stanza 2008

well, where to start? i was just blown away and i don't think my mind has stopped buzzing since we came home. who would have though that three days in st andrews would have opened up so many new doors! the best way that i can describe it is like, open your eyes really really wide into a bug-eyed stare of amazement - that's how my imagination feels right now.

so, we managed to see ...

• the poems of frederico garcia lorca

performed by keith james on various guitars and vocals and rick foot on double bass

this was a great start to my festival (m had already started the day before with some frisian, dutch and norwegian poetry). the way rick foot's hands (ha!) moved over the double bass was like watching warm honey spread itself over a slice of hot toast, i was mesmerized. keith's vocals and guitar playing were the perfect compliment. it all got a little mellow though and m and i had to fight falling asleep - in the nicest possible way.

• past and present

chaired by colin will, with penelope shuttle on h.d. and tess gallagher on raymond carver

i'm ashamed to admit that i had only a passing awareness of these poets before today but i felt privileged to listen to penelope's biography and discussion of h.d. with readings of some of her works and tess's, at times touching and poignant, portrayal of raymond carver. further reading and enjoyment is forecast!

• reading and in conversation

kenneth white reading and talking to drew clegg

where to begin ... ?!

the stanza brochure describes kenneth white as the premier figure in geopoetics, a poet, a thinker and teacher - to me, quite simply, a god.

m had seen kenneth white before and owns a number of his books. again, a sad lacking on my part meant that the only awareness i had was from m reading scotia desertia to g and me whilst we were on a camping trip. although, by amazing coincidence i picked up a book i fancied on our last trip to the library, which turned out to be 'on the atlantic edge', on noticing this m thought i was doing a little reading up before our trip to see him, but it was just a happy coincidence!

i could have listened to this man all night and his conversation and reading was over in the blink of an eye. i wondered aloud to m that, perhaps, if we asked really nicely did he think that mr white would consider being our house guest for a while so that we could listen to him some more!

as the reading came to an end and we were being ushered out of the hall, the magnanimous mr white told everyone that he would be available in the foyer to sign books and to continue the conversation, he was at our disposal. unfortunately we couldn't hang around as we had to get home and to bed for the early rise and our final day of stanza. plus, the longer i heard him speak, the harder it would have been for m to drag me away! got home to pick up 'on the atlantic edge' as some bed time reading :)

then, our final day of stanza ...