My latest poetry video, Sunshine, celebrates spring while it lasted; after a beautiful weekend, the rain has washed all the optimism away! Nevertheless, here is a captured moment of cherry blossoms and glorious weather, in my poetry reading from Tips for Writers Magazine:
What a month it has been! Since I launched my online magazine on 3 April, I’ve been inundated with poetry submissions – you can read all of the great verse so far on the Bindweed Magazine homepage. It’s great to know that there are so many quality poets out there keeping poetry alive; and in the case of Bindweed, growing and spreading to creep over all the immaculately manicured poetry-petals of mainstream verse!
But, there is still a need for quality prose submissions. Bindweed is still seeking fiction for Issue 1. Whether you write flash fiction (less than 1000 words), or short stories (I’m happy to take stories of up to 3000 words – this length is to accommodate the later print anthology), as long as your work is interesting and well written, feel free to send it my way! You can check out the Bindweed Magazine Submission Guidelines for more information.
Happy writing, folks!
Today marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. More importantly is the opportunity to celebrate his legacy. What an afterlife! 400 years later and his writing lives on. I know I’m not alone in wishing that, as a writer, my own work could ever hope to live on for even half as long, “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come” (Hamlet).
Celebrating Shakespeare at work with costume fun
Of course, here in England, there’ll be events happening all around London and in Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon this weekend. Yesterday at work my colleagues and I in the English department dressed up to celebrate ‘Shakefest’. Any guesses which character I dressed up as? A couple of clues: the gold headband is to show the character’s wealth and the blue-green colouring is to suggest her Mediterranean heritage. Got it? Not to worry, for “the game is up”. (Act III, Scene III, Cymbeline). Read on to find the answer…
This month my poem, Multifidus, is published in Mad Swirl. What a nice surprise on a chilly London evening as I sit convalescing at home with a dozen doughnuts for comfort!
Doughnuts, being round, are the perfect accompaniment to my poem, which is all about linear features; the multifidus muscle itself runs parallel to the spine. Circles and lines compliment each other. Yin and yang. Joseph Robert and Leilanie Stewart 🌈
…weep and you weep alone.
These lines are from Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poem, Solitude. This poem resonates with me today, as my poor, battered body is gripped by shiver-sweats. Oh ill health! Oh chicken soup! It is hard having to drag oneself into the kitchen to get the necessary fluids when one feels like a lump of lead. My lovely poet hubby, Joseph Robert, has gone to work, so it’s me alone on this desert island (sofa) fending off sharks (the dirty dishes that need washed, but I am too weak!). So my post goes out to all those readers who are at home alone and suffering, as I am.
Does illness affect creativity? Being in bed with a fever does not impede the ability to type. And a high temperature can often be good for creativity, as it gets the imagination flowing. Am I practising what I preach today and creating anything? I won’t be writing today, as from my sickbed I will be wearing my Magazine-Editor-in-Chief’s hat. Bindweed Magazine will be publishing Robert Fabre’s poems today. So, all you lonely souls out there weeping and weeping alone, click on over to Bindweed Magazine for a jolly good read!
Last Thursday 7 April, the Poetry Cafe in London held the Poets at 3 event. The afternoon line-up was full with 30 poets reading. There was a loose theme of ‘Rain’ to match the spring weather in London, but I chose to read my poem ‘Warfare’ from my recently published collection, A Model Archaeologist. You can watch a video of my reading above.
Poets in the afternoon is a monthly event held by the Poetry Society, although as I work in a secondary school, I don’t often have the chance to attend afternoon open mic sessions. With a relaxing two week break from my day job as an English support teacher, I took the opportunity to read. Here’s my photo album of all the poets reading on the afternoon.
My poet hubby is published again this month in the Spring/Summer Issue of The Stray Branch. Copies of the latest issue can be bought on Amazon UK and Amazon dot com. We’re waiting on our copy from Amazon – I’ll be doing a quick review when it comes. Keep reading!
Exciting news this month as I launch the opening of my new poetry and fiction ezine, Bindweed Magazine! I’ve been mulling over the idea to produce my own literary magazine for a good many months now, especially since so many journals have been closing and it’s getting harder and harder for writers to find a market for their work. If you are a writer looking for another platform to promote your unpublished work, check out my Submission Guidelines.
I recently read an interesting article on how to get published and promote yourself as an author. The article had a helpful checklist, especially for any novice writers out there who might happen to stop by. It occurred to me that I happened to have done all of the things recommended on the list, and while happy to be having my work read on a worldwide platform, it would be a stretch (unfortunately!) to say bought widely too. Particularly for poets, selling hundreds of books is more of a dream than a reality. But let’s not get pessimistic, I say! Instead, let’s get realistic:
This is my first update for 2016 of free poetry and fiction competitions. I’ve specified any particular requirements, such as age limits or deadlines, but make sure to read all guidelines carefully as there may be other general terms.
Happy writing folks!
FOR FIRST-TIMERS (NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED BEFORE)
Cultured Vultures poem of the week
Cultured Vultures short story of the week
FOR FIRST-TIMERS (NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED BEFORE) – DEADLINE 31 MARCH
Metamorphose Novella and short story competition
Connemara poetry competition on the theme of ‘Mussels’
DEADLINE 31 MARCH 2016 – FOR WRITERS OVER 18
The Royal Academy Pin Drop short story competition
Baen Fantasy short story competition
DEADLINE 1 APRIL 2016
