Tag Archives: reading

Day 17 — reading genes + reading droughts

April 17 is my grandmother’s birthday; she would’ve been 101 today. So I wanted to honour her again by a poem that explores my reading ancestry.

The Poetic Factoid was going to be about the correlation between reading & various genetic traits, until I came across a word in my research & I knew the poem had to be about that.

*****

the genetics of reading

looking back through time
     there’s a definite lineage
          a genetic heritage of literature

my mother’s always been deep
     into crime to which I was a late comer
          her greatest gift to me was green Anne
               the Poldarks surprised me by being 
                    much more than mere bodice 
                         ripping regency romances

— teen me returned the favour by hooking her on fabulous fantasy

mum was clearly given gifts from her mother as both
     delighted in the murders & mysteries of Dame Agatha
          Georgette Heyer & Dorothy L Sayers ; gran even
               read James Bond, Alistair McLean & similar thrillers
                    when younger before migrating to Danielle Steele &
                         almost anything Large Print by the end of her eyes

— wish I could’ve got her opinion on Julia Quinn

grandad was much more factual
     a biographical non-fiction kinda guy
          books on birds & the natural world
               histories  the English language 
                    the bulk of which I inherited 
                         including     naturally  fittingly

— his impressive leather bound editions of poetry 

          it gives me great pleasure sharing 
     these generational reading genes (even if 
my pants are a bit bigger than theirs)

******

Day 17 Factoid — to read or not

A Presbyopian Inspired Drought

the one time in my life 
i’ve read very little 
was for a year or so 
a decade ago when 
every book bored me
when i could not
sit still long enough
to complete a chapter
even a couple of pages
it was aberrant behaviour 
for a life long wyrm 

finally i realised 
the print was blurring
eight to ten inches 
from my eyes — but 
within a month
the magic of specially 
tailored super glass
scientifically ordained
specifically adapted
for my ageing eyes
brought the magic back

Day 16 — reply to KonMari + copies sold

I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a response to KonMari & her method of keeping houses clean for a long while. There’s possibly another couple of related poems still to come out cos this wasn’t what I was expecting when I sat up to the puta. The Factoid is a purely economic one.

*****

The Life-Changing Magic of Having All The Books

Dear Marie Kondo,

As a matter of fact.

This book does spark joy.

As does this one.

And this.

And this stack here.

This stack, this stack & this very tall stack by my bed.

Here also this table full of books.

This desk with them all crowding my computer screen sometimes threatens to collapse … but it would be a joyous kind of collapse if they ever did.

This box in the hallway (except when I stub my toe on it going to the bathroom but that’s only like once, maybe twice a week) plenty of joy.

And once I’ve unpacked the other 17 boxes, no doubt they’ll spark joy too.

This bookcase. Big joy sparker. 4 cases, 8  shelves each, all screwed together. Floor to ceiling. Joy Joy Joy.

That room of books. 

The room beyond it.

The compactus full of books. Joy.

The ATCO outside full of non-fiction.

The shipping container stocked with spares.

Joy to my world, the books are here.

I don’t care if I’ve only ever vaguely dreamt of reading this book or wondered wispily that I would like to one day read this other book again or if I probably never will pick up this third book and read it cover to cover. Even forgotten I own that book. Simply don’t care. They all spark joy in me. Indeed giddy euphoria. Sheer unbridled glee. Manic bliss. Contentment.

30 volumes might do you at any one time, but I’ll stick with my 30,000, thanks all the same.

gareth

*****

Day 16 Factoid – She’s sold a lotta books

copies sold

TL-CMoTU
may have been 
translated 
into 44 languages
&
MK
you may have
sold more than 
14 million copies

— but not to me
you haven’t

Day 15 —  unread books + coral 

The Festival of Grief hasn’t really hit this year which I’m certainly not sad to miss. Slowly coming to peace? Perhaps. The Poetic Factoid riffs off of traditional marriage gifts for 35 years together (apart).

*****

books unread

of all the endless wonderful things
i never experienced with you
sports  school  starring in a play

reading to you   sharing books
is of course the one i miss most

*****

Day 15 Factoid – coral 

35 years

successful marriages
would be celebrating
with gifts of coral

however as always 
my gifts are merely : memory
dreams of  : longing for

wonder:loss:remorse
& : words i regularly reread
reminding me : a balm

Day 12 — one magic book + gareth’s book of magic

1983 (age 13) was a crazy year for me, reading wise. The previous year I’d discovered The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the school library two days after my birthday. [A poem has already been written about this, though it might be cannibalised/expanded to fit the format of these Lawrence’s Maxim poems. Potentially interesting aside: I actually read the trilogy before The Hobbit not realising they were connected.]

That year I also dove headlong into fantasy in a big way. The Belgariad, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Pratchett’s first Discworld, The Colour of Magic, The original Shannara Trilogy, The Mists of Avalon, The Neverending Story with its coloured text, Mary Stewart’s Arthurian Saga, the first 4 or 5 L. Frank Baum Oz books, Watership Down & Duncton Wood, Prince Ombra, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series, The Books of the Isle series & countless others in that & subsequent years. Many (if not most) of these books I still own.

And the book which forms the subject of this poem. Magician by Raymond E. Feist. Note: As with last Saturday’s poem I’ve played with the layout so you’ll need to click on the image to enlarge to get the full effect. I’m intending them all to ultimately form a sequence.

*****

Lawrence’s Maxim 02 – Magician

*****

Day 12 Factoid – my personalised magic book 

gareth’s grimoire 

a grimoire is a book of spells : a magic textbook : providing instruction in

producing : talismen  potions &  amulets
performing : spells  charms &  enchantments
summoning &/or invoking : the cornucopia of supernatural 
     entities such as angels  demons & the whole
     potpourri of  miscellaneous sprites
divining : things others don’t want known but you do

the only chapter i would want 
in a grimoire of my own is one entitled 

How to pause time           long enough to read every book I’ve ever wanted

Day 11 — sacred spaces + holy books

The poetry volume I read today was On the Wire, assembled by friends of Adelaide poet John Pfitzner (& one of my two fellow poets along with Rachael Mead in New Poets’ 17) after his death.  In that collection there’s a poem called “Sacred Place”. I combined this theme/idea with a NaPoWriMo prompt from a few days ago which I’ve been keen to try. It’s a form poem & I always like to do at least a couple of them during this month especially if I’ve never written one before. The form & idea seem to blend very well.

The ghazal originates in Arabic poetry, and is often used for love poems (especially spiritual/divine love). Ghazals commonly consist of five to fifteen couplets that are independent from each other but are nonetheless linked abstractly in their theme; and more concretely by their form. In English ghazals, the usual constraints are that:

the lines all have to be of around the same length (formal meter/syllable-counts are not employed);

and both lines of the first couplet end on the same word or words, which then form a refrain that is echoed at the end of each succeeding couplet.

Another aspect of the traditional ghazal form that has become popular in English is having the poet’s own name (or a reference to the poet – like a nickname) appear in the final couplet.

The Poetic Factoid came out of a google concerning THE Most Sacred/Holiest Books, of which oddly, there was little consensus. 

*****

sacred spaces: a ghazal

my 4 poster bed was chosen cos it also holds books
softest safest sublimest place i know to read books

air chairs under ancient elms float light as words
drift in & out of wispy worlds as i read books

Dorothea’s wingtip chair by the window more
a chairshelf ATM but where i’ve often read books

outdoor setting made from an old oak barrel 
there beneath the silver birch i read books

north-facing scorched wide-armed wooden bench 
in autumn setting sunshine i love to read books

beautiful bench of ceramic fish in the shade
an elegant corner to stay cool & read books

— the truth is every space becomes sacred
every time gareth takes out one of his books

settles in & experiences the miracle of reading

*****

Day 11 Factoid – Holy Books

most holey

google ain’t too definitive
regarding the holiest book
there are a few frequently 
mentioned contenders

Christianity’sBible(Old&NewTestaments)Islam’sQuranJudaism’sTanakh&TalmudHinduism’sBhagavadGita
VedasUpanishadsPuranasBuddhism’sTripitaka(PaliCanon)Sikhism’sGuruGranthSahibTaoism’sTaoTeChing
Jainism’sAagamConfucianism’sAnalectsShintoism’sKojikiNihonShokiZoroastrianism’sAvestaBaha’iFaithth
eKitábiAqdasKitábiÍqánScientology’sDianetics&TheLatterDaySaints’BookofMormonAnotherTestamentofJ
esusChristakaAnAccountWrittenbytheHandofMormonuponPlatesTakenfromthePlatesofNephi
among others

a lot of work working out the best one

my suggestion for a smaller list
Cosmos. Carl Sagan. The. End.

Day 08 – why read + empathy

Today’s poem is an attempt at answering a question I get asked often (or variations thereof) — why do you read so much?  It’s a tough one because it seems pretty self-evident to me … but over the years I’ve jotted down various reasons & this poem attempts to pull them together into a cohesive form. It’s possibly still too long & requires an edit. I’ll see how it looks/feels in a couple of weeks’ time.

The Factoid concerns the correlation between empathy & reading fiction …

*****

why READ : an inexhaustive list

why do I breath : I mean : seriously 

cos I can’t not : compulsion

it’s : escape & refuge : adventureland & safe space : idyllic pasts & dystopian futures : a chance to ignore the dumpster fire that the world constantly seems like it wants to become : just for a few hours 

to get lost : lose time : time travel : to walk a mile : or warp the space time continuum : cause the real world to cease to exist : lose myself : in the wash & flow : of well told tale 

to let this : always overworked brain : go off leash
to glean answers for questions : I didn’t even know : I needed to ask
to explore the beauty : & darkness of humanity : to share a sacred indulgence
to understand myself : others : the world : to heal the wounds : to fill the lonely void of the universe’s vastness with a brief flicker of light

to experience : sustenance : catharsis : terror : joy : sadness : triumphs : heartbreaks : tears & sorrows

to share minds with : philosophers two thousand years dead : Caesars : physicists capable of explaining the universe : poets who explain the human heart : saints & sinners : & tanner’s sons from small market towns who change the world

because I can’t live every life I want to
because I can live lives I wouldn’t want to actually experience but enjoy experiencing 
because it’s fun being thrown into other universes : other time periods : other countries : other cities : other world views : other consciousnesses : other POVs : hell it’s even fun just to be thrown across the street : things look rather different from behind their curtains than mine

relax : after long tiring days
rejuvenate : on days when I have to do : nothing 

I love words
I love stories

I like who I am when I read
I like looking through mirrors & into windows 

I’m a loner who enjoys  solitude  silence  stillness : dreaming while awake

because the alternative : isn’t an option

*****

Day 08 Factoid – Reading fiction increases empathy

walking a mile in someone’s book

countless studies have shown:

folks who read fiction often
     have greater social cognition (work out what people think & feel)
     are better at measuring interpersonal sensitivity
     are more likely to help 
     can identify, understand, & share in someone else’s feelings
     behave more altruistically
     result in better doctors

so, to repeat 
     reading fiction is empathy-building
     so stop farking about here 
     go read a goddamn novel 
     & become a better person
     you numpty
                             (or words to that effect)

Day 07 – following your bliss + buying happiness

I have a bucket load of ideas I’d like to get to this month when it comes to books & reading. (Hmm, odd that.) Sometimes it’s hard to choose. Not today. This one grabbed me ideas brain & away we went. So, presenting one of the many ideas which explore the various dream/idyll lives I would live if I could.

The Factoid Poem addresses the very real & pressing question: does buying books make you happy?

*****

bliss following, version 1

If you follow your bliss you put yourself on a track that has been there all the while, waiting for you.
— Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

the bliss dream : or the first iteration of it at least : is to purchase a second hand : double decker bus : paint it Anne of the Gable green : ensure it is equipped with titanium grade shock-absorbers : & a highly powerful yet surprisingly fuel efficient engine : fit out the upstairs with comfortable living quarters : while downstairs : as many empty bespoke bookcases as can logically & logistically be arranged : then to spend a year : driving round Great Britain : (pleasant companion/co-driver optional) : visiting key literary hotspots : i’ve always wanted to experience : & : more importantly : slowly filling up those bookshelves : by popping in to every second-hand bookstore : i can get to : along the way : ending up in Hay-on-Wye : at the end of May : for their magnificent festival : by which time : my exhausted & overworked bus : will probably be so weighed down : with wonderful new acquisitions : i’ll need to park it in a field somewhere nearby : & proceed to read my way : through the lot

*****

Day 07 Factoid – Psychological Studies concerning buying books analysed in depth & detail

Can Buying Books Make You Happy? 
Psychology Says, Well, Duh!

this poem explores the psychology 
behind buying books 
                                    … & being happy

it’s well known that if you buy experiences 
not material objects the happiness 
hangs around lots longer

books are material objects
yet in opening them up & reading them
experiences are being experienced

Ipso facto sum — which is good

psychology also praises personality-guided-spending
that is: spend your money in accordance 
with your personality & you’ll be happy

ergo an introvert buys books = happy
avid reader buys some sort of icky old experience 
where they don’t have any time to read = not happy

Quid pro quo — which is also good

so what’s the conclusion 
of all this comprehensive analysis? 
yes. buying books does make you happy!

[i get that’s how this whole poem started 
but we had to do some rigorous sciencey things
to shut up all the negative nellie naysayers out there]

of course i must conclude with the caveat
too much of anything can be bad
// hang on, wait, what’s that? 

new research now claims
no such thing as too many books
(OMFG! what a relief!)

Dona eis requiem — which is all very good

Day 06 — collecting books + obsessions

Collecting is a strange thing. It’s sometimes hard to explain why one does it. For example, I like things to do with chickens. So I have prints, statues, sculptures, plates, even a pair of bookends featuring chooks.

So too with books. I have many diverse interests (more specific than just big genre-size categories: fantasy, science-fiction, historical, crime, or non-fiction like science [itself having many subcategories I collect: physics, the universe/astronomy, nature/biology, the elements, etc], history [WW1&2, British/Australian, Palestine/Israel, etc], politics, travel writing, & so on) or the work of specific favourite writers that I must own everything of theirs they write.

Sometimes I acquire small collections about topics I think I might one day write about. Thus I have numerous books about Gold, Winemaking, Christmas, Lighthouses, Chocolate, & so on.

But then there’s sets of books I’m simply compelled to buy. No matter how awful they might be. Even if I’ll never read them. Simply because they fall into one of my Pet Loves categories. They make up the matter for this poem.

The first quote that I saw upon googling for my Poetic Factoid broke me. I knew I couldn’t improve on it. Thus what you get today is pretty brief … but I hope I’ve been a little creative with its form.

*****

collectabilia: pet loves

Foxes, Wolves, Owls, Crows, Ravens
any book with these words
in the title must become mine 
   (several, several times)

Cornwall
sirensong, family ancestry, Famous Fivery
long ago looking at Land’s End in an atlas 
& wanting to watch the sun set over the sea there

Venice
love affair with a magical city
began long before i ever travelled there
spent more time in fictional Venice than La Serenissima herself

Heron
less common to come across these 
but treasure every quirky title concerning
my gangly soul spirit animal

Hare
love their wild solo madness 
many of these titles are delightfully illustrated
children’s books — which is okay by me

Booker winners
an ever growing bookcase 
chronologically filled with annual shortlistees
& winners — I’ve even read some of them

still there’s many more: Dogs, Dandelions, Bees, 
books on Eden Valley (not the one I live in
but the English one I’d like to live in)

to be honest — the list probably never ends 
just diverges into smaller 
& smaller subsets

of one

*****

Day 06 Factoid — Is book collecting is an obsession?

Jeanette Winterson wrote “Book collecting is an obsession, an occupation, a disease, an addiction, a fascination, an absurdity, a fate. It is not a hobby. Those who do it must do it.” Discuss. 

Ummm, 

what
               Jeannette
                                         said!

Day 04 – libraries II: mine + others

This is the idea I started (or rather) thought I was going to develop yesterday but that rapidly roared off into the Library of Alexandria. So I’ve come back to it today. And my oh my. If it isn’t a cracker. I’m very pleased with it.

Today’s Poetic Factoid was one I didn’t not have to google. It comes from the truthiness of my own life. Ignore it at your peril.

*****

The Once & Future Library

while i like : the idea : of libraries : there is only : one library : i’m really interested in : my own : my chaotic : sprawling across : 5 rooms, a hallway, a hut & multiple boxes in the shed : piles skyscraper stacked : replica forests upon tabletops : boxes under desks : beneath beds : double layered shelves : bookcases hiding behind bookcases : gloriously chaotic : idiosyncratic : once & future library : for what is the good : to me : of a book : in someone else’s collection : answer : there is none : of course : now some (mean-spirited : niggardly : unpleasantly nit-picky some) might counter : what is the good : of a book : in your collection : if you cannot find it : & while this argument : has merit : minute traces only : there are many wonderful acts : that can happen : while the search : for the holy tale : is undertaken : a book read many years ago : may be rediscovered : & rereading commenced : right there : where you stand : & time & place & purpose : is for a few moments : forgotten : superseded even : while you comprehend : transcend : ascend : a book : you forgot you ever bought : may come to light : exciting you : with your foresight : a book : you don’t remember : ever even seeing : before : may pop out to delight you : or frighten you : & sometimes : on those rare occasions : the actual book sought : may itself : be unearthed : & then : the satisfaction : of having your own : over-the-top : ridiculous : you’ll-never-read-all-those-books-if-you-live-to-be-a-1000 : one of a kind : here&now : once&future : libraries : suddenly makes : utter : perfect : sense

*****

Factoid Day 04 – borrowing books

Nor a lender be

Heads up.
If you lend me a book.
Chances are.
I will not.
Give it back to you.
I might say I will.
Often.
Repeatedly promising.
But. Listen up.
I. Will. Not.
You had your chance.
But you gave it up.

Except you Mike. Of course I’m bringing yours back.*





(*But I’m not. I’m really not. I appreciate the donation though.)

Day 03 – libraries: Alexandria + Congress

Poem about one of my very favourite things to daydream about…

*****

the Great Library

there’s a meme I love
you know you’re a book geek 
when you still get upset thinking about
the Library of Alexandria
& many are the times i’ve considered 
buying a t-shirt stating similar sentiments

there was another viral trend
first flagged a year or so ago
about how often men allegedly
thought about The Roman Empire 
(several times a week apparently)
but while i definitely enjoy daydreaming 
about both Ancient Rome & Athens
Alexandria remains my go-to contemplatory place

the Great Library of Alexandria 
shrouded in mystery, from its founding 
to its destruction a thousand years later
some say the massive, ancient library was
the single greatest accumulation 
perhaps 400,000 papyrus scrolls 
of human knowledge in history
up until that point

it burnt three times rather than 
one single conflagration
i) Caesar accidentally set fire to part of it
during his tête-à-tête with Pompey 
ii) several hundred years later a Christian 
Patriarch turned the Temple of Serapis 
into a church & repeated skirmishes
destroyed parts piecemeal   iii) & finally
Caliph Omar asserted the contents 
“either contradict the Koran, so they’re heresy, 
or they agree, so are superfluous” 
& thus the scrolls were used as tinder 
in the city’s bathhouses — supposedly taking 
six months for everything to burn away

it is this religious arrogance / ignorance
which most angers my bookdragon
for we’ll never know now what wisdom
we lost … what science was undone …
what stories forgotten … simply because 
zealots were too insecure in their own words
to allow contradictory ones to exist

*****

Factoid 3 – biggest modern library 

juxtaposition of red & blue

the Library of Congress 
in Washington, D.C.
is the world’s largest library

there are numerous interesting 
facts one could share about
this iconic institution 

— yet the thing I’m entertained by 
is the current irony involved in 
the juxtaposition of the words 

Library — & — Congress