Book Review: Jackie Morrey Grace – On Ravensdale Hill

 

Over lockdown, with me being unable to get out to anywhere as near poetry nights and readings as I used to get to, I used the opportunity to go watch nights online.

Some of course were better than others but some of the unexpected pleasures came when I got asked twice to judge a online Poetry Zoom Slam.

I won once some years back in Manchester in person, and thoroughly hated the experience but the two on Zoom I went as part of Oh Beehive were great fun, as there was so many great writers there who could have won the heats they did.

Some of them have being on my Spoken Word Podcast ‘Spoken Label’ and others are to follow off course.

One of my favourites so far has being the Isle of Man Poet, Jackie Morrey-Grace who sent over to me after her two debut collections ‘On Ravensdale Hill’ and ‘Asila’s Song’ (which will follow shortly in a separate review) after our Spoken Label session which have being two of my favourite collections that I have read recently I must admit.

On Ravensdale Hill is perhaps the more straightforward of these two collections originally came about after Jackie won the Manx Litfeat Poetry Slam with TaTaTaboo, a poetic battle between the Raven and Phoenix.

This book tells the full story around Ravensdale is the area around Ballaugh Plantation in the Isle of Man on Ravensdale Hill is a fictional name for the steep hillside up Ballacobb from the forgotten valley at Glen Dhoo.

My knowledge of Isle of Man is very limited it does stating, and all I know about it is what my brother has said about flying over to meetings there only to get stuck both times in horrific storms, but this book is far from that of course with an elegance.

Take for example – the second piece in the book ‘The Beginning’ (which is really the start of the book for me)

‘It all began on a cold winter’s day

when a woe tiding of magpies

stole swift in low skies

there was a frost in the air

as they leapt;

thieves,

plundering their fare

from the sprawl sacrified life

at the lonely roadside.’

This book for me which has a myth, almost fable like quality which I discovered when I started reading this out to Amanda in our hotel room on Christmas Eve in particular grew faster and faster after a gentle start with the beginning later on to Ta Ta Taboo which starts off with:

“SILENCE!

Old Raven,

I’ll hear no more

of your throbbing, dark wings,

of your Ta-Taboo caw.”

On Ravensdale Hill is a book which a number of layers within it which unwrap themselves like a present with a bit of thought if you let it.

It’s a book which I thought after reading nearly the lot out to Amanda that I could have imagined both of us in years gone past if we were travelling, it was the sort of thing you could have seen travellers telling you it in all by campfires but also has a modern feel on lines in the finale “Epoliogue”

“echoing over the steady waters

of the frosty biting rivers

where I trod”

This is a book which treaded in my subconscious coming alive in all of ways.

Excellent.

9/10

Jackie’s website is here for more details: https://jackiemorreygrace.weebly.com/

The book can be bought here

https://quirky.im/product/on-ravensdale-hill-by-jackie-morrey-grace/

Speak Easy January 2022 listings

As stated yesterday, it is looking unlikely Amanda and myself will be able to attend Speak Easy (our co-run Open Mic Spoken Word night) with Steve on Thursday 06 January 2021 at Dulicmer, Chorlton Cum Hardy from 7.30pm.

Steve will be having assistance this monthly from regulars Mike and Regi to run the night and has the following writers booked in to read here:

1) Anthony Briscoe

2) Antonia Fusaro

3) Reggie Agulha Jr.

4) Mary Cunningham

5) Mike Booth

6) Isabelle Pandora Byrne

7) Zahrah 

8) Andy Routledge 

9) Sean McGlynn

10) Amy Langley

11) Anna Percy

12) Chris Moore 

13) David Bond

14) Andy Cash

15) Jo Somerset

16) Roy Page

17) Jonny Lindsey

18) Poet Nabs 

19) Darren Lea-grime

20) Milligan 

21) Inga Piotrowska 

22) Alex Johnson

23) Gordon Zola

24) Eve Nortley

25) Eleanor 

26) Esther Koch

27) Andy Npoet

28) Amanda Nicholson

29) Steve Smythe

Covid 19

 

Some sad news today which gives me no pleasure in talking about, but sadly I have contracted Covic 19.

Of course, it is impossible to prove off who I got this from or where, but all evidence points to Pizza Hut near Vicar Hut in Bradford and a review has being posted on Google, Trip Advisor etc stating the following “We went here on Christmas Eve while in the area and found the full experience a total nightmare to be honest.

First of all, the staff we spoke to were all lovely but stressed and the food arrived within a reasonable period and was reasonable to good I guess.

However, it was way over crowded and had loads of children running around not always supervised.

In a world where we are still having lots of Covid 19 problems, surely to god surely shouldn't the restaurant be showing some common sense with the amount of people it had in there instead of having people almost sat on each other knees.

A dreadful experience resulting in us both leaving without ordering a desert which my wife nearly always orders.

I have now also tested positive for Covid 19, which although I cannot prove came from Pizza Hut, but knowing how careful we both are, we both very much suspect it came from there and will not be going there again.”

Without undertaking the risk of getting a summons from Pizza Hut, I suspect we did get this from Pizza Hut after a frankly dreadful experience. Over the two times in the past we have being there, we have gone to Frankie and Bennies which has now shut and was a much better, professional experience but this has now shut and Nandos if you read around has hit problems over the quality of their food (Nothing to do with me) and that night it was telling as it was very quiet in contrast to the packed Pizza Hut which often had during our half a hour stay outside there 8 to 10 people queuing to get there.

Not a experience I want to repeat again.

Day Three of this (I am on Day Three off this despite typing the first half yesterday) I have not being great with several of the major symptoms for it, and sadly it looks like Amanda is starting too go down it too but is currently on the Lat Flow tests for two days and both have said negative, we are both concerned this will change shortly.

I’ll keep off the topic of the day job but hope I’ll be able to work from home next week when my breathing is better, perhaps returning to the office but in the meantime, I can say already Amanda and me will be unable to do Speak Easy – our monthly spoken word open mic night at Dulicmer’s Chorlton Cum Hardy on Thursday 06 May 2022. More details to follow on that but all being well the night will be still happening.

Thankfully I am resting from Podcasting at the moment for the rest of December, and do not have anything scheduled until January so will have to see how I feel then. Several have being recorded and these will carry on being released from the start of January as I was recorded right up to the end of December and as soon as we are both fit, we will be recording both Reading in Bed in January episodes as soon as both of our voices hold up (or I can edit them enough).

In the meantime, facing isolation in-between struggling with severe coughing, sneezing and bursts in and out of bed (which I am going to back to shortly) I am going to attempt doing bits of music as both Ocean in a Bottle and Distance and getting cracking (Energy permitting) work on my 1^st novel and novella (I can’t talk about them yet) but mostly just vanish from the world again after protecting ourselves as better we could get for Xmas and go down ill straight after is not fun.

Stay safe

Andy N

Review of 2021 and plans for 2022

 

So 2021.

Well, yeah it’s being an interesting year.

It all started off with me barely back in the day job only to get sent home again at the start of February and therefore after a quiet start in January, things picked up again with me working at home until about August when the day job began to start asking me to come back into work.

By this point, I had done loads of new Spoken Label Sessions (Author / Poet chat) resulting in me having completed close to 350 sessions in total as I enter my 6^th year, and something like about 90 sessions over this year which surprised me I have to admit while maintaining a monthly series of my book review Podcast series Reading in Bed with Amanda (and assisting Amanda with the editing and post production of her spin off series ‘Reading in Bed Extracts’ and her novel Podcast ‘Ghost of Me’) and other Podcasts which have faded into the past (WrestleUp, Comics Unity and Coll, Andy and Amanda) all of which offer a interesting perspective of the year gone past

Next year, I am planning to carry on with Spoken Label hopefully on roughly one a week basis currently with guests booked up until March round about and me and Amanda will be carrying on with Reading in Bed. As of typing, I’ve finished off my books for January and am now reading my first book for February 2022 episode.

After WrestleUp, Comics Unity and Coll, Andy and Amanda all finished up, Amanda and me started to think about a new project over Autumn where we would simply read to each other a few pieces each month in a storytime kind of fee with a special guest joining us every other month. First one for December was our good friend, Rich Davenport with more guests to follow in 2022.

Musicwise, Ocean in a Bottle has its busiest year to date with regular appearances on various artists albums on labels like AmbientOnline, Silber Media, Camembertelectrique and Aural Films.

I’ve self released a few EPs on ‘At the Edge of the Milky Way’, ‘Waiting for the ice to Melt’ and ‘Falling back to Earth’ and a album on Slightly Off Kilter ‘Dreaming of life on Venus’ and a treble album ‘Exploring Jupiters Moons’ on Camembertelectrique.

I really don’t have much plans for the new year for Ocean in a Bottle as Jupiter’s Moons took a huge, huge amount of effort and I suspect during 2022 it will involve me carrying on with tracks on various labels again as and when I get approached etc.

Below the radar somewhat on purpose to some degree, I ended up reforming my old drone band ‘Distance’ which in the mid 2000s to about 2011 was responsible for a whole host of drone / experimental music and which certainly was a prologue to Ocean in a Bottle in a wilder way. Reuploading my complete archive of old and forgotten / unreleased projects at andynproductions.bandcamp.com. Some of the projects are in the past and although fun to listen back I either do not have the equipment anymore or the mindset, some like M.A.N. actually started up again (with three new tracks recorded and hopefully more to follow) and Distance which I started off with some improvisations in Spring in a somewhat different approach but still the same and over the Autumn into Winter became to get a feel for where the sound was heading and began to get tracks released on Cambertelectrique, Hicc and Aural Films. I am hoping to go onto more improvised materials and hopefully in the new year release its first official album in over 10 years.

Throughout my years as Ocean in a Bottle, I have always had a interest in Piano music, and I thought it would be fun to start off with some much direct Piano music than what has appeared in more recent Ocean music more recently and in the middle of this year I decided to give it a go and just try playing almost straight Piano music with a almost ghostly feel henceforth why all of the titles refer to Ghosts and the project naturally became known as Piano in a Bottle. Towards the end of the year, field samples began to creep into the backing of the tracks and its first track appeared with Hicc. Next year I suspect will prove very interesting here.

Writing here, yeah, sadly I am still working on my long awaited collection ‘Changing Carriages at Birmingham New Street’ which is a series of poetic letters between a couple which is still developing be it a strange pace. I think it has now reached 70 pieces or so, and there is still more to go with it. Lets see how it is going by the end of next year, as I suspect this has got a fair bit to go as does my Robot Science Fiction Poetry book Robot Noir.

In-between this, I completed two haiku books ‘Haiku of Life’ and prior to that “Underground Haiku’ both of which I really enjoyed writing as it taught myself a lot about writing than what I previously thought I could get do.

Over this year despite the fact I have still being writing poetry and have had some excellent publications, I have really started enjoying doing flash fiction something I have had great fun doing with Amanda and has opened up people’s eyes I think somewhat too is what my increasing love of flash fiction and even sometimes prose too. Over lockdown at the start of 2020, I started off a very informal writing workshop for me and Amanda which ended up with starting to really enjoy writing flash fiction over the end of 2020 into the start of 2021.

As it stands, I can’t see me moving into flash fiction in any kind of serious level but in the future I certainly see myself bringing out a book of them either by myself or with somebody else perhaps in a few years time and in the meantime changing gears with all sets I do.

Next year, Amanda and myself have our fourth split poetry book wrote together ‘Run away with me again in 8 words’ in January 2022, and over Spring I am hoping to have finished off my segment for Europa 5, my anti war series of books with Nick Armbrister.

Beyond that, I really have no plans forward with my poetry but instead am seriously thinking about for the first time seriously about trying to finish off a novel. I am 3,000 words into something at the moment which I think will be a long short story and once that is done I will then move onto a novella which I’ll talk about in the future which I did a few drafts on a few years which I think I can turn into a 20, 000 to 30,000 word novella before then moving onto its sequel which I think will end up being a short novel all being well. I am not going to stop writing poetry (in fact I am thinking about a new one as I type and considering I am still co-running Speak Easy in Chorlton Cum Hardy which is doing great guns which I’ll talk about another day so I won’t be finishing that off yet) but it’s heading towards the stage of my life where I need to spend some serious time thinking about something completely different.

All go as normal really lol.

Four Haikus outside at Christmas in Yorkshire

 

Holding arms open

the snow tickles your shoulders

in a cold silence.

*

putting on your gloves

you wish you had your hat on

stepping in the snow.

*

Whispering winter

the snow turns the station white

shunning the moon’s scorn.

*

Opening the door

boat was frozen in the lake

freezing getting home.

Christmas Card Poem (2021)

 

Resurrecting ghosts
the snow blows under the bridge
beneath the train staiton
blowing a invisible bell
weighted in emotion

tunnelling over a day
foretold in images over frozen lakes
shawled over empty hills
and ringing bells pausing
in a silent moment of reflection

filing our footprints in silence
our hands into snowmen
wishing we had put our boots on
and our toches in our pockets
to follow the stars home. 

D.I.H. and friends @ Christmas 2021

 

*Featuring new music by my ambient / drone band Ocean in a Bottle and also featuring new music by related projects such as Piano in a Bottle, Distance and D.I.H.*

After a year off, D.I.H (also known as Distorted in Hindsight and DIH)-  my longstanding experimental noise / spoken band with Keith Hicc are back with our latest experimental, ambient, drone, music and spoken word Christmas album. 

An annual: D.I.H. and friends have been producing a annual 'Christmas' album since 2002, often offering a very alternative viewpoint of the season. For reasons too boring to discuss, after not doing albums in 2020, and 2012-14 this return is the 15th. 

Not bad going I think you'll agree - next year however marks 20 years since we started so.... as normal, your never expect what happens.

The music contained within this series of albums are varied and can vary from acoustic singer songwriter stuff to music that could appeal to fans of Aphex Twin, fans of the spoken word, re-imagining of carols and classic songs and generally people who like their music to challenge and make them think.

Enjoy..

Free download / stream 

https://hicc.bandcamp.com/album/d-i-h-friends-christmas-2021

New Ocean in a Bottle music

 

Two more new Ocean in a Bottle tracks have appeared on the latest Ambient Online album 'Ambient Online Compilation Volume 15' - "Building a new post office on warren street next to the ocean street, mars city" and "Studying how human intelligence changes during long space voyages". Free download / stream from "https://ambientonline.bandcamp.com/album/ambient-online-compilation-volume-15"

Also a longer track called "Silence of Jupiter's Wings" has appeared on the new themed album on Camembert Electrique called Silence. Free download / stream from https://camembertelectrique.bandcamp.com/album/silence (A new track by Distance is also on here, my drone experimental band called 'Choking in the Mist). 

3 Minute Santas

https://hannahkate.net/north-manchester-fm-hannahs-bookshelf-saturday-18-december-2-4pm/

This Saturday afternoon coming (2pm - 4pm UK time), Amanda and me will be featured on Hannah Kate's always excellent Hannah's Bookshelf reading out together a piece for Three Minute Santas.

Tune in, will be great fun - our friends Martin Elder and Dorinda Macdowell will also be featured.

The art in trying to find the right Podcast (Part 6)

 

Onto Part 6, the next one is a simple tip for approaching Podcasts and to give the gentleman he sent me a nice message back with my feedback.

The note was the following (I’ve changed the name of the book slightly)

“Hi, I have a new book called Dead Person, which was just released by V**** D** Entertainment. You can learn more about the book here: Website.

Would love to come on your show and talk about it. Thanks, D***”

Yeah, not a lot to go off there really and the profile on Matchmaker.fm was just as vague.

A tip for everybody wishing to go on Podcasts to provide a little bit more information than what they have as to get people to go and look at any websites you list, you have to list something to draw people into looking at it and to be honest I get a fair few approaches so I want something that interests me from the approach to draw me in.

This doesn’t sadly.

I sent a message back being nice saying after politely declining him adding in addition “Also as a tip, you should consider rewriting your approach letter as this gives nothing away about your book and i suspect you would get more interest if you improved your covering letter - a good tip would be to personalite your messages to people showing you know exactly what their Podcast is and why you would like to come onto it. Good luck Spoken Label”

The guy was nice enough to send a thank you. 

Hopefully he'll listen. 

New Spoken Label Podcast release

 

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author/Poet/Artist Podcast) is a regular at the spoken word open mic night I co-run #Speak Easy Mary Cunningham

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/mary-cunningham-spoken-label-december-2021

(Bandcamp)

https://youtu.be/Dl1JqRqRR9Y

(Youtube)

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mary-cunningham-spoken-label-december-2021/id1501847969?i=1000543829219

(Apple/Itunes)

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast?fbclid=IwAR1j7sj_P4OblL9rOAI3MXhmp_bq6dXhBwb5a4QukuXXgaB5tYVhvhASIU8

(Anchor)

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/MzVmODExZWQtNWU4Yy00ZDBlLTk2ZmMtNjNhMzk4NGYyNzkx?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjImemz5dT0AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

(Google Podcasts)

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!47f4f

(Radiopublic)

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/mary-cunningham-spoken-label-L6_jcYMH8-X/

(Listennotes)

https://castbox.fm/episode/Mary-Cunningham-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2021)-id2678341-id447506424

(Castbox)

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/mary-cunningham-spoken-label-december-2021

(Bullhorn)

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F41923327%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2021-9-17%252F944534d0-b5d7-efd5-07a6-e21304123d77.mp3&podcastId=2748767

(Podcastaddict)

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-4vmj2-11705573

(Podbean)

https://www.himalaya.com/episode/mary-cunningham-spoken-label-december-2021-150297888

(Himalaya)

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1638518400

(Podbay)

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/8133fcb1-83a7-4389-a3c5-3486af67088b/spoken-label-mary-cunningham-spoken-label-december-2021

(Amazon)

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=168187361

(Tunein)

https://www.instagram.com/andynpoet/channel/

(Instagram)

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Mary-Cunningham-Spoken-Label-December-2021-Podcast/B09MYWT6WS?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_1&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=TGW2XYX7VTSM7J8KTM5A

(Audible)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FKs61mgeqf7qDonfKv3sL

(Spotify)

Latest Music / Noise News

 

Few bits and pieces going for my music / sounds in December and hints beyond.. 

1) Ocean in a Bottle..

a) Two new tracks are coming out on the latest Ambient Online Comp CD middle of December I believe.

Ambient Online Compilation: Volume 15.

See https://ambientonline.bandcamp.com/ for more details

b) A track on the theme of Silence on 05 December I believe for Cambertelectrique

See https://camembertelectrique.bandcamp.com/

c) A track for Christmas during December for Cambertelectrique

See https://camembertelectrique.bandcamp.com/

d) A Christmas track for D.I.H. and friends @ Christmas 2021 album End of December

See https://hicc.bandcamp.com/

e) The Other side of the Moon

A new Ocean in a Bottle single beginning of January with a remix from Distance

See https://oceaninabottle.bandcamp.com/

2) Piano in a Bottle:

a) Walking with ghosts near Christmas

(An EP with a alternative version looking at mood over Xmas with Pianos. See https://pianoinabottle.bandcamp.com/)

b) A new Piano in a Bottle to follow D.I.H. and friends - Middle of December

c) With Ghosts over deserts

(An Album to follow in Feb or Mar with demo versions - Pianos in deserts)

3) Distance:

a) and b) Alongside Ocean in a Bottle, Distance also has tracks on the Silence and Christmas comps for Cambert Electrique in December.

c) A new Distance track to follow on D.I.H. and friends - Middle of December

d) new Improvisation album 'Space Signals' to follow in December with two new long impros recorded in November and December. One for January containing new work from December to January at the moment called 'Winter' will follow.

e) Distance also has a remix forthcoming on the next Ocean in a Bottle single 'The Other Side of the Moon'..

Speak Easy thank yous for December 2021 and future bookings for January 2022

 

* SPEAK EASY THANK YOUS *

Thanks to everybody who attended last night @Dulicmer (567 Wilbraham Rd, Greater, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 0AE). A seriously great night - there was certainly well over 40 people in attention and we would like to thank the following readers:

1) Chris Moore

2) Reggie Agulha Jr.

3) Jane Aderonke Hart

4) Sean McGlynn

5) Loll Perkin

6) Dany Bowen

7) Andy Millician

8) Amanda Nicholson

9) Roy Page

10) Steve Brown

11) Anthony Briscoe

12) Amy Langley

13) Tom Stocks (aka the Chubby Northerer) 

14) Carla Xenia

15) David Bond

16) Isabelle Pandora Byrne

17) Andy Npoet

18) Zara

19) Anna Percy

20) Grant Curnow

Bookings will start for the January Speak Easy (which will be on thursday 06 January 2022!) from this Sunday 06 December at mid-day - either message me directly on facebook or email me on aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk.

Amanda has photographs which she will be sharing on the speak easy group on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/speakeasymanchester) over the weekend and I've got a audio recording of most of the night which will be out in the next few days once I've edited it etc. 

Thanks again everybody. We loved it as always

Andy Npoet Amanda Nicholson and standing in for Steve Smythe who was dearly missed this month Mike Booth

#Manchester #Manchesterpoetry #Manchesterspokenword #Manchesteropenmic #Chorltoncumhardypoetry #Chorltoncumhardspokenword #Chorltonopenmic #Chorltonpoetry #Chorltonspokenword #spokenwordopenmic #spokenword

Speak Easy listings and news December 2021

 

Had a busy week this week, but here is the complete list for Speak Easy (our spoken word open mic night) for 2 December 2021 as always at Chorlton Cum Hardy's Dulicmer, 567 Wilbraham Rd, Greater, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 0AE on thursday 02 December 2021.

Night starts as always at 7.30pm and will be 4 minute slots. 

If anybody wants to go on the subs list email me at: aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk 

Everybody is welcome to attend even if to watch.

Reggie Agulha Jr.

Ben Willkommens

Anthony Briscoe 

Grant Curnow

Roy Page

Esther Koch

Ronke Jane Hart   

Amy Langley       

Isobelle Byrne 

Sean McGlynn      

Chris Moore 

Rosie Lawson    

Gordon Zola

Eve Nortley

Tom Stocks    

Andy Millington   

Carla Xenia

Penny Sharman

Polly Anna Rose

Keith Lander 

Dany Bowen     

Loll Perkin       

Andy N

Amanda Nicholson

Mike Booth

Steve Brown

The art in trying to find the right Podcast (Part 5)

 

I wasn’t planning to do a Part 5 of finding the right Podcast, but alas I’ve had a few approaches come through over the past two weeks or so which will result in likely several more emails over the next few weeks over terrible pitches in Podcasts. 

First one, this one came through on Bandcamp which does give you the option of emailing the act via Bandcamp.

I won’t name the gentleman with this approach, and will cut several details of where he lives and what his books are and a few personal details.

“I'm fifty-six and I live in V****** , B***** C******, C*****, eh? About three years ago, I hit emotional-bottom and reached out to God. Since then, my life has changed in the following ways: I'm no longer addicted to sugar.

My weight has gone from 235 lbs. to 170 lbs. I work-out regularly: weight-lifting, yoga and daily, long walks.

Most importantly, I've been pursuing my dream of becoming a professional writer of creative fiction with more passion than ever before. For me, at least. Now? I have close to sixty books on-line. If you Google Indigo Books and search J*** L****, you can check them out. Recently, I was interviewed by D**** on his D****** With D**** podcast. It's on YouTube. I have around five thousand Facebook friends and I'm in hundreds of Facebook groups. I've posted a link to your awesome website on my Facebook profile page. Thank you for your time and consideration. Warmest Regards, J***! “

Problems with this approach? I actually remember this gentleman as he approached with the same message back in August or so this year I recall and upon researching him at the same time, it appeared that he had wrote over 60 books in 3 years. Being married to a novelist, I know from experience how much work goes into a novel not 60 in 3 years or so – that is a pace that is worrying and when I read a few extracts it showed, they were badly worded, badly structured – bad stereotypes of female characters – well, there was nothing good with it.

As soon as the message came through I sent a polite message declining why I wasn’t interested in chatting to them only to get the extact same message as before.

I sent this email in response this time

“Thanks John for the message;

You originally approached me in August this year I believe, and you have just sent me the exact same message as you did then, and I wasn't interested then and my answer stays the same now thanks but no thanks.

A gentle reminder is to perhaps research the Podcast you are wishing to appear on. If they turn you down once, and you send exactly the same message again a few months later will not make them want to bring you on and it also looks quite unprofessional.”

I expect to hear from this gentleman I suspect in the Spring of next year, maybe next year and he’ll still be peddling the same old rubbish as before, and no doubt I’ll have to be somewhat more forceful with him bordering on the rude I suspect. 

New Ambient Online / Music submission call out

 

Nothing to do with me, but Ambient Online, a excellent online comp series which I regularly send tracks as Ocean in a Bottle has another call out coming out, here is Chris from them's call out

Hey guys! Hope you are all safe, staying busy and preparing for the months ahead. It's that time again for another Ambient Online Compilation. These compilations have become such a wonderful source of inspiration for not only the artists involved, but those who listen and enjoy them as well. If I haven't said it before a million times, I truly appreciate your participation! Have fun with this one. Submissions window is open for a little over a month.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) You can submit up to 2 tracks per bi-monthly compilation. Please limit each track to 10 minutes.

2.) Brand new tracks specifically made for these compilations are highly preferred. The main impetus behind our new format is to encourage you to produce and participate more regularly.

3.) Tracks should be unmastered (leaving headroom between -3dB and -9dB below 0 on the master fader). Mastering services will be provided.

4.) Please use .wav, .aif, or .flac file format. No mp3s! (NOTE: 96kHz sample rate will no longer be accepted. Please submit your file in 16 or 24 bit, 44.1kHz.)

5.) Please include your ARTIST NAME before the track title in the file name. (Artist_Track_Title.wav).

6.) Please do not submit already released and/or copyrighted material. This includes both samples and/or previously released tracks on other labels.

TO SUBMIT YOUR TRACK: Upload it somewhere (Dropbox, WeTransfer, or Google Drive) and send me (S1gnsOfL1fe) the link via private message.

SUBMISSIONS DUE: Sunday, December 12th 2021

Cheers,

Chris | S1gns Of L1fe

Poetry / Spoken Words Events coming up this week

 

Yeah, busy week this week coming up if my voice holds up.  

First up, Tuesday 09 November 2021 - Black Cat Poets. A nice, relaxed local spoken word open mic night at Denton's Create Centre (08 Market Street ran by Scott Fellows).

7.30pm start. Free admission but donations accepted. Email Scott on blackcatpoets@yahoo.com for more details.  

Weds 10 November 2021. I'm on a Zoom meeting regarding the future of Chorlton Arts Festival. We did enjoy doing this year for Chorlton Arts Festival (as Speak Easy). Be interesting to see what they have in mind for next year.

Thurs 11 November 2021., lastly off to Stockport for Stockport Write Out Loud at Stockport Art Gallery, Wellington Road South, Stockport, SK3 8AB. Amanda and myself have being going there for years, and this'll be our first one back in person. Looking forward to it as it's a excellent night in a art gallery which always adds something to the quality of the night.

7.00pm start £1.50 admission. Email John on j_f_keane@talktalk.net for more details. 

Speak Easy News and Thank Yous for November 2021

 

A special thank you to all of the following who read at Speak Easy our spoken word open night at Dulicmer at Chorlton Cum Hardy, Manchester, UK last night.

Readers were: 

1) Amanda Steel (Amanda Nicholson)

2) Antonia Fusaro

3) Steve Mingle

4) Isabelle Bryne

5) Ben Willkommens

6) Andy Npoet

7) Dany Bowen

8) Sean McGlynn

9) Amy Langley

10) Roy Page

11) Amy King

12) Culain Wood

13) Reggie Agulha Jr. 

14) Andy Routledge

15) Mike Booth

16) Steve Smythe

17) Grant Curnow

Amy King is the co-host of the spoken word night Verbose who can be found at https://www.facebook.com/VerboseMcr

Dany Bowen is the co-host of the forthcoming spoken word night Vortex. Not seen a page for that but Dany’s facebook page for more details is https://www.facebook.com/dany.bowe

Pictures from the night can be seen here - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=speakeasymanchester&set=a.2000120150154578

Our December 2021 night will be guest hosted by the wonderful Mike Booth will be on 02 December.

Bookings shall open this Sunday 7th November from Mid-day by emailing me (Andy N) on aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk or facebook messaging me at https://www.facebook.com/andynpoet

#manchesterpoetry #Manchesterspokenword #spokenwordopenmic #Spokenwordmanchester #Spokenwordchorltoncumhardy

New Music / Publication / Performance news

Two more more bits of news for Halloween..

First of all, new tracks by Ocean in a Bottle (Ambient / Drone) and Distance (Experimental / Noise) have appeared on the new comp by Aural Films simply called Horror Films 2021. This can be found here.

Secondly, Amanda and me have both being featured on Hannah Kate's excellent radio programme "Hannah's Bookshelf" on North Manchester FM annual comp 'Three Minute Scares' which writers are encouraged to send in short horror / ghost stories called 'Three Minute Scares' and somehow I got third prize which can be heard here

Last Poem (Stockport Market - New Poem)

Holding a fingertip softly

on a battered pencil; 

this is your last memory of him

counting what stock they had left

before helping them to pack up

knowing they would return without him, 

smiling faintly

as the book stall said

he was welcome to any book there

and Jenny at the cafe

who wouldn't let him go

without promising to come back,

standing there lost in thought

until they were all packed up

reclining in everybody else's eyes

until it was time for them to leave

and he had nowhere else to go

apart from back home. 

Poetry Matters _ Autumn Voices & Scriptstuff Poetry October

 

Another interesting email came through before which may interest some people from CivicLeicester Saying the following

"Autumn Voices is looking for submissions from people aged 60 or over for it's October 2021 poetry competition on the theme, Choice. The deadline is 31 October 2021.

You might also be interested in the newsletter below from Scriptstuff Poetry on the Leamington Poetry Festival and a range of matters related to poetry."

Speak Easy News

 

Two weeks tonight, here are the confirmed readers for the next Speak Easy (Spoken Word Open Mic) for November 21 (04 November 21).

As always we will be at Dulcimer, 567 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 0AE starting at 7.30pm with the following readers all confirmed for 4 minutes slots.

Andy N

Amanda

Steve S

Steve Brown

Mike Booth

Ant Briscoe

Jay Mitra

Melanie Lisa

Grant Curnew

Gordon Zola

Eve Nortley

Roy Page

Reggie 

Daniel Wright 

Steve Mingle

Antonia 

Amy King

Daniel Wright 

Esther Koch

Andrew Routledge 

Amy Langley

Dany Bowen

Polly Anne Rose 

Kevin Bamford 

Ben W

Sean McGlynn

Culain Wood

Ten Tales - Ghost Stories for North Manchester Series 2

 

Got the email today from Hannah Kate, founder of Hannah's bookshelf radio programme (who is on every Saturday afternoon at 2pm to 4pm on North Manchester FM) before which I thought I would share: 

"Ten Tales returns to North Manchester FM!

I am delighted to announce that Ten Tales: Ghost Stories for North Manchester is returning to North Manchester FM for a second series this winter. Every Friday at 10pm, I'll be sharing a brand new and original piece of fiction, written by yours truly exclusively for North Manchester FM.

The nights are drawing in, and there's a bit of a chill in the air (or at least, you can imagine there is). It's the perfect time of year for old-school ghost stories on the wireless. Ten Tales belongs to the classic tradition of spooky seasonal stories... but with a uniquely North Manchester flavour. From Crosslee to Crumpsall, Hollinwood to Harpurhey, these stories draw on settings and history from around the local area, but with my own off-beat take on them. And they're (almost) all cosy tales for those darker nights.

Essentially... imagine if M.R. James had visited Dam Head estate instead of the British Library...

Ten Tales: Ghost Stories for North Manchester returns on Friday 22nd October at 10pm. The first story is entitled Redeem Thy Misspent Time. It's set in Blackley Village, where the church bells have started ringing again...

Episode List:

Redeem Thy Misspent Time (Fri 22nd Oct)

Nocturne (Fri 29th Oct)

The Third Uncle George (Fri 5th Nov)

The Ice Palace (Fri 12th Nov)

Bradshaw's Vinegar (Fri 19th Nov)

Wireless (Fri 26th Nov)

Peril in Darkingford (Fri 3rd Dec)

Cream Crackers (Fri 10th Dec)

Nut-Nan in the Hazel (Fri 17th Dec)

One Hundred and Thirty Aged Men Sat Down to an Excellent Dinner (Fri 24th Dec)

*

You can listen to Ten Tales: Ghost Stories for North Manchester every Friday at 10pm on 106.6FM (if you're in the North Manchester area) or online (if you're further afield). Episodes will also be available on the station's 'Listen Again' service for a limited time after broadcast."

Draw the curtains, make some cocoa, try to ignore that rapping, tapping at your chamber door, and tune in the wireless for a brand new story every Friday night... only on North Manchester FM 106.6.