A Wee Poem

Urine my thoughts
wee treasure.
I wouldn't spill a drop of you
and neither would I hold you in.
I love you
you hot, gold beauty.

HiJilled Event Manchester

At the end of the month we have a new sensation mooching its way to Manchester - Hijilled! It's nice to have something uncompromisingly female-fronted in an industry (well, dare I say, 'a world') in which men are more readily put into prominent positions.

I don't actually know all that much about the acts, but I'm still excited :) It's mainly a music-focused event, but I always find with punk that I just end up enjoying whatever/whoever's on. Maybe, in that respect, not knowing all about the acts is a good thing. One thing I will say is that the reviews section of 'The Johnnie Squizzercrow Experience' made me chuckle! But yeah, if you want to know more, click those links (couldn't find Cosmic Slop, but here's Lou McLean, and here's The Lab Rats). Otherwise, do what I'm going to do and just be prepared to be surprised and delighted :)

Sophie Sparham I know a little more about. I'm sure my sister had one of her books, Snow in Hell, if my memory serves. I've heard other people saying good things about her work too, and am generally  just keen to see what her work's like, and how the performance poetry is going to sit alongside the music. Lots to look forward to!

It's free in, by the way, and everything else you need to know is on the poster. Hope to see you there!

Asymptote Hiring!

I've followed Asymptote for a while and think they're great. Truly visionary, and you should at least take an interest.

I've also wanted to work for them for a while. It's hard not to, really, when you think about the opportunity to be immersed in so much vibrant and probing art and helping to bring it to others. I always thought it would be a bit selfish of me, to get to do what I love, but then I checked out Guy Sewell's words, which I see as a strong rallying call:

At a time when nations are increasingly looking inward and

destroying decades of hard-fought internationalism, I

consider projects such as Asymptote to be at the forefront

of a cultural and ethical resistance: an alternate vision of

artistic collaboration.

I had thought about it in softer terms, you know, bringing lightness to the dark, but this call is really more about bringing the fire to the ice. Active! Yeah!

DEADLINE MARCH 17th 2017. All other details available by clicking on the link below. Good luck!

http://www.asymptotejournal.com/join/

Robert Sheppard Symposium @ Edge Hill University

Oh gosh, is that the date already? Please forgive me for being so late to advertise this. I thought March seemed like a way off, and yet here it is, being the second day of itself already. Anyway, enough of my incredulity at time's passionless passage - if you can make it on the 8th (next Wednesday...), then do come to what promises to be a great and illuminating gathering of people, papers and presentations on the legend that is Robert Sheppard.

If you click anywhere on this whole paragraph, you'll be taken to the Edge Hill website, where you'll find all the details you'll need, and the opportunity to reserve your place. Both the presentations through the day and the reading in the evening are completely free to attend, but booking your place is what you gotta do. I just booked mine, and I'm getting excited! That's why I've knocked up this wee post, because now I've done that, it all seems very real and imminent...

I hope to see you there!