Mystery Story - Chapbook published by Origami Press

Dear all;

The Wonderful Origami Press have just published a little chapbook of mine called ‘Mystery Story’.

It contains 6 new poems and be downloaded for free at http://www.origamipoems.com/poets/211-andy-n

A sample poem ‘the 7.39’ be read here

(http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=42862)

Some quotes by fellow writers / friends can be read below. I am looking for more reviews / quotes etc – if you wish to submit one please get in contact and you will be quoted etc below:

Andy N mesmerises his reader by taking them on a visual journey of imagination with a flow of words"

Katie Haigh

This is a delightful collection of short poems from Andy N. Anyone who has read Andy's work will know that he specialises in creating imagery for the reader to get lost in, this is no different with a lot of images in some great short story like poems. If you've seen him perform live, you will be able to picture the feeling he has put into them.

Jeffarama!

Andy N writes with the power to deliver right across your doorstep.'

Meriel Malone

Mystery Story gives a tantalizing insight into Andy's mind. It unfolds and flows,through the senses like a cool mountain stream before plunging you over the waterfall round the next bend.
Allan Gray/Gordon Zola.

Andy N’s ‘Mystery Story’ flares up with some intense lines of pure poetry. It is sprinkled with wonderful lines that simply wriggle straight off the page and into the darker parts of your soul, where they nibble away the blackness to let the light return. A brave and maturing voice from an up and coming writer, a definite one to watch.

Scott Devon

Shuttered glimpses of stories lit by streetlight, swathed in fog. These poems effectively capture the melancholy and mystery of a city-scape as the comforts of day give way to the ‘whispered memories’ of night. We are drawn into a dreamlike world where ‘Faces blur over the sunset’, as we share in the bitter twist of a ‘Mis-judged hope’. Repeated visions of closure and abandonment are offered the temporary solace of woodland, where (forgotten) bed-time stories ‘Nestle in a portal’.

Mystery is achieved in part by the poet’s deft word choices, twisting and turning unexpectedly, skilfully balancing the light and the dark. Comfort is half-offered then tantalisingly denied: ‘Her back was turned to me / Once she finished dancing / So I couldn’t see her smile’. We are held in this landscape of in-between - ‘Half opened’, ‘Bent yellow’ – where distant images of beauty and joy dash past in our peripheral vision.

This is a finely-wrought sequence, full of darkness, mystery and edge, in which we may also find the measured hope of ‘a slight burst of applause’ at the end of the night.

Rebecca Joy Sharp

Your poems always have vivid images, they are meaningful and powerful I always love reading them.

Hazel Connelly

A voice of conscience, who writes about the political, both personal, very personal, to the national and international. Andy Nicholson elevates the daily life into powerful insights. All expressed in writing that really delivers.

Michael Wilson

Andy's poetry is accessible for all, telling tales we all can relate to. Human nature raw and telling it like it is, heartfelt and honest. Andy's performances echo the sentiments in his words, a journey all of us have travelled.

Pete Slater - An accidental poet.

Andy N's sequences of poems have a beautiful narrative thread where glimpses of something fascinating and extraordinary creep out from the world of the ordinary. Always a pleasure to read."

Sarah Miller

Mystery Story is a quietly incisive collection; each poem is built upon fragmented imagery, fragmented moments, which Nicholson weaves together, creating a highly evocative almost-narrative. An intriguing and pleasurable read.'

Alexandra Sutton

"Andy N's pamphlet, Mystery Story, is a beautifully unsettling and atmospheric collection of work, filled with texture poetry that begs to be read and re-read. Andy's work shows great potential, and I'm very much looking forward to reading more from him in the future."

Leanne Moden

Mystery Story' guides the reader through richly atmospheric places. Andy reveals the stories hidden in landscapes as familiar as the dockyards, a wintry lake and the 7.39 train, discovering the depths that they conceal.

Yvonne Reddick

Andy N romances the reader, even his words about war, poverty or suffering are gentle on the ear. A gentle raging that fills each story, that poetry was made for. Poems that sing to you, up close, intimate. Please excuse him, his intentions are purely human."

John G.Hall

Bewitched and bewitching, Mystery Story is a poetic scale model of a haunted house – a model composed of words instead of plexiglass, images instead cardboard. Though the house may be small, it is masterfully built, rich in detail, and replete with surprising twists and turns. It is the home of dancing apparitions and mysterious dancers, ghosts of lovers and lovers of ghosts, 'blown out streetlights // Breathing in and out slowly', 'shadows // Entombed in splintered ice.' A must-read. Praise to Andy N for delivering yet another 'portal // Of forgotten bed stories.…Crying for a way out // In broken poetry.” '"

Amanda Silbernagel

My friend Andy N created a micro-chapbook of poetry titled Mystery Story that's been published by Origami Poems Project. You can read Andy N's poetry at this link: http://www.origamipoems.com/poets/211-andy-n

The title poem hangs in the air with a mysteriously ominous air, drawing you in because you want to find out more... "The Way Out" is shot through with vivid imagery and relatable emotions. Come to think of it, "The 7:39", which revels in the sharply bitter sentiment of jealousy, is also very relatable! Lastly, "Frozen Tomb" displays some exquisite wordsmithing. Take for instance "Entombed in splintered ice / Reborn as salty mist" and "Eyes curled with a smile". Very visual and captivating imagery. And I really like the phrase "misjudged hope" within that poem. It just makes the initial warm fuzzies of the first three lines sink into something mysterious, cold, and darker...

Jen Dan 

Latest News and Views - 20 June 2014

Project with Amanda Silbernagel:

Since my last update, Amanda has sent me over three new possible pieces, and I am currently at work on some new piano based pieces for her in reverse. All three of her poems considering I don’t think she has wrote anything for a good 18 months at least are excellent and I am excited to get working on our Debut EP.

I think our official debut EP will likely happen before the end of Summer / early Autumn under a new name which I forget what we agreed on but defo watch this space.

Twisted Promise:

I recently (last Friday) met up with a young writer who I will just call Rosa for the moment and who I think is now going to write Part 6 for the play. I’ve seen her ideas for it, and the outline she has sent after discussions with Paul is almost good enough to perform in our minds and this is without re-drafting and stuff.

I’m around halfway through Part 5 off it, and hope to complete it in July, and if everything goes to plan we will be able to start looking at production over Autumn / Winter and maybe have on stage early next year.

Excited (:

Oceans in a bottle:

Official debut EP ‘Huriance in a bottle’ is complete. Will upload on bandcamp next month some point and in a ideal world then start looking for other net labels to host future releases / tracks on comps etc.

A Means to an End:

After doing 2 gigs in May and 2 in June. I think July will be a lot quieter apart from a possible radio session and a monthly rehearsal. I am in the process of sorting it out so my keyboard can be used live. If this works out, that will make a appearance shortly.

The gigs we however did certainly at Darwen Live and Salford’s The Crescent were among my favourites to date, and am defo looking forward to August’s.and into Autumn’s gigs.

I do have some live footage to go through from our last gig, last Saturday at the Cadence Festival so watch this space.

Solo Poetry:

Currently gearing myself up for my first solo spot under my new name, so watch this space.

Published Work:

As stated before, I am plotting to start performing under a alias. Andy N besides been in a Means to an End and also studio projects, now is really more of a page poet / writer with occasional ventures onto the mike.

On a publishing front, my little chapbook Mystery Story is due out over the weekend through Orgami Press.

Since I last wrote, I’ve had 7 poems (Staircase in the Wind, Translation, End of the World, Stutter, Wrestling in Darkess, Sunset comes too soon and Descent) all published in a journal called The junkyard procession which I am pleased over.

Next up, in a journal called The Lake in July two of my poems ‘Days’ and ‘Lost’ will be appearing and probably in August, Lost Coast Review will publish ‘Wind across the fences’, ‘Mystery Story’, ‘Next Summer’ and ‘Cages’.

I have other stuff pending and am currently processing work from my last writing workshop also which no doubt will be doing the rounds shortly also.

I am also plotting out a new poetry book with a friend which I’ll talk about more over the coming months for either 2015 or 2016.

Writers of the third kind:

The last one for Season 3 of the workshop I co run with Manda Lee was on 18th June 2014. It will return probably in September for Season 4, but will hopefully have a special workshop for the Inspire Festival on 23 August 2014. More details to follow. 

Latest News and Views 03 June 2014

Dear all;

Been a busy few weeks since I last blogged properly with lots going on and lots forthcoming, so as normal in bite sized chunks:

Project with Amanda Silbernagel – First of all, Amanda has been quiet, very quiet for a long time with her studies but has now packed that in now and will be returning to writing again shortly, and is openly expressing interest about our band or project if you want recording some new stuff. I’ve been working on some new stuff (more on that in a bit) and have emailed her a few bits which has excited the pair of us, so it’s looking promising.

Twisted Promise – Until the other night it looked like all was quiet on that front, but I can now reveal Jeff Dawson (aka Jeffarama!) has surpised both me and Paul after we sent him some bits through by pretty well writing the rest of Part 3. This needs finishing still and re-editing I think but we should have done soon, and then it’s onto Part 4. I also have a idea for a female based poet who I have just met who could help co write Part 5, so things are looking good. Very good.

A Means to an End – After a delay involving bad health at the end of last year / beginning of this year, the band is now back on track and have done two gigs in May in the space of a week. First of all, we played part of a festival Darwen Live on Monday 26 May 2014 where with guest guitarist, Ian Livesy, we played a 45 minute set on what properly was the best sound desk we have played on and resulted in some lovely recording on youtube which may well end up on some of our demos. A few days later, we then followed it on the Thursday 29 May 2014 at Salford’s The Crescent in full of a small but welcomling audience, we played 8 piecees including two brand new pieces and while the sound from the PA was no where near as crisp, it had a warmness that all three of us really enjoyed playing.

Next up for us is a radio session featuring my good buddy Jack Baker at all FM for his radio show ‘All things manchester’ next Tuesday 10 June 2014 between 11am to 12 Noon and then a appearance at the Cadence Festival on 14 June 2014 at the Cadence Café between 1pm to 5pm and we have other gigs pencilled in for August and September also.

Solo Piano Work: - One or two know I fairly recently bought myself a little midi keyboard which I wanted to get to get away from huge keyboards which I could then plug into my laptop to do some keyboard work maybe for myself and the band. Well, after a delayed start – I now have a EP ready (Untitled yet) which I will be releasing on bandcamp within the next month or two and over the summer will then start approaching net labels to try and get some more stuff released. Watch this space..

Solo Poetry: Nothing planned here apart from a few appearances at some low key open mike nights where I hope to start playing around under a new performance alias which I won’t reveal yet.

Writing wise: After Napwrimo finished at the end of April, I have had a much quieter May as was expected but had a poetry published about Israel as previously announced. I have wrote a few others for possible commissions for other magazines.

On my website, as stated I will shortly have six poems (Mystery Story, The Way Out, Frozen Tomb, Repose, The 7.39 and Revenge) will be appearing in a tiny chapbook called Mystery Story. Will be free to download and I am delighted with it. More details to follow.

Four poems, three brand new - Wind across the fences, Mystery Story (again), Next Summer and Cages are all due also to get published in Lost Coast Review in July or August I believe, Brine Books which published several of my poems from my recently published book ‘Europa’ with Nick Armbrister are publishing three more from it, Grandfather, Priscilla and Prisoners of War III in another as of yet untitled book of theirs due out before the end of the year and another journal ‘The Lake’ is going to print two more poems ‘Days’ and ‘Lost’ in their July 2014 issue. Phew!

Lastly on this section ‘Ariadne’s thread’ with their Issue 11 (http://www.ariadnethread.net/index.php/issues/issue-11) has just published two of my poems ‘Kissing my every thread’ and ‘Disappear’. Yet to see a copy of this but to say I am over the moon is a under-statement.

Writers of the third kind – Our last workshop for this season will be on 18^th June 2014 at the Sweet Green Tavern, near Bolton train station from 7pm to 9pm.

Hope to see one or two of you there.