Miss Fitz o bloggers of slugger otoole the poetry’s there as a tool so look in the gaps make comments perhaps on the issues – not on the scansion or the rhyming scheme or the misdemeanours of trochee-isms – to do this would be rather cruel – ahem From Dave Wood, via Miss Fitz Miss Fitz
Continuing with Dave Woods as poet in residence, I’m posting this from Dave. It’s a combination of an interview he did while here, with his poetic translation. (This ones for you Pete) the poetics of truth (combining an interview with poetic translation by dave wood) no really and truly – one side just backs the other they’re all in their back pockets – everyone of them they wouldn’t be there if they hadn’t a’ got paid – and they hand …
I’ve been covering Dave Wood‘s visit to Atticall last month, and his work on compiling stories and poetry on reconciliation. Some of you may recall that a piece of poetry evolved from one of our visits with the children at Kilkeel library, and it provoked a little bit of debate on the nature of literature versus expression. Dave has compiled a response, and you can find it below the fold.a hymn to the fish stink of kilkeel fish fight fish …
Some say its the oldest profession in the world, but the methods used to bring in the shekels are keeping up with the times in Belfast. Seems that savvy international prostitutes are advertising on the internet and arranging to come to Belfast for a specified period of time to keep appointments, making up to £4,000 a night. One recently advertised escort girls from Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, Russia, Italy, Japan, Argentina and Germany. They were all due to visit the city …
The Donegal Democrat is carrying the results of a survey it commissioned on attitudes to various topics with respondents throughout the county. The results make interesting reading, and it appears to be a very honest snapshot of feelings and attitudes in the area. 38% of people surveyed do not think the arrival of foriegn nationals in recent times is a good thing. The paper’s editor pointed out that the ‘don’t knows’ in this category were 20%, much higher than for …
Turlough Murphy is running for a vacant council seat in the Fews dsitrict of Newry and Mourne. Not much news there, but it gets more interesting. Turlough is the brother of Conor Murphy MP for the South Armagh. And his opponent is none other than Willie Frasier Frazer from FAIR. Both the UU and DUP stood aside to let Wille have a clear run at the seat. Nomination papers were handed in to the council on Friday for the seat, …
I heard on the news this evening that the Rape Crisis centre in Belfast was going to have it’s funding cut, and I determined to find out a little more about the story. I haven’t been able to find any press releases or other links for this particular crisis, but I can see that this is something of an annual event for the centre. It certainly arose as an issue in 2002, and interestingly the Assembly reports that additional funding …
Things don’t seem to be going swimmingly for the Secretary of State. In the High Court last week, the Judicial Review against the appointment of Bertha McDougall as Victim’s Commissioner revealed some uncomfortable information. The Head of the NICS, Nigel Hamilton advised the Court that Mr Hain was ‘mindful’ that Mrs McDougall’s name had been put forward by the DUP. Not good enough for Judge Girvan who has ordered Hamilton to appear for cross-examination. Where a deponent has used language …
While I have no doubt it would go down like a lead balloon over here, the Scottish police have decided to take a zero tolerance approach to behaviour at parades. The decision followed on from last year’s parade when 20 people were arrested, 13 for sectarian breaches of the peace. It led to a peace pact being signed recently by the police, local authorities and politicians, as well as organisers of Orange and Republican marches. No surprise as to the …
As mentioned previously here, Sunday Sequence is a show well worth the listen. It’s also worth following William Crawley’s blog for a little more insight into some of the discussions. The discussion on today’s show on the value, importance and recording of history was stimulating and absorbing. At times, the discussions here on Slugger might lead an outsider to believe we are far form any kind of resolution of our difficulties, and there are times that description seems accurate. On …
Although Pete seems to cover a lot of the cultural news, I noted in the Sunday Times today that Ballymacarrett District Lodge has commissioned the filming of yesterday’s Somme parade. There was a significant decrease in police presence yesterday, according to sources, and it all passed off peacefully. However, there is still a way to go before all the local differences are resolved. Flush from the success of a CD of local bands, the Ballymacarrett District Lodge hired five camera …
Belfast City Council The Department of Social Development has just announced a major funding inititiave for Orange Fest. Miss Fitz noted just last week that Féile was facing a funding cut of £100,000, so I am sure that some awkward questions will be asked about the parity of funding. I am well aware that there are 2 funding bodies involved here, but perhaps there is room to question what appears to be a fairly generous contribution to an event that …
I’m not completely sure I want to re-open the fish/poetry/Kilkeel debate, but I did receive an e-mail from Dave Woods, which might go part of the way to explaining where he and the project were coming from and hoping to go to. Dave also explains how the flow of language from the children came about, and what he felt was significant about it. I don’t think I really did justice to Dave’s perspective, and I hope this will enlighten you …
I find that listening to Radio Ulster is one those chores in life that has become inevitable. Mostly dull or banal, with spuriously contentious shows, there are very few highlights during the week. There are exceptions of course, although these too tend to be hit and miss. One show in particular has always stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of consistently high standards and beautiful presentation. Sunday Sequence is presented by William Crawley, and if I can’t …
I have more than a passing interest in the graduation ceremonies at Queens this year, so I’ve been checking out to see who the Honorary Graduands are, as I usually have no idea who the person is or what they’re on stage for. This year, Queens has kindly chosen people I recognise, and I see Miss Fitz will be sharing the podium on Monday night with Robert Fisk. Other recipients will include Mickey Harte, Eamonn Holmes, Angela Feeney, Jonathan Porritt …
The family of Megan McAlorum went to London today and met with the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith. They brought with them 50,000 signatures on a petition calling for a Life sentence to mean Life. The Attorney General has said he was moved by the McAlorum’s, and will give his decision on the case tomorrow. He will decide whether to send the case to the Appeals Court to review the length of the sentence. There is no doubt about the distress, …
The lead article in the Sunday Times surprised me a little. While I would be aware that intolerance is not confined to our fair quasi-province, I didnt really expect such an ugly manifestation in Scotland. A seven-year-old boy wearing an England football strip is attacked by a jogger. A disabled man, also wearing his team’s colours, is dragged from his car and beaten. Appalling examples of anti-English prejudice? Absolutely. Proof that Scotland as a nation is guilty of endemic racism …
I am normally sceptical about stories of dying wishes, but this particular one rings true. The Telegraph is reporting that: The final wish of a priest known for his civil rights campaigns was that the IRA reveal where it had buried the bodies of the Disappeared, mourners at his funeral heard yesterday. Fr Denis Faul’s dying goal was revealed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Bishop Gerard Clifford, during the homily at Mgr Faul’s funeral Mass at St Columcille’s Church …
A few weeks ago, I blogged a little piece about Kilkeel and some of the sectarian tension that exsits in the town. There was a range of responses from people, ranging from outright denial from the annual outdoor barbeque brigade to weary acceptance from others. Dave Wood spent Saturday morning in Kilkeel Library and coincidentally, there was a children’s story telling session on. Dave spoke to the kids and he wrote a poem about Kilkeel with them. The words are …
Regular Sluggerites will no doubt be familiar with Dave Wood, poet and wordsmith. In 2004 there was an attempt to provide a poet in residence here on the site, but that effort was hampered by server problems at the time. Dave worked with community theatre co-operative, Word And Action (Dorset) Ltd. and travelled throughout Northern Ireland from 1988 to 1998. His interest and work lay in ‘helping groups build stories and act them through to completion in a central space’. …
