broad abroad

Few weeks back went to a poetry book launch for Dedalus Press, a big Irish poetry imprint. Packed house. All ages. Two books, two readers. Had the wee one in tow and by the toe, so missed a bit much. Tho' she was so good really. The only babe there. She was quiet. Nursed. Played quietly behind a partition while the reading continued.

That said, not really looking to repeat the situation too often. Do miss a lot and every nerve on edge that she might disturb the reader and make our family Dublin's Least-Likely-to-Make-Friends. So, was preoccupied. Thereforely, don't have much info on the first fella. But I do recall that bilingual (Irish and English) poet Paddy Bushe read

. In case you're interested, here's a video of him reading at a poetry series in Galway . Much of that series, the Whitehouse Poetry Series, is available on video, so if you're interested in contemporary Irish poetry, check it out!

In other news, this blogger has gotten some creative writing teaching at the Irish Writers' Centre! My first class is due to start at the end of April. I'm busy writing up a syllabus and thinking up lesson plans and looking forward to talking about writing and learning from students and am just over the moon to be teaching writing again! Also positively delirious to have a bona fide reason to ignore the heap of ironing that doth a weight.

And back to the subject of how supportive to artists is ye ol' Emerald Isle, I never did do a proper shout out for mon amour. All our friends and fam out there in blogland will be smiling to know he did get National Arts Council Bursary last winter. Yey!

in the nows

hey bloggerissimo, fancy some contemporary international poetry? live in or near what this blogger affectionately calls 'the big ape hill?'. well, here's a poetry reading fer you on the 21st.

click on the image to get the full details. not all of these poets live in the u.s., so it's a one-time only kinda thang.




and hey, check out the drinks sponsorship. there's some creative organizing!

here's a scary thought: what if poets had big corporate sponsorships the way athletes do. as in if at every reading, a poet sponsored by Jamesons had to swill from a Jameson's bottle.

Broad Abroad

As you, my dear bloggerissimo may have noticed, this blog has a few categories:

* Maid Public, for my publications
* All Codes Lead to Roam, for Internet news and links
* A Blog is a Blog is a Blog, for misc. ramblings
and now introducing....Broad Abroad, for anything Holy Shamrock!-I'm-living-in-Ireland related.

Here are a few items for this first post:

1. Saw some Restoration drama at the Abbey. Felt other-than-mother, even wore my little black dress and left the baboo with the Granny. Oh sweet relief!

2. Stood for an hour waiting for the 15A. One stopped midway through our wait, but the door wasn't wide enough to accommodate a buggy. The wind blew. The rain pelted. The woman cursed.

3. It's raining. The sun's out. It's raining. A rainbow!

4. Toddler and parent group at the local Prod church. Now the baboo has a cold.

5. Have not been to a poetry reading since hearing Paul Muldoon and Nuala Ni Dhomhnail read from her latest book a month or so back. The reading was a conjuring of mermaids, all candles, shadows, and solemnity. Except the baboo chirruping. But did recenly share some pancakes with poet Paul Perry and his wee daughter.



Here are some audio files of poems, Paul Perry's and others:
Dedalus Press Audio Room

6. Miss teaching. But at least am leading a one-off reading group at the local library on Paul Durcan.



7. My latest idea: A toddler and parent group for poets. I'm going to approach the Poetry Ireland people and see what they think. That way, the baboo and I can gather with others, and she can talk blocks, and I can talk poems. Would be good, yes?

Baboo become Baboon. Wild-eyed. Must go bloggerissimo!