I am revising my very first alliterative-verse poem, ‘The Lay of Géac Ettinfell’, a 134-line Old English-style retelling of ‘Jack the Giant-Killer’. When I wrote this poem, my knowledge of the metrics of AV was rudimentary, but since the story is dear to my heart, I wanted to versify it properly.

A rare picture of me as a child.

Laid up all day with a horribly painful migraine, the third in the last couple of weeks. I used to have a medication that worked quite well, but my health insurance replaced it with something else (probably because it's cheaper) which is completely ineffective. ☹️

The BLASPHEMERS PUNISHED; or, The NEW JERSEY DANCE of DEVILS. A horrid relation of FACTS which took place a few weeks ago in New Jerſey. (Boston, 1797)

Hey, a nice review of THE ETTINFELL OF BEACON HILL: zachgeorge1993.substack.com/.../the-etti.... There are whispers in the darkness of a sequel book--perhaps two...

I'm pleased to note that my poem "The Twilit Land" has been accepted for the next issue of WEIRD FICTION QUARTERLY! (Engraving of unknown attribution.)

Never mind the groundhog, let's hope Quentin the Quahog squirts right today! www.instagram.com/reels/C22Smh...

Ah, there are few things more delightful than fresh detachable shirt collars!

It is done! I have completed all thirteen of my ÉSALOFAS: Heathen Hymns to the Old Gods. I have written prayers to Wóden, Thunor, Lúca, Frówe, Ing, Hel, Háma, Gnorna, Tíw, Edgeong, Sigewynn, Éastre and Bældæg, all composed in accordance with the strictures of alliterative verse.

I have completed the eleventh of my alliterative-verse ’Heathen Hymns’—this one to Sigewynn (Sigyn). Almost done! My intention is to write thirteen: six to gods, six to goddesses and one to Lúca (Loki), who can be either.

My tenth alliterative ‘Heathen Hymn’ is a prayer to the goddess who keeps the golden apples of eternal youth, called Iðunn in Old Norse. My speculative Old English cognate is Edgeong (pronounced ‘Ed-young’), which means ‘again young’ or ‘rejuvenated’. I’d like a taste of your apples please!

I've finished composing an alliterative-verse prayer to Tíw (or Týr, if you prefer), the ninth of my 'Heathen Hymns'. I use the Saxon names of the gods (Wóden, Thunor, Tíw, etc.), but I'm writing the poems in such a way that the Norse names can be substituted without breaking the alliteration.

The Winter Solstice issue of Eternal Haunted Summer is live! My ballad "Jack's Land" appears here amongst a treasure trove of faerie poems penned by all manner of talented bards. eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winte...

A package from England arrived today! A box of THE LOVECRAFT ARMS chapbooks: poems (and typing) by me and artwork by the ridiculously talented Mutartis Boswell. If you would like one, I may be persuaded to strike a bargain…

Having written ones for Wóden and Thunor, I have now finished the third of my alliterative verse HEATHEN HYMNS: a hymn to Lúca (the Old English cognate for Loki). I'm quite pleased with this one! It is a paean to all tricksters. (Illustration by John Bauer.)

Here's a link to my presentation about tracking down H. P. Lovecraft's ancestors in Devon, England. Learn about Devil's Doors and clandestine rituals held by fugitive monks. It's free if you sign up: watch.eventive.org/.../6931307f...

My presentation about H. P. Lovecraft's English ancestors is part of this--in the "Streaming Extras" section watch.eventive.org/hplfilmfesti..., along with author readings by Nathan Carson, @andrewsfuller.com, Frances Pai and @johnshirley2024.bsky.social! If you sign up, you can watch for free.

I am pleased to report my poem "Jack's Land" will appear in the Winter Solstice issue of ETERNAL HAUNTED SUMMER.

‪Adam Bolivar‬ I have finally started writing HEATHEN HYMNS, a collection of prayers to the Germanic gods composed in traditional alliterative verse. The first one, naturally, is 'Hymn to Wóden'. (Illo by Arthur Rackham.)

Jack Neepe is looking awfully wizened these days! But still he smiles for he knows he will be reborn next Halloween and every Halloween after until the end of time...

A young chappy at the store just now told me that he liked my 'fit'. It took me a moment to apprehend his meaning (clothing). Ah, youth today and their delightful demotic!

The Reverend Ezekiel Whitlock and Captain Coffin find Noella frozen in a block of ice. (Scene from THE SNOW WITCH, performed 1998.)

Marionettes watching a shadow puppet play! (Scene from THE SNOW WITCH, performed 1998.)

Attack of the mutant carnivorous penguins! (Scene from THE SNOW WITCH, performed 1998.)

Two marionettes in a boat. (From THE SNOW WITCH, performed in 1998.)

If anyone has read my new alliterative verse collection, would you consider leaving a quick review or at least giving it some stars? My gratitude knows no bounds! www.amazon.com/Told-Firelig...

william balfour ker -- just posting this for no reason

18th-century highwayman Sixteen String Jack was so popular he entertained seven women at a farewell dinner before his execution. In a specially made pea-green suit adorned with a large nosegay, he enjoyed cheerful banter with the hangman and the crowd, then danced a jig before being publicly hanged.

Arrowyn stumbled on this post on Threads about our marionette show last night. We're the new face of Portland!

Jack rests his weary bones, a temporary reprieve from his eternal wandering.

Jack and a strange creature from the ocean's black abyss...

Jack Neepe, Esq., at your service. Come follow my flickering light into outer darkness for all eternity...

Ah ha! My mate Jesse Kaszniak sent me some photos of last night's poetry reading and marionette show, JACK AND THE GREEN ETTIN, a retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Last night's poetry reading and marionette phantasmagoria was a resounding success! We had a full and very enthusiastic house. I pray some photos will surface. Many thanks to my tremendously talented puppeteers @niyyahwrites.bsky.social & Arrowyn Craban Lauer (pictured here) and Paris Weslyn Meyers.

Jack Neepe summons you to the Rose City Book Pub in Portland on Halloween at 8 p.m. for a phantasmagorical evening of spooky poetry and macabre marionettes. You disregard his invocation at the risk of wandering in darkness for ALL ETERNITY!!! @johnshirley2024.bsky.social

Jack is looking jolly this year! That's because he knows he'll be reaping a good harvest of souls to send to HELL...

The sacred neep is ready to carve. I conjure thee, Jack!

Reminder to Portlanders to come to the puppet phantasmagoria on Halloween night: a spooky poetry reading followed by a pagan retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by means of marionettes. What better way to celebrate Samhain? (At the Rose City Book Pub, Portland, Oct. 31st, 8 p.m.)

Rainbow! This picture doesn't do it justice. It looked huge and unbelievably close. Bifröst was near.

Pet peeve: whence means 'from where'. You need only say 'whence'. 'From whence' is redundant, but it's such an old and common misuse, it's basically accepted at this point.

Nursery rhymes that go hard.

Mr. Scratch adjures you to come to the Rose City Book Pub in Portland this Halloween, and be regaled by spooky poetry read by @johnshirley2024.bsky.social and Adam Bolivar, followed by a diabolical marionette show, JACK AND THE GREEN ETTIN, a pagan retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...

In honour of Oscar Wilde's birthday, here is a picture of me doing my best impression of him. Alas, I am the one ageing, not the portrait...

Inspired by the onset of the spooky season, I composed a new ballad about a man who follows Jack's lantern to the twilit land, where time moves differently and he doesn't return for a hundred years. The poem is, of course, autobiographical. (Illustration by Cecily Peele, 1939.)

O, the infinite sadness of it all!

Name known to be a pseudonym. Education privileged. Justice neatly executed. Nothing sordid, vulgar or plebeian. Deserving cases preferred. Police no object. Specialist in fairy stories.

Portlanders! This Halloween, take a break from the ceaseless warfare 😉 and hearken to macabre verse read by legendary author John Shirley @johnshirley2024.bsky.social and myself, followed by a marionette retelling of SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT. At the Rose City Book Pub, Fri. Oct. 31st, 8 p.m.

This is an unheard-of price for an academic book. A must for any lover of medievalist poetry. (Plus one of my own poems is in it!) How can you resist...? www.bloomsbury.com/us/speculati...

Me reading at the alliterative verse conference in Norwich earlier this month and a group photo of all the attendees.

Some more cards from my tarot deck. The "skull and roses" image I used for the Death card, though mostly known now because its association with the Grateful Dead, comes from the Edward Sullivan illustrations for the Rubaiyat.