montage by North Meadow Media
My Cyclone virtual book tour continues!
Today, a stop in a certain small village in Norfolk, where I am put through my paces by the indefatigable Jonny B. As with the tragic story about TS Eliot and Groucho Marx when they met for dinner – Groucho had swotted up, reading The Waste Land and even, I believe, a Shakespare play or two to get himself up to speed, and Eliot wanted only to talk about vaudeville and related matters – I was excited to be in the virtual countryside, thinking I might talk about my possible future prospects as a chicken farmer, and maybe learn some gossip about Jonny’s neighbour Short Tony, but instead we talked of highflown poetic matters. The discussion covers AA Milne (it turns out Jonny & I can both recite the same one by heart, and it’s quite long), how to get on in poetry (do something else), and the recipe for having a boyfriend when you’re also a poet (it might be something about choosing the right one in the first place, but we didn’t go that deep in).
It’s a waste of a perfectly good sheep, if you ask me.
Anyway, you can read our chat here! Now! There are trains in it, and Betjeman, some practical “Make and Do” tips from me, and reflection on how a good poem is like a good joke.
I am very grateful to Jonny for giving me his attention at such a critical juncture – i.e., when his washing machine is not yet fixed - and hope you will all join me in a spot of tea on my favourite village green.
The tour kicked off at North Meadow Media’s blog, and this coming Monday I will be dropping in to sit on Dick Madeley’s distinguished virtual couch.
There is still time to get your gran Me and the Dead for Christmas… I promise you, you won’t be sorry. I know Short Tony and his wife are going to love it.
