As regular readers of this blog will know I have been attending the monthly creative writing workshops run by Tony Slides and Steve Whaling under the name of Paper Planes (www.paperplanes@hotmail.co.uk). These sessions are run in a room above Fuel Cafe (that's a place to visit in its own right!) in Withington in South Manchester. The next workshop is on August 8th starting 12 midday.
Each time we met we all write several pieces and I am usually happy enough with 1 or often 2 of them to put them, with some extra polishing, onto this blog. So immediately being at the workshop stimulates my creative writing - indeed I am often writing whilst having a pre workshop coffee downstairs in Fuel. That in itself would be enough. However the triggers that Steve and Andy use are mostly easy enough to take away and use and I have done this quite a bit recently and my Strange Days writings on this blog have been much helped by this.
But it goes further than this. We are always invited to read out what we have written and most of us do. I find it very empowering to reed my stuff out loud, I usually get a few laughs which feels good as the humour is usually there in the writing. But I genuinely like performing my work although I have yet to try out a poetic or writing audience beyond these workshops. We all make comments on each other's writing always positive not hatchet jobs. The encouragement and feedback is helpful and of course the things not said matter too.
It goes further than this we get advice about performing and publishing and we get to try out writing in ways we would never have thought about.
So over the months my creative writing has blossomed witness this blog. I have begun once again to submit the odd poem and short story for publication - scary but I am glad to be doing it again after 35 years. It has also had a big impact on my academic writing which I think has improved as a result although I have less tolerance for dry academic writing whether by myself or students. It has also helped me in turn to encourage my students to write with a more authentic voice.
The final bit of it is that I enjoy hanging out with Tony and Steve and the class members. Creative writing has led me to voice all kinds of strange aspects of my human condition some of which I wouldn't wish to meet on a dark night:) but I am as a result a fuller, richer person so going to these workshops means engaging with a fuller richer me. That is priceless.
Best to all,
Bill-on-bike
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Capsizing or not
Two hours on a dingy on Sale Water park yesterday with some light wind, sun and clouds. My delight at being back on the water was punctured and punctuated by frequent cries from my bored daughter of 'let's capsize!'
Apparently the highlight of her recent sailing course at Sale was regular experiences of being capsized. My suggestion that I throw her overboard instead were not that well received!
Having capsized the dingy when I first stepped onto it on the Norfolk Broads last summer and in the process losing my non waterproof wrist watch, my Pet Shops Boys Fundamental Tour baseball hat and my dignity I felt no joy at the thought of deliberately seeking the water. My daughter's reckless throwing her body weight around to aid possible capsizing didn't help either...
Next time she can have her own one girl dingy and capsize it to her heart's content!
There is another issue here: the business of parents and (almost) teenage children. Although we love each other deeply we have different needs and it takes a lot of creativity, tact and a certain amount of withheld annoyance on all sides to get by reasonably well. But it is well well worth it.
Apparently the highlight of her recent sailing course at Sale was regular experiences of being capsized. My suggestion that I throw her overboard instead were not that well received!
Having capsized the dingy when I first stepped onto it on the Norfolk Broads last summer and in the process losing my non waterproof wrist watch, my Pet Shops Boys Fundamental Tour baseball hat and my dignity I felt no joy at the thought of deliberately seeking the water. My daughter's reckless throwing her body weight around to aid possible capsizing didn't help either...
Next time she can have her own one girl dingy and capsize it to her heart's content!
There is another issue here: the business of parents and (almost) teenage children. Although we love each other deeply we have different needs and it takes a lot of creativity, tact and a certain amount of withheld annoyance on all sides to get by reasonably well. But it is well well worth it.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Strange days: Europe's got space talent
(Creative writing)
Central government in Iona (countries formerly known as Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire) was now operating on a hand to mouth basis. People employed in public service were rarely paid and many took to moonlighting and even more were open to at least passive if not active fraud. For example tax inspectors would turn a blind eye to unrealistic accounts and lawyers were ever ready to vary a will in favour of a client.
Collection of income tax had all but collapsed following a government decision to treat all public employees as self employed as a way to avoid the crippling costs of providing public service pensions leaving only the occasionally paid out and means tested state pension.
The government had tried to plug the short fall in in its income stream of public finances by issuing Bonds at seemingly ever increasing rates of interest (ever increasing because they were tied to the Bank rate which itself continued to rise year on year). No-one now believed that these Bonds would ever be repaid and even the interest payments were soon beyond the reach of the Treasury despite repeated devaluations of the iEuro.
So it was no surprise that reality VidTV became a form of voluntary taxation with the money from voting via mobes, twwitts, emails, back and redberries being used to fund essential projects and services. At first ti was merely things like specialist hospital services often in competition with one another and of course breast cancer and children's services always won. So when the iEuro Space Station asked to appear on 'Europes got talent' no-one expected them to win or to attract over one million iEuros. And this was to feed them and keep them generally supplied for the next year otherwise the station would have fallen out of the sky!
Their appeal to the viewers, listeners and feelers (those with the very latest tactile servers) was so poignant and the quality of their space videos and graphics was nothing short of stunning. And of course the sheer hum- and tact-ability of their retro disco song 'I'm a spacebeing yes I am' loosely based on the 1970s Monty Python Song 'I';m a lumberjack and I'm OK' won the day for them.
Central government in Iona (countries formerly known as Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire) was now operating on a hand to mouth basis. People employed in public service were rarely paid and many took to moonlighting and even more were open to at least passive if not active fraud. For example tax inspectors would turn a blind eye to unrealistic accounts and lawyers were ever ready to vary a will in favour of a client.
Collection of income tax had all but collapsed following a government decision to treat all public employees as self employed as a way to avoid the crippling costs of providing public service pensions leaving only the occasionally paid out and means tested state pension.
The government had tried to plug the short fall in in its income stream of public finances by issuing Bonds at seemingly ever increasing rates of interest (ever increasing because they were tied to the Bank rate which itself continued to rise year on year). No-one now believed that these Bonds would ever be repaid and even the interest payments were soon beyond the reach of the Treasury despite repeated devaluations of the iEuro.
So it was no surprise that reality VidTV became a form of voluntary taxation with the money from voting via mobes, twwitts, emails, back and redberries being used to fund essential projects and services. At first ti was merely things like specialist hospital services often in competition with one another and of course breast cancer and children's services always won. So when the iEuro Space Station asked to appear on 'Europes got talent' no-one expected them to win or to attract over one million iEuros. And this was to feed them and keep them generally supplied for the next year otherwise the station would have fallen out of the sky!
Their appeal to the viewers, listeners and feelers (those with the very latest tactile servers) was so poignant and the quality of their space videos and graphics was nothing short of stunning. And of course the sheer hum- and tact-ability of their retro disco song 'I'm a spacebeing yes I am' loosely based on the 1970s Monty Python Song 'I';m a lumberjack and I'm OK' won the day for them.
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Poem for Wayne
Poem for Wayne
You were my canary
In the toxic atmosphere of modern racist Britain
Listening to you
I heard your rage
And underneath felt a deep sorrow
You reminded me
Of my struggle to belong
In a world unable
To accept me as I was
I forever shaped myself
Around people’s expectations
Or rather
What I took these to be
Inside the real me
Hid away
So deep
I began to forget who I really was
If it wasn’t for spirituality
I would have lost myself
You were my canary
In the toxic atmosphere of modern racist Britain
Listening to you
I heard your rage
And underneath felt a deep sorrow
You reminded me
Of my struggle to belong
In a world unable
To accept me as I was
I forever shaped myself
Around people’s expectations
Or rather
What I took these to be
Inside the real me
Hid away
So deep
I began to forget who I really was
If it wasn’t for spirituality
I would have lost myself
Resonances
I met with a woman yesterday from a mixed race family and she spoke briefly about some of the challenges she faced including abuse from both communities. I felt a powerful sadness listening to her maybe in response to things unsaid.
That set off a chain of thoughts and feelings in me. That challenge of where do I belong which resonates so powerfully with me. Feeling like I didn't belong in my birth family and, as a child, fantasising that I was adopted. My sister seemed so much more at home than me. Learning to hide what I felt and what I was so having a secret inner world which I gradually lost touch with until the spiritual experiences started to happen when I was 21.
Never being able to comfortably locate myself as working or middle class, still not able to comfortably see myself as a Christian or not one, wondering if I am still a counsellor since when I do practice I don't feel it is kosher. I have accepted the label as 'academic' since I feel I do belong to that old tradition of eccentricity and bloody mindedness and I have been too successful to pretend to be not. Although my work remains edgy and my writing is getting less academic and hopefully more poetic!
I do feel that I learnt at an early age to shape around people's expectations of me or rather what I read those expectations to be. This shaping made it harder and harder to know what my shape is which is why spiritual experiences are so blissful for me. I feel I don't have to shape in the presence of the numinous. 'God' knows my shape there's no point in hiding. What a relief that is.
I have met people especially women who have shaped so much that they don't know who they are and what they want since they have had no practice at that.
Meanwhile I dodged the showers this morning and bits of a poem came to me on the bike which might 'shape up' later.
Best to all,
Bill on bike
That set off a chain of thoughts and feelings in me. That challenge of where do I belong which resonates so powerfully with me. Feeling like I didn't belong in my birth family and, as a child, fantasising that I was adopted. My sister seemed so much more at home than me. Learning to hide what I felt and what I was so having a secret inner world which I gradually lost touch with until the spiritual experiences started to happen when I was 21.
Never being able to comfortably locate myself as working or middle class, still not able to comfortably see myself as a Christian or not one, wondering if I am still a counsellor since when I do practice I don't feel it is kosher. I have accepted the label as 'academic' since I feel I do belong to that old tradition of eccentricity and bloody mindedness and I have been too successful to pretend to be not. Although my work remains edgy and my writing is getting less academic and hopefully more poetic!
I do feel that I learnt at an early age to shape around people's expectations of me or rather what I read those expectations to be. This shaping made it harder and harder to know what my shape is which is why spiritual experiences are so blissful for me. I feel I don't have to shape in the presence of the numinous. 'God' knows my shape there's no point in hiding. What a relief that is.
I have met people especially women who have shaped so much that they don't know who they are and what they want since they have had no practice at that.
Meanwhile I dodged the showers this morning and bits of a poem came to me on the bike which might 'shape up' later.
Best to all,
Bill on bike
Saturday, 18 July 2009
Poem: In praise of Charlie Chaplin
My own Church - Quakers is currently considering whether to extend its offering of civil partnerships for Gays and Lesbians to marriage. I am firmly committed to this form of equality which may rove to big a step for Quakers in Britain this month. Watch this space.
In praise of Charlie Chaplin*
How can I deny that I am Gay
When homophobic bullying is increasing in British schools
When the Anglican Communion world wide
Can’t accept Bishop Gene Robinson
As a holy man of God?
How can I deny that I am Gay
When Gays and Lesbians are still persecuted
And sometimes killed world wide
And can legally marry is so few states
God Bless Canada!
How can I deny that I am Gay
When I love so many Gay and Lesbian people?
And when many of the musicians and artists that inspire me
Are out - like Neil, Rufus, Stephen, Elton and Noel?
How can I deny that I am Gay
When I wept all the way through
The religious ceremony that celebrated
The civil partnership of Sean and Alistair
How can I deny that I am Gay
When misguided souls
In religion
And medicine
Still try and cure Gay people
How can I deny that I am Gay
When many of my close friends came out at university
And I couldn’t stop loving them
How can I deny that I am Gay
When my own church
Famous for its civil rights record
Still can’t yet offer
True equality to gays and Lesbians
I can’t deny that I am Gay
Until we stop treating people on the basis of their sexuality, race or colour
And instead treat them on the basis of their character.
* The comedian Charlie Chaplin was accused of being Jewish by the Nazis in the 1930s. His response was not to confirm or deny that he was Jewish so as not to ‘play directly into the hands of anti-Semites’
In praise of Charlie Chaplin*
How can I deny that I am Gay
When homophobic bullying is increasing in British schools
When the Anglican Communion world wide
Can’t accept Bishop Gene Robinson
As a holy man of God?
How can I deny that I am Gay
When Gays and Lesbians are still persecuted
And sometimes killed world wide
And can legally marry is so few states
God Bless Canada!
How can I deny that I am Gay
When I love so many Gay and Lesbian people?
And when many of the musicians and artists that inspire me
Are out - like Neil, Rufus, Stephen, Elton and Noel?
How can I deny that I am Gay
When I wept all the way through
The religious ceremony that celebrated
The civil partnership of Sean and Alistair
How can I deny that I am Gay
When misguided souls
In religion
And medicine
Still try and cure Gay people
How can I deny that I am Gay
When many of my close friends came out at university
And I couldn’t stop loving them
How can I deny that I am Gay
When my own church
Famous for its civil rights record
Still can’t yet offer
True equality to gays and Lesbians
I can’t deny that I am Gay
Until we stop treating people on the basis of their sexuality, race or colour
And instead treat them on the basis of their character.
* The comedian Charlie Chaplin was accused of being Jewish by the Nazis in the 1930s. His response was not to confirm or deny that he was Jewish so as not to ‘play directly into the hands of anti-Semites’
Friday, 17 July 2009
Biking again
Yesterday I yet again did my 54 mile training bike ride. I felt a bit sluggish or maybe the bike did but I still did the trip in 6.75 hours so only a few minutes more than my most recent trip. At 4pm it began to rain so my last 45 minutes we rather wet otherwise there was lots of cloud a bit of sun and little wind perfect conditions for me.
This exercise is great for me. These last 3 years of more biking has really changed me physically mentally and spiritually for the better. I have missed having my training runs for most of the last 6 months and vow never again, I will fit them in regularly from now on.
It empties my mind and clears my spirit. I turn all manner of stuff over in my mind (rather like turning soil over in the garden!) reach some useful insights and then things vanish from my mind. I become empty rather like being in a Quaker Meeting or doing meditation or relaxing after yoga. I cycle in beautiful and changing countryside that I know well and I can notice the changes due to the seasons and the growth and decay of nature.
I feel so well if a little bit tired today. Who knows what the future will bring so I am just so grateful for now.
Today was the final day for my daughter Grace at her primary school. Unexpectedly she won a prize from her form teacher for being the best in the class. This was prize not for academic achievement but for character. I was made up. And the prize itself was the Osbourne book of British history! Well, spot on given my daughter's love of history. It's in the genes after all on both sides!
Lots of tears among the parents there not just the children. And a prize for one of the parents which was really neat. A guy who had given so much helping train and develop the football teams in the school. A local postman too, ordinary people making a difference.
I have had a pride in what I have achieved at work but really it is the human stuff that has always mattered to me. You can select really bright people and they can achieve much academically but it is the relationships that matter to me, the human kindnesses that happen. I always say 'Hello' to Jackie and Shelley each morning and Jackie sometimes says 'Eh William, I dunno..' It's the way she says it. My old Geordie friend Steve Holland used to use the same phrase. It captures something about the human condition. It is a breathing out, a sigh, a sign of someone coping even though at times it is tough, hard work and tiring.
It is tough at times, I have been through my own struggles from time to time and still will in the future. Right now I am just thankful for what is and what I have right now. The best is a warm house, good food, good company and currently good health and music!
Best to all,
Bill on bike (well I would be if I wasn't so sore today!)
This exercise is great for me. These last 3 years of more biking has really changed me physically mentally and spiritually for the better. I have missed having my training runs for most of the last 6 months and vow never again, I will fit them in regularly from now on.
It empties my mind and clears my spirit. I turn all manner of stuff over in my mind (rather like turning soil over in the garden!) reach some useful insights and then things vanish from my mind. I become empty rather like being in a Quaker Meeting or doing meditation or relaxing after yoga. I cycle in beautiful and changing countryside that I know well and I can notice the changes due to the seasons and the growth and decay of nature.
I feel so well if a little bit tired today. Who knows what the future will bring so I am just so grateful for now.
Today was the final day for my daughter Grace at her primary school. Unexpectedly she won a prize from her form teacher for being the best in the class. This was prize not for academic achievement but for character. I was made up. And the prize itself was the Osbourne book of British history! Well, spot on given my daughter's love of history. It's in the genes after all on both sides!
Lots of tears among the parents there not just the children. And a prize for one of the parents which was really neat. A guy who had given so much helping train and develop the football teams in the school. A local postman too, ordinary people making a difference.
I have had a pride in what I have achieved at work but really it is the human stuff that has always mattered to me. You can select really bright people and they can achieve much academically but it is the relationships that matter to me, the human kindnesses that happen. I always say 'Hello' to Jackie and Shelley each morning and Jackie sometimes says 'Eh William, I dunno..' It's the way she says it. My old Geordie friend Steve Holland used to use the same phrase. It captures something about the human condition. It is a breathing out, a sigh, a sign of someone coping even though at times it is tough, hard work and tiring.
It is tough at times, I have been through my own struggles from time to time and still will in the future. Right now I am just thankful for what is and what I have right now. The best is a warm house, good food, good company and currently good health and music!
Best to all,
Bill on bike (well I would be if I wasn't so sore today!)
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