Mind the gap

Among the many things I've been thinking about through reading 'How to be a Poet' (Nine Arches Press) (see also earlier post 22/1/18) - is the potential gap between writer and reader - a gap of understanding or preference - or a failing of writer or reader. I'm aware that it has made me insecure at times, both as writer and reader. I started to play with the idea:

I wrote a poem about love.
You hated it.
I wrote a poem about strength.
You said it was weak.
I wrote a poem about sickness.
You hoped I got better.
I wrote a poem about you.
You said I should keep the 'I' out of my poems.
I wrote about my uncertainty.
You said I was getting cocky.
I stopped writing. 

I flipped it to see what happened: 

You wrote a poem about love.
I hated it.
You wrote a poem about strength.
I said it was weak.
You wrote a poem about sickness.
I hoped you got better.
You wrote a poem about me.
I said you should keep the 'I' out of your poems   
You wrote about your uncertainty.
I said you were getting cocky.

You stopped writing?   I stopped reading?

I took the 'I' out:

He wrote a poem about love.
She hated it.
He wrote a poem about strength.
She said it was weak.
He wrote a poem about sickness.
She hoped he'd get better.
He wrote a poem about her.
She thought he was taking the mick.
He wrote a poem about his uncertainty.
She said he was a loser.

He stopped writing?   She dumped him?
  

Amazing how big the gap can be between people. Amazing how things can change when you play with words. And for real advice, see How to be a Poet.

Postscript. It occurred to me that this blog could be taken too seriously. I also like the idea of adding 'He dumped her' to the last set of options. I should add that nothing written here represents the views of the authors of How to be a Poet. Or is in any way sensible advice on reviewing one's own or other people's poetry.

 

The Gifts of Reading

I recently read The Gifts of Reading by Robert Macfarlane (author of, among other books, the mind-blowing Landmarks - 'the language of landscape and the landscape of language'). The Gifts of Reading is a wonderful little book and a gift in itself - which keeps on giving. If you read it you'll see what I mean - it just leads you on to more.

I won't give away the secrets of the book and I can't give you the gift of an actual book - because, unlike Facebook, I don't have access to your data, or their vast amounts of money - but I thought I'd at least share the names of some of the books I've enjoyed reading between bouts of poetry:


The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty

Tin Man by Sarah Winman 

They're easy to get hold of and the reviews will tell you far more than I could here, and much better. 

Despite there being no end of fiction out there, I sometimes struggle to find the right book at the right time. I would be happy to accept the gift of any recommendations. (I am not currently accepting submissions of poetry or nature books as I already have a huge backlog of those!)