22 June 2009

A busy weekend of readings - the event at Teynham library was very successful, with 18 people snuggled into quite a small - shall we say intimate - space. Many came prepared with their own poems to read at the open session, all well read and warmly received. One of those events that leaves you with a fuzzy glow. There is an interest in a writing class in the village - more info to follow.

I am itching to lead and teach. I attended a course a couple of weeks ago, and had the embarrassment of being asked to get up and explain about mind maps and writing, since 'Maria could run this course better than I can.' Maybe I had been chipping in too much, but it did smack of the teacher calling up the clever dick to the front of the class.

Magma Poetry are calling for submissions for their next issue. read more at www.magmapoetry.com

The Guardian are inviting readers to contribute to their annual summer fiction issue. Unpublished stories of up to 2,000 words can be submitted. The winning story will be published alongside others by established authors. Go to guardian.co.uk/shortstories for conditions

I have resumed my old habit of early morning writing. I was coming up with all sorts of excuses to avoid writing. These included planning to write, making a note that I should make a plan to write (planning to plan to write), and so on. So, a notebook by the bed and three pages before breakfast. It may be drivel, but it is writing. Usually by the third page something has come through that may be usable.

I have added to the Chronic Fatigue page, as I do from time to time. Please have a look.

16 June 2009

A review of one of my poems, 'Story', on Heidi Colthup's blogspot
www. farmyard-tales-chickenlady.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-first-poetry-review.html

Also, listen to this - a daily bedtime story on www.miettecast.com The latest is from James Joyce.

15 June 2009

I have had a right arty week, attending an exhibition at Canterbury College featuring the work of my friend Sioux Peto and other final year students. Sioux makes sculptures out of plastic bottles, drinks cans and other found objects. her piece, Party Time, hangs from the ceiling in the corridors of the college.It's just like Christmas, with garlands and the like. There is a link to some photos of the exhibition on the events and readings page, in amongst the Swale Arts news. 

I also met with friends from my former MA class to talk writing and workshop some poems and stories. So good to meet with people who understand this obsession with notebook, pencil and laptop.

Thursday was a reading by Patricia Debney in Gillingham. Wonderful prose poems from her collection 'How to be a Dragonfly', plus a chance for local poets to read from their own work.

The week ended with a poetry day school at the University of Kent with John Whitworth. Much of it was about rhyming, metered poetry and wordplay. Good to meet some other poets, even though we were competing with two music stages outside the seminar room, as the students celebrated with an Arts Fest. I woke up during the night after and wrote a poem, so something must have got through!

Please check out the events and readings page for upcoming events in Swale, and don't forget the readings this weekend at Teynham library Love is all you need... and Orange St, Canterbury, on Sunday at 6.00 pm.

5 June 2009

Happy 5th June! I have just remembered that my eldest daughter, Laura, loved 5th June when she was little - not for any significance due to birthdays or the like, but just because it sounds good when you say it out loud. It has to be said as 'Fifth of June'. Try it!

A new date for your diaries - I shall be reading with As Long as it Takes writers at the Poetry evening on 21st June, 6.00 p.m. at Orange St Music Club, Canterbury. This is the day after my reading at Teynham library, 20th June at 11.00 a.m. Both events have an open mic for poets.

Medway libraries are holding a series of writing workshops over the next week, including What's Your Story? tomorrow at Chatham library, using family stories as a starting point for writing, and a poetry workshop at Strood library on the afternoon of 11 June plus a reading and open mic in the evening at Gillingham library by Patricia Debney. Patricia was the first Canterbury laureate. A bit like being a former US President, she gets to keep the title! I don't know if that's true, by the way. For details of the workshops and readings, go to www.medway.gov.uk/libraries

28 May 2009

Back from Venice and ready to write! Of course, I brought a notebook with me, so there may be some poems and stories under 'forthcoming attractions'.

There are a few poetry events coming up, including workshops at the University of Kent and one in Canterbury on the 13th and 20th June respectively. Details on the Events and Readings page.

Bob Carling and I will be performing Love is all you need... at Teynham library on 20th June, poems, stories and music on the theme of love, with an open mic session for poets.

We are also taking part in Artists in the Woods on 12th July, a multi-arts event at Oare Gunpowder Works, Faversham. This is an amazing place, a former gunpowder works that blew up in the early 20th century and has now been reclaimed by nature. The event runs from 10.00 - 4.00, and will include impromptu performances by  Swale writers and musicans plus visual artists at work. There will be refreshments, but you are welcome to bring a picnic. Guided walks and talks will also take place throughout the day. Any Swale-based artists interested in taking part should contact Karen West on 01795 841723. More publicity is to follow.

There is a new posting on the Chronic Fatigue page, Special Assistance, or 'Isn't being disabled brilliant?' This details my adventures in getting special assistance on my honeymoon (ooh er!) and at events.

10 May 2009

First entry for a while as I have been busy preparing for my wedding to my Folk Bloke, Bob Carling, which took place yesterday at the Archbishops Palace in Maidstone. A creative event featuring poetry by Carol Ann Duffy and Pablo Neruda, music from my daughter Rachel Bradley, brother Jamie McCarthy and Rachel's partner Stephe Morris, plus an all-star cast of musicians at the reception. Including me on tambourine and backing vocals for Fisherman's Blues, the Waterboys song. It has been a lifelong ambition of mine to sing backing vocals in a sparkly dress - my wish has been fulfilled.

I have been working on an eve of wedding story set in the '70s, and hope to finish this when I return from honeymoon in Venice. My story collection and is approaching completion - next the task of approaching publishers. In the meantime, one of my stories, Cold Salt Water, has been accepted for publication by the Frogmore Papers, though it won't be seen in print until March 2010.

The events and readings page will be updated soon - off to honeymoon in Venice shortly...

16 April 2009

News of an event at Faversham library on 28th April at 7.00 pm - the launch of the Save As Writers' Group anthology, Between the Lines. There will also be an open mic for poets, and a short workshop.

Also, advance notice of my next reading, Love is all you need... This will be held at Teynham Library, 20th June at 11.00. The event is free, there will be refreshments, music from Bob Carling, and an open session for poets. I believe this is the first event of this kind at Teynham library, and hopefully the first of many.

2 April 2009

I attended the last of the Creative Writing readings at the University of Kent this week, a reading by Marina Warner, which included a story about a mermaid. Interesting for a friend and myself who are lapsed members of Medway Mermaids women's writing group - we are strictly dry land now, but who knows when our fins might regrow, given the right circumstances. My favourite reading of the series was by Brian Dillon who read from his memoir In the Dark room: a Journey in Memory. Not only was the content deeply fascinating - as much a meditation on memory as a memoir - but the man himself is witty, learned and self-effacing. The book is currently out of print, but can be found through sites such as Amazon and abebooks.

The Spring edition of Conversation Quarterly is now online and available to download (for free as usual) at http://conversationpoetry.co.uk
My poem 'Car on a country footpath' appears in this edition. More details of all contributors on the events/readings page.

Good news about the Poetry Editors' Day (as mentioned in the previous entry) - this has been repackaged and moved to Waterstone's, Rose Lane, Canterbury, now running on 19th April, with a workshop at 2.00pm and a reading later that afternoon. More details on the events and readings page.

There are also some new additions to the Favourites page - some great opportunities for online publishing and workshopping. Thanks to Heidi Colthup for this information.http://farmyardtales-chickenlady.blogspot.com/

23 March 2009

Thanks to all who attended the event at the Polka Dot Art Centre on Saturday. The event was a mixture of poetry and music - the first of its kind at the gallery - to tie in with the Spring Art Fair, displaying work by local artists. What a lovely audience in the fab setting of the gallery. Sioux and Colin from Polka Dot hope to have some future music and poetry events, so watch this space.

My next reading is at Teynham library on 20th June at 11.00. Bob Carling, my partner and soon-to-be husband, will be performing music at this event. He has lost his name in the parish magazine advertising the event - he is now 'local poet Maria McCarthy's husband'. Oh dear!

News from June English - sadly, the Editors' Day has been cancelled. This would have been a chance to meet and workshop with editors of poetry magazines. It seems that the financial crisis is inhibiting people from spending money on such events.

New poetry on the  Poems and Stories page. These have been written since I moved to Teynham 5 months ago. It's a difficult time, getting into a new writing routine when you move house. I used to walk across the River Medway (by bridge, not on water!) and write in the cafes of Rochester. No cafes in Teynham, so I am adjusting to writing at home, though the occasional train journey seems to get the rhythms of poetry in my head. Does anyone else find this? I heard Sarah Salway -  www.sarahsalway.com -  read last week, and she said that she finds it easier to write away from her own clutter. There is something in this. How attractive the housework can seem, too, when there is writing to be done.

23 Feb 2009

Thanks to the small but appreciative audience that attended our Valentine's Day event at Faversham library. I was very pleased to meet Kate Adams and Amal Gurnham, both of whom brought along some of their own poetry, which most most impressive. We have been asked to hold another poetry and music event at Teynham library in June. But before then, I shall be taking part in an event at the Polka Dot Art Centre, London Road, Teynham on March 21st. This is from the Polka Dot News:

Saturday 21^st March
Poetry and Music from 3-5pm
Featuring classical, jazz and blues vocalist Rachel Bradley, folk singer and guitarist Bob Carling, and poetry and short fiction readings by Maria McCarthythey will be playing throughout the gallery. These  are great entertainers who have recently moved to Teynham from Medway  so lets really make them welcome. Just Turn up, tune in and enjoy

More details of the Polka Dot Vernal Equinox New Beginnings Art Fair on the Events/Readings page. There is also news of an International Women's Day event, An Editors' Day for poets, and the latest from Applehouse Poetry online workshop.

2 Feb 2009

Greetings, on a snowy day in Kent. I went to see Richard Thompson's 1000 years of music in Canterbury last night. Some surprising choices of songs to represent the last 1000 years, ranging from madrigals, to Gilbert and Sullivan, to Abba and Nelly Furtado. Highly recommended.

The next Orange St poetry event is this Sunday, 8th Feb. There are more details on the Events/Readings page. There is also news of a series of readings at the University of Kent. The next event , on 10 Feb, features Maureen Freely and Abdulrazak Gurnah.

Please also come along to my event, 'I Wouldn't Thank you for a Valentine', on 14 feb at Faversham library. Details below and on the Events/Readings page

16 Jan 2009

Lots going on in Medway and Swale during January and February. There is news of open readings and a poetry 'Sunday Service' in Rochester on the Events and Readings page.
Also, please put the following event in your diary...

‘I Wouldn’t Thank You For a Valentine’*

 

Maria McCarthy will read from her own work and selected poems by other writers

 

On Saturday 14^th February 2009

 

At 2.00 pm

 

at Faversham Library

 

Followed by an open session for poets

 

Bring along a poem to read on the theme of love (for or against!)

 

Plus music from Bob Carling

* From the poem by Liz Lochhead

There is also news of a new website www.reviewage.net , and a link to the latest edition of Conversation Poetry Quarterly. Again, on the events and readings page.

An interesting comment from poet Ruth Padel on Desert Island Discs this morning: 'Poets always go on about money because we don't get very much'. It brought in mind another quote. I can't recall who it's by: 'There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money.

1 Jan 2009

Canterbury Poets, Save As and Conversation Quarterly are holding their 6th event at Orange St Music Club, Canterbury on Sunday 11 January starting at 6.00pm. Click here for more details

31 Dec 2008

Greetings to you all on this, my last entry for 2008. I am of the opinion that New Year's Eve is just  the night before a new day, and that new year's resolutions are made to be broken by Jan 31st at the very latest, So I won't be getting tipsy and texting the world, so clogging up the phone networks. I shall be spending some time thinking about new projects and how to avoid the January slump. January is the time of year when I have problems writing, and consider giving it all up. Then I remember that it's only the January slump, that it happens every year, and I get writing again. Determined not to even get slightly slumpy this time.

My own plans for 2009 (apart from getting married to my lovely Folkbloke in May), are to move on with my short story collection and to send some more poems out to magazines. I am also hoping to put on a couple of events for local libraries and at the Polka Dot Centre in Teynham. There may be an (anti-) Valentine's event at Teynham library where I will be reading and inviting people to bring along love or anti-love poems. This is yet to be confirmed. I have also been asked to be guest poet at one of the Canterbury Poets events at Orange St Music Club. Date yet to be arranged.

There is news of Swale Arts events and the Mslexia Short Story Competition on the Events/readings page.

Also on the Events page is a link to a photo of my brother, Jamie McCarthy, as a violin-playing stag in the wonderful production, Brilliant, which had very good reviews in the Guardian. Great antlers, Jamie, and congrats to all the cast and lighting/stage crew.

8 Dec 2008

A reminder of the Save As poetry event this Sunday, 14 Dec at Orange St Music Club. Followed, as always by a music open mic. Poetry starts at 6.00pm, and music at about 8.30. There is also an open mic at The Smack, Whitsable, every Weds, which is well worth going to.
 I have come across this weird and wonderful site run by Barry Hutchings, of particular interest to my Medway readers http://www.banthemindreader.co.uk

3 Dec 2008

Thanks to the Stubborn Mule Orchestra guys (Gary Studley, Luigi Marchini and Chris Hobday) for their event at Faversham library last night, along with Sittingbourne and Sheppey writers. I had the chance to try out a new poem at the open mic, and to meet some local poets and poetry lovers in my new area. I was rather taken by the man wearing a cape; maybe that's what you wear to Arts events in these here parts...

The next event of note is the launch of 'Between the Lines', the Save As Writers' anthology. Save As has been meeting for some 7 years, and this is their first publication as a group. I'm hearing good things about this group, and hope to get along to a meeting in the New Year. The launch takes place at Orange St Music club, Canterbury, 14 December at 6.00 pm. Doors open at 5.30. I am told that there will also be a guest poet spot featuring Patricia Debney, Canterbury laureate, and one of my tutors at the University of Kent. Patricia first taught me on a Certificate course back in 2002, and later saw me through two modules of the MA in Creative Writing.

25 Nov 2008

Roger McGough, Hillaire Belloc and Attila the Stockbroker

Last week I had an encounter with Attila the Stockbroker, punk performance poet, at Faversham Folk Club. He's loud, he's rude, he's funny, yet strangely cuddly. His two great role models are Joe Strummer, late of the Clash, and Hillaire Belloc, late poet of cautionary  tales. He said, during the first set, that he had been inspired by the Mersey Sound: Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri. But his left wing views did not allow him to congratulate Roger McGough for his OBE, and he had written a poem about it.  I spoke to him during the interval about McGough and Belloc. The Mersey Sound: Penguin Modern Poets 10, was the first poetry book I bought, aged 13. I still have that copy on my bedside table. I also remembered, by heart, a Belloc poem I learnt as a child: 'Matilda, who told lies and was burnt to death'. To my delight, Attila joined me in a recitation of the poem. He remembered it better than me, but I wasn't bad considering I learnt it some 40 years ago. Hear some of Attila the Stockbroker's poems on www.myspace.com/attilastockbroker

My books now available at the Poetry Library

Copies of Learning to be English and Nothing But are now available to borrow from the Poetry Library at the South Bank Centre www.poetrylibrary.org.uk

and some comments on them from Moniza Alvi...

I sent copies of my books to Moniza Alvi, one of my favourite poets, having met her at a reading recently. She was kind enough to email me the following: "I certainly do remember 'July 1969' [the poem was shortlisted for a competition, which Moniza judged] - it was so sharp and moving. In fact so many of your poems are sharp and moving, richly suggestive with evocative details. I alighted on 'Flowerpot' in Learning to be English - a very surprising, quietly devastating poem!"

Thanks to all the visitors to this site. Numbers rising every week, and from as far afield as Australia and Canada.

Please check out the Events/Readings pages for news of Threshold: an series of intimate performances in domestic settings in East Kent.

10 Nov 2008

Heads up to the Save as and Conversation Quarterly poets for their monthly poetry event at Orange St Music Club, Canterbury. The event last night featured Canterbury poet of the year, Sue Rose, poets from the Scatterlings collective, guest poet Nancy Charley, music from Steve Antoni, and an open mic for poets. This is followed by a music open mic from 8.30pm, run by CJ and Nick. Poets are also welcome at the later event.

Please check out details of the Writers Rendezvous meeting in Rochester, the latest from Conversation Quarterly and news of the Write Now! event at Faversham library.

Please go and see the War and Peace installation at the Polka Dot Art Centre this month. It's a moving, interactive exhibition, where you are encouraged to open drawers and boxes, read letters and handle other wartime memorabilia. It is also hoped that visitors will bring their own memories and memorabilia to add to the exhibition. I brought my poem, Remembrance, along and was invited to read it.

Details on the News and Events page.

7 Nov 2008

With it being Remembrance Day soon, here is a poem I wrote after walking in on a Remembrance Day service in the Civic Centre, Strood, a couple of years ago. The two minutes silence is used so much these days, we are sometimes annoyed by the delay to our day when caught in a supermarket queue, for example, for two minutes silence. Here are my thoughts as the two minutes progressed:

Remembrance

‘Men marched on asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, bloodshod.’*

A face freezes by the porthole glass,
barred entry for two minutes,
while we, who have chanced
on the scene, are forced into the service.

Head bowed, attempting reverence
I contemplate my shoelace,
and ponder the meaning of silence –
of how it never is – and think of John Cage

and his four minutes however many seconds.
A song dances in my head.
I cannot remember the dead,
distracted by the cut of women’s skirts,

the design of a man’s glasses,
the leaflets in the lobby
and the fact that the priest
read “et” in the poem incorrectly,

the French way. Then I remember “blood-shod”,
and think of following the wagon with the dead,
and know the folly of the words, however read,
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

Maria McCarthy

* From ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfrid Owen.
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori: It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.

3 Nov 2008

Back from a lovely country walk near my new house, and thinking about the Carol Ann Duffy reading in Deal last night. It's hard not to gush when you you meet your heroes, so I tried to contain myself when I asked Carol Ann Duffy to sign my copy of Rapture. I told her that I read it when I was first in love, two years ago. 'Are you still in love?' she asked. 'Oh yes', I said. 'Long may it last,' she said', and at that point my partner, Bob, came and joined me. 'You look after her', she said to him. He then endured the journey home with me reminding him: 'Carol Ann Duffy said you have to look after me.'  Luckily he enjoyed the reading as much as I did. I was delighted to hear 'Prayer', which is one of my favourite poems, and a selection from The World's Wife.

Review in the Frogmore Papers

I was pleased to read the following review, by Alexandra Loske, in the Frogmore Papers, Issue 72:

"Nothing But by Maria McCarthy

Nothing But is a privately printed and distributed pamphlet by an author also known as a writer for BBC's Home Truths programme and, quirkily, her obsession with Led Zeppelin. On her various websites she freely admits to love watching ER and browsing charity shops, but also endearingly informs is that she 'writes in A5 spiral bound notebooks with a well-sharpened pencil'. Her sharp pencil works well in this exquisite pamphlet. Though not all poems transcend the the experimental stage that conjures up unedited scribblings in her A5 notebook, many of them have a freshness, depth and immediacy that makes a good pamphlet so enjoyable. 'Mitchelstown', her sequence of poems dealing with a journey to her father's hometown in Ireland stands out in its roundedness and consistency of imagery. Maggie Drury's woodcuts in the cover are a bonus treat."

read more about the Frogmore Papers on www.frogmorepress.co.uk

1 Nov 2008

There is news of the Your Messages creative writing project taking place in November, an exhibition at the Polka Dot Art Centre, Teynham and the next Poetry night at Orange St Music Club, Canterbury, all on the Events and Readings page.

30 October 2008

Hello again. I am back online after two weeks without internet access during my house move. The site will be updated in the next few days. In spite of the move, I have been feeding my muse by attending poetry readings by Moniza Alvi and Marianne Boruch, and I shall be going to see the wonderful Carol Ann Duffy at Deal Town Hall this weekend. I have carved my pumpkin and have my trick or treat sweets ready for any spooky callers. Happy Halloween to you all.
Maria

28 September 2008

There is a review of Claire Keegan, Anne Enright and William Trevor at the Small Wonder Short Story Festival on the reviews page.

12 September 2008
News of Applehouse Poetry workshop and the new Mitchelstown International Story Prize are on the Events/readings page.

The Poetry Library

Based at the South Bank Centre in London, the Saison Poetry Library houses the Arts Council Poetry Collection, and hosts an online archive of poetry magazines. I visited the library this week, and met an American poet, Jack Anderson. 'Us poets, we're shameless,' he said, as we both searched for our own poems in the library (his in book form, mine in various poetry magazines). How true... but the joy of finding your work in a library!

www.poetrylibrary.org.uk

www.poetrymagazines.org.uk

3 September 2008

There is a new piece, On Characters and Family, an the reviews/memoir page. This is aimed at writers who are fearful of using real life stories in their fiction. There is also a new poem on the Poems and Stories page, Coats, written in response to the last of my children leaving home.

27 August 2008

News of a poetry reading at Waterstone's Canterbury and of a new prose and poetry competition are on the News and Events page. I am in the process of trying to move house, so I shall post some new material on the site once I am less busy. Medwaymaria will be living in Swale in future. I shan't be changing my name though; you can take a woman out of Medway, but you can't take Medway out of the woman.

9 August 2008

A cheer went up for After the Fire at Matalan... See my poem on the Poems and stories page.

4 August 2008

Read my account of visiting the Climate Camp at Kingsnorth on the Reviews/Memoir page

31 July 2008

I was shocked, but not surprised to hear about the women who were locked away between 1910 and the late '70s because they were typhoid carriers. They were kept in Long Grove hospital, a mental asylum in Epsom, the town where I grew up. They were not mentally ill when they went in, but the prison-like conditions and isolation they suffered sent many of them mad. Some remained lucid and all too aware of how they were being kept. Many of my family members and friends worked in the asylums in Epsom, so I heard stories of people who should never have been locked away. I became used to such tales, but they never fail to sadden me. Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7528045.stm

13 July 2008

Conversation Quarterly - new edition

Issue 4 of the online poetry journal, Conversation Quarterly, is now available at http://conversationpoetry.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/conversation-summer-08.pdf 

It features the work of Canterbury and Medway poets, including my poem 'Blithe Spirits.' Submissions for the next edition are now being accepted.

13 July 2008

Free course for people working, or wishing to work, in the creative industries

A new venture has been launched by, amongst others, University of Kent. Some courses are free for a short while. http://www.creativebusinessproject.com/

21 June 2008

Spam, spam, spam, spam…

On 17 June my hotmail account was hacked into, and all the contacts in my address book were sent an email saying that I was stranded in Nigeria and needed them to send me £2000. The phone started ringing and texts bleeping to alert me, including a call from my ex-husband, who I rarely speak to on the phone. My first thought was ‘who’s’ died?’ Each caller thought they were the first to tell me, and whilst it was kind of them, it was exhausting trying to deal with the problem and with the phone calls.

It took me several hours to get back into my account (my password and personal details had been changed), and then there were all the reply emails to deal with: are you really stranded?; I’ve had this hoax email; this doesn’t read like you, the English is too poor.

What did it achieve? Nowhere in the email did it say where to send the money to. Several days later, I am still getting calls and mails about it, and I have changed my email address to a more secure account. It’s taking ages to transfer my addresses.

The funniest thing was my brother-in-law, who lives in Australia, phoned my sister in some distress saying Maria is stranded in Niagara, we need to send her money. Sadly, no one sent me £2000, but it’s not too late…

Swapping books with John Agard

I was really thrilled to meet the poet John Agard at the University of Kent this week. Following his performance I wanted to buy one of his books, and to give him copies of my books. He insisted that we do a straight swap, and that I sign my books for him. What a generous gesture. Thank you, John.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Agard
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth162