A note on : Wolves in Chernobyl in Close Reading series

https://theimportanceofbeingaloof.tumblr.com/post/661526716783722496/close-reading-sj-fowler-wolves-in-chernobyl Nice of Charlie Baylis to include my poem Wolves in Chernobyl as part of his Close Reading series on his Importance of being aloof blog.

“What is it?

‘Wolves in Chernobyl’ is a mysterious, unrhymed poem in nine parts. There are no wolves in the poem, except for the title, yet there is a palpable sense of their presence, or the presence of something dangerous, lurking in the woods. This could be wolves ‘living in the goodness of our wood’, it could be a nefarious woodland spirit, it could be impending nuclear disaster, it could be something else entirely. The poem is dated April 26th 1986, the date of the calamitous safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, but again the poem makes no direct reference to the disaster, only leaving sparse clues, for example ‘more firemen came up / complaining of vomiting and acute headaches’ and ‘I spit black spit’. The poem is preceded by an epigraph from the Ukrainian poet Vasyl Stus: ‘today is nothing. the future won’t come’, which ties together various hints that the events of the poem mostly take place before the effects of the nuclear accident, a peaceful moment where ‘life in the town goes on as normal’, before imminent destruction wreaks havoc……….

New course : Live Poetry and Performance, begins October 3rd

Live Poetries and Performance : an online course

Begins October 3rd 2021, running for 6 weeks. £200. All info here https://www.poembrut.com/courses

Sound Poetry, dance-poetry, video-poetry, theatre-poetry. Reading, recitation, installation, improvisation. Live collaboration and performance literature - Every live poem is a new work and poetry began in sound. Comprehensively reflecting upon an artform borne of liveness, this course will explore readings, recitation, installations, dramaturgy, sound poetry, dance, music, collaboration and performance - delving into what is possible when the poet mindfully explores the body, the voice, time, space, presence and absence, technology and the immutable idea of the audience.

Not a course aimed at extraverts, this course will be a practical, as well as conceptual, journey through what is often erroneously second in the poet's arsenal. What is the meaning of a poem spoken and heard, over written and the read? What are the possibilities of recorded or installed poems? Why has the 21st century seen a grand resurgence in performance literature, which takes live art as inspiration? We will examine the art of public reading, improvisation, talking performances, scripts and scores, as well as orchestration and planning.

This course will emphasise method. Participants will be sent a succinct document of resources once a week – ideas, examples, concepts, history, accompanied by exercises or prompts. Then, on a private blog-forum, responses - including written poems, video and audio recordings, images, scores, notations and performance plans - can be posted, with comments and feedback from all involved. When the course finishes, an event will consolidate that which everyone has produced.

Backed up with case studies on a swathe of brilliant poet performers or those who wrote with liveness in mind - from Samuel Beckett to Peter Handke, Marina Abramovic to Elaine Mitchener, Bob Cobbing to bp nichol, Maja Jantar to Jonathan Burrows and many many others- this course with expand the knowledge of those familiar with live events and offer strategies to those looking to tread boards.

Published : Text Isles anthology and exhibition

A beautifully made anthology alongside a group show in Greece, the Text Isles exhibition takes place 17-24 Sep 2021 in the Art Park Gallery / Archipoli, 85106 in Rhodes. Another remarkable, and actually pioneering, project from Poem Atlas and Astra Papachristodoulou. I certainly have not been involved in a bigger happening exploring textiles and poetry. https://www.poematlas.com/text-isles

My works for the show and the book are asemic animals. Creatures taking upon their bodies and the abstract poetry so important to my practise.

UK-based visual poets come together for a unique show at the first international exhibition of Poem Atlas

Poem Atlas presents its first international exhibition TEXT-ISLES, an exhibition of visual poetry featuring a range of innovative poets that examines materiality through the lens of text and textiles. Although wide-ranging in approach, the work produced as part of this show could be broadly characterised as a collection of material or sculptural poems, in which materiality, texture and movement are harnessed to retell, reimagine, and reorient our relationship to the environment and materials that stratify us.

You can purchase the anthology here. https://www.poematlas.com/text-isles-catalogue

A note on : The Printed Poetry Symposium, October 14th in Bristol

as part of the gifting to those attending the symposium, this gift bag has been printed with a poem i wrote specifically for the occasion and the bag! i love this kind of stuff. a minimalist masterpiece on my part, if i may say soo

I’m so happy to be involved in this and have had such a pleasure working with Angie Butler and Sarah Bodman at UWE. Amazing artists and human beings. My event on October 14th can be booked here, please do so https://store.uwe.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/centre-for-fine-print-research/conferences/printed-poetry-symposium-dropin-round-table-event

THE PRINTED POETRY SYMPOSIUM (OCTOBER 2021)

The Printed Poetry symposium is a series of events that mark the culmination of a Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR), UWE letterpress research project in collaboration with poet, writer and artist, SJ Fowler and letterpress printer and publisher Pat Randle (Nomad Letterpress). Fowler will discuss the project and the resulting publication in a keynote online presentation.

In addition, nine poets, letterpress practitioners and publishers will present projects, publications and prints that evidence their relationship to the printed poem through their lived experience of creating words, images, performances etc. through this physical print process.

We will also hold a ‘live’ letterpress printing event at the Letterpress Collective, pop-up exhibitions at UWE library and an in-person meeting and pop-up exhibition at Arnolfini Bristol with some of the symposium presenters: to convene these communities and examine relationships between creative practitioners and the haptic production of the printed word within contemporary letterpress publishing activities. 

https://cfpr.uwe.ac.uk/the-printed-poetry-symposium-october-2021/

THURSDAY 14 OCTOBER: ticketed events, booking via UWE Online Shop – Drop-In Event & Roundtable Discussion

10.00a.m.–12 noon: Drop-in at The Letterpress Collective, Bristol: ‘live’ printing of Printed Poetry symposium keepsake 

2.00p.m.–4.30p.m. Arnolfini auditorium event: Roundtable discussion between symposium presenters and audience and pop-up exhibition of letterpress printed poetry works with Q&A, plus launch of publication by SJ Fowler from the Printed Poetry Project

SJ Fowler: Letterpress and Poetry – the Printed Poetry Project
A talk on the potential of typesetting and letterpress printing as an active collaborative process for poets. Using the recent CFPR supported ‘Printed Poetry Project’ (an exchange between Fowler, Angie Butler at UWE and Pat Randle at Nomad Letterpress) as a case study, this mini lecture will explore how poetry might respond to the auspices of print, through serendipity, vernacular and process, and how it might alter and change when actively engaged in what letterpress can achieve. When often the relationship between poets and printers is one of commission, or separation, how might be we more innovatively integrate these two artforms, in order to produce original and innovative results?

A note on : Korean Literature Night - Kim Yideum on Sept 29th

The Korean Literature Night (KLN) is a monthly discussion group that explores various themes and topics relating to that month’s chosen book. We will read the book ‘Hysteria' by Kim Yideum in September.

The Poet Kim Yideum and the moderator Steven J. Fowler will join us for a live virtual talk about her poem ‘Hysteria' . Following the talk, Kim Yideum will respond to questions from the audience.

• Event Date: Wednesday 29th September 12:00PM-1:30PM (UK time)

• Venue: ZOOM Webinar

• Apply to info@kccuk.org.uk with your name and contact details by 15th September 2021

https://kccuk.org.uk/en/programmes/korean-literature-nights/hysteria-kim-yideum-conversation-steven-j-fowler/

A note on : A poem for Rebecca Kamen's The Art of Reimaging Scientific Discovery at the American University Museum

I am really so fortunate to have a collaborator like Rebecca Kamen. She has been an inspiration for many years, since we met at the salzburg global, both as a friend, correspondent, artist and human being. She has a wonderful new exhibition and as part of the catalogue I have a poem, responding to her work and the exhibition - specifically her silent spread installation. All details are here https://www.american.edu/cas/museum/2021/reveal-scientific-discovery-kamen.cfm

Inspired by an unexpected brain tumor and the pandemic, the artwork in this exhibition investigates curiosity and the creative process in art and science. The work has also been informed by research and collaborations with scientists at the American University and the University of Pennsylvania where I am currently an artist in residence. The exhibition culminates in the meditative Silent Spread, a graphite on mylar, wall-mounted installation where 28 diaphanous sculptures inspired by the coronavirus reflect and trace the migratory pattern of COVID-19. 

An opening excerpt from my poem here, and a small glimpse of Rebecca’s silent spread too.

A note on : Poem Brut at Open Ealing

A remarkably fun night at Open Ealing, and a second exceptional poem brut event in the month of august, 2021/ https://www.poembrut.com/thepast

Lots of friends and folk I’ve not met before, many of whom had done my online courses, and all of us, coming out of lockdown realities, were joyed to be communal, and take the chance to perform to a warm, and surprisingly full, audience. Chris Kerr, Beverley Frydman, Vicki Kaye, Mikael Buck, Lynette Willoughby, Bob Bright, Richard Marshall, Kayleigh Cassidy, Simon Tyrrell, Paul Hawkins and Susie Campbell. Everyone brought their A game.

This was the London launch of my Bastard Poems book, my selected collage https://www.steelincisors.com/product/bastard-poems/2?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false as well as a sneek preview of a new anthology Ive edited called Seen as Read, with many visual poets within… coming in october.

Published : a tool to express bafflement, an interview for Shuddhashar

An interview with the brilliant Tutul, otherwise known as Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury, whose work I got to know running the English PEN festival, hearing of how he had to flee Bangladesh. I was obviously really happy then to be asked to provide a selection of my poems, that I considered political, alongside an interview, with questions standardised for the many excellent poets featuring in this special edition of Tutul’s online magazine - Shuddhashar. The entire issue can be seen here, https://shuddhashar.com/magazine/issue-25-political-poetry/, with some great poets involved.

My interview specifically is here, and below, https://shuddhashar.com/a-tool-to-express-bafflement/

As mentioned, it includes 7 poems, taken from the collections A Guide to Being Bear Aware, The Rottweiler’s Guide to the Dog Owner, The Wrestlers, {Enthusiasm} and Minimum Security Prison Dentistry. It’s a mini selected poems, drawing from those five books.

A note on : European Poetry Festival Manchester Camarade - Oct 1st and Creative Tourist article

Very pleased to be returning to the Burgess Centre in Manchester, thanks to the support of the Manchester Poetry Library, for a standalone Camarade event as part of the European Poetry Festival.

20 poets in 10 pairs sharing new works for the night will mark this welcome return to curating events in Manchester for me. The five or six similar events I’ve done there in the past have all been brilliant, and I’m especially chuffed to work with Tom Jenks once again. https://www.europeanpoetryfestival.com/manchester21

There has also been a really excellent and generous article written about the event for the Creative Tourist by Sarah Clare Conlon https://www.creativetourist.com/event/european-poetry-festival-european-camarade/

A note on : Launching Bastard Poems in Bath

Quite the way to release my latest book, my selected collages, Bastard Poems from Steel Incisors, into the world. In the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific society, surrounded by dinosaur fossils, a dozen friends and co-readers, and a surprisingly full audience, who were game, and generous, and receptive. The other readers were uniformly on, everyone was really great, and enthusiastic. Got to see some old friends and collaborators - Max Porter, Lucy English, Carrie Etter, Angie Butler, Dave Spittle - and travelled to Bath for this. It was also satisfying to have this night as a chance to say thanks to James Knight, who has worked so so hard on Bastard Poems and done such a great job. The book can be bought here https://www.steelincisors.com/product/bastard-poems-by-sj-fowler/2

All the videos from the launch, performances and readings, are available here https://www.poembrut.com/thepast

And below some great pictures of my performance, a live collective collage, and more, by Madeleine Rose Elliott.

A note on : An interview with James Knight, for Bastard Poems launch

To celebrate the release of my selected collages, Bastard Poems, the editor of the brilliant steel incisors press, James Knight, and I, had an online chat. About the book, about many things. To celebrate the thing. It is here in its entirety https://www.steelincisors.com/s/stories/bastard-poems

& on, please have a read…

Published: Poems in Verseville

Edited by the brilliant Estonian poet Mathura, I’m happy to have two poems from my book ‘Come and See the Songs of Strange Days : Poems on Films” published this year by Broken Sleep, in the summer issue of Verseville.

Check out the full issue http://www.verseville.org/issue-xxxii-august-2021.html with friends Forrest Gander, Erik Lindner and more. Great selection.

The poems are on the Ghost and the Darkness, and the Estonian film, November http://www.verseville.org/s-j-fowler.html

Published : Mercurius' 1st anthology

Thomas Helm's work with Mercurius is something I am very pleased to say I have been involved in since close to its beginnings. I felt in Thomas' enthusiasm and taste, a kinship, and it reminded me of my Maintenant series – as a project that not only supports others, but aims to actively connect to them. To amplify. I felt a responsibility to then pass the connections I was given then on to Mercurius, and I'm happy to see links have blossomed since then, to lots of poets and presses.

This anthology marks a significant first light in what I'm sure will be a distinct and brilliant future for the journal. And though I say I have been keen to support Mercurius, realistically, they have supported me far more. And this anthology, containing my excerpts from two of my books, furthers that generosity. It's buyable here, with an impressive list of contributors. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mercurius-No-dreams-Mercuriuss-Poetry/dp/B097STF19V/

Published : BASTARD POEMS from Steel Incisors press

Now available for pre-order https://www.steelincisors.com/product/bastard-poems/2?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

Really happy to be sharing this new book from Steel Incisors press edited by James Knight. It brings together years of collage, includes an essay of mine and 80 plus full colour works. It’s a sister to Sticker Poems and Crayon Poems, it’s my fifth publication of 2021, and the last this year and it’s launched on August 2nd in Bath.

From the publisher : An unprecedented take on collage as poetic medium, SJ Fowler’s Bastard Poems is a book that defies description. Combining the found, the handwritten, the abstract, the irreverent and the archival, and the occasional text camouflaged as commentary, Fowler has devised a new form of poetry standing on the shoulders of a grand tradition. Here are labels and book pages, monkeys and footballers, self-help instructions and informational leaflets, plus lists, letters, tickets, drawings, maps, barcodes, birds, bears, and (!) more. Reading it is the equivalent of exploring someone’s abandoned attic only to realise they have been watching you the whole time.

This volume is SJ Fowler's selected collages, collected from works made 2013 to 2021, and includes an essay by the author.

92 pages, full colour, paperback, perfect bound.

Published : London found sound poems on Clouds and Tracks

Good to share a first excerpt of a weird found sound / sound poetry album I've been working on over the last year in London. I spent many days recording the sounds of the city, and then rambling in various accents, and then making sound poems next to London spaces close to me. This excerpt is an edit together of three separate tracks about birds, wind and a cockney cat buying a postcard https://www.mixcloud.com/Clouds_Tracks/sj-fowler-almost-no-poems/

It has been published as part of the brilliant Clouds and Tracks curated by John Hughes, Volker Eichelmann and Jenna Collins. Clouds and Tracks’ first iteration collates sound works conceived and realised since the spring of 2020. Contributions chart participants’ thoughts, feelings, driftings and wanderings since the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, providing a sonic snapshot of the strange and unsettling times we are living through. https://cloudsandtracks.net/

A note on : Robert Sheppard Interview, Maintenant #107

A huge influence on my work, and on hundreds of poets in the UK and beyond, it's great to share this near 7000 word interview with Robert Sheppard on 3am magazine, as part of my Maintenant series.

Robert's writing has been important for four decades plus and our chat ranges over an enormous amount of terrain. https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/maintenant-107-robert-sheppard/

European Poetry festival - summer 2021, a mini documentary

Nice to have this small documentary as a kind of gentle summation of the EPF summer 2021 program, which presented a quartet of events in London, returning to live happenings across the city. From our showcase Camarade, with 20 UK-baed European poets presenting new works in pairs at St Johns on Bethnal Green, to an outdoor reading in Richmond Park and events held in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library, Peer Gallery and more. All events were free to attend and socially distanced.

The EPF will return in winter 2021, November 18th to December 3rd with events featuring international poets from across the continent, with events celebrating Austrian, Swiss, Spanish, Latvian, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian poets and more. https://www.europeanpoetryfestival.com/

A note on : Talking Crowfinger for Photo Poetry Surfaces at Bristol Photo Festival

https://www.photopoetrysurfaces.com my chat with David Solo for the SURFACES Opening Night on June 17 2021, where I talked a lot about my approaches to photopoetry and my collaborative work with Bard Torgersen CROWFINGER https://www.stevenjfowler.com/crowfinger

Published : Flowers Won't Grow, with Karenjit Sandhu

Flowers Won't Grow, by Karenjit Sandhu and I, is now available from Sampson Low https://sampsonlow.co/2021/06/21/flowers-wont-grow-karenjit-sandhu-sj-fowler/

35 pages of poetry printed in a limited edition of 150. £4.99.

From the publisher “A unique epistolary poetry collection and a collaborative feat of rare acumen, Flowers Won’t Grow contemplates mundanity and gratitude with a mix of polite curiosity and tender contempt. The lettered, prose-ish poems of Sandhu and Fowler speak to a luminous private public exchange, and the writeable unspeakables of a long London summer. These are playful, complex poems, of a city, of soap and fizzy water, of a search for commonality in quiet, of paper birds and hardened workers. www.stevenjfowler.com/flowers

“‘Exchanges, transfers and transferrals of intimacy and stark urgency – a work of posed questions, thumbed noses and drawn blood’.
Eley Williams
‘This is a nurse’s attention on a knife edge. A pin-prick of address, a poem that says “let’s get out of here” to and about itself. Everything is external, but you can’t get outside, even if you don’t what to know what’s inside. It’s a hostile take over of mundane objects and day-to-day experience in a language that asks us to settle for fruit syrup but reaches beyond to the universe’
Prudence Bussey-Chamberlain

The book was written across 2019, in what seems now a fever of activity and exchange, for this collaboration and in my work in general, and then revised in 2021 for publication. Karenjit is a really excellent writer and performer and I think the text is really good – playful, ludic, knotty.

It's the third in a series of collaborative pamplets with Sampson Low, following Beastings and Crowfinger, and as ever before, Alban Low has done a remarkable job bringing this to life.

Karenjit and I had two launches, following two performances of the text in late 2019. The first was in Richmond Park and the second in Hoxton Trust Gardens, both as part of the European Poetry Festival. Both performances included an exchange of reading and action between us, with very loose suggestions beforehand, and much completely improvised. For both I did forward rolls and some leaping and running, why I did this is a mystery.

A note on : August 2nd, launching Bastard Poems in Bath

Poem Brut in Bath : Bastard Poems - August Mon 2nd 2021 : Free entry

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution www.brlsi.org/ 16-18 Queen Square. BA1 2HN
Doors 6.45pm for a 7pm start - Free entry with a booktable with books for sale

WITH READINGS / PERFORMANCES FROM ANGIE BUTLER, MAX PORTER, LUCY ENGLISH, PETER JAEGER, PAUL HAWKINS, JAMES KNIGHT, CARRIE ETTER, DAVID SPITTLE

To celebrate the launch of SJ Fowler’s ‘Bastard Poems’ from Steel Incisors press, a Poem Brut event will see readings and performances by an extraordinary group of poets, writers and artists, all based in the region.

Expect an evening of new experimental literary performance works, made for the night, alongside readings of poetry and prose. This event will present a true range of what’s possible in contemporary British-based poetry and prose, celebrating collage, liveness and textual play.