Tuesday 24 February 2015

Anne Stevenson and John Lucas on the same bill - best poetry night ever


That the great Anne Stevenson was reading felt, to me, like an extraordinary piece of good fortune. I had spotted that John Lucas was reading a month earlier and I went for that reason - his name leapt out and I didn't look to see who else was on. Thanks, Universe! The event was one in the Lumen series organised by the poet Ruth O'Callaghan. Among the poems Anne read were some from Astonishment which I managed to bag the last copy of. She hadn't brought many  copies and they went like hot cakes.In a rush of maternal affection I lent mine to Only Daughter who had also come to the gig. She lives in London so I will have to wait a bit until she comes home to visit for my turn to read it. Unless she posts it. 

The wonderful John Lucas read from his new collection Things To Say, which is published by that most admirable of organisations, Five Leaves Publications.
Astonishment 2012I was a bit slow once I got home with my precious signed copy (John and I go back a long way) and I have yet to wrench it out of the hands of Son 3, who took an immediate fancy to it. He is a poet himself - of the songwriting persuasion and you can hear him here if you like folk (there's even a small contribution from the seagulls of Brighton). I recommend him. (Yes, I am biased).

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