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I am currently concentrating on my new book - 'Past Horrors'. This is a collection of just Two short stories for the older reader; one quite dark about a troubled soul, and the other a lighter tale of fantasy and history.
In editing and enhancing the first story in the book - 'The Horror' - I realised that I have cited one of my favourite poets' poem; "My own heart let me more have pity on". This was by Gerard Manley Hopkins, a Jesuit Poet and Priest (1844-89); and a writer I came across in my early teens and one that I love to this day. His work truly is unique. His subject are mainly religious and nature; but his ideas about rhythm (especially the 'sprung rhythm'), and the 'curtail sonnet' he created, as well as his ability to run ideas and rhyme from one line into another; has been a special influence on me for many years. Anyway, I still have a few of his collections of work and in reviewing my story I recognised that I was using a piece of a poem that I don't have copyright for and am unsure if it would fall under 'creative commons'. Thus, I've tracked down who I hope is the copyright owner and sent them a pleading missive (I'm such a little pleader) requesting that I be given permission to use a part of this poem for my own story. I'm hoping of course that it will be a 'yes', but I'll keep you informed as it unfolds over time... Stay safe all,keep reading A R C
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I am so pleased to be able to state that my latest collection of poetry; 'Moments in Time', is published today!
The Kindle version will go live in a day or so - the ASIN number is B079HZD9XM so it is easy to search for when it goes live on the Amazon Kindle Store. The paperback will be ready to ship early next week. Creating a book of poetry is part work, part creation and part love. It takes me a year to create, and each poem that is contained within the collection is unique in thought and experience. I love the sudden need to write something; a word or (more often) a phrase that comes to me and kick starts my desire to write. It is very different from writing fiction, albeit the motivation is the same - to communicate. To reach out beyond the reach of my skin and connect with others. Writing fiction starts with an idea, but it has to be refined, reduced, synthesised before it can be opened out, explored and blossom into (hopefully) something akin to the original idea. At the moment, I am just over a third of the way through the two short stories that will be in my first collection for older readers - 'Past Horrors' is the working title and I am finding that as I go through the first story, with the benefit of older age and experience, I am polishing and refining it as I go. Yet as I go it is growing, becoming a longer and more involved story. It will still be a 'short' story, still follow the original story line; but it will have evolved, blossomed and, I hope; be the better for it. With poetry, it is a recording of a slice of time; a moment in my history (and that of the world around me) that I strive not to edit afterwards. Sometimes I admit I can help it, but I honestly try to leave a poem as originally written. [Unless I have written a poem for someone; in this instance if I am going to give them a version, I will make adjustments so that they get something completely original; something that will be different from the 'official' version contained and restrained in a book or other authorised version.] So, a new book out today and another one hopefully by spring! A very good start to the creative year. Stay safe all and keep reading... A R C |
Alan Mitchell63 years old, retired and now lives on the Lincolnshire Coast, He loves the process involved in creating poetry, fiction and music... as well as taking the odd photograph (and some really are odd)... Archives
September 2025
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