the petrel and the porpoise. In the end is my beginning."
If you have an hour and fifteen minutes then listen to it here and now.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Sermon 18 August 2013 Why Am I a Christian
I did a sermon on Sunday
Click here for a link to the text and a further link to hear a recording of the sermon. The title is Why Am I a Christian
Click here for a link to the text and a further link to hear a recording of the sermon. The title is Why Am I a Christian
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
Three images of Venice
Gondolier heads beside the Hard Rock Cafe - Venice
Monday, August 05, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Some photos
I've been sorting out some photos I'm uploading some to my flickr photostream. Here are one or two of them to whet your appetite. Perhaps! I'm using some of these to help with my writing on the River Wandle.
This is called Electric Knot South Wimbledon Sub Station.
This is called Electric Knot South Wimbledon Sub Station.
Monday, June 03, 2013
After Ariel
We went to hear a reading of Sylvia Plath's collection of poetry Ariel to mark fifty years since Sylvia Plath's death.
It was an extraordinary evening.
After Ariel
That night the moon
dragged its blood bag, sick
Animal
Up over the harbour lights.
And then grew normal,
Hard and apart and white.’
From Lesbos by Sylvia Plath
As we crossed the river north
over Waterloo Bridge
the night they read Ariel to us,
the full moon rose red
like a discarded petal
beyond the cold grey dome
of Saint Paul’s.
But we travelled on West
through Knightsbridge
in hushed silence
its darkened streets
towering around us.
Hearing her poems
defiant and insistent
settling on memory,
passing street lights
that picked out
bridal window displays –
French lace
and embroidered tulle,
imagining the gowns
stained her colour
in this moonlight.
And still later along darker
sub-urban streets,
I caught a glimpse of the moon again.
Now its large, pure white disc
still rising slowly
like a silent bride
throwing its bouquet of distant light
to no one waiting.
© David Loffman
It was an extraordinary evening.
After Ariel
That night the moon
dragged its blood bag, sick
Animal
Up over the harbour lights.
And then grew normal,
Hard and apart and white.’
From Lesbos by Sylvia Plath
As we crossed the river north
over Waterloo Bridge
the night they read Ariel to us,
the full moon rose red
like a discarded petal
beyond the cold grey dome
of Saint Paul’s.
But we travelled on West
through Knightsbridge
in hushed silence
its darkened streets
towering around us.
Hearing her poems
defiant and insistent
settling on memory,
passing street lights
that picked out
bridal window displays –
French lace
and embroidered tulle,
imagining the gowns
stained her colour
in this moonlight.
And still later along darker
sub-urban streets,
I caught a glimpse of the moon again.
Now its large, pure white disc
still rising slowly
like a silent bride
throwing its bouquet of distant light
to no one waiting.
© David Loffman
Reading Ariel
We were there at the Royal Festival Hall on the 26 May
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/sylvia-plaths-ariel-73622
It was good!!
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/sylvia-plaths-ariel-73622
It was good!!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Monday, March 04, 2013
A Couple of Readings
I've been invited to read a poem - along with another 20 or so poets - at The Troubadour on Monday 11 March at 8.00. The theme of the evening will be poems about 'cities'. I'm probably going to read a Wandle poem.
My cousin Jeff is reading at The Old Ship in Richmond as part of the launch of the new issue of Ariadne's Thread issue 5 on Tuesday 5 March. I might even get a chance to read a war poem if it feels right.
My cousin Jeff is reading at The Old Ship in Richmond as part of the launch of the new issue of Ariadne's Thread issue 5 on Tuesday 5 March. I might even get a chance to read a war poem if it feels right.