All entries for October 2009

New Works

I have two new pamphlets out over the next month.

The Rose of the Moon was one of the Templar Poetry Prize winners and will be launched at the Derwent Poetry Festival at Matlock over the weekend of 21^st - 22^nd November. I like this short book a lot. It’s vigorous and pounds with duende. You may have seen most of the poems in recent issues of Poetry Review and the current issue of PN Review carries a 420-line poem called ‘Hedgehurst’.

The other pamphlet is a quite different creature – a limited edition called The Night of the Day.

I’m sitting in front of a box of books right now. It contains fifty copies of The Night of the Day as a silver litho-print, the handwork of the genius Jane Commane of Nine Arches Press.

It is a beautiful book, and I like the contents too. They are dangerous, more personal and darker in tone. The book also contains a recently-written and therefore unpublished long sequence, written while in the midst of illness. It’s not a personal poem by any means, but I do look on it as going way out on a limb in terms of voice and technique.

This is what the publisher says about the book which will be launched in part at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival on 7^th November; then there’s a local launch at Wilde’s Bar in Leamington at 7.30 p.m. on 16th November; a London launch on 29^th November at The Bell in Aldgate; and then at Cheltenham’s ‘Buzzwords’ on 6^th December.

THE NIGHT OF THE DAY

David Morley

The Night of the Day is remarkable for the skill and grace with which it travels through the difficult territories that map a journey from darkness towards light. In this movement from out of the shadows, it engages with tricks of the light, vanishings, illusions, magic and bitter realities, whilst using the terrain of language that each necessitates.

From the brutally austere language that depicts a child’s experience of violence that opens this short collection, the poems move thematically into the natural world and the darting, shifting vocabularies of memory, friendship and loss. The Night of the Day keeps a solid and determined pace, which ultimately brings us under the canvas of the big top and into the lives of the travelling circus people, in their own words, their own voices, an undertow of threat and prejudice forever shadowing their footsteps on the road.

Available as a standard edition (£5) and also a limited number of fifty, with special silver litho-print covers, which will be signed and numbered by David Morley. These are £7 and can be reserved, so please email us to order in advance.

By post:

Nine Arches Press

Great Central Studios

92 Lower Hillmorton Road

Rugby

Warwickshire

CV21 3TF

UNITED KINGDOM

Email enquiries about the press and publications to:

mail at ninearchespress dot com

Launched November 2009

ISBN: 978-0-9560559-7-2

The Night of the Day is a special-edition Nine Arches Press pamphlet.

David Morley : 28 Oct 2009 21:02 |  Tags: Poetry Prose The Practice Of Poetry Warwick Prize For Writing |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Aldeburgh Poetry Festival Picnic

It looks like the best time for the poetry picnic (poets and punters welcome) is immediately after the reading at 12.30 on Saturday of the Festival or, if it's raining, noon on the Sunday. Bring your own fish and chips and head for the beach.

David Morley : 20 Oct 2009 16:50 |  Tags: The Practice Of Poetry |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Giving You the Bird

Writing about web page http://gistsandpiths.blogspot.com/

The excellent and always interesting "Gists and Piths" is running a mini-series of some of my unpublished bird poems [you mean there are more?] with the charming accompaniment of links to birdsong.

These concise poems were written with the movement and signature call of the species very much in mind in the rhythm and diction of the poems. Do have a look and listen when you can.

For those reading this in, like 2021 when I am long dead, the bird poems and bird links appeared in late September/early October 2009.

There are lots of other good poems and poets on this site. Read them all.

David Morley : 04 Oct 2009 20:53 |  Tags: Poetry Prose The Practice Of Poetry |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

A Right Circus

Over the latter part of the summer I've been writing about a real circus and a clown who suffers from something called narcissistic personality disorder. You can imagine the complexity of approaching this subject given the notes below. The poem is due out next Winter.

Narcissistic personality disorder is one of several types of personality disorders. Personality disorders are conditions in which people have traits that cause them to feel and behave in socially distressing ways, limiting their ability to function in relationships and in other areas of their life, such as work or school. In particular, narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by dramatic, emotional behavior, in the same category as histrionic, antisocial and borderline personality disorders. Narcissistic personality disorder treatment is centered around psychotherapy.

Narcissistic personality disorder symptoms may include:

• Believing that you're better than others
• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
• Exaggerating your achievements or talents
• Expecting constant praise and admiration
• Believing that you're special
• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
• Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
• Taking advantage of others
• Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
• Being jealous of others
• Believing that others are jealous of you
• Trouble keeping healthy relationships
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Being easily hurt and rejected
• Having a fragile self-esteem
• Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional

Although some features of narcissistic personality disorder may seem like having confidence or strong self-esteem, it's not the same. Narcissistic personality disorder crosses the border of healthy confidence and self-esteem into thinking so highly of yourself that you put yourself on a pedestal. In contrast, people who have healthy confidence and self-esteem don't value themselves more than they value others.

When you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious. You often monopolize conversations. You may belittle or look down on people you perceive as inferior. You may have a sense of entitlement. And when you don't receive the special treatment to which you feel entitled, you may become very impatient or angry. You may also seek out others you think have the same special talents, power and qualities — people you see as equals. You may insist on having "the best" of everything — the best car, athletic club, medical care or social circles, for instance.

But underneath all this grandiosity often lies a very fragile self-esteem. You have trouble handling anything that may be perceived as criticism. You may have a sense of secret shame and humiliation. And in order to make yourself feel better, you may react with rage or contempt and efforts to belittle the other person to make yourself appear better.

David Morley : 01 Oct 2009 16:33 |  Tags: The Practice Of Poetry |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem