poets.org/2020-on-lear... ~ Renée Nicole Good (RIP)

Shame that sort of thing didn't happen when Tom was alive. I've just posted an elegy 'Tombeau' to a dead friend on my blog. But this post leads to my elegy for TR, called 'Tom Beau'. robertsheppard.blogspot.com/2017/07/tom-...

Available here: paperviewbooks.pt/books/connec...

On this day in 1964, American comedian and TV host Jack Paar showed a clip of the Beatles singing 'She Loves You' and said he understood that science was working on a cure for the Beatlemania phenomenon...

HNY 🕊️💙🌹🐴

DREAM DUST IN FAVORITE READS OF 2025 Thank you to Benjamin Niespodziany for including my book Dream Dust for his favorite reads of 2025. I have always loved Benjamin Niespodziany's end of year of list of books. I am honored to be included this year. Check out the roundup over here

Compressing the Cornered: a TextArt riff on Irving Penn's 'Portraits in a Corner' and one of mine (with thanks to @imogenreid.bsky.social )

Fun to play a part in Rupert Loydell's 'Five' series here: stridemagazine.blogspot.com/2025/12/five...

Two treated views of rooks early in this morning's distance...

Morning XXVII by Pablo Neruda open.substack.com/pub/onlypoem...

Took with me this morning to read while waiting in an area. Wonderfully inventive work from @trickhouse.bsky.social

On this day in 1960, Ornette Coleman recorded his influential album 'Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation', introducing a name for the Free Jazz sound. On the album's recording, the two quartets are heard in separate channels.

On this day in 1843, 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens was published, with 6,000 copies sold

My midwinter poem, from the Old Irish: news for you stag tongues winter snows summer's gone wind high-cold low sun short course tide's run deep-red bracken's hidden form brent geese cry's norm cold's caught bird's wing ice-time that's my news

As 'history' is now, and universal: on this day in 1776, Thomas Paine published his first "American Crisis" essay beginning "These are the times that try men's souls" (date disputed, apparently, but as this is timeless...)

A huge thank you to @thelincolnreview.bsky.social for nominating my essay, "The Time of Suspense and The Time of Suspension" for the Pushcart Prize, alongside poetry by Karen Elizabeth Bishop ,“le oiseau parts” Paul Rooney, “Broken Token” Andrew Taylor “Noz” www.lincolnreview.org/issue6

This year, we paid out an incredible £47.5 million to our members, the highest ever amount in a single year! We hope to keep up our momentum in 2026. #ALCSAdvent 🎁

My Stride review stridemagazine.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-st... @ianseedauthor.bsky.social @sacredparasite.bsky.social

@ianseedauthor.bsky.social thank you for the significant catch-up, Ian! I am reading your latest and loving that opening sequence: it is as tender as it is oblique, and the uncertain and the certain glow together. I hope that makes some sense...

Dave's daily poetry posts and weekly Poetry Blog Digests are always a pleasure to read. Thank you for including me this time round, Dave.

Salvation

I know the Steve Spence and can recommend as well, and would like to see the Peter Dent but am also having trouble tracking down... Great reviews as always, Billy.

from Jazz Fingerings #16 internationaltimes.it/from-jazz-fi... Sheila E. Murphy

On this day in 1959, the album 'Time Out' by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is released, peaking at #2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, becoming the first jazz album to sell a million copies

Far-out!

A wonderful review and beyond...

Learning to balance is certainly a skill that requires much falling over... internationaltimes.it www.internationaltimes.it/archive/inde...

Wonderful review (and beyond) of Peter Finch's 'The Literary Business' by Rupert Loydell in IT today ~ internationaltimes.it/demystificat...

Mnemonic Trains — Nick Piombino & Laura Kerr Published by Penteract Press Only six copies left. This collaboration changed the course of my practice. Working with Nick was a true highlight—his brilliance on the page and in conversation shaped this book in ways I’ll always value.

Sunsets internationaltimes.it/sunsets/ John Levy

Robert Creeley

Underwear by Lawrence Ferlinghetti open.substack.com/pub/onlypoem...

The Persistence of Rubbish by Luke Kennard open.substack.com/pub/onlypoem...

from '&there4' (2022)

1924 group photo of the Surrealists, including Salvador Dali, Gala and Paul Eluard, Philippe Soupault, René Crevel, Robert Desnos and Benjamin Péret

Very happy to have three experimental pieces included in the SpaceByi pavilion at The Wrong Biennale, curated by Radoslav Rochallyi. Do enter and explore – brilliant mathematical poetry and artwork on display, by @poitevin.bsky.social and many others. thewrong.org/SpaceByi

On this day in 1730, Colley Cibber was appointed British Poet Laureate under King George II

Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.

In today's Observer