Jack Frost

 

Hi blog friend.  I've been a bit out of the loop lately but dropping in tonight for a cup of tea.  Above is the cover of a wonderful children's story I got for the kids in work.  In the story Jack Frost comes to play with a boy whom he warns not to mention anything warm or the spell of his existence will be broken.  Of course in the end the boy finds a snowdrop and says to Jack that spring must be coming.  Jack Frost disappears into the wind whispering "See you next winter!"

 

I'm just completing a group project on developing an induction pack for a student.  Next I'm getting my teeth into an essay on nature versus nurture, genes and environment.  This should be very stimulating as it delves into psychology, sociology, philosophy, science, all sorts really.  Here I am where I never imagined I would be. 

 

I thought of an idea for a children's story.  I must try to write a story at the weekend.  Chat again soon.

 

R.I.P Tommy Murray

I was shocked to hear of the death of Tommy Murray on Saturday. I came to know him to talk to through Boyne Berries Magazine and through The Boyne Readings and Open Mic. Tommy had been a featured reader at this year's May reading. I last spoke to him at the Boyne Berries 12 launch. He asked for a copy of my chapbook. I liked him. I can hear him reading from his poem "Van Winkle's Return" included in his poetry collection "Swimming with Dolphins" (Lapwing, 2012):

Look at me
Blear-eyed, grubby
As dishevelled
As a swallow in a sandstorm
Reeking of sloe gin and juniper
Hair, a hurricane of
Grizzled grey and auburn
Time trailing in my wake

I attended Tommy's removal in Trim church tonight. It's a beautiful church really. It's a cold, dark November night. The stars are twinkling. It's Guy Fawkes Night.

Condolences to his family, friends and fellow writers in The Meath Writers' Circle.

Tommy Murray was pictured below with Paddy Smith, chairman of Boyne Writers' Group.

Bookmarks

I have a lot of things to read at the moment, lots to interest me. I am lucky and lucky I have these two lovely bookmarks to keep me on track. Thanks to Honor Duff I have a copy of Mary Lavin's "In a Cafe" to read. I found a copy of "Tales from Bective Bridge" in the John Paul II Library in Maynooth.

The bookmarks pictured below were produced for the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Cavan with the Cavan/Meath LitLab. I think both poets capture something essential in a few short lines.

Last Wednesday Open Mic in The Twisted Pepper

I attended the Halloween Last Wednesday Open Mic in The Twisted Pepper on Middle Abbey Street last night.  I read three poems relating to Halloween and one from my poetry chapbook Drawn to the Light.  There were many excellent readers taking part.  I met Evan Costigan, Phil Lynch and Eamonn Lynskey.  Oran Ryan, Sarah Lundberg and Ross Hathaway of Seven Towers Agency were present.  Bob Shapeshaft read some poems of his own and one by Blathnaid Nolan called "Question" from a book edited by Dermot Bolger which I need to look for.

Seven Towers are delighted to announce the launch of Oran Ryan’s Novel ‘One Inch Punch’ on the 15^th November at 7 pm. at the Irish Writers Centre.

The novel will be launched by Senator David Norris.

 

Dracula

I'm reading Dracula in bed. It is Sunday morning and I have a whole free day ahead. Bliss. Jonathan Harker has just been brought to the Count's Castle in a carriage by a driver with seemingly red eyes and sharp teeth. As if that wasn't enough for grave (get it) concern the carriage has been trailed by werewolves. And the native people in taverns and villages keep blessing themselves!

I downloaded Bram Stoker's novel on iBooks for free, along with Frankenstein and The Great Gatsby, which are two of my favourite books.

I can hear the rain falling outside in faint patterns which pulls me to poetry. I read a great quote the other day:

"The cure for everything is saltwater: sweat, tears, and the sea." Karen von Blixen

Happy Hallowe'en

 



Happy Hallowe'en all.  I know it is an early greeting but I'm working to deadlines these days.  I uploaded my first two assignments to moodle this morning.  That was scary.  I hope I get on okay with them when they're graded.  I just wrote my first poem in weeks.  I think it would not stand up to much criticism but I liked the fact that it flowed out.  I might try this approach again later.  There's  a Boyne Writers' meeting tomorrow night but I have classes.

 

If you find the spirit of Hallowe'en can you put it in a phial for me?

 

 

Finding Penelope by James Lawless

James Lawless invites you to the launch of his novel Finding Penelope and perhaps to partake of a glass of wine in Hodges Figgis, Dawson Street on Tues. Oct. 30 at 6.30 pm.  James Lawless was born in Dublin and divides his time between Co. Kildare and West Cork. He is the author of the novels Peeling Oranges (Killynon House, 2007), For Love of Anna (New Generation, 2009) and The Avenue (Wordsonthestreet, 2010), and a study of modern poetry, Clearing the Tangled Wood: Poetry as a Way of Seeing the World (Academica Press, USA, 2009).  His poetry collection Rus in Urbe was published this summer by Doghouse.  Awards include the Scintilla Welsh Open Poetry Competition, the Cecil Day Lewis Award, the Sunday Tribune/Hennessy and Willesden Herald award nominations, the WOW Award and a Biscuit International prize for short stories.

 

I've been learning about Jean Piaget's theories about how children learn tonight.  Keywords would be schema, conservation, egocentrism, cognitive developmental theory.  I've a lot more to read and understand.  I'm also coming to terms with the ins-and-outs of Harvard Referencing again.  Ah well Rome wasn't built in a day.