Joan Power on the Radio

Joining me this week on the radio is the lovely Joan Power with a show on the theme of "Tales of Loss and Lunacy"
A member of St Muirin's writing group in Tallaght, Joan is a very entertaining writer, and will be reading some of her very funny stories for us. The usual time, 11 am on Sunday - link to Liffey sound on the right.

Various Things - some about words

The Irish word Póit is pronounced a little bit like poet - and means excessive drinking or hangover.
"go héasca" means fast to the Aran Islanders, and means easy and slow to the Connemara fishermen, so that when they go fishing together and one crew is shouting the instruction to let the nets out "go héasca go héasca", frantically urging them on, the other side is wondering how they could possibly go any slower.
German homeless people and sex workers get up early in the morning, and at least one walks around with her finger stuck in a book to keep her place in it.
No one in any American company is given any job below the level of Vice President, and most are CEOs.
The word yes is contained in the word eyes, the word no in the word nose.
In other news - here's an interesting article on how some great novels were written.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703740004574513463106012106.html

Drama Queen

Remembering Joan,

The most encouraging, generous, funny and brilliant friend anyone could ever hope for. It was a huge privilege to know her and she will be most sadly missed.


here's one of her favourite songs.

Monday Poem

Who says it has to be a Monday to put up a Monday poem? This week, the week the world will remember for the day the earth stood still, I am bringing Monday forward 4 days, who needs squelchy Friday with all the casual clothes and feel good "What ya doin for the weekend?" vibe - let's go for it - straight back into the working week - Today is Monday. So here is the Monday poem. For the Monday poetry bus, that is no longer running.
I don't know if I like it (the poem I mean) - it came from a challenge that Matt Bolton set me - to make a poem out of a story. In other news, I'm rather tired of having blogposts with days of the week in the title, which is why I'm trying to work them all out of my system this week, so that I can go back to the unroutine business of putting up whatever I darn well feel like putting up, no matter what the day. Anyway...

The Lift

Not one real conversation; dawn till dusk
Melty marbles almost leak from ears
in another slow brain-dead assembly

Fingers talk in smurf glow later
search for depression - Aware site says
"Must find things enjoyed, to give life meaning"
Goes out seeking

- a strange aged lady in heavy coat
asks a favour on main street,
a lift home,
doesn't know she's the one
coming to his aid

Philosophical Question Tuesday

Can't believe it has the nerve to show it's face around here after standing us up yesterday, but here's tuesday now, and the question today is "What if the world stopped turning?"
First of all, would everyone, apart from those in padded cells die? Since we're moving fairly fast through space, when we'd shudder to a halt, I guess things would go flying and there'd be a huge breath taking wind. So maybe just people in airtight padded cells and deep sea divers would survive the slow up. Then what?
If you happen to be in one of those two categories, what would be your next step? Where would you live? Bearing in mind that the world would be frozen in place, you have a choice of season, and time of day to live at, and access to the world's best cars as well, but the roads would be probably full of debris so travelling regularly between day and night, or different temperatures wouldn't be an option. So, plan ahead, what would you do?

Weekly Wednesday

This week it's a day early, yes after three weeks of faithful service, this week's Weekly Wednesday has taken us all by surprise, arriving immediately after monday instead of patiently awaiting it's turn, elbowing timid tuesday out of the way. In this uncertain world let this be a lesson to us all, we can't assume or count on anything. Go ahead, enjoy tomorrow today, say to people "Thank god we're half way through the week" show up for any wednesday meetings or appointments and call people up who should be there, it is Wednesday after all - you can refer them here for confirmation if they complain. (Of course you should ignore any Tuesday obligations you have as well, such as making up philosophical tuesday questions for your blog etc etc). Ring up RTE tonight demanding the midweek movie if they don't run it. I suspect they will though, it's well known that all RTE bosses read this blog and obey its suggestions religiously. Happy Weekly Wednesday everyone!!

Monday poem

Keeping the poetry Bus-ness goin here's this week's effort...

Outrage

Dear Sir, My daughter hates you
Wishes you were dead, or at least that
we had never met.
She tapes your image to the dart board
writes bad, untrue things on wikipedia,
hasn't stopped hating you, and yet -
I have somehow found it in my heart
to forgive the thoughtless callous acts
since they were performed on others.
My daughter is not so kind,
she hasn't the patience or the mind
to ignore the atrocities, the blood, the pain,
she hates all dentistkind.

Eileen Casey on the Radio

The next in the long line of talented writers to take to the airwaves with me is Eileen Casey, originally from the Midlands, she is based now in South Dublin. She is a poet, fiction writer, journalist and Creative Writing Facilitator. She has shown three poetry installations, ‘Seagulls’ , ‘Reading Fire, Writing Flame’ , and ‘The Jane Austen Sewing Kit’ . Her great debut collection ‘Drinking the Colour Blue’ (New Island) was published in 2008.
Eileen is responsible for inspiring many of my previous guests in her workshops, and was a big part of the founding of the Lucan Writer's group, so we have alot to thank her for. Her theme is "The Art of the Idea" a fantastic and interesting subject, and she'll be reading some of her gorgeous poems. Should be inspirational.

Usual time 11 am this Sunday morning, on Liffey Sound - link there on the right.

See ye then then - Eileen's show is up on the radio blog now - here

Back to the Future

I am living precisely 1 hour in the future. Ok - it's just that I didn't change the clock last week. What's the point of changing something that's going to just change back? As EW's character in her Trib story said "What's the point of ironing?" Anyway, there are extreme advantages to this new way of life - not only have I saved the precious 30 - 40 seconds that this work would have taken, but I also have a far more positive approach to getting up in the morning, now that I feel like everything is happening an hour later. I've even half managed to take back up my old habit of getting up early to write and/or do practical writing related things, which is fantastic actually. This morning I made out a mini writing plan - goals I want to reach, how I plan to reach em etc, and feeling more energetic in general.
The drawback is that I am working a full hour later in the evening, altho the local pub is running great bar extensions every night, so plenty of time to catch up. I can highly recommend it anyway - as a way of life - c'mon everyone now and live in the future with me!! Change your clocks now early for next year, and laugh as you arrive into work at 9.30 in the morning, instead of the usual 8.30 etc etc

Weekly Wednesday

Can you believe 7 days have passed? A whole 168 hours since last we celebrated weekly Wednesday? The second ever weekly Wednesday starts right here!
YAY - HAPPY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE!!!!!
(I think this is a bit silly. I think in fact I will stop after this one, after I tell you my theory about Weekly Wednesday, how it comes from an ill-fated Wedding weakly planned to take place at Loch Ness one day. Maybe I'll stop even before that in fact, maybe I'll stop right...now)