One Night Stanzas

Photo by Neil Thomas Douglas

Well folks, the PhD is submitted. It’s in, gone, there’s no longer anything I can do with, at, to, or about it. Which means I have to start doing poetry events again, because I no longer have an excuse not to. Here are a few you should come along to. Not (only) because of me, but because Book Week Scotland, Making It Home and Inky Fingers are all super fabulous, and need your support!

Monday 25th November 2013
Making it Home for Book Week Scotland: words against violence
The Glasgow Women’s Library, 1200-1400, FREE

Book Week Scotland is a totally amazing initiative — and I’m not just saying that because I’m paid to. I’m so happy that BWS have recognised the amazingness of the women of Making It Home, and teamed up with us in order to showcase the work we’ve been doing. At this event, I’ll be facilitating a showing of the Making It Home project films, and reading the poems that inspired those films. There’ll also be a discussion around the power of poetry and writing to conquer violence (especially violence against women). Very excited about this one.

Tuesday 26th November 2013
Talking Heids for Book Week Scotland
Sofi’s Bar in Leith, 1900, FREE

Talking Heids is a brand spanking new monthly poetry night invented and hosted by the magical Mr Colin McGuire, who as you probably know by now is my #1 favourite Scottish performance poet. This month he’s joined forced with Book Week Scotland to bring you feature slots from Rachel Amey and Rob A Mackenzie. There’s also an open mic, at which yours truly will be reading, and which you can sign up for at the Facebook event.

Wednesday 27th November 2013
Making it Home for Book Week Scotland: “Writing Home” creative writing workshop
The Scottish Poetry Library, 1800-2000, FREE

Come along and see the Making It Home project films, then write your own poem inspired by one or all of them. The lovely and talented Jane McKie will be on hand to encourage discussion and thought on the topics of home, belonging, identity, nationhood, sanctuary and displacement. Come along with a pen, leave with a poem.

Friday 29th November 2013
A Philosophical Football Match for Book Week Scotland
Transmission Gallery 2000-2300 (doors 1930), FREE

What is a philosophical football match, I hear you cry? Well, you get some philosophers, they sit around a table, and a Muse drops in and gives them a topic to debate over. Whoever comes up with the best argument scores a goal, and the philosophers move onto the next topic, until time runs out or the Muse gets tired or the philosophers run out of arguments or… something. And a trusty poet is on hand to record all of it, and create a great work of literature at the end. Sound intriguing? Well, it’s happening on Friday night in Glasgow, and guess who the aforementioned trusty poet is? Please come along and cheer on your favourite philosopher!

Saturday 30th November 2013
Inky Fingers & Book Week Scotland Revenge of the Dead Poets Slam
The New Bongo Club at 66 Cowgate, 1900-2200, FREE

OK, so many things about this event are exciting. One: all the performers are reading poems by dead poets. Two: all the performers will be dressed as dead poets. Three: I get to dress as a dead poet BUT NOT PERFORM! Four: the dead poet I will be dressed as will be DAME EDITH SITWELL (Oh. hell. yes.) Five: I’m one of the judges, along with Alice Tarbuck and, er, Jane McKie (we are each others’ friendly poet-y stalkers), so I have ALL THE POWER MUAHAHA. OK, just kidding. I am a nice judge. Anyway, it’s going to be totally fabulous, and you should really come along, and you should really dress up. Really.

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Like shiny things? Check out Edinburgh Vintage, a totally unrelated ’sister site’ full of jewels, treasures and trinkets. If you want to get in touch you can follow OneNightStanzas on Twitter, or email claire[at]onenightstanzas.com. I reply as swiftly as I can!

A version of this post first appeared at One Night Stanzas in October 2009.

OK, so Halloween is two days away — what are you going to do to mark the event? Going guising? Apple-dooking? Horror movies? Or just lying on the floor with all the lights off avoiding trick-or-treaters? Whatever your thoughts, here are a few ways to bring the poeticness this All Hallows Eve…

Dress as a dead writer.
Way cooler than digging out your trusty paper witch’s hat or shoving some bunny ears on your head and pretending you’re Frank from Donnie Darko. I love Halloween, but even I’m guilty of recycling costumes (it’s basically the only day one can wear a bright green evening gown, so I’m getting my money’s worth from that thing, dammit!). You only get to do this once a year so really, you ought to do it well! Dressing as a dead writer is as easy or complex as you want to make it, and lets face it, you look a million times smarter and cooler than That Guy Who Always Shows Up Wrapped In Toilet Roll. Suggestions? Hunter S Thompson is an easy one — loud shirt, shades, cigar, and you’re good to go. Find yourself a big floppy hat and a cigarette holder and go as Dorothy Parker. Or if you like a challenge, I daresay William Shakespeare would win anyone’s Best Costume contest.

Throw a Halloween poetry reading.
Halloween-themed poetry only, with bonus points for fancy dress, scary voices and histrionics (maybe use this event as inspiration?). You could read your own stuff, or recite classic creepy poems from years gone by — Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven,’ Walter de la Mare’s ‘The Listeners,’ etc. Decorate your reading venue and have a bring your own pumpkin policy (seriously: ANY Halloween party should have a Bring Your Own Pumpkin policy. I always request that people bring one along and the room always looks AWESOME with creepy illuminated pumpkin faces dotted around everywhere!).

Invent your own (literary) ghost walk.
Why pay a pretty penny to be dragged round a bunch of tourist spots when you could invent your own tour? Fuse the ghost walk concept with the literary pub crawl and you’re onto a winner. Research your local area for places where writers lived and died, places where artistic events took place, etc. If you can’t find anything, don’t worry — make it up. (Trust me, a lot of the ghost tour guides do!) Invite some friends, get dressed up and go out marauding. You could even instruct someone to be the “jumper oot-er” — someone who hides in a doorway or round a corner waiting to leap out and scare your unwitting tour group! If you don’t fancy wandering round in the cold looking at old houses all night, you could always try a tour of pubs with creepy names or literary associations.

Write a Halloween inspired poem.
And make it a good one!

Host a morbid poetry pub quiz!
I had a friend who invented a quiz for a Halloween party once — all the questions were spookily themed, and the prizes were things like jelly worms and light-up devil horns, it was rather silly but pretty cool. It would be easy to put a literary twist on this particular activity — questions on famous literary deaths, great ghost stories, fictional murders.

Brew a poetic potion.
It ought to be made The Law that you must drink absinthe on Halloween. Favoured by writers down the ages — Oscar Wilde, Rimbaud and Baudelaire all loved the stuff — it’s the perfect way to poetify your All Hallows Eve. I mean, it’s green and cloudy, it’s long been believed to possess magical qualities, and to prepare it properly YOU SET IT ON FIRE. Oh, and it has wormwood in it, which sounds like something from a witch’s kitchen. Added bonus? It tastes like aniseed balls! It is the ultimate literary Halloween tipple.

Tell me what you’ll be up to this Halloween night!

(Photo by pstarr)

Budding writer? Creative person in need of a fun job? Check out the various resources and services at Bookworm Tutors. Alternatively, check out Edinburgh Vintage, a totally unrelated ’sister site’ full of jewels, treasures and trinkets. If you want to get in touch you can follow OneNightStanzas on Twitter, or email claire[at]onenightstanzas.com. I reply as swiftly as I can!