How can a few words on a page or read aloud affect us so profoundly? What compels poets to share their inner worlds? Time to renew your poetic license ready to enjoy the second of two special poetry-themed episodes of the First Impressions podcast, available on Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes et al.
For Episode 16, I’m joined by poets Adrian Slatcher (from 04:37), Mike Humphreys (41:41) and Eoghan Walls (01:03:28) who share their work and talk about the craft of poetry, their numerous and diverse influences, ethical dilemmas, nature vs. ‘pylon’ poets, the merits of zines, mags and pamphlets, publishing trends, and what makes poetry such an enduring form of expression despite (or because of) its lack of commercial clout.
There is also music from Bonbon Experiment and Decaying Leather, plus news of Nb. – an exciting new zine based on Wyndham Lewis’ BLAST – and of an upcoming novel from Eoghan that bloomed from poetic roots.
Poems featured in this episode:
A bridge used to be there, someone recalled by Serhiy Zhadan (00:00:01)
Role Models in Middle Age by Adrian Slatcher (00:05:16)
Chrysanthemums by Adrian Slatcher (00:21:03)
The Catastrophe by Adrian Slatcher (00:25:51)
Toy Soldiers by Peter Humphreys (00:40:58)
Digging Holes by Mike Humphreys (00:48:34)
It’ll Never Go Dark Tonight by Mike Humphreys (00:51:15)
Little Robert by Mike Humphreys (00:53:48)
Snow by Mike Humphreys (00:56:15)
Bird on the Shore, Culzean by Mike Humphreys (00:58:15)
What are you going to do? by Peter Humphreys (01:02:30)
Insomnia and the Wolfman by Eoghan Walls (01:13:02)
Elsa Says No by Eoghan Walls (01:16:42)
Elsa on the Cough by Eoghan Walls (01:20:57)
Links to some of my guests’ publications & projects (& other sites of interest):
Adrian Slatcher
Eoghan Walls
Eoghan on Twitter
Nb. zine on Twitter
Bonbon Experiment
Some Roast Poet
More on Serhiy Zhadan
Poets for Ukraine readings, 27 March 2022
Creative Writing at Lancaster University
Manchester Poetry Library
Carcanet Press:
More on Blast! and the Vorticist Movement
