May 14, 2011
Knackered today after last night's gig by The Moors at the Jenny Lind, Hastings. Sound problems in the first half, resolved by replacing a mic. I thought we played really well in the second half, boosted by the appearance of the Iceni Belly Dancers, but boy was it intense. Nice that we packed out the pub despite Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick performing just down the road! OK, I've posted short videos on YouTube, not of The Moors this time but of Carol Watts' and James Davies' readings to launch their respective books for Reality Street at The Apple Tree, London, last Wednesday.
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : Reality Street
May 12, 2011
Excellent launch in London last night for James Davies' Plants and Carol Watts' Occasionals. There were maybe 30+ in the upper room of The Apple Tree, which I now am told is not after all the pub formerly called the Penny Black - that's another one in the vicinity, but both are/were traditional locals for posties at the now-doomed Mount Pleasant Sorting Office, and both are now converted into shiny gastro-bistro-winebaristico thingies. Though, having said that, I remember the pub we were in f... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : Reality Street
May 4, 2011
Reality Street's 2011 publication programme gets under way on Wednesday 11 May with the London launch of James Davies' Plants and Carol Watts' Occasionals. (James is also previewing Plants in Manchester the day before, at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Cambridge St, at 6.30pm.)The double launch takes place at The Apple Tree, 45 Mount Pleasant, London WC1X 0AE, the new venue for the Xing the Line reading series, and starts at 7.30pm. The pub is the former local for posties worki... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : Reality Street
April 19, 2011
I was honoured to be invited, along with Alec Finlay, Carrie Etter and a virtual Derek Henderson (broadcasting live on the internet from Utah, USA), to read on the occasion of the third birthday of The Other Room in Manchester on 6 April. It was a joy to read to an appreciative audience. Many thanks to Scott Thurston, Tom Jenks and James Davies for being amiable and efficient hosts. The pieces I read were: "There's something in there..." "Red", "Green" and part of "Rainbow (The Sea)" from Bardo.... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : writing
April 12, 2011
High-profile media-whoring is not the only activity in Hay-on-Wye in June. On the fringe of the Hay Festival is the Hay Poetry Jamboree. Run by volunteers on a shoestring budget, it's one of the most open-spirited, inquisitive and intimate of small poetry/arts festivals. It takes place this year from 2-4 June at the Oriel Gallery of Contemporary Arts, Salem Chapel, Bell Bank, Hay-on-Wye. Poets reading or talking include Ralph Hawkins, Allen Fisher, Robert Sheppard, Carol Watts, Sean Bonney, Fr... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : writing
April 1, 2011
Through my letterbox plops a package with two enticing looking books from Shearsman: Robert Sheppard's latest poetry collection Berlin Bursts, which is very welcome, and also a new collection of his essays, When Bad Times Made for Good Poetry. It's the cover picture that jolts me first with its familiarity.  An ever youthful Maggie O'Sullivan, all in red, holds her own with the redoubtable Bob Cobbing (1920-2002), "performing" Maggie's A Natural History in 3 Incomplete Parts in June 1985. (NB T... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : writing
March 29, 2011
The Reality Street Supporter Scheme has been operating for - I can't believe this! - twelve years now. It started with a casual exchange on the British Poetry discussion list in 1998 about what people could do to support small presses publishing innovative writing. I said I would welcome donations of £50 (I think it was) in return for which I would give the donors free copies of all the press's output for three years and acknowledge their help publicly in the back of the books. To my amazeme... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : Reality Street
March 6, 2011
The only obituary that I know has appeared in the national press thus far is Jeremy Noel-Tod's in The Times. In case you haven't paid Rupert Murdoch's entrance price, Jeremy has posted the obit on his blog - it has the added merit of being the unedited version. I can add nothing to this. A fine poet, sadly missed. PS No sooner had I posted the above than Peter Riley's obituary of RF Langley appeared. Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : writing
March 3, 2011
Lou Rowan says he was told the choice of name for his magazine was unwise, and perhaps the search engines will now bring a minority of ultimately disappointed visitors here too, but what the hell. It's actually a very fine journal, published from Seattle, Washington, of a kind we don't really have in the UK: featuring contemporary modernist fiction alongside adventurous poetry. (I continue to have hopes for the Cambridge Literary Review, though I feel it needs to cast its net a little more wi... Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : writing
February 13, 2011
20 questions mainly about Reality Street are answered by me as best I can on Rob McLennan's blog. I hope I got them right. Continue reading...
Posted by Ken Edwards. Posted In : Reality Street
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About me
| Ken Edwards |
| Hastings, East Sussex |
I'm the editor and publisher of Reality Street, and a writer and musician.
More about me on my home page (click link on the left).
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