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Thursday, September 16, 2010

An exaltation of Starlings

There's something about Doghouse Books that makes you want to collect them all. Maybe its because the format is basically the same for everyone, I don't know, but I imagine they would look good all lined up on a bookshelf.
Doghouse of course publishes the very wonderful Barbara Smith and I was lucky enough to get a poem in their Book of Ballads. They also sent me the nicest PFO from a publisher I have ever received.
Anyway, their latest baby, Tom Conaty's An Exultation of Starlings has two launches next week - firstly in the Unitarian Church on Thursday, then at the Courthouse, Cavan on Friday. The title reminds me of the Not the Nine o'clock News sketch, where a Victorian Rowan Atkinson is trying to come up with collective nouns for birds.

5 comments:

  1. They are lovely books alright, and the poems in em ain't half bad either

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  2. That looks beautiful.
    My friend, Vivien Jones, has a poem "A Murmuration Of Starlings" which was written to be animated (ie the words move). There's a name for that sort of poem but it's eluding me at the moment as it's 4am. It got animated, and is a joy to watch.

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  3. It's come! Kinetic Poetry. Hang on, I think I may still have a link. I'm in it too.

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  4. Oh, they've only left the Edwin Morgan one up. It's here: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/artsinscotland/literature/projects/kineticpoems.aspx

    I had a DVD once, but lent it to a famous poet who lives in the same street as me and his house has eaten it.

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  5. In one of those weird chance happenings, I stumbled on this today. It is worth a watch, even thought they've lost the sound. I love the Don Paterson, and my one's right at the end. But lo, you can see Vivien's Murmuration, if not hear it.

    All here: http://www.dgarts.co.uk/artforms/kinetic-poetry/

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