Reading this Saturday

I’m doing a poetry reading in Manchester on Saturday afternoon, 28th November, in the Whitworth Art Gallery. Also reading: Michael Laskey, Lucy Burnet and Carole Bromley. Music by Matthew Halsall, Rachel Gladwin, Gavin Barras & Chris Davies.

Great Works

Good to have five poems in the latest issue of Great Works, edited by Peter Philpott.

Launch

Reading at the launch, last Thursday. Photo by Andrew Taylor.

A Note on the Title

One of the most famous concerts on the [1968] tour was at the Sunday Club at Frank Freeman’s Dancing School in Kidderminster. [John Peel] describes what took place: ‘When I told them they said, ‘Wow, it’s a really groovy name.’ I said, ‘No, it’s not a groovy name, it’s a dancing school run by a bloke called Frank Freeman.’ – MIKE BARNES, Captain Beefheart.

Freelance!

I will be freelance from January 2010 and available for readings, commissions, residencies, visits to schools & universities, conferences… A big change, after so many years teaching. Exciting times.

Underworld and ‘Frank Freeman’s Dancing School’

Underworld Live (21^st & 22^nd October) Thanks Karl.

Launch of ‘Frank Freeman’s Dancing School’

I’m launching Frank Freeman’s Dancing School at the Rose Theatre, Edge Hill University in Ormskirk on Wednesday 11^th November at 7.30pm.

It will be almost exactly 10 years since the launch of Henry’s Clock, and Jumpstart Poetry in the Secondary School one night in Hebden Bridge: held up on the M62 in the driving rain & arriving a few minutes late to a roomful of people raising their glasses…

PAGES

Four of my poems have just been published on Robert Sheppard’s blogzine PAGES Also on PAGES is Robert’s account of last night’s event at Edge Hill – Andrew Taylor and myself: reading poems, talking about poetics, and having a laugh.

Poetry and Poetics Research Group

Photo by Stuart Raynor taken at the Rose Theatre, Edge Hill University in 2004, just before a poetry reading to launch our latest collections. That’s me, Andrew Taylor and Robert Sheppard, founder members of the Poetry and Poetics Group at Edge Hill.

Erbacce

Poems in the latest edition of Erbacce, a special edition featuring poets from the Edge Hill University Poetry & Poetics Research Group. Erbacce is edited by Andrew Taylor and Alan Corkish.