Poetry Cafe

Ground Water

2012-02-08T03:24:00.000-08:00

A small group in February, but we spent 3 hours talking about poetry and writing. It was wonderful.

The next workshop at the Bank Street Arts Poetry Cafe is 7th March, 12pm until around 3pm. Bring copies of your poem as usual. We'll be discussing Matthew Hollis's Ground Water in the reading group, which I'm looking forward to. This is a link to his poem "Wintering" on the Poetry Archive website.

And here is an interview with Matthew Hollis soon after Ground Water was published, posted on the Textualities Wordpress site.

We've got a couple of new reviews going up soon, so keep an eye out on the reviews page.

See you in March!

@cafebankstreet

Changeling

2012-01-18T04:01:00.000-08:00

It's good to be back after the Christmas holidays. We met last week and it was great to have the conversation around each other's poems spread out to discuss broader ideas of poetry. For example, in tutorials, or writing groups, you might hear someone say that a poem with stanzas of unequal length should be revised into a more regular pattern. Equally, you might ask why someone writing in free verse would use a regular stanza length form. Lots of ideas, preferences, etc, can seem like rules, and it was good to have the chance to break down these ideas and question them.

We were reading Rimbaud's Illuminations (trans: Ashbery) in the reading group. There was a really mixed response, as I guess you might expect, with some people enjoying the read, others struggling with it (me), and others just not excited by it, questioning why Rimbaud is still being read and translated; what does his work do for the contemporary reader?

I found the Illuminations difficult because I couldn't remember what I was reading once I closed the page, I wanted to come away with something more than confusion, but I would question whether my own reading history has left me with a certain way of approaching texts, a way of making sense of it, which these poems don't lend themselves to (and perhaps are trying to avoid). I'd be interested to spend more time with the poems, and more time reading around them.

The next Bank Street Arts Poetry Cafe workshop is Wednesday 1st February - 12pm start.

The reading group is looking at Clare Pollard's Changeling. Here's a review by Ben Wilkinson from the Guardian last July.

See you then.

Illuminations

2011-12-17T02:52:00.000-08:00

Bank Street Arts will be closed over Christmas from 18th December, reopening 10th January. Today is the last day this year, and the last Christmas Craft Fair, so don't miss it for some original ideas for stocking fillers.

The Poetry Cafe will be back in the new year, and the first workshop will be Wednesday 11th January. We'll meet as usual to get started at 12pm. Bring copies of your poem to workshop.

The book group is reading Ashbery's translation of Illuminations by Rimbaud. Here's a link to The New York Times, where Lydia Davis writes about Rimbaud's life and writing, and Ashbery's approach to translating his work.

Have a merry Christmas!

See you next year.

the Deleted World

2011-11-28T00:55:00.000-08:00

We're looking forward to the next session on the 7th. Here are a couple of links to some of Transtromer's poems from the Deleted World:

Out in the Open

Face to Face

Solitude (1), To Friends Behind a Border, Fire Grafitti

Sketch in October

And here's a link to The Poetry Foundation's pages for him.

Hope to see you next week.

December meeting

2011-11-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

Nine poets met for a great workshop last week.

Our next workshop, the last before the new year, will be on Weds Dec 7th, at Bank Street as usual. As time always seems to be tight, we're going to vary arrangements a little this time. Please arrive around 11.45 if you want to eat or chat generally, then we should be able to begin on at 12.00 on the dot. We'll continue the workshop till 2.40, sharing the time as equitably as possible.

Then at 2.40 we'll begin the book discussion, and continue till around 3.15, if people wish to.

This time we've chosen Tomas Transtromer in the translation by Robin Robertson. (You can order this through Blackwells if you need to). If you can't get this translation, there's another good collection translated by Robin Fulton. These are very different translations, but we can always incorporate discussion of the differences of translation in the workshop.

On a separate note, I'd like to invite contributions to the second issue of Antiphon. Rosemary and I were really pleased with the number of readers and the very positive feedback on the first issues, so we want Issue #2 to be even better (and hopefully bigger, too). See antiphon.org.uk

Noel

Back to Levine

2011-10-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

The next meeting is the second Wednesday of the month this time, as we're a bit late putting the information out.

On the up side, we're going back to look at Levine's Selected, as we didn't get chance to discuss him last time.

So that's Wednesday, 9th November, 12-3pm. As always, bring copies of your poem to workshop, and if you want to discuss Levine, we'll start the book club by 2:15pm, with a fair wind.

BTW, Antiphon has its first issue online and it looks great!

Antiphon

2011-09-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

Antiphon is a new online journal specialising in poetry from the UK and has been set up by two of the regular poets from the Bank Street Poetry Cafe, Rosemary Badcoe and Noel Williams.

Here's what they say about themselves:

We think there’s a gap in the market for a really good online UK poetry magazine. One that will publish a wide range of well-crafted, skilfully written poems, and not limit itself to any particular form or style: just exciting poetry. Hence our new magazine, Antiphon.

The first issue will appear this Autumn, with a new issue every quarter.

The core of the magazine is the poems. But we know most readers of poems are also poets. So we'll include features on poetry and poetic writing of current interest, and we'll also showcase the work of particular groups of poets. If you belong to a poetry group, or perhaps follow a creative writing course, let us know and we can publicise your best work and your events.

Some of the best poetry being written today struggles to find its audience - so we're also keen to publicise the work done by the many small presses that publish pamphlets and booklets of up and coming and established poets. We invite the editors to join our forum and discuss their poets and publications.

We also hope you'll let us have your opinions on the poems and articles and contribute to our discussions on what makes a successful poem.

They are accepting submissions, so here is the link for all the details you'll need to send in your work: http://antiphon.org.uk/index.php/submissions

Off The Shelf

2011-09-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

The next poetry cafe workshop is part of the Off The Shelf programme, and is happening on the 12th October, 12-3pm. As usual, bring copies of your poem to workshop with the group. 6 or 7 copies should be enough.

After the workshop, we'll spend the rest of the session discussing Sean O'Brien's most recent collection, November.

Don't forget, members of Bank Street Arts get a 10% discount on poetry at Blackwell Bookshop, at Sheffield Hallam University (opposite Millennium Galleries) when they show their BSA membership card.

There are a few review's of O'Brien's collection, such as this one by Paul Batchelor and there's a poem from the collection here.

Stranger to Nothing

2011-08-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

Another good turn out for the Poetry Cafe workshop. Don Paterson had a torrid time in the book group, and we're hoping to get a short review of Rain on the site soon.

One of the discussion points led onto a wider debate about accusations of sentimentality; can a man write for his son more overtly than a woman can write for her child? Some argued that women are more likely to be accused of sentimentality, and there's a clear line of argument through literary history that would suggest this has been the case. Whether or not it still is a problem is less clear.

Others argued that the poet's sex doesn't matter, and of course it shouldn't, but do we approach the poem differently when we know who wrote it? Probably, to some extent, subconsciously.

This led to discussion about levels of women being published and reviewed. A few statistics were offered, but although I'm all in favour of a pie chart, I think statistics are difficult, not least because they often offer results as though they're conclusive. It's so easy to misinterpret and/or misrepresent data. Without all the raw data and the methodology of how information was collected and analysed, and the skills to analyse it for yourself, you should be wary. There's always a level of bias in any study, no matter how hard the researchers may have worked to limit it. That's why nothing is (should be) decided on the findings of a single study, but based on the evidence of a body of literature.

That said, here's a link that appears to show the levels of men and women authors being published/reviewed in 2010. The introduction is annoying, as it both tells you what to think ("Numbers don't lie"), while missing out key information that would allow you to think for yourself. It covers a small range of publications, and again, this is limited by everything that's not given.

Nevertheless, the consistency across these publications of more men being published and reviewed than women, does suggest there's a valid question to be asked. As with much research, its conclusions raise more questions than it answers, but that's the point.

http://vidaweb.org/the-count-2010

September 7th is the next date, and we're planning to discuss Philip Levine's Stranger to Nothing.

We'd hoped to look at his new collection, News of the World, but as an American title, it would have taken too long to ship, and I've heard Amazon have sold out since his appointment as US Poet Laureate. Here's an interview with him following the announcement: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/14/139576125/new-poet-laureate-philip-levines-absolute-truth

Have a good Bank Holiday and see you on the 7th, 12pm. Bring copies of your poem to workshop.

Rain

2011-07-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at the last workshop. I thought there were some brilliant poems, and lots of useful discussion. Thanks to those who came. It was a really good turnout.

Suzannah Evans has agreed to write a short review about Of Mutability, which we'll post on the reviews page here when it's ready for the world.

The next Poetry Cafe workshop will be Wednesday 10th August at Bank Street, 12-3pm. Put it in your diary. We'll be discussing Don Paterson's, Rain, too.

If you have time to call in at Bank Street before the end of July, there's an installation on at the moment, Catalyst 2, involving writers from the MA Writing at Sheffield Hallam University, and composers at the University of Sheffield Sound Studios. It's a collaborative project presenting poems and sound art, and was great fun to do, as well as being really quite challenging. It's worth a look, I think.

See you soon,

Angelina

Of mutability

2011-06-11T03:32:00.000-07:00

Jo Shapcott, of course. That's the book we're aiming to discuss at the next workshop. I've not read it yet. I know, I know. My shelves are full of books I'll get around to one day.

The next workshop is July 6th. Same arrangement as before: Bank Street Arts Centre, start at 12.00, go on till about 3.00, later if people want to. In the first couple of hours we workshop the poems people have brought (bring up to 10 copies - we'll break into smaller groups if more than ten people turn up). Then we have a book club type discussion of Shapcott's "Of Mutability".

If you need a copy, Blackwells Hallam Uni branch are well stocked.

The last workshop was pretty good. Ten poets turned up. We didn't quite have time to work on everyone's poems, because everyone was so keen to discuss Brian Turner's "Phantom Noise". (There's a mini-review we've written here: feel free to add your own comments).

Noel

Phantom Noise

2011-05-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

The first workshop was attended by six able poets, who brought some interesting works in progress and shared useful feedback. That's the point, of course. And, as promised, tasty cake (and sandwiches) were on offer from Cafe Juniper.

The second workshop is planned for Wednesday June 1st. Same time, same place: 12.00 till 3.00 or later, Bank Street Arts Centre, Bank Street, Sheffield. All poets welcome.

We're sticking with the same format, as it seems to work: a couple of hours workshopping the offerings of everyone who has brought something, followed by a discussion of a recent poetry collection. This time we've chosen Brian Turner's Phantom Noise, his second volume following the highly successful, and harrowing, Here, Bullet.

The workshop should last from 12.00 till 2.00, and the discussion from 2.00 till whenever everyone's had enough - but these times are flexible, depending on how things actually happen.

As always, you'll be able to buy the book at the Sheffield Hallam University branch of Blackwell's, where Bank Street members can claim a 10% discount.

And don't forget that Cafe Juniper is open whenever Bank Street Arts is open, so you can always drop in and have your own impromptu writing group if you want. The poetry corner is still full of more books than anyone could reasonably read.

Noel

A new start

2011-04-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

Bank Street Arts now has a permanent (and tasty) cafe running. They call themselves Cafe Juniper, and are open throughout the normal working hours of the Arts Centre: Tues to Sat, 10-5.

So Angelina and Noel are relaunching the Poetry Cafe. The Poetry Cafe is there every Wednesday afternoon, for anyone who wants to turn up.

Once a month we'll host a poetry workshop and reading group in the cafe.
First workshop is Weds May 4th, 12.00 to 2.00, followed by discussion of Katharine Towers's recent collection, The Floating Man. If you can't make the full session, you can always come for part of it. There's no charge, though you'll have to pay for tea, cake etc from the cafe if you desire it (and it's hard not to).

The idea of the first session is to start with workshopping our poems: so please bring a poem for others to comment on. If you bring multiple copies, that'd be even better. Or email a copy to us and we'll aim to print copies. We don't know how many people there will be, probably no more than 10. If you can't copy your poem, it won't matter, because we'll each read our poems out and pass them round.

After the workshopping, we'd like to discuss Katharine Towers's recent collection, The Floating Man. If you don't have a copy, try Blackwells. Members of Bank Street get a 10% discount. You can find the title poem here.

Noel and Angelina