I haven’t mentioned this project here for a while. I started it over twenty years ago, now. Both of the following two statements are true : it remains what it has always been – very much a one-man-band ; but also, and from the beginning, it has received help and support from a wide range of individuals, each excited by… continue reading
Category arts
Poems for Rising Ten
I run a project called Poems for the wall. A new collection for the project is now complete. It is called Poems for Rising Ten and is for children approaching the end of their time in primary school.
There are 25 poems in this new collection, each one accompanied by art work. In most cases, the images are not… continue reading
Across the Way
“The Reader” is a national charity.
“From its global Shared Reading movement, to its Calderstones Park home in Liverpool… “The Reader” builds lively communities that bring people together and books to life.” And my project “Poems for…the wall” and “The Reader” are exploring ways we might collaborate a bit.
In the meantime, one of “The Reader’s many projects is to… continue reading
Parrot at the Breach
The first line is a direct quote from Skelton’s poem “Speak, Parrot”… continue reading
Westminster is empty
It is thought that the poet John Skelton wrote his satirical poem “Speak, Parrot” while living in the sanctuary of Westminster. For the medieval laws of sanctuary still operated in England at that time, leaving certain delegated areas under church jurisdiction. It meant that a significant number of people were able to live beyond the reach of state powers, and… continue reading
Parrot Peers at Democracy
Michael Heseltine for Prime Minister – and Leader of the Opposition at the same time – https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/08/britains-youth-will-never-forgive-us-for-brexit-says-lord-heseltine… continue reading
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… Of Animal and Other Meetings Book Launch
The book itself is already online and for sale on this blog to the right of the home page.
It is a collaboration between me, the author of the poems, and the members/artists of the Portugal Prints community, who produced the illustrations. Portugal Prints is based in Camden and run by Brent, Camden and Westminster Mind. PP community members and… continue reading
Parrot Counts the Cost of Youth
It struck me hard yesterday, that issues that are dominating our lives (or at least mine – unhealthily so) – such as Trumplestiltskin in America, Brexitosis in the UK – appalling both – are actually just inexcusable distractions from issues and crisis far larger and more important – for instance global warming and mass extinctions of species, and so on.… continue reading