THE WEST MIDLANDS READERS’ NETWORK
& Poetry on Loan

April is Hugo Williams' Billy's Rain. Hugo was born in Windsor in 1942. As a journalist, he has been TV critic and poetry editor for the New Statesman, theatre critic for the Sunday Correspondent and film critic for Harper’s & Queen. This is his fourth poetry collection

Read on....

Siren Song

I phone from time to time, to see if she’s
changed the music on her answerphone.
‘Tell me in two words,’ goes the recording,
‘what you were going to tell in a thousand.’

I peer into that thought, like peering out
to sea at night, hearing the sound of waves
breaking on rocks, knowing she is there,
listening, waiting for me to speak.

Once in a while she’ll pick up the phone
and her voice sings to me out of the past.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up
as I catch her smell for a second.

 

Here are some comments from Hugo's readers:-

‘People say a lot of things about poetry but they don’t often say it’s sexy. With this book, you will probably hear it panting on the shelves.’ 

‘Most of the poems are the result of a man’s obsession with a woman, but there’s no navel-gazing or cottonwool. After a first reading, I found some of the poems following me around all day, like the brilliant Erosion, which really caught me off guard.’

‘If you’ve ever loved and lost, you’ll thrill to these poems. For maximum effect, jump right in with the first one and read through in order, to enjoy these snapshots of a love affair turned sour.’

‘If you are a man who enjoys wallowing in self-pity, or a woman who wants an insight into the male perspective on love, then this is the book for you. An excellent read.’

‘Your chance to follow the peaks and troughs of a love affair so closely you could almost be arrested! This book is crying out to be read.’

‘This is fine, wistful, and occasionally very funny reading. Whatever you’ve been through in a relationship, it’s all here. Just make sure you return to the earlier poems – such as the sublime Token – if you don’t want to close the book with a sigh.’

‘The poem I could really, really identify with was All That and the lines: ‘All you want to do now / is draw a line under your life / and get on with the past’ – wonderful.’

Especial Thanks To The Reviewers of April:

Cathy Clapinson, Martin Brown, Sylvie Farquhar, Val Haynes, Fred Holland, Carol Jones, Pamela Korn, David Lloyd, Christine Miller, Paul Newnham, Phil Norton, Steve Palmer, Colin Scott, Tracy Stringfellow, Ben Wightman.

Want More....

If you like this collection, you could try Michael Hofmann, for more edgy, mordant dissections of interpersonal relationships from a male perspective. For another collection of poems charting the rise, fall, and aftermath of a passionate relationship, you mustn’t miss Ted Hughes’ magnificent Birthday Letters.

More Faber & Faber Poetry reviewed by our readers…..

Boss Cupid by Thom Gunn

‘Having never been a poetry reader, I was intimidated at first by a book of contemporary poetry. I’d heard somewhere you’re supposed to read poetry aloud to appreciate it better, but it just sounded like a string of unrelated words coming out of my mouth. Never a quitter, I persevered. And to my surprise became totally immersed in Gunn’s writing. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone interested in contemporary poetry, but more importantly to anyone who isn’t.’

Her Book: Poems 1988-1998 by Jo Shapcott

‘These poems really kick-start the imagination. I got stuck with some poems, in such a way that I couldn’t help but re-read them. The more I read these poems, the cleverer they get. It’s like listening to good music – each time you hear something new.’

‘I wish somebody had told me about Jo Shapcott sooner. I love this book, I can dip into it at any time and come up with something new. If I hadn’t borrowed this book, I think I’d buy it.’

The Eyes by Don Paterson

‘This collection is based on the poems of the Spanish poet Antonio Machado – not that that meant anything to me before I picked up the book. I loved the heat and langour of Spanish afternoons here, but my favourite was the title poem which tells of the grief and panic of a widower when he can’t remember the colour of his dead wife’s eyes.’

‘Most modern poets give the impression of being indoor people venturing out occasionally – but this poet seems to be very much an outdoor person occasionally venturing inside.’

‘Fed up with flippant, superficial views of serious subjects? Try the poems here that go straight to the heart of the matter, such as The Road or Nothing.’

Sky Nails by Jamie McKendrick

‘There’s enough substance and colour here to keep you dipping in for a long, long while. Read it at your leisure – like a good beer, not to be hurried.’

‘Search through till you find what grabs you – something will.’

Floods by Maurice Riordan

‘Many of these poems are ambitious in scope, yet hardly any fall into the category marked ‘difficult’. Almost all have a meditative quality that really makes you think. I loved them.’

‘The title poem is absorbing – give yourself plenty of time amd read its eight pages all in one go!’

 Destination: Further…..

Reading groups: Many of the reactions to the poetry in this leaflet were written by members of reading groups. Reading groups are a way of sharing the pleasure you get from reading. They offer you the chance to meet with other readers who also enjoy talking about the book they’ve read. Most groups are free, meet monthly, and have up to fifteen members. Group members decide what they want to read and talk about – meetings are informal and everyone’s opinion counts.

If you are interested in joining or starting a reading group, ask at your local library or bookshop. They may already run a reading group. If they don’t they should be able to give you information on your nearest group, or advice on starting one yourself. The West Midlands Readers’ Network supports readers and readers’ group in the region – check out your local library, lit-net's writers and readers page or e-mail handinhand@cwcom.net for details of your nearest group.

Lit-Net (http://www.lit-net.org) is the West Midlands’ own books and reading website. A lively, constantly changing site including book reviews, discussions, and details of events for readers and writers.(I should cocoa, Lit-Net Ed)

Poetry On Loan West Midlands is a network of 20 libraries in the region which specialise in the promotion of contemporary poetry. The six libraries participating in Poetry Book of the Month are Poetry On Loan members. All have a special Poetry Place within their libraries, with information, collections of poetry, etc. Click here for details of other Poetry On Loan libraries.

The Poetry Society helps poetry thrive by promoting it through a range of work including publications, competitions, education work, and a website (http://www. poetrysoc.com).  It is a membership organisation open to all and offers benefits to members. Contact: Membership, The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BX.

The Orange Reading Groups Guide (free, Book Trust, 1997) contains everything you need to know about setting up a reading group. Phone 0973 150 720 to order a copy.

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For more details about Poetry Book Of The Month & Poetry On Loan
e-mail Christine Bridgwood at handinhand@cwcom.net