I have been in Banff the last few days and among the magnificent landscapes and wonderful animal life, the most surprising thing I have seen was a hummingbird just now, perched on a line, and off

"Sometimes I think the central attraction of writing poetry is that like the act of sex, and unlike most other art-forms, it can with a little ingenuity be practised anywhere, at any time" - Charles Causley (🤔) thelondonmagazine.org/archive-a-19...

Here's the original article: thelondonmagazine.org/archive-a-19...

Exceptionally informative - intentionally and unintentionally - and well worth a read -

I like this, the closing poem of John Challis's new book, "The Green Parcel" -

If I ever get to edit a sonnet anthology, here are seven on my shortlist

I like this poem by Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch from her new collection Milk Wood Memoir. I’ll be talking to Samantha soon for a future edition of The Verb.

We argue about "show don't tell", talk about how to end a poem, ask if a critic can be truthful *and* kind, and agree that there's no such a thing as a "poetry career"...

I loved doing with this Rebecca Watts - thanks @poetrylondon.bsky.social for the opportunity - poetrylondon.co.uk/the-most-sat...

I don't have infallible judgement, but I chose "After Party" by @deanbrowne.bsky.social as one of my Sunday Times Books of 2025 - and I know how much Dean deserves this prize.

You'll never guess who was the most recently deceased person to be honoured with an individual memorial stone at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Seems quite credible, from this weird sample, that Blair's great essay is either composed with AI, or without human editing. O brave new world that has no people in it...

I'm not fond of board games in general, but this is in a class of its own. 'Taxi!' was produced by Ariel in the mid-1950s and is visually the most beautiful game I've ever seen. It's also tremendous fun - each trip is like an Ealing Studios comedy (see the passengers). 1/2

Four years of Yuri, the life-affirming nutter

This poem by Teresa Hooley (1888-1973) points forward to Wendy Cope

This is such a beautiful, holistic vision of what books can do! We are lucky to have Frank's voice in public life.

My timeline reminds me to email Rowan Williams

It's not often I admire TS Eliot in his interactions with women, but I do here, when he meets Lynette Roberts (and family):

People on here are so multitalented I'm in awe...

I used AI to see what the Mona Lisa would look like if the frame was smaller

Helpful and shrewd reviews from @ravoon.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/culture/book...

As has become traditional on polling day, here's my poem in the style of Philip Larkin on the small joys of UK democracy (and I know, I know, he might well have voted Reform)

Ange and Dec here - I found myself cheerfully disagreeing with almost all of this: poetrylondon.co.uk/a-conversati...

Finally, @jntod.bsky.social reviews a new collection of Sylvia Plath’s work, which “tells the story of her writing life rather than her overwritten death”: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/book...

For anyone who missed this yesterday - archive.ph/GGQJL

Tl;dr = everyone should read the brilliant and terrifying poetry of Sylvia Plath.

Just noting with astonishment that on January 17th, 1963, Sylvia Plath submitted 9 poems to Charles Osborne at the London Magazine. On January 25th, he wrote an enthusiastic acceptance letter, taking all 9.

He was 45 when he wrote this, the miserable twat

Worth hearing @ravoon.bsky.social read the poems. Found myself recently standing somewhere saying the world Craquelure because that’s how these things work… youtu.be/zI0F4DbAvXs?...

Baffled critics, raise your cup! Jeremy Prynne will now shut up

Very sorry to hear that the poet J.H. Prynne has died, at the age of 89. Here, from 10 years ago, is my attempt to describe the man and the work

Ted Hughes on John Carey: "the mental freedom of one of those blinded donkeys that spend their days plodding in a small circle, turning a millstone, and then, when they’re let out into the open landscape, go on plodding around in the same small circle."

Another outstanding piece by @john-self.bsky.social - this time on Jay McInerney. As Updike said, "Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face" - www.thetimes.com/culture/book...

If you want to read a short section of my new book, Devils in the Details, visit rorywaterman.substack.com. You can preorder the book there too!

On April 15th 1802, Dorothy Wordsworth recorded the daffodil encounter that inspired her brother's famous poem. I reworked that journal entry to draw out its extraordinary harmonics, in my @vpresslit.bsky.social pamphlet of DW collage poems. The second image highlights DW's gift for music and rhyme.

The anonymous person who thinks Tristram Fane Saunders is boring sounds a lot like Tristram Fane Saunders...

I love Randall Jarrell, but I'm also heartened to see that Allen Tate (who taught him) called him a "self-adulating little twerp"

Someone has just referred in conversation to the 1995 BBC poll to find the Nation's 100 Favourite Poems - so I'm reupping this, which was apparently more popular than poems like "God's Grandeur" (95) and Wordsworth's Prelude (99)...

Kathleen Jamie = very good observer.co.uk/culture/book...

I have painted nails and my baby is very censorious. Keeps examining them and sighing like a Calvinist aunt.

An interesting story about prizes and literature today.

When I read all those desperate claims of victory in the US/Iran conflict, I can’t help but think of that final verse of Edwin Muir’s The Combat:

Kingsley Amis - "New Approach Needed". I used to read this every Good Friday. Far more useful than something pious. I like its belligerence: "Tell your Dad that from me"

On Geoff Hattersley, whose Collected Poems was published by @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social a few months ago: rorywaterman.substack.com/p/geoff-hatt...

I’m working on e.e. cummings’ early drafts as part of my research into the hyphenated line break at the moment, and I have to say I think he was well advised to drop this toilet humour at the end of ‘In Just-/spring’

Here's a George Dillon sonnet, a favourite of mine - maybe he was too fluent, but sometimes going with the flow can work.

Nicely done one-sentence poem!

I find this persistently fascinating and moving - the mind and the sea -"how it folds itself / over and over". One of the great 21st Century poems.

A smart review of the new book by one of our greatest living novelists- Gwendoline Riley. With plenty of detail for us all to gossip about - www.thetimes.com/culture/book...

Little Griefs the mini-tour continues with a gig at the brand spanking new Poetry Pharmacy in York! Featuring @kathryngray.bsky.social @matthewpaulson.bsky.social and @katymilkman.bsky.social Hope to see anyone northwards there 🙏 @poetrypharmacy.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/little-gri...