Follow the link to see February on the Moss, the poem for MarchÂ
You can also find out more about West Moss-side, a farm transformed by Kate Sankey to create a high-quality venue for a range of get-togethers, meetings and craft events. Plus the Trossachs Yurts – a low impact, slow get away. Well worth a visit!
It is a place of real beauty, a “vast expanse of all things damp and wonderful.” (NNR site)
February on the Moss is seen in the photo on the wall at West Moss-Side.
A departure this month. Follow the link to the Red Ensemble video of their interpretation of my poem Right. The ensemble used a recording of my recitation of the poem and Palestinian poet Ghazi Hussein’s recording of his Arabic translation as part of their improvisation. The piece was recorded at Glasgow City Halls.
The accompanying film features dancer Joan Beattie of the Vito Dance Theatre.
Right was originally published in “Chapman†and is in my collection “Good Morning“.
A short review of the collection in the latest edition of Northwords Now.
Guest reviewer Lesley Harrison writes:
“Charlie Gracie’s poems aim to capture the clear, tender moments of beauty around us – how rain brings light with it, the warp and weft of a single-track road, Tam o’ Shanter at bedtime. Good Morning (diehard, 2010) is a quiet celebration of life and living:
“and even when the sunshine bakes us / the rain is only hiding / smirring off the surface of the sea /gathering its breath / for the big Heave Hoâ€.”
The start of a new year and hopefully more joy for our country. Katrina Shepherd’s haiku series was first published in Poetry Scotland: Luckie Mucklebackit (Winter 2012/2013). She celebrates the success of Andy Murray and his visit back home to Dunblane.
With a love of the living beauty of the natural world, Katrina is often inspired by people and nature. Her haiku are published in Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Some have been given awards.
Katrina’s poem In the stillness is now a Christmas carol with music composed by Sally Beamish.
Click here for this month’s offering …
November is the month of the Holy Souls. We remember our loved ones who died.
I think that this might be the only poem ever written to mention the Rhinsdale Tavern in Baillieston.
I judged the competition and found out recently who these anonymous writers were.
Sarah Evans won first prize with “Games in the Dark”. I really enjoyed the set up for this story and it was nicely carried through.
Helen MacKinven won second prize with the well written “Practice Makes Perfect” and David McConnell won third prize with “The Carer”.
Follow the link to the Alloa Writers website to read their press release.
Well done to all three prize winners and to the other shortlisted writers.
Charlie has been asked to judge the Roy Wood Memorial Short Story Competition.
Entries have now closed and Charlie is in the process of reading the short-listed entries. The winners will be announced by 21 June 2012.
The competition is run by Alloa Writers Group and is open to all 
(apart from current members of the Writers Group).
Charlie ran a poetry workshop with Alloa Writers Group on Monday 27 February 2012. There was some beautiful work created, ranging from humourous work to deep and thought-provoking poetry. And sometimes a combination.
Feedback included:
… the workshop has given me guidance and courage to continue my interest in poetry
… it helped to have some creative writing input from Charlie to give us the impetus to write within a group …
… I enjoyed the fluidity of the evening
The event was held at the Resonate Arts House, Alloa. The Alloa Writers Group work well with Angela Beardsley, sculptor and artist, who runs the project. Well worth a look.
The evening was supported by the Scottish Book Trust to whom thanks are extended.
In a kind of reprise of a support act from decades ago, Charlie had a walk-on part at Martin Stephenson and the Daintees gig at the Woodend in Anniesland just before Christmas. Not quite a reprise, but Martin tells me that he supported Charlie Gracie, the Philadelphia rockabilly star of the 1950’s when he was a laddie. What goes around very nearly not quite comes around …
Charlie read Marathon after an impromptu invitation to join the band on stage.
It was a great gig all round. Another of Alan Hendry’s Sounds in the Suburbs events; this one had Helen McCookerybook and then the Starlets supporting Martin Stephenson and the Daintees. (Learn more about Sounds in the Suburbs by adding yourself to his mailing list: [soundsinthesuburbs@hotmail.co.uk])