Fragments update

The writing Fragments project has entered its next phase with the introduction of poets to writers (on a very wet day in Melrose). Both our meetings have hit on key Scottish holidays - St Andrew's Day and Burns Night - which I feel must be auspicious.

This time there wasn't much chance to wander round the abbey given the weather. Most of the time was devoted to a reading of the new work being developed for the project.

There will be further details posted on the writing Fragments blog itself here http://fragmentsinwords.tumblr.com/ but it looks like the first chance to get to grips with the responses will be on the 5th April 2014 as part of the Fragments of Red event at Melrose http://www.fragmentsproject.co.uk/#!fragments-of-red/c1fca.

Warm poetry

Warm and wintry...sounds good.

Emma from Arvon (not a frequent correspondent - but then all sorts of people are writing to us at p&g these days) tell us that they are thrilled to announce a series of UK-based Winter Warmer courses for January and February 2013, featuring a hand-picked selection of their best loved creative writing courses.

There is one poetry course in England in January featuring Ian Duhig (busy man), Zaffar Kunial and Caroline Bird - why it is a winter warmer course is not clear from the blurb but perhaps they will write and tell us. But we imagine there will be warm beds, warm food, warm hearts, warm poetry...and winter.

If the idea of going on their popular courses appeals you can find out more here http://www.arvonfoundation.org/winter-warmer

Ecopoetry in schools

Interesting details here of an outreach programme led by the Literature and American Studies departments at the University of East Anglia taking ecopoetry into schools and beyond.

Children in Years 5 and 6 (P6 and P7 here in Scotland) are encouraged to:

• "use the immediacy of their outdoor experiences to write poetry
• taught the importance of individual and communal responsibility to each other and to our natural world
• and how reflection on these issues provides a vital means of thinking and writing poetically." 

Not sure about thinking and writing poetically but maybe that is my prejudice and the word just needs reclaiming.

Anyone else had experience of visiting schools or outdoor spaces leading workshops. Let us know about it. [I will be in school next week but we are doing WW2 mash-ups.]

Or find out more about the existing programme here http://www.uea.ac.uk/ams/ecopoetry.

Monday night workshop: Latin American poetry

This workshop is run by Yago Cura ('Argentine-American poet, translator, publisher & futbolisto') and starts at 7 PM. It is free and runs until April 9 . And it seems to start today but please check.

If you can get to Beyond Baroque 681 Venice Bl. Venice, CA 90291. USA you should go and if you can't (like me), maybe they will put something up on their blog about what's going on each week.

More here http://beyondbaroque.org/index.html and on Yago Cura here http://spicaresque.blogspot.com.