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View Article  Something for Halloween
Halloween display


The kids are helping the librarian
with a seasonal display
they keep asking:
is this scary enough?

Witches&bitches
pumpkins&trolls
wizards&lizards
& hungry magicians

Ghosts&hosts
of spooky castles
long-legged spiders
& The Nightmare before Christmas

The librarian says:
Yes and no and
… but what do you think?

Then the kids find a book
in the adult non-fiction
the most scary cover of them all:
a man who cries.


*
Louise Halvardson was born in Sweden on a cold winter's day in 1982. When she was old enough she escaped to England and ended up in Brighton which inspired her to write a novel. It's called Punkindustriell hårdrockare med attityd and was published in Sweden last year. She's also active, going by the stage name of Lou Ice, as a performance poet. www.myspace.com/louicepoetry82

View Article  Haiku always welcome
There are some recent postings in the comments column about haiku. I know we publish haiga and haibun on a fairly regular basis but we  are also always interested in plain vanilla (if there is such a thing) haiku and senryu. In fact we could even support renga/renku collaborative works on the comments section. – Ed.
View Article  Helen Pletts is considering relationships
Sellotape
 
 
It's up to you whether you curl up on me and
twist again;
 
taking so long to let me scrape my nail under your tail,
wrapping up against me
 
leaving the sharp adhesive scent of you on my hands
that gets stronger with every pull.
 
And stranger than this,
even though I try to deftly cut you up into neat strips,
 
you want to hold on to me;
every trace of me, becomes you
 
in your glistening strip, as you isolate and snatch my fingerprints,
decoding me.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


My name is Lena


 
My name is Lena.
I'm the creases
the iron leaves in your shirt,
the odorous yellow of bleach
in your bathroom.
 
Did you think those black bags
tie themselves into knots at the top ?
That only your cat
licks the stainless mirror of his bowl ?
 
I'm the brush
on the back of your fortune-dog;
(well, it's a fortune to me)

the one I sleepover for
when you go away;
the one who notices me.
 
Did I smuggle myself over the borders
on the floor of a taxi ?
(You never asked)
Others do you know.
No permit. No home.
Only yours.
I keep it beautifully
don't you think ?


* Regular IS&T contributor
Helen Pletts was born in the UK but has lived in Prague in the Czech Republic for the past five years.
View Article  In a New York state of mind
New York City Hotel Lobby


Cocaine concierge
floating like disco balls
in Manhattan goldfish bowls:
delivering hate-mail
and condoms, ice cream
and victory gin to red-faced men
(wishing now was then)
with suicidal girls
sitting cross-legged in furs
on inexpensive chairs
of painted papier-mâché.

The eyes of a stranger, falling
through a one-way mirror;
a romance, a tragedy, a false sense of confidence,
a tête-à-tête with the Plastic Princess
out on the city streets,
where borrowed dreams
are fading in the haze of steam
rising with a conscience from the sewers.

Elevator music
plays the story of my life.


*
PrettyLittleGypsyGirl (not his real name) describes himself as "a serial ruin artist... a bloody reckless lay-about... a poet and a painter and a pianist of sorts". He's a new contributor to IS&T and adds that "it's the first time I have ever submitted anything - anywhere!"
View Article  New podcast by Hannah Silva
Here's our latest poetry podcast recording, courtesy of PoetCasting.co.uk. The poem – Talking to Silence – is by another IS&T contributor Hannah Silva. Hannah Silva performs her poetry regularly in the South West. In London she has performed within La Langoustine est Morte, Visions of the City II and at the London Word Festival. Her poetry has been published by Stride, Great Works, the Openned anthology, Tears in the Fence, Ink, Sweat & Tears and The Pedestal. She was awarded the 2007 Torbay Artsbase literature award. She was selected as one of The Times ‘Top Ten Literary Stars of 2008′, where they commented that ‘Her physical performances, fast-talking delivery and innovative use of cut-up text make her one of the most ambitious and entertaining poets in the country’. She also writes for theatre and has had performances in Holland, Germany, Japan and the UK. She studied choreography and performance writing at Dartington College of Arts and is currently doing an MFA in Theatre Practice at Exeter University.and taken from his new digital chapbook published by Snakeskin.

* Instructions: To access this podcast: click on the paperclip, this will reveal an MP3 file attachment, click on this and a new browser page will open up with a familiar audio player plugin control panel (play, pause, rewind etc - these my vary depending upon the type of software you have on your system). Play the file as many times as you like – or even download it to your desktop. Then, when you have finished, click the 'back' button on your browser to return to the Ink Sweat & Tears site.
1 Attachments
View Article  Matthew Friday is thinking about snow
We've had the first snowfalls of the winter in England today, so here is an appropriate poem by Matthew Friday...


Snow for Abbie
 
Abbie fizzed with excitement when
I told her there could be snow this
weekend, her beautiful face folding up
into the precious smiles of childhood.
 
I awoke on Sunday and saw snow
coming down in a flow, a slow water-
fall of thick flakes that then whirled
around like blinded birds. Everywhere
was white and the clouds grey and stiff.
 
I thought of Abbie jumping out of bed,
remembering what I said, giddy all day
long. I saw the snow hanging in the trees;
felt the stillness of the aftersnow, the
hanging moment of childhood.
 
By the end of the afternoon the snow
had melted and gone, leaving white stains
and patches of beauty and the thought:
childhood passes just as quickly.


* Matthew Friday has had poems and short stories widely published in magazines and literary journals. For examples of his work visit www.matthewfriday.com
View Article  Looking for a creative job in Norwich
The New Writing Partnership in Norwich is circulating details of 3 new vacancies it currently has in the literature arts scene...

New Writing Partnership exists to explore the artistic and social power of creative writing through pioneering and collaborative projects with writers and other partners. We’re seeking outstanding candidates for the following posts:
 
Creative Writing Manager
Can you lead a team of three, taking a central role in the programming and delivery of a challenging year-round artistic programme and a stake in our future development?
£28-£36,000
 
Creative Writing Assistant
A great opportunity to support a varied and demanding literature programme within a dynamic team.
£18-£22,000
 
Marketing & Resources Assistant
We need an arts marketing and communications enthusiast who cares about literature and likes making things happen.
£18-£22,000
 
All applicants will have a passion for literature. All posts are full time and eligible for inclusion in our company pension scheme.
 
Download an application pack from our website www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk
call 01603 877177 or email info@newwritingpartnership.org.uk
Closing Date: November 21st
View Article  Casey Quinn has nothing but promises
promises, promises
 

i promise
nothing
is going to change
unless of course,
something happens
out of my control...
 
or if something better
comes along...
 
or if i have a
gut feeling telling
me otherwise...
 
or if the weather
changes direction...
 
in retrospect,
just walk away
 
save us both
time and energy
 
i promise that
is the best thing
for everyone.


* Casey Quinn is a writer of prose and poetry. He is also editor of the online magazine Short Story Library http://shortstory.us.com
View Article  Clueless now offering give-aways
We've reported before on IS&T contributor Paul Levy's Clueless Collective spoof poetry site that aims to be "a spoof of some of the more, shall we say arty and pretentious, literary magazines". The latest development is the launch of a series of give-aways – called Finders Keepers – along the lines of the cover-mounted free gifts you get with comics and magazines. The gift is available free-of-charge to subscribers to the Clueless Collective website. www.cluelesscollective.co.uk

Here are a couple of extracts from the first edition that appealed to us...


Here Lies Words; Deceased,
May They Rest In Peace.
There's Nothing More To Be Said,
Epitaph Poetry Is Well And Truly Dead

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Perfect Ten

The first time
second coming
third eye
fourth dimension
Beethoven's fifth
six sense
seven deadly sins
eight days a week
nine to five
Strike
View Article  New haiga by John Irvine


* John Irvine is a regular contributor to IS&T.