The Cool Issue

In case you hadn't noticed, poetry's back, loud and hot. This Sunday's Observer Woman Mag was the Cool Issue declaring, 'New Year, New Cool. 2010 will be a giddy hectic whirl of newness. [because, you know, everything changes when the year does; how else would we piece together exciting cultural articles?!] You need to know what's coming up. [oh yes, you need to] So we'll tell you. [because we know everything] The shoes, the poets, the TV, the undead, the vegan, the nails.'

Wow! Poetic form finally finds its place. But that's enough mocking of fashion writing - culture's transient and that's all good. And it's dead (also a theme - vampires and zombie's are so alive right now) true that poetry perfectly compliments current trends; geek chic, big cardies and glasses, being good and being green, there's never been a better time to be verbose.

Additionally, the ease of cultural supply through blogging, social networks, apps, and downloads is making the sharing of knowledge and ideas sweeter and simpler than ever. (See the Global Poetry System.) Poetry fits rather neatly into this in its compact form. And trends always love assimilating something perceived as idiosyncratic, with hints of the archaic or retro, and anomolous. An awesome mag Popshot run by Jacob Denno couples its submissions with responsive illustrations. Lovely! Wordy lines with visual hits. Plus, submission is free and you can submit as many as you like, which for dreamy poets with time and no money on their hands is a real incentive to contribute to the new cool.

http://www.popshotpopshot.com

Elle mentions this ubiquity, and cites last year's Keats film Bright Star as playing a part. I'd suggest The Edge of Love which, alongside Kiera Knightly and Sienna Miller acting amazingly wan and chiffony in a very poetically rural setting, includes moving voice-overs of Dylan Thomas' writing. Being passionate and hard Thomas (and to a lesser extent Keats) serve to dispel mythical images of poets as overly introspective, nearly as wan as Knightly. We also have Russel Brand stealing philosophical and poetic ramblings into sex based stand-up; looking like Byron, being a slut (also like Byron).

I like Elle's poetic interviewee Adam O'Riordan's idea, 'It's language in its most intensified form. It's like a strong coffee, once you've had espresso, you don't want to go back to drinking instant.' The port of prose then, 70 proof or anything stimulating... don't overdose on cool, the come down's pretty prosaic.

'Leaf' Magazine: perfect Pitch

The launch of the second LEAF was in Brighton Meeting House on Wednesday evening. LEAF is a brilliant emergent poetry publication put together by writers at Sussex University, led by the lovely Lousia Wright and Sarah Kelly. Lou was also a massive part of PODAPODA, an independent Sussex magazine, packed with political features, creative pieces, and art - a really lively and eclectic read. LEAF is a more sparse format in a small, satisfying, square design. I'm loving the squareness! Almost more bookish than mag-ish. The art is minimal and inky with room given to the type of the poems.

Reading at the launch was a pleasure. The formal part had been kept short so there were four of us reading, including Sarah, whose cut-up, stirring poem cast an interesting light on the narrative form I'd uncharacteristically constructed. Pitch is the title and concept of this issue - a gem of an idea.

...pitch... The piece, called Current, looks at pitch as a sense of direction with a spot it wants to hit; it travels and exerts itself. A person might embody this as the movement and destination of the pitch; which involves decisions, maybe makeshift, that later need to be defended, brandished, like a flimsy weapon... Find the poem pp. 26-7.

Thanks to Lou & co for a lovely wee book! Check it out.
leafonline.blogspot.com