28th December 2017, The Swan Hotel, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire BA15 1LN
"If I didn't have family, I wouldn't have any poems" said guest poet Stephen Daniels at Words & Ears last night - I think many of us can identify with that (I most certainly can!). He treated us not only to poems from Tell Mistakes I Love Them, but also intriguing 'macro social commentary' ones from his next-to-be pamphlet - looking forward to that a lot. Also guest poeting were Hazel Hammond and Dru Marland. I hadn't seen Hazel's Marietta's Wardrobe collection before - what a fab way to present poems, in notelet-esque form, in a little folder - wardrobe-like, indeed, but also intriguing enough, I think, to encourage non-poets to buy a copy! Loved hearing the poems come to life - and can't wait for the related exhibition in Bristol in the spring. Long-standing Words & Ears poet Dru, meanwhile, was inspiring and funny in her unravelling of her bird alphabet from Drawn Chorus. Lots of positive feedback coming in about that today - and again, another collection with definite potential to win over fans from the non-poetry-reading folk out there.
Thanks to everyone who came along - in spite of the weather, time of year and seasonal sniffles, there was good crowd, including lots of new faces. Thanks to all the 'ears', open mic poems from Chaucer Cameron, Anna-May Laugher, Deborah Harvey, Martin Davis, Olivia Tuck, Iris Anne Lewis, John Powell, B Anne Adriaens, Sam Loveless and Mark Sayers, and the unexpected songs from Anne Gregson.
