Poetry Monthly – July Hello all, Sorry for the delay in Poetry Monthly – I’ve been busy and then sloth-like in the heat when I’ve stopped! June’s focus was ‘In your shoes’ and as usual, ABC writers took it their way and made the focus their own. Here are some pieces to go back to: https://www.abctales.com/story/dihard/your-shoes https://www.abctales.com/story/shannan-lea/mommys-shoes For July, the focus for Poetry Monthly is ‘Golden’. Think...

Summer is here! And it's just a bit too hot. stay in the shade and read the wonderful pieces on the site - starting with our brillaint picks of the week! Poem of the week from Elsie Katz, allows us to fill in the gaps with our own personal dreams of escape https://www.abctales.com/story/elsie-katz/go-now Story of the week is a stunning two-parter from JohnShade - it's really very special: https://www.abctales.com/story/johnshade/mask https://www...

Robertson Davies was a Canadian and the trilogy was published in the 1950's. His style of writing is out of style now. Lots of words, piercing observation of his huge cast of mainly arty, middle-class characters, shocking events- fraud, suicide, unbearable domestic situations, laugh out loud dialogue. I was on a bus going through Budleigh Salterton tittering away and I have no idea what the old prune seated next to me thought. Don't care - she...

I took to my feet over the weekend, and went off to Lowestoft, In nearby Suffolk – by bus. We used to live there, and the community wasn’t always accommodating. My daughter joined the local Sea Cadets, and excelled in sailing, later went on to the dancing on Quads group at the local high school where an ex Olympic coach taught them the basics. I love the promenade there, and like to walk down it, pier to pier and think. As I was making my way...

Leggings - Simon Legree At an early age I read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, totally fascinated by the plight of the African – both at home – and in the America’s. One of my relations was reputed to be Phyllis Wheatley, the black slave girl that wrote poetry books early on. Her child was taken from her, and she died after she was freed. Today in the UK I see evidence of slavery in our local population, Simon Legree has risen here too. Early this year he...

a video extract from 'painting for lemonade'

Gibbous House News...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b8cfcj/japans-secret-shame?suggid=b0b8cfcj In May 2017, twenty-nine year old Shiori Ito, claimed she had been raped by a television journalist, Noriyuki Yamaguchi. They had met in a Tokyo sushi bar. Ito hoped Yamaguchi would help her break into journalism and was willing to work as an intern. He was well connected to Japan’s elite, having written an authorised biography of the Prime Minister of Japan,...

The twin problems of Donald J Trump are entwined. Firstly, he is Donald J Trump. Secondly, he is in office as President of the United States. This four-part documentary follows reporters in the New York Times as they cover the newly inaugurated President. Much of news in online before it reaches print, as is shown here. Too late. Trump moves faster than any documentary crew and we already feel we know everything we need to know about him. What...

The spiel on the cover page, a kiss and tell from Jimmy Boyle: ‘She absolutely taught me how to love’. Em, as my old da would say, fanny wash. Sara in contrast has a whole book to tell the reader how it is or was. ‘At the end of the 1970s, I met and fell in love with one of Scotland’s best-known prisoners, Jimmy Boyle. Our two very different worlds collided in an unexpected way…’ I love books, but gave Trevelyan’s away after reading the first...