Review: Petersfield Write Angle, November
Despite competing with the Palace's performance poetry reception (200 poets) for the Queen and Duke - a poetry 'fan', November's Write Angle still managed to pull in a full house! A cold night, but a warm and welcoming evening, high in spirit.
Afric McGlinchey (above), special guest, who flew in from Ireland, read poetry with the music of Africa and Ireland – her poetry personal, erotically-charged, accessible and powerful.
She expresses love and its pains: "That last night, he was just an arm's length away but it may as well have been a continent'", "No need to tell me that I'm made of stone. I'm one half a couple", "You did the main course. Here's dessert, baby!"
She seduces and enthrals with her innovative style: "Outside the sky is white as snow. The slow languid sway of sun people. Already Africa is melting away", "She belongs to an endangered species; she sees the world through the eyes of her soul."
Afric moved 18 times before her marriage, then 17 times more. Expressing her daughter's love of horses: "She searches country roads until she finds one...Her hands open with an apple core invitation. He shivers, snorts, bends to the scent. Then, blood-warm attention, as she steals to the feast of his back."
Three poems dedicated to Tokoloshe, an evil spirit, who had to be exorcised; people slept on mattresses held up on bricks; a witch doctor was called.
Her year in London produced 'A Different Skin', about immigrants: "Even to the bus driver who takes your fare, you are invisible."
Many of Afric's poems come from her latest book, 'The Lucky Star of Hidden Things' - highly recommended.
Meanwhile, this month's Write Angle attracted a staggering 15 open-mic performers.
Although the themes varied, they seemed more serious than usual. Ageing, politics, corruption...
Michael Sherman, inspired by words he heard on the radio, read: 'Have you taken your pills, Tommy?', then went on to how young people never think they'll get old: 'Outside feels like inside without walls'. He then described his street: "People still sucking on the oxygen of hope" and 'The Far Shore': "How did I lose her. She was inside her joy. Night falls like a tear."
Maria Hewett followed with 'Winter on the Army Ranges', 'Entanglement' and 'Hello Adam'.
Barry Smith read of 'MacBeth living in NE Asia', 'Man's hardness to man' and 'the pains of technology and the trials of art'. The impressed and the oppressed. He talked of Lou Reed, 'Me and Herbie down at the Poetry & Jazz Cafe'.
Chris Sangster asked 'Why do they do it?' - performers who return with their same music. Then, 'A New Train of Thought', about a woman working under the trains, her mum waiting.
Helen Whitten, first timer, took us around the world with 'Tsunami Forces', 'The image froze in my mind' and 'Censored Pages', Moscow to Siberia, and finally Nigeria with 'Closer to God'.
Leah read 'Ancestry Bug' dedicated to David Stone (their video-man): why search the past?
Dave Allen, always funny and a favourite, performed 'Climate Change'.
Jack Warshaw, singer/guitarist, taken by Ken Loach's film 'The Spirit of '45', performed 'There's no country for poor people'. Then, 'No Time to Love' (1977, Warshaw) condemns the injustice to political prisoners. The song is well-known in the UK, Ireland and Europe and translated to other languages.
Dave Roberts performed 'Ronnie the Rabbit' – who controls his mother's house but seems much more at home making Woody Allen's films into poems! He also did 'Sleeper' and 'Midnight in Paris', where he settles down with a young French girl to write a worthless novel!
Bruce Parry performed 'A Discarded Edwardian Tram', bringing back Hansom Cabs, feathered ladies. Then, 'Three Moons': the lovers', harvest and spiritual.
Chris Sparkes visited 'Church Norton 2013' where his dad died ('93), now his mum ('13): "Myself in the dark shadow created by the bright sun they walked in." Then, 'All Our Loving', the days of the space race, free love, Dillon, Drop-outs...
Jimmy Lee, another newcomer – great guitarist and singer, did his 'Lament to the loss of their chalk stream': "Someone broke into my heart and stole my chalk stream water."
Audi Maserati performed 'Charlie Montana - sometimes a cowboy, sometimes a spaceman, then 'Howdy Ma', with ma answering "Would you care for a sandwich, stranger". A wonderful story that almost brought tears.
Michael Ray, Afric's partner and a poet in his own right, did 'How's the water? What the hell is water?', 'How repulsive you all are', 'Crap is choice and crap is crass', 'The world turns and all I do is tread water'.
The evening definitely featured common themes and, even though it may have been more serious than usual, there was still that element of tongue-in-cheek humour, the stuff that happens when you're least aware!
Afric finished her second round of poetry to an appreciative audience and a raffle number was picked out of a hat to award two free meals at the Nag's Head in Chichester.
All in all, a full and exhilarating evening!
Next month, being Christmas, Write Angle will have savouries and sweets to celebrate the season, along with guest performer, Speech Painter and some 'Surprises for Write Angle', which he won't reveal. We'll just have to wait and see!
Find out more about Write Angle at www.petersfieldwriteangle.co.uk
