One Night Stanzas

You’ve probably seen this meme/questionnaire thingy doing the rounds of literary blogs lately? I have, and was kind of dreading my inevitable tagging. However, I found that filling in the answers below actually made me feel quite uplifted and hopeful about the scattered, half-finished MS that is my forthcoming first collection of poems (it has a working title, but it has a kind-of rude word in it. I’m not sure if I’ll have the bottle to keep it, or if a publisher could stomach it, so I’ll keep it secret for now). Thanks very much to Andy Philip for the nudge! You can see his answers here, at his blog Tonguefire.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
It’ll be my first full-length collection, so I feel a bit like I’ve been working towards it ever since I began writing. However, the central themes that are coming to define the working MS really started to emerge last summer, when I did a writer’s retreat on the Greek island of Hydra. It was July, and much too hot for me to be outside between the hours of about 10am and 5pm, so I was almost literally walled inside this one-room cottage with the Selected Poems of Adrienne Rich, and a notebook. I think it’s the most productive I’ve ever been.

What genre is the book?
Poetry. I’ve been experimenting, writing much longer poems than my usual, but I’m still not sure of them. They may yet end up on the cutting room floor.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I’d love to see a poetry collection — though not necessarily mine! — become a series-of-vignettes movie, like Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes, one of my favourite movies ever. Like The Mermaid and the Sailors, this book is going to contain a lot of strong women. I can totally see Annette Bening “playing” one of these poems, she’d be great.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Oh dear, I’m really crap at this. I remember people sending blurbs for The Mermaid and the Sailors that said things like, “these are poems about x, y and z,” and I thought, “are they? Oh yes, I suppose they are.” So you may have to wait until the book exists properly, and ask someone who’s read it. The closest I can get right now is, “a collection of poems about women… and maybe anger.”

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
See my first answer! There are some poems going in here from as long ago as 2010. But there are also still some to write. I never, ever think anything’s finished. I’ll probably need someone to prize it out of my hands at some point and say, “for goodness sakes, it’s done.”

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
In the past two or three years, I’ve widened the focus of my life. I’ve forced myself to get out of my comfort zone in my work, in my slowly-growing activism, and also in my cultural intake: what I read, watch and attend. I always used to tell my own stories — old family anecodotes nicked and turned into poems, experiences I’d personally had. Now I want to tell stories about bigger things. I’m really interested in class now, and privilege. I feel a real desire to write more about those things.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The MS isn’t finished yet… I’m still not sure what’s definitely staying in, and what’s going. But there might be a poem about donkeys. There’s a poem about Allen Ginsberg’s mum. There’s a poem where I answer back, quite cheekily, to Carol Ann Duffy. I’ve also written a series of haiku set in the knicker department of Marks & Spencers in Carlisle… but I’m pretty sure I’ll chicken out with that one!

Will your book be self-published or represented by a publisher?
That remains to be seen! To be honest, getting a first collection placed at the moment seems to be a bit of a nightmare, so I’m not really thinking about it too much. I’m keener to end up with a collection I can be really proud of.

The writers I have tagged are:
Colin McGuire
Helen McClory
Char Runcie

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(Photo credit)

I’ve spotted this on a few blogs — I actually nicked it from Rachel’s — and thought I’d jump on the bandwagon.

Never in my life have I been: on a rollercoaster.

The one person who can drive me nuts is: I think the person who drives me most nuts is my sister. But she’s also probably my favourite person in the world, so it balances out.

High school: I was very tall (5′11″ by the time I was 13) and very dorky and very smart, so it wasn’t an easy time for me. But at least I had a cool English teacher.

When I’m nervous: it’s usually because I haven’t written anything for a while, or because what I am writing is vexing me for some reason.

The last song I listened to was: Back in the USSR by the Beatles.

If I were to get married right now my best man/maid of honour: I have no idea. I know I’m probably at the age where you’re supposed to plot The Perfect Wedding, but I really haven’t thought about it.

My hair is: mousy brown in real life, but I identify as a redhead.

When I was 5: I wanted to be a vet. Then I found out that there’s more to it than sticking band-aids on fluffy bunnies, and went off the idea.

I should be: writing. Something other than this.

When I look down I see: Raymond Duck. He’s a duck-shaped doorstop. Yes, our doorstop has a name. And yes, it is a Withnail & I reference.

The happiest recent event was: the safe arrival of my friend Amanda’s baby, Evie, earlier this month.

If I were a character on ‘Friends’ I’d be: Chandler. He is undoubtedly the funniest of the lot of them, and I reckon his jokes are very “British.” Sometimes he’ll say something and there’ll be no canned laughter, but I’ll be hysterical.

By this time next year: my pamphlet will be available to buy in bookshops! Or at least, I really hope so…

My current gripe is: my students bunking off lectures. It is not the summer holidays yet by a long chalk!

If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be: my Mum. If she’s not the first to know about things she gets a bit ruffled!

Take my advice: read more books.

The thing I want to buy: is a car. Specifically, one of these. But I can’t afford the insurance at the moment.

If you spent the night at my house: you’d have to compose a fridge poem before you left. This bizarre custom was started by Ms Lucy Baker and now it’s a house rule.

The world could do without: Bono.

Most recent thing I’ve bought myself: was a copy of Adrienne Rich’s Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience & Institution, for my thesis.

My favourite blonde is: this one.

My favourite brunette is: Boy.

My favourite redhead is: my grandpa.

My middle name is: Louise. (For the record, I hate it.)

Once, at a bar: sounds like the start of a Chris Lindores poem.

If I was an animal I’d be: an owl. I know that’s a bird, but whatever.

Tonight I am: watching the second election debate with Boy. And probably swearing at the TV, therefore.

Et toi…? And be sure to link back, I’m nosy!

(Photo by Amadika)

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