The year slips into it's 2nd third with too much speed...winter becomes spring. Now is the time to get things done, and yet, waking, blinking from the cold snap, its hard sometimes to remember how short the window is. I've a few things on the horizon, gigs mainly, thought-fests like New Writing Worlds and Futuresonic, as well.
But in the here and now, before May draws us in... a few things. I'm looking forward to the 2nd Bury Text Festival. It starts this week, and I'm hoping to get along next Saturday. Well worth the tram ride to Bury - the art gallery there is a gem, and the exhibition last time was superb, with, importantly, a wide range of festival events. This time, its more about the events, as far as I can see, than exhibitions, much of it at the Bury Met - and I have to say, the website is a little confusing, but perhaps that's half the fun - exploring.
They've not announced any tags (or other electronic medium) so unless anyone tells me otherwise I'll be twittering #textfestival and suggest others do likewise!
Other things: I've added the song "Autumn 1914", inspired by this photograph, to Myspace. Other recent music by me can be heard here.
Worth reading the Kazuo Ishiguro interview in today's Guardian. I wasn't as impressed by his last novel "Never Let Me Go" as some others, I felt it was a short story/novella extended beyond its length, and its setting - in a parallel contemporary world that seemed to be 1959 was an unfathomable decision - but those faults will probably mean it will make a good film. Interesting that his new book is a book of short stories (though how short - given that there are only 5?) that has been written and conceived as one work. I think it will be an interesting departure.
The interview, as ever with Ishiguro, is a fascinating mix of candour and calculation. It's what makes his writing so interesting - there always seems a tug between his desire to control, and his desire to let go.
My friends at Lancaster's Litfest have their only little document store of downloads on Scribd; I'd highly recommend you download and read them all.
And finally, though I doubt I'll make it along - much as I'd like to - Salford University Creative writing students are reading on Thursday lunch time at Central Library with Czech poet Bob Hysek.
No comments:
Post a Comment