NIGHTHAWKS READING PICS

Nighthawks organiser Colm Keegan avec moi, in the lovely venue, The Cobalt Café



Highly entertaining novelist, Conor Bowman, reading from The Last Estate/The Redemption of George Baxter Henry. It's a flipover novel (2-in-one) and he gave a free copy to everyone in the audience, which was rather fab.



Irreverent and sexy stand-up David Hurley, doing his thing. As I said to him afterwards, if a pregnant feminist can laugh at his comedy, anyone can...



Mé féin, reading from Tattoo:Tatú.

Nighthawks is a club not to be missed. I had to go home early (pregnancy insomnia taking its toll) but I will go back there in the future to enjoy eclectic work in a gorgeous, antique-packed Georgian house and a much anticipated gallon or so of wine, I hope.

Thanks to Colm and Stephen for organising a unique and enjoyable monthly gig. It made me wish (yet again) that I was back living in Dublin. I'm sure Colm will have a report on his Uiscebots blog anon. If you want to go next month, book well in advance as it gets sold out pretty quickly. The place was jammed with enthused punters. Highly recommended.

STRONG AWARD WINNER

Dublin born, and West Kerry raised, Simon Ó Faoláin is the winner of this year's Strong Award for his first poetry collection Anam Mhadra, Coiscéim 2008. Comhghairdeas, Simon!

Commiserations to Patrick Cotter, Ciaran Berry and Áine Moynihan who were all very worthy co-listees.

All four read at yesterday's Poetry Now Festival in Dun Laoghaire and it was a joy to listen to the variety in their work: some ponderous, some moving, all very well crafted. Pat Cotter - in a gorgeous red tie - stole the show, IMO, with his witty poems, his assured, relaxed delivery and his references to 'decadent enjambments' and other writerly concerns. All in all, it was an entertaining couple of hours of hot-off-the-presses poetry.

POETRY FILMS - CORK

Pic: POET BILLY COLLINS

On the 1st and 2nd of April @ 8pm, Ó Bhéal in Cork, in association with Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, Goethe Institut and The Triskel Arts Centre presents:

Highlights of the 4th Biennial Zebra Poetry Film Festival

15 selected poetry films presented by Dr Christiane Lange (Literaturwerkstatt Berlin) including festival winner 'The Dead' (poet: Billy Collins, director: Juan Delcán) followed by a panel discussion on Poetry Films.

Entry: €5

I'm off to BÁC for Nighthawks at the Cobalt Café and the Poetry Now Fest. Report next week. Wheeeee!

MARY O'DONNELL POETRY WORKSHOP

Despite the staff being made redundant, because of Arts Council cuts, the Irish Writers' Centre in Dublin continues to function and it is offering a 6 week poetry course, starting 16th April, with Mary O'Donnell, for €150. Mary is one of the top Irish women poets and she is, I hear, a great teacher. I think this is good value and if I could go myself, I would.

From the IWC's site:

Course Theme: 'As if your life (not livelihood) depended on it.'

This course is suitable for both beginners and those who have written some poetry. Participants will work towards producing solid drafts of several new poems during the course, the idea being that over the weeks the will advance these to the point where they are fully realized. The course also aims to help the participating poets to address the question of their own discipline and resources, so that afterwards they may continue what they have begun! The workshop will provide a vocabulary and place for the critical evaluation of participants' work in a progress-oriented way. Sessions include reading and discussion of contemporary poetry with a view to examining tried and tested methods and techniques. Apart from that, this should be an adventure with language and experience, and a chance to experiment with the imagined. Think life, not livelihood!

To enroll on this course please email your details to : courses@writerscentre.ie

MITCHELSTOWN WINNER!!

Another woman winner for the Mitchelstown International Short Story Comp this year, with a story I chose (yippee!) to pass on to John MacKenna, the final judge.

Big congrats to Chani Anderson of Galbally, Co. Tipperary, who won the top prize with her story 'How To Avoid Mother’s Day Cards' - a very well-written story of secrets, lies and maternal sorrow.

She receives a cash prize of €2,500 and a lap-top computer.

Runner up prizes of €200.00 each have been awarded to the following entries (5 more women, you will notice. Congrats girls!):

Kathleen Murray, Cabra, Dublin 7
Irene Rose-Ledger, Glasthule, Co. Dublin
Roisin McDermott, Celbridge, Co. Kildare
Mary Lennon, Coolock, Dublin 13
Tanya Farrelly, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Full competition details can be found at www.mitchelstownshortstoryprize.com

NIGHTHAWKS READING - SAT 28th MARCH

The line-up for Nighthawks at the Cobalt Café on Saturday night, where I read at 8.40pm, courtesy of Uiscebot's Blog.

Pony Club
http://www.myspace.com/ponyclub

This month at Nighthawks at the Cobalt the great Mark Cullen will perform songs from Pony Club’s three brilliant albums – Home Truths, Family Business and Post Romantic. We’ve been chasing this guest for a long time, and we’re delighted to have finally caught him! This one is going to be good – don’t miss it!

Colm Quinn
http://www.lastlightfilm.com/

Colm will be at the club in March to introduce his award-winning short film – The Discreet Charms of the Refugee. It is an excellent piece of work that will give you plenty of food for thought.

Nuala Ní Chonchúir
http://www.nualanichonchuir.com/review.php

Nuala is a very talented writer. She is the author of two short fiction collections and two poetry collections. Her third short story collection, Nude, will be published by Salt in September 2009. Nuala will be reading poetry for us on March 28th.

Enda Muldoon

OK, let’s be honest about this, Enda Muldoon is probably insane; but he’s insane in a good way. A funny, insightful way. Basically, when Enda Muldoon does stand-up comedy you just cannot look away. The man has courage. The man has truth. The man has two bottles of Budweiser and a song about polar bears. (I recently heard Enda described in this way: “The race to the bottom is over – come and see the winner!” I’m not sure how accurate those words are for Enda, but I do want them on my headstone.)

Aoife Corcoran

Aoife is a singer/songwriter with a sound that blends soul, pop, rock, jazz and blues. She has recently signed to Reekus Records, and her debut single, ‘Blinding Lights’, is now available for download. Her debut album is due for release later this year.

Colin Ryan

Colin Ryan is easily one of the biggest stand-up comics currently performing on the Irish ‘circuit’. I mean the guy must be at least six foot four. Fortunately, Colin has learned to use his stand-up comedy routines as a means to overcome his freakish height, and a future career in the circus may now no longer be his only option in life. We have absolutely no doubt that Colin will share the ‘gift of laughter’ with us when he performs at the Cobalt on March 28th.

David Hurley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoWjiSDK7Vc

When it comes to handlebar moustaches, Dave Hurley has one of the best in the business. In recent months, he has been a regular feature in Angry Norman’s backing band, The Swingin’ Mickeys, and his maracas solo at the club in February had shameless women swooning in the aisles. The time has surely come to give this man a microphone. Ladies, get ready for some sexy stand-up comedy.

Tickets are on sale from CITY DISCS in Temple Bar (beside the Button Factory’s Wall of Fame). Tel. 01 6330066. Price 12.50 Euro. Capacity is limited, so please buy your tickets early in order to avoid disappointment. Doors open at 7.45pm. Strictly no admission after 8.10pm. Show ends 11pm. Bar available.

Contact them at: nighthawksindublin@gmail.com

HAPPY [M]OTHER'S DAY!

LÁ 'LE MAMAÍ FAOI MHAISE!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mammies who drop by here, especially to my fellow Mammy bloggers - I hope you are all being spoilt today. I'm in bed eating Lir chocolates at 8.30am. Life is good!

A poem from my first collection, Molly's Daughter which was in the DIVAS New Irish Women's Writing anthology, along with collections by Máighréad Medbh and Deirdre Brennan.

Mother

I am the vein
running through
my children,
as they are
pulled from me,
I hold them to me.

I steer a faulty path,
and while avoiding
the potholes and ruts
left in the wake
of my own mother,
I create my own.

I am drawn
to my children,
but as I try
to edge gently
away from them,
they cling to me.

So I scumble along,
making and breaking
rules, until it is
time to winnow
a space with
room only for me.

HORIZON REVIEW & OTHER LIT MAGS

Pic by Rickard Gillberg

There was a bit of debate in the comments section here last week about the merits and de-merits of mags - specifically Southword - going online and scrapping their print operations.

Proof, if it were needed, that online zines can be excellent is the current Horizon Review - Issue 2, which is a generous mix of fiction, poetry, interviews, reviews and much, much more. Edited by trojan poet Jane Holland, there is a brilliant and hefty interview with poet Kate Clanchy by Vicki Bertram. It's long, so you may want to print it out, as I did, and savour it with a cuppa in your comfy chair. I went and bought one of Kate's books after reading it, I was so taken with her. She seems to have similar poetic concerns to my own - women, sex, feminism, motherhood.

In other lit mag news, I received my contributor's copy of The French Literary Review today. I have a story in there 'Mademoiselle O'Murphy' which will appear in Nude, my forthcoming collection with Salt. This twice-yearly Review is for writing with a French connection and they are seeking subs of poetry and fiction (1000 - 3000 words). Subs guides here at the editor, Barbara Dordi's, blog. I'm looking forward to curling up with the mag later on today.

SHORT STORY AT INDIEOMA

I've a story Milo at Indieoma for this week's theme, 'Entertaining Guests' You can leave comments on the site, if you want...

NO ARTS CO DOSH FOR ME - BOO HOO

Well, no Arts Council Bursary for me again in this new round-up. I'm really disappointed. I fit their criteria: full time artist, always working, being published, in need of financial assistance. And although I was shortlisted this time, I didn't make the cut. With my family expanding, I really hoped the pressure would be off me for a while to scramble about looking for ways to earn. There's only so many readings a girl gets to do (and at an average fee of €250, they're hardly the stuff of high earnings.) It's no wonder I don't write much new stuff anymore: I'm constantly looking for other forms of writing work: writing articles, translating, teaching workshops, judging lit comps, residencies etc. But soon (with a new addition to the family) I will have less time and freedom than ever for gadding about the country to give workshops, readings etc. It's hard to know what to try next. I did get a bursary in 2004 and it was a Godsend; I eked it out and made it last for over a year. I sometimes joke that I will be the only writer/vegetarian flipping burgers in Supermac's. Thank God there are four of them in the town I live in because, at this rate, I'll need to go and work there.

I wonder sometimes is it because I am not with a big publisher that the Arts Co don't give me a bursary? Both my publishers - Arlen House and Salt - are small operations, publishing books for the absolute love of literature, hopeful of a profit. But, generally, their writers don't earn advances or pots of money by being published by them. Both houses produce beautiful, literate, readable works but both fight very hard to survive in the commercial publishing world. Their writers are delighted to be published by such caring publishers, but they won't live off their earnings and neither will the publishers themselves. They rely a lot on funding and, without it, things get very hard.

Is it Arts Co policy, I wonder, to only support the already supported i.e. those with big publishers who can promote their work endlessly, or those already earning through uni jobs, long residencies etc.?

Last night, at the launch of the Cúirt brochure, Theo Dorgan lamented the loss of funding to the Arts Council. They, he said, have had to make cuts because they themselves have been cut. I understand this. But, for some reason, literature always seems to me like the poor relation in funding matters.

Theo said: 'The arts matter. Politicians need to understand this.' He also urged us - the artists - to take matters into our own hands. He called on us to contact Arts Minister Martin Cullen and ask him for a reversal of the €8.5 million budget cut to the Arts. I, for one, will be doing just that.

[p.s. The Cúirt line-up is fantastic this year: Joseph O'Neill, Carol Ann Duffy, Claire Keegan, Leontia Flynn, Aidan Higgins, Petina Gappah, Helen Simpson etc. etc. Go, enjoy!]

LÁ'LE PÁDRAIG FAOI MHAISE!

Lá 'le Pádraig faoi mhaise / Happy Saint Patrick's Day, y'all!!

I have one Paddy's day poem (based on actual events!) which was in Tattoo:Tatú my last collection, so here it is:


SAINT PATRICK’S DAY, GALWAY

Two tame-as-a-lapdog elephants
march their own private parade
across Quincentennial Bridge,
their keepers suited and smiling.

I buy a moonstone, to balance
my raging yin and yang, try to
sidestep splats of piss and vomit,
the gaggles of green-clad drunks.

A footpath slaps up to meet me,
my sober steps none-too careful,
kneecaps and pride dented, I joke
ruefully with the ambulance crew.

BALLAGHADEREEN / BEALACH AN DOIRÍN READING

I was invited to Ballagahdereen library last night, to do a bilingual reading, for Seachtain na Gaeilge. I love libraries and we got a warm welcome from Deirdre, the librarian, and Dónall Mac Aodha, who is Oifigeach Forbartha Gaeilge (Irish Language Development Officer) with Roscommon County Council.

My Irish can be a tad meirgeach (rusty) at times, as I only use it these days for either translating poetry, or at the school gates, but it seemed to flow well enough in the event. There was a nice crowd there, between Rosmuc men and natives of Bealach an Doirín, Irish language learners and poetry enthusiasts.

The best bit (as per) was the questions afterwards. Really, it was more of a discussion on placenames, place-related imagery and a bit of local history. I could've chatted and listened all night. People have wonderful stories and insights, and the audience weren't shy, which was great.

The Co Co put us up in the swanky Abbeyfield Hotel and, all in all, it was a lovely trip to a friendly and welcoming town.

Oh, and my pal, Gwen MacNamara-Bond - who runs the extraordinary Siar Scéal Festival so well - was there and she tells me they have extended the deadline for this year's Poetry Competition to Wednesday the 18th of March, so there is still time to get your work in, if you send it today or Monday. See here for details.

CÚIRT - SHORT FICTION WORKSHOP

As Cúirt Writer in Residence, I will lead participants in an intensive workshop focusing on short fiction, on Wednesday the 22nd of April from 10.30am to 12.30pm, at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street.

Those wanting to apply to take part should send a sample of work (maximum 750 words) together with contact details to:

siobhan@galwayartscentre.ie by Friday 27 March.

SOUTHWORD 15 - OUT NOW

Southword 15 is out now and it contains the winning and shortlisted stories I chose for the 2008 Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Prize. So if you want to see what type of story made it to the top ten, now's your chance.

As well as a host of great stories by Julia Van Middlesworth, Colm Keegan, Anna May Mangan and others, there is poetry from Gerry Murphy, Ian Wild, Vona Groarke, Susan Connolly, Aideen Henry and more.

Billy Ramsell writes a great review and in this issue he focuses on sensuality in collections by Richard Tillinghast and Frank Golden.

I'm sorry to see that this is the last print edition of Southword. The managing editor, Patrick Cotter, explains in his Foreword that they have decided to make Southword an online journal from the next issue, with no compromise on their 'rigorous editorial standards'. He explains it all in the text but, basically, in these downturny times, it's a financial decision. But, you know, one benefit will be that they will be able to feature more work in an online position. (Though no more lolling in the bath with the journal for me - one of my fave activities whenever I get a new lit mag. Sigh.)

Submissions are being accepted for Southword 16 (poetry and fiction) and 17 (poetry only) until the 15th of March. You have a few days to get your best work in to them!

You can buy Southword 15 online here for €8 including P&P. Bargain.

WILLESDEN WINNER ANNOUNCED

The winning short story for The Willesden Prize 2009, as chosen by Rana Dasgupta, is 'Work' by Jo Lloyd.

Equal runners up were 'The Hate Club' by Ben Cheetham, and 'Mina and Fina and Lotte Wattimena' by Jill Widner.

Congrats to all! Rest of the story here.

PROCRASTINATE? ME?

Image: Tomorrow's Vow by Parnell D.

I thought Hilary Mantel was kind of desperately hilarious on the subject of writers and procrastination in Saturday's Guardian.

I procrastinate a lot: I blog. I write articles. I read. I review. I rearrange the kitchen. I actually write very little fiction or poetry, but I consider myself a writer. There's nothing I love more than when the writing is going well, flowing, existing at all. But the longer I do this, the less I write. I can blame all sorts of things but, really, the not-getting-on-with-it is probably based in fear, or an assortment of fears: Will I only write crap? Is there nothing left to say? Will I re-write the same story/poem again and again and again? If I write it this way, I won't be able to write it a different way; I'll kill the initial impetus with something 'wrong'.

Here are some of Hilary's thoughts:

"Why does a writer have to divert herself, pray for interruptions or devise them herself?...There may be something else you have to do before you can push through the enterprise. It may be just a good deal of thinking. Or it may be that you need to write another, different book, which bridges the gap between where you are now and the self who is ready to keep her initial promise. That said, why is the act of writing, the moment-by-moment compression of the keys, so dreaded by so many writers? Why do they have to interpose opium, or alcohol, or some other stimulant or sedative, before they can perform their trade's basic function? You don't hear of accountants who can't open a spread-sheet, or farmers who take against fields."

And I love this next paragraph, because it is so the way my mind operates i.e. 'If I make x happen to y character, then z can't happen...Then I'll have to start again. Impossible...':

"The experienced writer says to the anguished novice: just do it; get something, anything, on to the screen or page, just establish a flow of words, and criticise them later. You give this advice but can't always take it. You dread setting off down any one narrative path, because you know your choice will make most of the others impossible. Select one, write it, and it begins to seem in some sense pre-ordained, natural, correct; the other options fade from memory. Fear of commitment lies behind the fear of writing. Writers, as generations of jealous spouses have learned to their cost, are not naturally monogamous. We don't want to choose; we want to keep open all the possibilities, fill a lifetime with fresh and less-than-final versions."

Writing fodder doesn't occur to me as much as it did even 5 years ago. I simply don't write as much as I used to, and I certainly don't write as much as I'd like to. Yet I spend my life steeped in words/books/literary festivals/reviews etc etc. I think I'm waiting to wake up one day and be back to that old creative-prolific me, whose mind and pen were tumbling with the makings of stories and poems. I can hope, right?

The rest of Hilary Mantel's article is here.

POEMS AT INDIEOMA

I have two poems up at Indieoma today. Indieoma is a commentary site with themed issues and they approached me recently to write non-fiction about various aspects of life, including one on feminism which will be up at the end of March. My poems today come under the theme of advertising.

This is how they describe their site:
"Our goal is to take an independent look at life through the prism of art and ideas. We all have our favorite music, film, art and politics sites that we check regularly; but we saw a missing piece – something comprehensive that ties it all together in some kind of context. For us, that context is your day-to-day life." More here.

My poems are here in their Guest Writer section.

WORLD BOOK DAY GIVEAWAY

AND THE WINNER IS...LIZ!!



Happy World Book Day!

I will send a signed copy (anywhere in the world) of Tattoo:Tatú to one reader of Women Rule Writer, in honour of this celebratory day.

Just leave a comment in the comments box to say you would like to be in the draw and I'll tell you who has won tomorrow!

VALUE POETRY WORKSHOP IN CONNEMARA

This poetry week-end seems like excellent value to me in these big R times (well, depending how much that service charge is?!). I wish I could go but I hope to be occupied on a much more important task around that week-end:

Clifden Writers' Group are running a Writers' Weekend on May 22nd and 23rd in the very posh Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway.

The workshop, called 'Digging the past into the present', will be directed by Australian poet and academic Robyn Rowland.

The weekend, including workshop, 2 nights bed, breakfast and dinner will cost €199 per person plus service charge.

Booking direct to Abbeyglen Castle at www.abbeyglen.ie or 095 21201

NOTICEBOARD SNIPPET #8

"You can't write all day long and you shouldn't, perhaps, write every day, unless you're a novelist." John Montague

in an (irritating*) interview with Éamon Dunphy on RTÉ Radio 1, on JM's 80th birthday, last Saturday, the 28th February.

* Irritating because as soon as John was about to elaborate a point, or say something interesting, Dunphy cut across him...

TWO READINGS & A RESIDENCY

I am doing two readings this month. A bilingual poetry reading for Seachtain na Gaeilge (Coicíos na Gaeilge?!):

Thursday, 12th March at 7pm in Ballaghadereeen Library, County Roscommon.
Déardaoin, 12 Márta,7in - An Leabharlann, Bealach an Doirín, Co Ros Comáin

The other is a short fiction/poetry reading at:

Nighthawks, The Cobalt Café, North Great George’s St, Dublin, on Saturday the 28th March. Time 8pm

But, I’m told by Colm Keegan of Nighthawks ,that punters must come early. They ALWAYS have to turn people away. Now that’s a good sign, isn’t it? There will be music and comedy on the night too.
Line-up here.

I’m also delighted to be Writer-in-Residence at the Cúirt Intl Festival of Literature this year. The programme (and a very exciting one it is too) will be launched on Wednesday the 18th of March at 6pm in Bar 8, on the docks, in Galway city.

I have various duties as Writer-in-Res which include judging a lit comp, giving a short fiction workshop, and doing a writing workshop with some of the men in Castlerea Prison. More anon!