So for this month’s Last Wednesday Series Dublin, we all focussed on thinking inside the box – well reading inside the box anyway, as we held our event in the subterranean ‘box’ – which we have re-named the Peppercave – in the Twisted Pepper Venue in Abbey Street in Dublin. With its rough surface black-painted walls, curved walls backing the spotlit stage area and the regular rumbling of the overhead Luas, there was a brilliant otherworld atmosphere in the venue, a real sense of doing something, and of doing something different.
First up in this new space was Eamonn Lynskey as, as befitted a move to new quarters, he began with an homage to Betjeman, and surburban wallpaper and a commentary on architecture – and changing uses thereof with in ‘In memory of Edward Tennison DD . . .’ from And Suddenly the Sun Again. He followed this up with a rendition of Betjeman’s ‘Slough’, comments on which . . . After Eamonn Eileen Keane read an extract from her recently completed first novel – reading it aloud for the first time, a tasty sampler – but return next month for ht eext instalment!! After Eileen, George Sweetman took to the mic, with an ode to the Enterprise – the train that is, not the starship, although, trains can pass through many different worlds on their trips too. After George, in was Evan Costigan making his debut at the Last Wednesdaytelling us things about Japanese women, underwear and firemen, the corncrake and a very strange airport bus journey.
After a short break, it was the turn of Steve Conway with a new just completed piece all about open mics and wardrobe malfunctions. We’ll leave this to your imagination – as Steve nearly didn’t. After Steve, it was the turn of Helen Dempsey who got an a for effort in or Stranger than Fiction challenge (more below), as she wrote her poem, but was not happy with it so would not read it! Still – the first of the open mic attendees to rise to the challenge!! What she did read was a series of Haiku, a poem about violets and a poem inspired by a Strokestown Festival venue – in the kitchen of a grand house, with ‘story plates’ decorating the walls. After Helen,Anamaria Crowe Serrano made a welcome return to the Last Wednesday, after a long absence, reading a poem about disorder, a poem that wrote itself after seeing a work of art a poem about poems and a poetical memoir about the Osborne Bull in Spain. After Anamaria, it was the turn of Oran Ryan who had the room enthralled by his story of a bank customer’s revenge – until, that is a printer malfunction scuppered the economic recovery. Hopefully his re-reading of this next month will be less taxing.
After another short break it was the turn of Roger Hudson who read a long poem a bout a holiday experience – ‘Red Sea Idyll’, followed by a poem set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After Roger, Tony Gilmore made his return to the stage after a long absence, watching cars, listening to comedy and the radio. And after Tony it was the turn of Ross Hattaway read a new work – with a possible unhappy ending – ‘Dog and Child’, reprised his Cellar Tanka and Towards a Civil Peace. Ross also rose to the Stranger than Fiction Challenge (see more below) although he cheated – making his poem from names of horses, rather than words in a specific story – still a valiant effort, so we’ll let him into the race! Ross’ gift was ‘Living First Class in a Third World Country’ from his friend and former reading partner Mike Eager. Atfer Ross it was Anne Tannam’s turn at the mic. Anne read ‘I stand outside’ from her recently published collection Take This Life as well as two new works – ‘Parallel Universe’ and ‘I hate to break it to you but . . . ‘ to all who are currently attempting to predict what our summer will be like this year.
After the break, it was the turnoff Bob Shakehshaft who read ‘Old Rope’, ‘Rebecca’ – about the birth of his grandchild, ‘Broken’ written after witnessing an almost tragic accident, a newly written Pantun poem. Bob’s gift was a translation from the Russian poetNikolai Zabalotsky – ‘The White Night’. After Bob, Jim Rooneyopened his reading with a short poem from a Pat Ingoldsby book his son brough home – ‘A Very Beautiful Moment’. He also read works about the First World War, about Sam Willowcroft, in memory of his aunt Jenny who died last year, after reading his gift – ‘Freedom by Frances Brown of the Ardgillan Writers Group – he finished up with smiling poets (and some smiling novelists too) after his poem ‘the Smiling Amoeba’ After Jim, Phil Lynchfinished the evening with a poem about live after the revolutionary fervour dies, a Childhood Dream, love and Phil also rose to the Stranger than Fiction Challenge with his final poem of the evening.
The Frozen Mic 