The post of Christmas present

Mrs Scrooge

A new poem written for Guardian Review by Carol Ann Duffy. Illustrated by Posy Simmonds.

Ossian

On the pilgrimage to Disneyland

Disney accused by Catholic cleric of corrupting children's minds

" 'The message behind every movie and book, behind every theme park and T-shirt is that our children's world needs Disney,' [Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex] says. So they absolutely must go to see the next Disney movie, which we'll also want to give them on DVD as a birthday present. They will be happier if they live the full Disney experience; and thousands of families around the world buy into this deeper message as they flock to Disneyland. He continues: 'This is the new pilgrimage that children desire, a rite of passage into the meaning of life according to Disney. Where once morality and meaning were available as part of our free cultural inheritance, now corporations sell them to us as products.' " (Telegraph)

He makes a good case. It's worth reading the article. If I was going to be hard hearted I could say that the church's Disneyland probably has more revenue and employs more people. It's certainly a lot more sophisticated. Instead of people dressed up as cartoon characters, it has people dressed up as bishops, priests and nuns. Instead of "tall tales and true from the legendary west" etc, it has its own magic show and its own kingdom. On the other hand, he's right about Disney, I think. Does he suffer a twinge of professional jealousy over crowds staying away from his circus and streaming to the other? [I feel a bit mean for thinking like this, after all we do go to the churches "in our hour of need". Perhaps it's as one of John McGahern's characters says in "That they may face the rising sun", sometimes you can be just too precise.]

Ossian

Live to tell the tale

The eternal adventure: The amazing tale of the Arabian Nights

"Robert Irwin has edited and introduced 'The Arabian Nights' (Penguin Classics), and wrote 'The Arabian Nights: a companion'. The three-volume boxed set is available (price £112.50) from 0870 079 8897"

Congratulations to the Independent on an excellent, informative article about The Arabian Nights. If you have £112.50 to spend on a Christmas present (no, didn't think so) you can buy Robert Irwin's boxed set commentary. I fancy the Penguin Classics one myself. (Hint to Mrs Ossian). There are also brief intros to related works by Salman Rushdie, Edgar Allan Poe and AS Byatt.

Ossian

Big prize for poetry

TLS poetry competition

Closing date in September, experts choose short list to be printed in TLS in October, and readers vote for the winner. 1st prize £2,000.

Ossian

Picnic with Leonard Cohen and Philip Tétrault

"Leonard Cohen & Montreal poet and friend Philip Tétrault talk about old times, poetry and other stuff at "Leonard Park" in Montreal"

This includes a marvellous impromtu reading of a previously unseen poem. A joyful outdoor scene.

Ossian

London Poetry Festival

Emerging Writer: London Poetry Festival

"[There] are still some slots for readers, if you're interested

When: August 8, 9, 10 & 11: Friday to Monday.
Where: Waterloo St John's Church, Waterloo Road, London SE1

The 4th London Poetry Festival starts about 7:30 p.m and finish by 11:00 p.m each evening."

Ossian

The Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 94

E. L. Doctorow: "I think writing is immensely difficult, but the short forms especially, like laundry lists…" (Audio, 12 mins. approx.)

Ossian

Poems on the underground

Poetry archive | Transport for London

If you've ever liked some of the poems that fill empty advertising spaces on tube trains, you might be glad of this online collection of them. Pity the first one is a broken link, but the others I tried worked.

Ossian

The child in time

Ian McEwan on his family's astonishing story and the brother he never knew he had | Extracts | guardian.co.uk Books

Fascinating, the basis for some of the subjects and concerns that run through Ian McEwan's fiction, in a straightforward summary.

Ossian

DIVERS ~ Poetry Workshop 25th anniversary anthology

Writers' Reading Party (pdf)

organized by the POETRY WORKSHOP & AARK ARTS publishers

Date: Sunday June 29, 2008 Time: 8:00pm

PENTAMETERS THEATRE
28 Heath Street, Hampstead, NW3 6TE
Telephone: 020 7435 3648
[above ‘The Horseshoe Pub’]

You are invited to a writers’ reading party, an informal get together of new and old friends, of people who love literature, life and conviviality to celebrate the launch of the Poetry Workshop’s 25th anniversary anthology Divers. There will a wonderful line-up of poets — established and new — reading short extracts from their work. It promises to be a warm and engaging evening, full of words, laughter and reflection, so do come along with your partners/pals and join this special community of people — and celebrate friendship and writing. Everyone welcome. Tickets: £8/£5.

Ossian

23 things to do in Denver when you're Sean

Syntax magazine

"I remember remembering that I had never seen such a woman but that I was searching, curious to know that if in all of Paris, in that great and teeming metropolis, such a woman existed."

Ossian

Poetry magazine, April 2008

Poetry in translation

Lots of enjoyable reading, as well as commentary by the translators.

Ossian

Marvellous new resource online

Atlantic Online

"Beginning today, TheAtlantic.com is dropping its subscriber registration requirement and making the site free to all visitors. Now, in addition to such offerings as blogs, author dispatches, slideshows, interviews, and videos, readers can also browse issues going back to 1995, along with hundreds of articles dating as far back as 1857, the year The Atlantic was founded."

Ossian

Raine on memory

Look back in wonder

"In A Moveable Feast, Hemingway fails to return to his past, he is exiled from his memories, because his prose is writing itself and he is having a hard time keeping up." (Craig Raine, Guardian Review)

Lots of comparing and contrasting snippets from many authors

Ossian

whiskey river

whiskey river

"...supposing you were given the power to dream any dream you wanted to dream every night." (Alan Watts)

And some night you might just decide to sleep without dreaming at all, and that would be the end of you.

Ossian

The pathos of things

An economy of means, a sense of stillness and transience (Guardian Unlimited Books)

Transcript of a talk by Seamus Heaney comparing poetry in the Japanese, English and Irish traditions, with examples. It also describes the influence of Ezra Pound and others and of translations from and into Japanese.

Ossian

A brilliant talk

Germaine Greer talks about Shakespeare's wife

Fascinating and really quite moving, betimes.

Ossian

I wish I could enter this

Willesden Short Story Prize

Annual free competition, this year with a big prize (£5,000). Adjudicated for the third year running by Zadie Smith. Word has it that nibs have been heard scratching paper already for this competition.

Ossian

On Zora Neale Hurston

What does soulful mean?

"I had my own ideas of 'good writing'. It was a category that did not include aphoristic or overtly 'lyrical' language, mythic imagery, accurately rendered 'folk speech' or the love tribulations of women. My literary defences were up in preparation for Their Eyes Were Watching God. Then I read the first page..." (Zadie Smith)

Ossian

Edited out

Vanity Fair

"How could a man who, in the words of one close friend of Miller's, 'had such a great world reputation for morality and pursuing justice do something like this'?"

More complex than it appears at first glance, a detailed report about how and why Arthur Miller disowned but eventually left a bequest to, his Downs Syndrome child.

Ossian