Diary: December 2022

The year ended as it began; with the funeral of someone I admired, who inspired me, who at times I’d been close too and yet now feel never close enough. And both departing well before time or so it feels. Left with a sense of deep loss comforted only be the fact neither will be forgotten and love is everlasting. 

After Christmas last year it felt like covid feelings seized hold of me though the tests indicated negative, so I figure that was grief playing out. So began the year weakened nevertheless looking ahead thinking I wonder what will this year bring? 

It was an unnerving yet excited feeling; not really knowing where it was going. It felt like coming out of lockdown again even though that phase had passed all I knew is I was to carry on working on my poetry with my wonderful mentor Bethany Rivers. 

I haven’t been disappointed. I attended my first Arvon at Totleigh Barton in May with tutors Liz Berry and Fiona Benson and returned in September for a course facilitated by Karen McCarthy Woolf and Mimi Khalvati.

The year has kind of wound up working with Cath Drakes Climate of Change Challenge in November and simultaneously contributing to the Poets for the Planet COPlet campaign during COP 27. I feel I’ve re-entered the world of poetry in a meaningful way after the pandemic pause. 

Managed to attend a number of book and pamphlets launches online and in the real including those of Malika’s poetry buddies; Sundra Lawrence, Peter Raynard and Joolz Sparks who respectively brought out Warriors published by Fly on the Wall Press, Manland published by Nine Arches Press, Face the Strain published by Against the Grain Press into the world. 

This October also saw the launch of Manorism by Yomi Sode, another beautiful soul from the wide Kitchen alumni, published by Penguin and shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. So congratulations all round! 

Fairy Inkcap (Coprinellus disseminatus): also known as “trooping crumble cap”, a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae.

For the first half of the year I was regularly submitting and have had a dystopian visual poem Exhibit C accepted by Sustaining All Life and in the summer informed a poem of mine, Harbingers has been accepted by the Dear Politicians eco poetry anthology to be published next year. 

So it’s been a great year for my practice and poetry family and yes now, despite the sadnesses that swells within me I’m able to think, ooooh what does next year hold?

That said if I’m honest I’d say besides all this I still feel a bit like I’m leading a bit of a lockdown life, living through screens, apart from the odd foray into town or into Brixton and that has to change. There are plans afoot to take baby steps IRL!

I’m also at this point wondering if I want to continue with this blog in this form (or at all.) The jury is out on this. Perhaps loyal followers you can help with this. Would you miss the writing prompts? The writers on writing posts?  The poems from me and others? Or a better way to put it would to welcome the continuance? 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy Christmas and new year, hope you are warm and well. 

A blog post by Anne Enith Cooper 

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Diary: October 2022

The leaves are turning though I hardly noticed summer turn to autumn, it felt so sudden. National Poetry Day, with the appropriate theme of environment on October 6th flew by. 

In the U.K. after the phenomenal meltdown of the Liz Truss Government we now have our third Prime Minister in a year with ambitious aims to have a “grown up” government. The funniest bit was when the BBC interviewer asked some Tory but how will Sunak manage to unite the party blah blah blah and the guy said, “Well he’s keeping Hunt in post and that will provide continuity and stability.” Paraphrasing. And I thought BUT HUNT HAS ONLY BEEN IN POST FOR WHAT? A WEEK?

Autumn Trails, Clapham Common, 2014. Shot with very old camera phone. Anne Enith Cooper

This month joining Cath Drakes Climate of Change Challenge. I imagine there won’t be much time for anything else and this will be brief.

OUT NOW

A new collection from one of my favourite poets, Balladz by Sharon Olds

“Sharon Olds is a long-standing influence and leader in the tradition of confessional poetry, reflecting on her own experiences with unabashed vulnerability to make larger points about gender, family, violence, and the ever-shifting world around her. In Balladz, the Pulitzer Prize winner’s 15th collection, Olds pays homage to this tradition and secures her place within it, referencing and writing in the style of Emily Dickinson as she explores the present and takes us back in time.” 

More on this and other new releases here https://www.readpoetry.com/6-october-2022-poetry-releases-to-start-the-fall-season/

COMING UP

The the launch of Manorism by Yomi Sode, another beautiful soul from the wide Malika’s Kitchen alumni, published by Penguin. All the deets here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manorism-launch-party-tickets-416930960727

While in November the Poets for the Planet launch their COPlets campaign; writing and tweeting to decision makers at COP 27 rhyming couplets.

#amreading Invisible Sun by Richard Skinner and Notes from a Shipwreck by Jessica Muckagee 

#amwriting poems amount the whole bunch of poems in the context of climate change there’s one about autumn colours and a paint hue called dead salmon. Yes really, an actual name. 

A blog post by Anne Enith Cooper 

Find my bio here

Contact me here

Back to home