I'm Printing

Let's call it a happy accident that this week's blog theme is imprinting. With some judicious editorial licence, I've chosen to reinterpret it as I'm printing, in recognition of my second poetry collection getting published. Of course I'm excited. I hope that's excuse enough to devote today's blog to 'Tangerine '.

Those of you who were at the book launch on a sweltering night in Preston on Wednesday will have heard me explain that tangerine is the colour of happiness. In the foreword to the collection I was a bit more expansive: "It's the colour of happiness and a symbol of good fortune. The world needs a lot of both, right now."  

'Tangerine ' has been two years in the making. It runs to 120 pages and brings together the best poems I've written in the last few years. Naturally, as many and more again didn't get a look in, because I like to think I'm quite strict on quality control.

now in print: my second poetry collection 'Tangerine '

Lots of the poems appeared in their original form on the Dead Good Blog, the majority have been road-tested at open mic nights or stanza evenings, and all of them have changed (for the better, I trust) as a result of being out in the world for a while. I hope this collection presents and preserves them as their best selves.

I'm primarily a 'page' poet, rather than a 'spoken word' performer, which is why I'm so pleased to have these 90 poems in print for people to enjoy. That said, I do perform my poems, obviously. They are short, mostly one page, sometimes two. 

I recall going to one open mic night and asking what the form was only to be told "everybody gets to do one poem." Because I was a newcomer, I was given the honour of opening. My 30 line poem took less than a minute. I was followed by a succession of spoken word declaimers, ranters and rappers, none of whose poems clocked it at under seven minutes. All fine, just a different aesthetic. I didn't go back.

If I have a 'style', it's what I term contemporary lyricism, meaning the poems have a flowing rhythm built on lots of assonance and internal rhymes, but not so many end rhymes. I've only ever written one poem in rhyming couplets - though it's in this book (and it's about Ken Dodd's Dad's Dog).

There are poems of love enjoyed, lost, regretted, social satire, ecological concern, political commentary, humour, pathos, wild imaginative leaps (plenty of them), madness, murder, music and much more. And yes, there is a poem about tangerines, which has given the collection it title.

cover art and design by myself

'Tangerine ' is published by the imprint  of Three Piers Publishing. It only comes in physical book form (because I don't much like e-books) and is not available on Amazon, because Jeff Bezos is quite wealthy enough. 

So until I can get it into bookshops (if ever I manage that), it's only available from me, priced £10 - plus postage if you're not local to Blackpool. And what's £10 these days? It's a pint-and-a-half of beer.

Of course, I hope you'd like to purchase a copy (autographed at no extra cost). I accept payment by online bank transfer or PayPal. Email me at: steveg.rowland@btinternet.com and we'll work something out. One day I might even be able to afford a rug for the floor of my garret. 😉

And if you run a poetry night (in person or online) I'd be happy to get a promotional spot if possible.

There's no fresh poem from me this week, as I don't want to detract from the new publication.

Thanks as ever for reading, and thanks for your support S ;-)