Readings and writings – The Bell Jar

On This Day She

On This Day She is the new book from Jo Bell, Tania Hershman and Ailsa Holland – a page-a-day history book featuring 366 women who have earned a place in history, but haven’t always got it.

Greetings to you, poets, on this Christmas Day 2020 – and what a very unusual Christmas it is, with its festive isolation and glittering toilet roll shortages. The cliché would have it that this is a time of togetherness, but many of you are on your own at Christmas for the first time, and feelingContinue reading “Together, alone”

#28: Comfort and joy

Give yourself a day off from the end of the world. Turn off the damn news and completely relax into today’s theme – which is comfort and joy.

#27: Lesson learned

I give you a subject which could touch on lockdown if you choose, but equally might take you in an entirely different direction. Write about learning something.

#26: Credo

“Waste no more time arguing what a good person is. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations I like Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. It contains many of the beliefs I hold dear. I also enjoy what he has to say about cucumbers (we’ll come back to that). The quotation above would be part of my credo, which isContinue reading “#26: Credo”

#25: Open the door

Anything can serve as the signpost to a poem – including a signpost. Go and open the door you’ve been living behind so much. At least there’ll be a draught.

#24: Little and Large

A few days left of lockdown in England, and also of our online poetry community, Try to Praise the Mutilated World. The prompts are here every day, and free. Access to our Facebook workshopping group costs £10, and lasts for the duration of this lockdown. The group is a place for mutual feedback, and is private soContinue reading “#24: Little and Large”

#23: Introducing…..

We are into the last week of English lockdown #2, and also of our online poetry community, Try to Praise the Mutilated World. The prompts are here every day, and free. Access to our Facebook workshopping group costs £10, and lasts for the duration of this lockdown. The group is a place for mutual feedback, and isContinue reading “#23: Introducing…..”

#22: Energy

Lockdown in England is in its last week, and so is our online poetry community, Try to Praise the Mutilated World. The prompts are here every day, and free. Access to our Facebook workshopping group costs £10, and lasts for the duration of this lockdown. The group is a place for mutual feedback, and is private soContinue reading “#22: Energy”

#21: Courage, mon brave

We are 3/4 of the way through lockdown #2 in England, and weathering it in online poetry community, Try to Praise the Mutilated World. Prompts are here every day, and free. Access to our Facebook workshopping group costs £10, and lasts for the duration of this lockdown. The group is a place for mutual feedback, and isContinue reading “#21: Courage, mon brave”