Fire no.26

Recently I signed a contract for the on-line (at the ever excellent poetrymagazines.org.uk) publication of Fire No 26. It's nice to see the poems published again. This issue of Fire I thought was particularly strong and I was pleased to be published alongside poets such as Paul Davidson, Chris McCabe and Mario Susko. 'Like No Other' 'To A Fox' and 'Shred' were all previously unpublished poems while 'The Bath (Addendum V)' later appeared in my collection Cathedral Poems.

The Binturong Review

The Binturong Review is a new poetry magazine, co-edited by WG Find. I stumbled upon this magazine in the essential bookshop in Liverpool, News from Nowhere. I'm always pleased to see new magazines appearing. I know that Neon Highway is still available on-line, but I miss its print version.
W.G.Find tells me that a Binturong Review website is forthcoming in the new year. I for one welcome this. The edition that I picked up at News from Nowhere was packed full of decent poetry, mainly from unknowns (to me) and I look forward to seeing my work (WG Find has kindly accepted some of my work) in the next issue.
The Binturong Review costs £1 and is available in Liverpool at News from Nowhere in Bold Street.
Submissions welcome at renewbinturong@yahoo.co.uk

Poems on-line

Follow these links to view some poetry published on-line.
The fantastic resource at the Poetry Library, poetrymagazines.org.uk has the following poems on their archive:

'Little Be Cold' originally published in Orbis No.132 Spring 2005

'Like It Knows Exactly' originally published in Orbis No. 132 Spring 2005

Both of these poems originally appeared in the chapbook 'Poetry & Skin Cream' (erbacce Press, 2005).

'So Modern Everything Seems Pointless' originally published in Neon Highway No. 3 February 2003.

Music of 2006

A tradition of the music magazines of my youth (NME, Sounds and my favourite, Melody Maker) and the now more in-depth journals that I now read: Mojo and Uncut, is the end of year 'Best of' list. I have an addition to my original list, which shouldn't really be considered as I've just been put onto the CD by the Uncut 'Best of 2006' CD compilation, and my mate James, so I'll give it a mention here:
Midlake -The Trials of Van Occupanther (Bella Union)

The Music of 2006
Joanna Newsom - Ys (Drag City)
The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics (Warner Brothers)
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped (Geffen)
Epic45 - Slides (Make Mine Music)
Plumbline/Roger Eno - Transparencies (Hydrogen Dukebox)
Mogwai - Mr Beast (PIAS)
July Skies - Where The Days Go (Make Mine Music)
Mojave 3 - Puzzles like You (4AD)
The Strokes - First Impressions of the Earth (Rough Trade)
Portal- Gone but Not Forgiven (Make Mine Music)
Epic45 - Drakelow EP (Make Mine Music)
Kate Bush - Aerial disc 2 (EMI)
Mogwai - Zidane (PIAS)
Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers (Heavenly)

Englyn 2

After attending an open meeting of the Edge Hill Poetry and Poetics Research Group at Edge Hill University, with guest speaker/reader, Ian Davidson, on December 5th, I discussed the merits and difficulties of the Welsh poetry form, the englyn. Ian, who is Welsh, agreed about the difficulty of writing the englyn. I have attempted, throughout the years to write englyn, with varying levels of success. Some of these englyns have appeared in the magazine Haiku Scotland and discussing the form with the editor, Frazer Henderson, we agreed that there is nothing wrong with deviating from the strict form! Below are two of my recent englyns.

Flash of Yellow

Wrapped for quick burial flash of yellow
on wing a lightness in death
lanes split swallows fly past
as if on guard and to guide


Summer's Arc of Sun

Red brick lit from light summer's arc – of sun
rook sat on chimney stack
peaceful gaze shattered by swallow's
fighter plane attack, rook shifts

(c) Andrew Taylor 2006