POPULARITY
Brian Johnstone (1950 - 2021) was a poet and former director of the StAnza poetry festival. In this archive podcast he discusses the highlights of his StAnza career, what he thinks makes a good poetry festival, his own work and his creative improvisations as part of jazz-poetry combo Trio Verso. Featuring the tracks ‘Storm Chaser' and ‘The Sound of Breaking Glass'. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.
Here we talk to Ewen Maclean who helps to organise the Bike Bus at James Gillespie's Primary and the benefits that active travel brings.
Tusiata Avia is a poet and performer from New Zealand and a recent Fulbright Pacific Writer at the University of Hawai’i. She performs her poems and talks with Ryan Van Winkle about her work and influences, including how she rediscovered poetry in her 30s. Her two collections of poetry are Wild Dogs Under My Skirt (2004) and Bloodclot (2009). David Stavanger aka Ghostboy is a poet and one of Australia’s premier young adult and children’s spoken word presenters. As well as reading a few of his poems, David also talks about his love of poetry, how he is developing his voice and the way he plays with genre and audience expectations. We also include one of his music tracks with the Golden Virtues, 'The Woman Who Is All Heart'. http://www.ghostboy.net Presented by Ryan Van Winkle http://www.ryanvanwinkle.com. Produced by Colin Fraser of Culture Laser Productions http://www.culturelaser.com. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Erín Moure discusses her recent book The Unmemntioable, an exploration of her complex family history and subsequent travel to western Ukraine. In conversation with Ryan Van Winkle at the StAnza poetry festival, where she was the poet in residence, they discuss "how you can identify who you are and where you come from when your mother says you come from nowhere." And nowhere, she discovered, was western Ukraine. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle http://www.ryanvanwinkle.com @rvwable Produced by Colin Fraser of Culture Laser Productions htto://www.culturelaser.com @culturelaser. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan Van Winkle discusses language identity, Singapore literature and poetic practice with Alvin Pang at the StAnza 2013 poetry festival. We get a chance to hear a few of Alvin's poems and a selection from his anthology TUMASIK: Contemporary Writing from Singapore. Alvin talks to Ryan about how Seamus Heaney has influenced his work, his grandmother's deadly Cantonese aphorisms and he reads a poem of his written in the distinctive unofficial language of Singapore, Singlish. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser of Culture Laser Productions @culturelaser. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Former Poet Laureate of the United States Robert Pinsky discusses poems, poetry readers, jazz and his curious family history with Ryan Van Winkle. He talks about his enthusiasm for his Favorite Poem Project - "For me a poem is a work of art that's so intimate and so internal that its medium is any reader's voice." In a wide ranging interview, he speaks about his formative years - "I grew up among very verbal, eloquent, skilful joke tellers and complainers and arguers and liars" - and the way he tries to capture music in language. He also reads a number of his poems and talks about his passion for poetry. "I never defended poetry. I don't believe in commercials for poetry. It is so fundamental, so large, so central... It's an insult to poetry to advocate for it or defend it." Photo by Jared C. Benedict under a Creative Commons on Wikimedia. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Dael Allison takes us on an adventure in this episode as she discusses itinerant painter Ian Fairweather and reads a selection of poems from her collection Fairweather's Raft. Fairweather's story is a fascinating one - he travelled through Asia and Australia in the 30s and 40s and embarked on an epic raft journey at the age of 60 from Darwin to Timor. Recorded in Darwin at the WordStorm Festival. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan chatted with SJ Fowler and Tomasz Rozycki during the Sofia Poetics Festival with Literature Across Frontiers. We get a chance to hear them reading from their work and they discuss their individual approaches to their work. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Rozalie Hirs, poet and composer of chamber, vocal and electroacoustic works, discusses her work with Ryan at the StAnza poetry festival. We also include snippets from her pieces In LA and Bridging Babel. Find out more about Rozalie and her work at http://www.rozalie.com/ Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan Van Winkle chats to poets Ken Arkind and Jon Sands during their recent UK tour. They discuss their poetry workshops, what they think about slam poetry and we get a chance to hear them read. Ken is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and full time touring artist who has performed across the US, been published in numerous anthologies. Jon is a full-time teaching & performing artist. His first full collection of poems, The New Clean, was released in 2011 from Write Bloody Publishing. He is currently the Director of Poetry Education at the Positive Health Project. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan chats with Ghanian-born, Jamaican-raised Kwame Dawes. He is a poet of great strength, generosity and kindness, and takes the reader to places very few writers in English are capable of going. His work on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica (http://livehopelove.com/) won him an Emmy award for New Approaches to News and Documentary Programming, and drew much needed attention to a situation that had yet to be fully articulated to a large audience. In this podcast Kwame talks about his life in Jamaica, the country's transition away from its socialist years and its slow struggle to cope with its sufferers of HIV/AIDS, the responsibility of poets in times of political and social difficulty, and his experiences as a self-assessed 'bad journalist'.Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Photo: Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Ryan chats with Vermont poet Mary Ruefle about craft, visual poetry and her approach to writing. She also reads a number of her poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle @rvwable. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan recently visited the Clunes Booktown Festival in Australia, where he met multitalented poet, novelist, screenwriter, librettist, songwriter and doctor Peter Goldsworthy. They discuss his thoughts on narrative compression and his preferred modes of writing, his love of eastern European poetry, inventing translations, achieving your voice through imitation, Australian identity and why he doesn't want to work full time as a writer. Peter also reads a number of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Gregory O'Brien recently visited the Scottish Poetry Library and we took the opportunity to have a chat about his remarkable journey to the Kermadec islands. He talks about how he got involved in the project, which was organised by PEW Environment Group and reads some of the work which came out of his involvement. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Links: http://www.thekermadecs.org/ and http://vimeo.com/33871056
In the last of our StAnza 2012 triptych we sit down with Michael Symmons Roberts. In a wide ranging discussion, he talks about poetry as a process of discovery and connection making, poetic license, genomics, the ethics of drugs companies, collaboration, hotels, civil war and being asked to write a poem for a 9/11 anniversary. Michael also reads from a number of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Photo: Martin Bence
We chatted with Hilary Menos, winner of the Forward Prize for First Collection, at the StAnza 2012 poetry festival in St Andrews. She discusses, among other things, people reading personal things into poems, farming, her editing process and the gestation process of her poems. She also reads a number of her poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan talks with Lavinia Greenlaw at the StAnza 2012 festival in St Andrews. They discuss landscape, distance, fruitful misreading, the relationship of image and self, being labelled a particular kind of writer, finding the right fit for a collection and the long gestation involved in writing some poems. She reads a selection of poems including some from her recent Casual Perfect. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
In the last of our podcasts recorded in San Francisco, we meet up with Greg Wrenn, winner of Brittingham Prize in Poetry and Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Greg talks about how his method of writing relies very much on not being prescriptive and talks us through how he approaches his work. A refreshing insight into the work of a young poet, Greg also reads a selection of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Matthew Siegel, a poet and essay writer from New York living in San Francisco, chats with Ryan Van Winkle. They discuss how his poetry is informed by the body and how, for him, "real life is poems". He discusses how drawing from his own life informs his work and reads a number of poems from a forthcoming collection. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Photo: Karl Orvik. Visit Matthew's website: http://www.matthewsiegel.us/
Martin Figura's Whistle, which centres on his mother’s death at the hands of his father when he was nine years old, is a remarkable fusion of theatre and spoken word. We caught up with Martin at the StAnza 2012 festival in St Andrews. He reads some of his poems and discusses his approach to the show with Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan talks with Robyn Creswell, poetry editor of The Paris Review. They discuss his interest in modernism in Arabic poetry, his thoughts on editing and how rap songs were his nursery rhymes. Robyn also reads some poems from recent issues of The Paris Review. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
CD Wright - recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, winner of the Griffin Poetry Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award - talks with Ryan about her award winning One With Others, which explores the civil rights movement in the US. As well as reading excerpts from One With Others and other work, Ryan chats with CD about poetry and politics, her method of working and the influence of her Arkansas upbringing. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Photograph: David Shankbone http://blog.shankbone.org/about/
Adam Zagajewski - recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship, nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature - talks to Ryan at the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival about poetry and success, including how long you can feel pleased about prizes and reviews. According to Adam, it is a surprisingly short period of time. We also get the chance to hear a few of his poems and his thoughts on creative writing, melancholy and craft. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Photo from Wikimedia user Slawek's http://www.flickr.com/photos/znani/
Ryan seeks out the peace and quiet of Cecilia Woloch's pick-up truck in LA. They discuss how travel affects her work and how her attitude to insects changed after living in the Carpathian mountains with the author of The Worm Eater's Handbook: A Guide to the Edible Insects of Poland. As well as reading a number of her poems, Cecilia also talks about the novel which inspired her to become a poet, her community work and the writers which have inspired her. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Jane Hirshfield reads some of her poems and chats with Ryan at her home in California, where she has often been influenced by whatever is at hand. In a wide ranging discussion, Jane discusses what inspires her to write, her thoughts on occupy writers, politics, solitude, spirituality, strangeness in poetry and translation, among other things. Jane will appear at the Scottish Poetry Library on 13th April. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Find our more about Jane on the SPL website http://bit.ly/I4OTdo Photo: Nick Rosza
Gabrielle Calvocoressi reads from and discusses poems from her first collection The Last Time I saw Amelia Earhart which includes a series of persona poems, as well as her response to a rejection letter which formed the impetus for excluding pronouns from her second collection Apocalyptic Swing. She also talks about, among other things, her interest in small towns and how poems can function like small communities and how this this affects the ethics and politics of poetry. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
We talk with San Francisco based writer Joseph Lease who reads and talks about a number of his poems. He chats to Ryan about elegy, his rediscovery of the Beat poets in his 30s, his interest in Renaissance poetry and how one of his poems was written with the aid of a tape recorder. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
In the second of our podcasts from poets who took part in the Creer translation workshop, we chat with Isle of Lewis born poet Ian Stephen about the sea, translation, narrative and the challenge of working in different mediums. We also get to hear a few of Ian's poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
Every year the SPL teams up with Literature Across Frontiers to bring poets from different countries together to participate in a week of translation workshops in Crear. We chat with one of the 2011 participants, Maltese poet Adrian Grima, who is co-ordinator of Mediterranean cultural organisation Inizjamed which he co-founded in 1998 and which organises the annual Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival. We get to hear him reading poems in Maltese with translations from Miriam Gamble (read by Ryan) and Ian Stephen and he discusses poetry, language and place. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
Young Dawkins, winner of the 2011 Scottish Slam Championship, chats with Ryan about the trajectory of his work, his views on the Beat poets, love, life and his approach to writing. We also get to hear a few of Young's poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
Collaborative projects involving poetry with other art forms provides the focus of this week's episode. We chat with filmmaker and artist Alastair Cook about his fascinating filmpoem project, which produces beautiful films that arise out of a unique meditation between film, poetry and music. Check out his http://www.filmpoem.com. We also chat with Ken Cockburn who discusses his artistic collaboration with Alec 'Eck' Finlay, The Road North, which exhibited at the library last year. For more information head to: http://www.theroadnorth.co.uk/ Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Poet, musician, editor and broadcaster Donny O'Rourke talks about Scottish poetry, Scottish identity and Scottish nationalism with Ryan Van Winkle. Editor of the prominent 1994 Scottish poetry anthology Dream State, Donny discusses it and his views on politics, poetry and how the 1970s referendum on devolution influenced his generation of poets and what he thinks of the contemporary poetry scene. Including poems and songs read and sung by Donny. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats with the Poet Laureate of New Zealand, Ian Wedde. They discuss his book, Commonplace Odes, inspired by Horace and he reads a couple of poems from it as well as a few from other collections. He also talks about why he gave up writing for a prolonged period and his plan as Poet Laureate to offer a platform for writers to explore collective memory based on material in the National Library of New Zealand. Find out more on the Poet Laureate website, http://nzpoetlaureate.natlib.govt.nz/ We also include a new track from Small Feet Little Toes called 'I Like You'. Check out her Soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/small-feet/ Presented by Ryan Van Winkle from the Poets House in New York City. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
In May this year the Scottish Poetry Library teamed up with Reel Festivals to produce a series of events centred around writers and artists from Lebanon, Syria and Scotland. This podcast features snippets in Arabic and English from readings, interviews and panels that took place in Edinburgh and Beirut during the festival. You'll hear Golan Haji and Rasha Omran from Syria, Yehya Jaber and Mazen Maarouf from Lebanon and Scottish writers Tom Pow, Emily Ballou, William (Billy) Letford and Ryan Van Winkle. A free eBook in English and Arabic is available of all the poems read on this podcast from http://www.reelfestivals.org Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com. SPL Twitter: @byleaveswelive
We chatted with the editor of Anything, Anymore, Anywhere and author of too ok, Colin Herd. He tells us what he looks for in submissions and how his own changing aesthetic preferences influence his choices and how the process of editing affects him as a writer. Colin also reads a number of his poems and tells us a little about his own poetry influences. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @byleaveswelive
The poet and translator Matthew Zapruder reads a few of his poems and discusses his views on poetry, including his own response to the Occupy Wall Street movement, 'Poem for Plutocrats'. Find the updated version here: http://occupywriters.com/works/by-matthew-zapruder They discuss Matthew's editorial work with Wave Books, including his anthology of political poetry and muse poets writing about being poets. We also get to find out the story behind his deceptively non-haiku poem, 'Haiku'. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Twitter: @anonpoetry and @byleaveswelive. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan chats to the author of All American Poem, Matthew Dickman, in a noisy cafe across the road from the New York Public Library. They discuss pop culture and poetry, love, favourite poets and Dickman's development as a writer, among other things. Ryan also gives a short preview of who to expect from on the podcast in the next few months. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle from Flagstaff, Arizona. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan Van Winkle chats with the author of Banana Me Beautiful, a 3 part collection by local Edinburgh writer Emily Dodd. They discuss the genesis of the project, its unique construction and we also get the chance to hear Emily reading from the book. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine. Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Music by Ewen Maclean. Photograph by Chris Scott @chrisdonia.
Ryan chats with Rachael Boast at the Edinburgh International Book Festival just before the two of them were due to read. Rachael talks through some of the ideas behind her Forward Best First Collection prize winning Sidereal, discusses her interest in time, why astrology shouldn't really be used to predict things and how writing poetry is like playing a piano with your eyes shut. Interview by Ryan Van Winkle. Presented and Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @anonpoetry and @byleaveswelive
Ryan chats with the wonderful Degna Stone at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. They discuss feminism, rejecting poetry, rediscovering poetry, the relationship between a poet and her poetry, performance and developing as a writer. We also get the chance to hear a number of Degna's poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @anonpoetry
Ryan chats with translator and poet Anna Crowe about her award winning pamphlet 'Figure in Landscape'. Anna reads from the collection, discusses the need for distance in writing about place, the influence of art in poetry (especially Catalan artist Andreu Maimó) and the process of self-translation. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @anonpoetry
We feature two upcoming poets on this week's podcast. The first is Richie McCaffery, whose first pamphlet will be published by Happenstance Press next year. The second is Henk Rossouw, who featured on our Emily Dickinson podcast - this time we have the opportunity to listen to him read his own work. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
We chat with the illuminating Brian Holton at the StAnza poetry festival in St Andrews. He gives us the chance to hear some of his superb translations into English and Scots of the Chinese poet Yang Lian and he discusses translation, ideas of exile and the evolution of modern Chinese poetry with Reader in Residence Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk @anonpoetry Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats to Bristol based poet David Briggs about selling his blood, new age travellers, owning his own bar and the intricacies of assembling a poetry collection. Featuring readings from David's book The Method Men published by Salt. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Syrian poet Golan Haji joins Ryan in Beirut as part of the cultural collaboration festival of poetry, film and music Reel Festivals. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @anonpoetry and @reelfestivals
Ryan chats with Dumfries poet Hugh McMillan, history teacher, National Trust for Scotland agitator and master of the entertaining poetry reading. We get the chance to hear Hugh read a number of his poems, which range from the hilarious to the touching. Ryan also previews Reel Festivals, the film and poetry festival he has been organising in Lebanon and Scotland - check out http://www.reelfestivals.org. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats with multi-talented American poet Kevin Young about fatherhood, the blues, his most recent poetry collection, Ardency, and his role as the curator of a very special poetry library in Atlanta, Georgia. Featuring a number of great readings from Kevin. Recorded at the StAnza 2011 International Poetry Festival in St Andrews. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @anonpoetry Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
To celebrate the Genomics Forum Poetry Prize event at the Scottish Poetry Library, we chat with Sophie Cooke, novelist, poet and winner of the ESRC Genomics Poetry Prize. We get the chance to hear her read her poem and she muses with Ryan about why she is drawn to science fiction as a literary form. We also chat with the runner-up of the Genomics Prize, Russell Jones, who chats about his own fascination with the sci-fi poetry of Edwin Morgan. We also get to hear a few of Russell's poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk @anonpoetry. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
To celebrate the Edinburgh International Science Festival, we chat with two Edinburgh based writers who both talk about their involvement with the ESRC Genomics Forum. We start off with lovely science fiction novelist Ken MacLeod who chats about his Human Genre Project and Scottish science fiction poetry and finish with the amazing Tracey S Rosenberg, a novelist and poet currently concerned with medicine and poetry. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats with the playful TS Eliot Prize award winning Philip Gross. They discuss poet's notebooks, the writing process, what it is like to write for all ages and pepper their discussion with great poems from Philip's recent collections. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
At this year's StAnza poetry festival we caught up with "ringmaster of the spoken word", Bob Holman, founder of the legendary Bowery Poetry Club in New York City. Bob talks about his latest project on endangered languages as well as sharing his thoughts on sound poetry, hip hop and we get the chance to hear one of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk @anonpoetry Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Presenter Ryan Van Winkle turns the spotlight on himself for a change and recreates the reading he gave in Edinburgh this week for the launch of his first book, Tomorrow We Will Live Here. Includes themes and language of an adult nature. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
On this week's podcast, we have the great pleasure to chat with acclaimed poet Vicki Feaver. She delights Ryan with her refreshing outlook on the poetry world, her fantastic work and her very infectious sense of humour. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle aka @forpub. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk aka @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
We're up in the Black Isle this week with poet, novelist and short-story writer Angus Dunn, one of the founders of the Black Isle Words Festival. He talks about how his work comes from a sense of feeling at home in the Black Isle, why he eschews publishing a poetry collection and we also get to hear a few of his poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
In another podcast recorded at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival, Ryan speaks with poet Kate Fox about her Fringe show Kate Fox News, the trials of standup comedy and her literary work in the North East of England including the marvellous Durham book festival. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats to Donald S Murray while he was at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. They discuss his non-fiction book on St Kilda, The Guga Hunters, the importance of place in poetry, the difference between island and mainland poetry and Donald's new book which focuses on the Italian Chapel in Orkney. We also get to hear a few of Donald's poems. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Contact: @byleaveswelive or mail splpodcast@gmail.com
We've been at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this past week, and caught up with two very different poets who have been involved with the events strand the SPL has curated together with Don Paterson. The first is Lorraine Mariner, who we caught up with after her event in the Spiegeltent. The second is award winning poet Kathleen Jamie, who reads some of her remarkable new work. We also mark the passing of Scotland's Makar, Edwin Morgan, and his former editor at Carcanet, SPL director Robyn Marsack, shares a few words about Eddie. Edwin Morgan was the top trend on Twitter last Thursday - something we think he'd have been very chuffed by. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Email: splpodcast@gmail.com
Musician and journalist Chris King, co-ordinator of the amazing Poetry Scores project - http://poetryscores.blogspot.com - was kind enough to chat with Ryan over Skype to talk about his inspirational music and poetry project. They discuss his work popularising Turkish poetry, working with Australian poet Les Murray and the difficulties of producing large creative projects. We also include the track "The City Standing on its Haze" from the poetry score to The Sydney Highrise Variation by Les Murray with Three Fried Men. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry Mail: @splpodcast@gmail.com
Mario Petrucci - scientist, thinker and poet - unravels an engaging discussion with Ryan on poetry, poetics, science, the challenges of pushing the boundaries in poetry and much else. They discuss Mario's fantastic Heavy Water collection as well as his most recent, i tulips, and we pepper things with a few choice readings. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @anonpoetry and @byleaveswelive.
Brian Johnstone, poet and former director of the StAnza poetry festival, discusses the highlights of his StAnza career, what he thinks makes a good poetry festival, his own work and his creative improvisations as part of jazz-poetry combo Trio Verso. Featuring the tracks "Storm Chaser" and "The Sound of Breaking Glass". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Author and comedian David O'Doherty, past winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award, chinwags with Ryan about jazz, literature, comedy, the pressures of working in the creative industries, good stand-up, his favourite poetry and much else. Including comedy excerpts from David's new CD, "Let's David O'Doherty". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Poet, playwright, bicyclist and novelist Kevin MacNeil chats to Ryan about why he's glad he started off life as a poet, the challenges of performance and why he describes himself as a "writer" rather than a "poet turned novelist". He also tells the amazing tale of his journey cycling along the Danube on possibly the first fixed gear bike trek in that part of the world. Including a track from Kevin's band and some readings from his excellent "Love and Zen in the Outer Hebrides". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
A few months ago we travelled to Glasgow to interview The Dark Horse magazine editor and poet Gerry Cambridge. In an interview that focuses more on Gerry's role as editor rather than as poet, Ryan and Gerry talk about how the magazine got started, whether it is possible to say what an editor is looking for in a magazine and muse the general state of literary magazine culture in the UK and the US. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
This week our producer Colin Fraser comes from behind the microphone and takes the podcast reigns to introduce the SPL poet of month, Kei Miller, who appeared at last week's West Port Book Festival. We took a recording of his special event in Edinburgh Books where a captive audience was dazzled by Kei's breathtaking performance of his work. Kei is reading from his astounding new book "A Light Song of Light" which will be available to buy sometime later this month. Produced and presented by Colin Fraser. Special Guest Star: Ryan Van Winkle. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
As Ryan is away in Italy at the moment, our very own Peggy Hughes takes over the podcast reins for this week. She selects her poetry picks from last year's West Port Book Festival - Jack Underwood, Robert Alan Jamieson and Mike Stocks - and previews this year's poetry line-up at the West Port, which features some top quality free events from 24th - 27th June. More info at http://www.westportbookfestival.org Presented by Peggy Hughes. Special Guest Star: Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats with American poet and publisher Chase Twichell during her recent visit to the SPL. They discuss her ecological views, the intricacies of the poetry publishing world in the US and what it's like to release a collected works. We also get a chance to hear Chase read a few of her poems. Look out for a special telephoned-in easter egg from Paris with living legend Jim Haynes. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats with Scots poet Rab Wilson. They discuss mining, Pablo Neruda, Scots poetry, Arabic translation and we get to hear a few poems from Rab himself. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats to poet, editor, publisher and beekeeper Sally Evans about her work with magazine Poetry Scotland, the exciting poetry festival in Callander which Sally organises and we get a chance to hear a few poems from Sally herself. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
In a special podcast from the Ullapool Book Festival, we have the great pleasure to include a reading from celebrated Guatemalan Maya Indian poet Humberto Ak’abal together with his Scots translator James Robertson and English translator Rosemary Burnett. Their new book "Drum of Stone" is now out from Kettillonia. Website for this remarkable trilingual book is: http://www.drumofstone.co.uk/ Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
In an eclectic episode, we talk to exciting new poet William Letford, recent winner of the Edwin Morgan Travel Bursary, about memorising your work and the art of roofing. We also catch up with SPL podcast favourite Jim Carruth, who tells us about his 1959 jazz project. And we speak to My Kappa Roots and discuss poetry and music, as well as get the chance to listen to his track "Fleeting Like Etain". Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Scotland's Poet Laureate, Edwin Morgan, turned 90 this week and we headed over to Glasgow's Mitchell Library to celebrate his birthday with friends in the poetry world, as well as launch his latest collection of poems "Dreams and Other Nightmares". We include a few poems from this collection and chat to Alasdair Gray, Gerry Cambridge, Hamish Whyte, James McGonigal, Valerie Thornton, Gerda Stevenson, Aonghas MacNeacail, Donnie O'Rourke, JL Williams, David Kinloch and Robyn Marsack. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan visits the Southbank Centre in London for a meeting of the Global Poetry System. He chats with GPS co-ordinator and folk musician Chris Kreinczes, librarian Chris McCabe, writer Dzifa Benson, radio co-ordinator Claire McDermott and Southbank participation producer Lucy Macnab. We've got music from folk outfit Dear Winesburg and an excerpt of the amazing Bellowhead's folk opera version of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner featuring Lemn Sissay as the Mariner. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
In our second podcast from the vibrant StAnza 2010 festival we talk to two outstanding poets- Dennis O'Driscoll and Penelope Shuttle - who tell us about their experience of StAnza and poetry festivals, how poetry has reacted to the increased popularity of readings, Cornish ice-cream and what it's like to publish a first collection. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
Poets Guide to Britain presenter Owen Sheers visited the Scottish Poetry Library recently to talk about his critically acclaimed TV series and its accompanying book. In the first of our two acts we feature an excerpt from the event where Owen discusses landscape poetry, verse on film and the problems of the poetic persona. In act two, Ryan manages to extract some unusual facts from Owen's past. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail us: splpodcast@gmail.com
Recent creative writing poetry graduates Aiko Harman and Dave Coates (who also moonlights as the SPL's occasional receptionist) talk with the ever effervescent Ryan about poetry, the challenges of getting into the poetry scene and what it means to be "a Poet". We're also very happy to include the track "Two Inches Tall" from Sheila K Cameron featuring the voice of Scottish acting legend Tom Conti. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail us: splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan chats with editor and author Stuart Kelly about the poet John Berryman and they muse the current state of modern poetry, its future, the purpose of the critic and chew the literary cud. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail us: splpodcast@gmail.com
Alastair White and Sean Watson from Edinburgh based band White Heath chat music, metal, poetry and their Carry A Poem picks with our very own Ryan and we get a chance to hear their track "Election Day". And if that's not enough, we treat you to a sample of this week's Poetry Pub Quiz and offer a special prize - email splpodcast@gmail.com to enter. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @byleaveswelive, @carryapoem & @anonpoetry
Ryan sits down with Edinburgh's Makar (poet laureate), Ron Butlin, during a recent visit to a slightly noiser than usual Library (apologies for the melody of the office stapler) and discusses where his poems come from and what it's like to write for musicians - of the popular and operatic variety. We also get the chance to hear a few poems from Ron and listen to an excerpt from the short opera "The Voice Inside" by composer Lyell Cresswell for which Ron wrote the libretto. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @byleaveswelive, @anonpoetry and @carryapoem
Colin heads down to the launch of the 2010 One City One Edinburgh literature campaign, which this year is focusing on the poems we carry with us and includes a free collection of poems given out all across the city called "Carry A Poem". Including snippets from Ken Cockburn, Ron Butlin, Stuart Kelly, Sara Grady and charming couple Mark and Elena Fraser. Ryan also asks Colin what his Carry A Poem choices would be. Find out more at http://www.carryapoem.com and follow them on Twitter @carryapoem Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.
In the final part of our Highland trilogy, Ryan chats with John Glenday about what it's like to be a drug counsellor and a poet, which poem he carries with him and we get an opportunity to hear John read from new collection, "Grain", from Picador. We also have the track "Nothing to Hold Onto" by Kim Edgar, which was a response to a work by John during the 7 Short Sails project- more info on that may found at http://tinyurl.com/johnglenday and Kim's website is http://kimedgar.com Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com
In the second of our Scottish Highland trilogy of podcasts, Ryan is up in Portree chatting to Gaelic poet Maoilios Caimbeul (Myles Campbell) and English poet Mark O. Goodwin about their new book, "The Two Sides of the Pass", a conversation in poems across two languages and the landscape of the Isle of Skye. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.
In our first podcast of the year Ryan presents the first of his interviews from a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands, and he starts the ball rolling with poet, novelist and playwright Hamish MacDonald, director of the beautiful creative writing centre Moniack Mhor. We also have a haunting track from Shelia K Cameron, "Last NIght I Dreamed About Doris Lessing". Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.
We ask the fine people of the Scottish Poetry Library which poetry books they'd recommend for seasonal gifts, and Ryan catches up with multi-talented writer Kapka Kassabova for an scintillating interview. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.
Ryan chats with Francis Bickmore, senior editor at Canongate Books, and Toby Mottershead of Black Diamond Express about their favourite poem, Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". Their discussion covers Nick Cave, Iron Maiden, what we expect from literature and how poetry can fit neatly into a busy schedule, among other things. Also features the track "Jack" by Black Diamond Express. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com
In this bumper packed edition of the SPL Podcast, Ryan chats with actors Gilchrist Muir and Jamie Gordon about reciting poetry to all and sundry at the Poetry Garden in St Andrews Square. He also discusses poetry and hip-hop with multi-talented poet and performer Alasdair Maloney whose track "Thunder and Sun" with his band Sileni rounds off this week's episode. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com
Ryan catches up with American/Australian poet Emily Ballou just before her event at the SPL. They discuss what it's like to be a poet abroad, the influences on her work and her recent collection, "The Darwin Poems". We're also treated to "Bluegrass", a poem by Ryan, with musical accompaniment by Jed Milroy. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com
In this week's episode Ryan tells us about the Global Poetry System project he's been helping organise and how you can take part in it. He also catches up with poet Andrew Philip who discusses the poem that he carries with him, his views on poetry and reads us a poem from his recent collection "The Ambulance Box." Making his debut in front of the microphone, Colin speaks with another Salt Publishing poet, Julia Bird who discusses her live literature tour "You Are Here" that takes poetry into theatres in England. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com
In this episode, we feature an interview with TS Eliot award winning poet, Jen Hadfield, as well as a track from Fair Isle/Shetland musician Lise Sinclair. Our Reader in Residence Ryan van Winkle also discusses the new SPL campaign, Carry A Poem, and invites you to submit your's to splpodcast@gmail.com Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser.
Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Featuring an interview with poet Kona MacPhee, who discusses her Poem of the Week project and reads a Halloween themed poem from her new collection "Perfect Blue", which is out in February from Bloodaxe. We've also got a scary treat from Kim Tebble, who performs his "The Raven, the Knight and the Queen of the Birds". If you'd like to send us your favourite scary poem and why you like it, mail splpodcast@gmail.com Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser.
Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Featuring an interview with Iraqi-born poet Sinaan Antoon and a track from Mammoth. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.
Reader in Residence Ryan van Winkle discusses Blake's The Sick Rose with sculptor Michael Bowdidge, musing on the relationship of poetry to art and how this informs his practice, and touches upon what it means to be a donkey. Poet Robert Alan Jamieson reflects on his recent collection of poems and photographs, Nort Atlantik Drift, and shares an audio excerpt from his DVD of the same name. And Edinburgh band Saint Jude's Infirmary share their views on poetry, music and Scotland, as well as the track 'Tacoma Radar' from their recently released album This Has Been The Death Of Us. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser.
On our final festival day, we've got interviews with Hardeep Singh Kohli and Jay Parini; excerpts from today's Poetry Breakfast on whether poets or actors are better readers of verse; a chance to hear Burns expert Drew Clegg explore his love of the bard; and Poetry Cabaret with the wonderful Elvis McGonigle. With thanks to musicians Ewen Maclean and Gill Bowman for their permission to use their music in this podcast. Produced and presented by Colin Fraser for StAnza.
Ian Rankin, Roddy Lumsden and others discuss the difference between music lyrics and poetry. Robert Crawford and Angus Peter Campbell give different perspectives on Scottish Poets of the Enlightenment. Roddy Lumsden reads from his new collection Third Wish Wasted. And we visit StAnza's Poetry Market to speak to Read This Magazine, Magma and chat to Colin Will about his Homecoming Haiku challenge. With thanks to musicians Ewen Maclean and Gill Bowman for their permission to use their music in this podcast. Produced and presented by Colin Fraser for StAnza
Capturing some of the excitement of StAnza's spectacular opening evening, we have an interview with David Mach, sculptor and Burns burner; poems from acclaimed poets Bill Manhire and Kate Clanchy; music from the amazing Sheena Wellington; and the StAnza 2009 opening speech from Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. With thanks to Gill Bowman and Ewen Maclean for use of their tracks. Produced and presented by Colin Fraser for StAnza.