My friend, poet Gill Horitz and I have been selecting for the next edition of South poetry magazine. We did this over late December and early January and passed many happy hours browsing through and carefully reading hundreds of poems.

In my previous blog I mentioned some of the things we looked for in a poem. Adding to those thoughts:

The substance of a poem needs to be chipped away at, crafted and shaped. Try not to over-layer your poem with too many ideas and metaphors. Keep editing, longer than you may feel is necessary. Trust your reader to fill in the gaps.

Writers who have been to my workshops and courses know that I think titles are incredibly important. A title can add so much and even lift a poem to another level.

Now I am thinking about The Next Big Thing as I have been ‘tagged’ by historical novelist Maria McCann and I have questions to answer. More in my next post!

Over Christmas and New Year I’ve been selecting poems for a forthcoming issue of a poetry magazine. I’ve been doing this with my co-selector and friend, Gill Horitz.

We’ve had a wonderful time reading and re-reading hundreds of poems. It has got us talking about what makes a successful poem, and what we look for in a poem.

During our afternoon meetings, we drank tea, ate mince pies and biscuits to keep up our energy levels. We may have got a little drunk – but on language not mulled wine!

There are so many things to consider!

For me, a poem has to have something to say. Also, I want the poem to say it freshly, with originality.

Gill and I read some wonderful descriptions but we agreed that we wanted the poem also to take us to a deeper level.

Different poets may look for different things but these are my thoughts which I will continue with soon.

Winter Night

Something wakes us in the small hours
and we’re standing at the window
above the neat beds of snowdrops
watching the shadows
the black on black
of rhododendron laurel pine
waiting until we hear
that unmistakable raw cry
because then we know
the foxes are back.

First published in South poetry magazine issue 23

©
Sarah Barr
2000

Wimborne Writing Group had a delicious Christmas Lunch last Wednesday at No. 9 in Wimborne. We were made very welcome at this cosy and stylish restaurant and it was a great way to end our year of writing together.

We’ve had many successes in 2012: Beryl’s short story was published this month in ‘That’s Life’ in Oz; Chris won a prize for his play and also 1st prize for his poem in the Christchurch Festival competition; Penny’s writing and Ruth’s poem were commended in the same competition; Ruth also had a piece of short fiction accepted for publication in an animal stories anthology; Gail won a 1st prize at Winchester Writers’ Conference and publication for her collection. We’ve had many other successes, too, not least being that everyone in the group has produced excellent pieces of writing during 2012. This is a fantastic achievement.

We are raring to get going on more writing in 2013. Some of us are entering Gullivers Bookshop Word Crunch short story competition. This is for a short story of maximum 500 words. The cost of entry is £4 and the deadline is 31st January 2013.

‘I’ve wanted to have this sort of bookshop for 20 years,’ Victoria Sturgess confided when I visited her at Black Pug Books in Wimborne last week . ‘I’d always wanted a place with a homely, friendly atmosphere’. She offered me a cup of tea and I settled into an exceptionally comfortable sofa and gazed around, admiring her fabulous wall-to-wall collection of out-of-print books. ‘I want people to come and enjoy the books,’ she said. I could have stayed all day.

I love books and although I do read on screen, agree with Victoria that this is a different experience from feeling a good quality book in your hand, reading the printed page, smelling the paper and ink.

Black Pug Books opened in October this year at The Old Gallery, 24 West Borough, Wimborne, BH21 1NF. It offers out-of-print books on all subjects. Opening times are: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am-6pm. Victoria may open out of hours to visitors by special request.

People mainly come by word of mouth recommendation and the business is already thriving.

Unsurprisingly, Victoria set up the bookshop because of her ‘sheer love of books’. She is especially drawn to those illustrated with woodcuts, also fiction and non-fiction about World War One. So when these volumes turn up they may not always find their way onto the ‘for sale’ shelves!

Victoria will also search for particular books for clients.

I recommend a visit to Black Pug Books but allow time for this as it may be difficult to drag yourself away!

I had a great time last week leading a poetry workshop for Story Traders in Bridport. I enjoyed meeting this lovely group of dedicated and interesting writers. I brought a bag of mystery objects – no, not just the contents of my handbag! – and we used them for inspiration and to get started with writing something new.

We met in a very nice room at the Beach and Barnicott restaurant opposite the Arts Centre in Bridport.

We looked at haiku and poems by William Carlos Williams. There was plenty of time for everyone to read their writing aloud and to get feedback from the group.

I read two of my poems – one more ‘finished’ than the other – and I talked about how I start writing, what sort of aspects I think about when developing and re-writing my work, and what sort of subjects compel me to write.

The time passed all too quickly and I’m hoping to run another poetry workshop soon with Story Traders.

The Literary Festival organised by Malcolm Angel of Gullivers Bookshop went brilliantly well. There were so many fascinating speakers and some lovely and historic settings used all around the town. My poetry workshop was very well attended and I enjoyed it tremendously. It was fun – lots of laughs – and also much excellent writing was produced. It’s amazing what we can write in a short space of time. Being put under a little bit of pressure can work wonders – deadlines are useful! Thank you to everyone who attended. I’m looking forward to next year’s Lit Fest in Wimborne.

My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living.
— Anais Nin

Wimborne Literary festival is this week: Thursday, 1st November-Saturday, 3rd November. There are lots of speakers on all different subjects literary. My poetry workshop is on Thursday afternoon: 2.30-4.30. It will be suitable for complete beginners as well as more experienced writers and poets. If you like reading and writing poetry – come along. It should be fun!

Dinner

The room was bright and spacious,
four triangles of napkins folded ready.
We started with prawns
and then went on to something chickeny.

Our conversation dipped into areas
we thought we shared –
such as children and the politics at the university.

Somehow I realised you, more than your husband,
found this sort of entertaining daunting.
Then you suggested we move
into the conservatory

and we sat in darkness, waiting
as one, then two, black shapes
appeared round the corner of the fence.

Silently, without making a fuss
the badgers lowered their long striped faces
over the honey sandwiches you’d made
and we sat transfixed,
not daring to clink a cup.

©
Sarah Barr
2002

First published in ‘The Interpreter’s House’ issue 20.

I’m feeling rather sorry for badgers and so decided to post this poem.

It’s National Poetry Day and The Poetry Society has lots of news about the day’s happenings on its website. If you are a member there is a quiz on poets and quotations that include stars!

I’ve looked through my own poems and very few mention stars. But I have found one which I hope to post here soon.