Californ-EYE-aay!

So - verily, I am here!

On the plane I drank gin and spilled apple juice onto my lap.

At SFO airport I accidentally picked up someone else's bag from the conveyor belt, and by the time I realised the error and had put it back, noticed that my ACTUAL bag was on its way back into the dark tunnel. I literally dropped everything [onto the feet of the lady to my right] and made a lunge for it but something went wrong and I punched myself in the mouth. So my first views of San Francisco came chaperoned by a swollen, bleeding lip.

In short, I am uncool. But all that may be forgotten in California... because I have an English accent and am therefore, in spite of almost overwhelming evidence to the contrary, VERY VERY COOL!

That night I went for a beer with poet and playwright Mel Clay, who I met in the Beat museum [well, the Beat museum gift shop; I am pacing myself...] He's put on some really cool productions in the past and will hopefully be in the UK again with his next project next year...

Later this morning, I'm heading to Davis, where I'll be chatting to Dr Andy Jones on his poetry & Technology radio show [listen here: www.kdvs.org] and then doing a long set at Bistro 33 in Davis tonight. And tomorrow, I am Reno bound, to gamble my money and o.d. on crystal meth [by which I mean, do a gig and run a youth workshop].

Got lots of cool pics, but no means to upload them, so please insert visual imagination HERE.

Catalytic San Francisco

'Le Penseur', at the magnificent Rodin museum in Paris, taken when I was there this Summer - on Patrick Swayze's birthday in fact, August 18th; it is clearly a sign. [That is, not a sign that I am on the brink of death, so much as that we are (were) meant for one another, are (were) kindred spirits, are (were) {insert similar items here.} ] We did, after all, have a very romantic conversation about whistles and horses one night, a few years ago... at the very least he represents one of my more successful stalking adventures. Ah, lost love.


Last week I performed at David Bramwell's Catalyst Club, which was an interesting and surprisingly nerve-inducing experience. My talk was called "Vowels Eating Vowels: The Catastrophic Effects of Love Poetry", which I began with a brand new poem - yes - actually a new, brand new, actual poem! It's a great night, and you can find it downstairs at The Latest Music Bar on Manchester Street in Brighton, every 2nd Thursday.

Speaking of 2nd Thursdays, the next Hammer and Tongue will be on the 12th Nov, not the 5th - what with it being Bonfire Night and all... We have Byron Vincent and Zena Edwards, plus local poet Alan Hay - it will be awesome! It will also be your last chance to take part in the slam [if you are so inclined] until February - as December is the Grand Slam Final 2009, in which all this year's monthly winners will compete for the H&T slam champion title [plus exciting mystery prize...], and January is POETS vs. MCs time! Boo hiss, etc.

I am off to California tomorrow morning, and will no doubt update you with all manner of salacious gossip as I go along. Gig info is on my main website, and do please leave comments on here so I feel loved!

And now I must make dinner, for I have a seven year-old demon tugging at my sleeve, saying: are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner are you going to make dinner...

The answer is YES! : I am going to make dinner.

Poison o'clock.

Lost and Found

I didn't realise how long it's been since my last blog, although this time I at least have a pseudo-valid reason, or "excuse", because my laptop was stolen from my very home a few weeks ago, and I have only NOW gotten my hands on a replacement.

Of course, the trouble with doing this so infrequently is that I attempt to cram lots of stuff into each blog, which then becomes a Rosy Digest, when I'd really rather be more Rosy Daytime TV, so henceforth I will give you snippets of news, beefed on all sides by utter nonsense. It will give all the impression of harbouring relevant information and/or potential wisdom but in fact will not even exist: you are merely being haunted by your hopes for what the future may bring.

I'm feeling very excited at the moment because in a couple of weeks I'm heading over to the US of A, and will be there until the first week of November. I have been practicing accents; if you put in the necessary effort and stalk me, you may hear such attempts echoing out through my living room windows. If this is you, please also bring rooibos and vanilla teabags, because I ran out yesterday and am simply too lazy to buy more.

I'll be flying out to San Francisco, doing a few gigs around California and Nevada, and getting some hardcore pottering done. If anyone is familiar with that bit of the world, please feel free to forcefeed suggestions.

Speaking of forcefeeding [sort of], along with writers James Burt and Kay Sexton, I became a part of the Wordia "Visual Dictionary" last week. It was most bizarre but rather good fun - check out my entries on the website, under "note" and "incorporate", and upload your own if you have such technology at your fingertips.

Next Thursday, on National Poetry Day, I will be giving at talk on Cannibalism and Love Poetry in Performance, at David Bramwell's excellent Catalyst Club, in Brighton. For more info, see here: http://www.catalystclub.co.uk

I am all alone this evening for the first time in ages and it is a strange feeling. Perhaps if I drink tea and listen to Ace of Base it will begin to feel less strange, but just in case, please send me gentle companion-based thoughts [maybe more].


p.s. The shop is in Gardenstown, Aberdeenshire and well worth a visit if you are keen on crazy vendors, non-bargains and perilous levels of grime.

Trailer Trash!, Glastonbury, Volodya, Radio 4... AND MORE!

Oh dear,

I barely know where to begin; so much has been happening and I've been so terrifically lax with my blog-action.

The All Mouth event at Steyning Arts Festival [June 3rd] was brilliant - and sold out completely, so thank you to everyone who came along, as well as to Rachel Weston and Jacob Berkson for co-hosting with such wit and panache...

Trailer Trash! TARANTINO on June 20th was magnificent [and bloody] - thank you to the Duke of York's for kindly donating two free passes to see the next Tarantino offering [Inglorious Basterds] to the winners of our Jack Rabbit Slim's Twist Contest. Our next Trailer Trash! theme is COMIC BOOK FLICKS, and will take place on Friday September 4th. Buy tickets here: http://komediabrighton.ticketsolve.com/shows/8527576/events and check out "Trailer Trash" on facebook for more details.

Glastonbury Festival was crazy, woozy, exhausting, damp, giddy-making and generally GREAT. I performed at the Poetry and Words stage, run by Helen Gregory, and only got a little bit flooded in my pea-sized tent.

Hammer and Tongue proper was replaced in July by the South-East heat of Radio 4's UK-wide poetry slam. The rather lovely Paul Stones came in to host with me, and the winners were Pete the Temp and Danny Chivers, both from Oxford, with Spliff Richard taking third place. I had such a great night; brilliant poetry and performances, and a magnificent audience too. The semi-finals happen over September/October, so keep your eyes peeled and ears skinned for that. In August I'm off to gay Paris, so there won't be another Hammer and Tongue until Thursday 3rd September. More info on guests to come...

My new cd, VOLODYA, is now on sale at gigs for £5 [check out the performance link on my main site, or myspace/rosycarrickpoetry for upcoming dates], or else you can email me directly for a copy at info@rosycarrick.co.uk. It was recorded "rough and vibrant" by Egg, Chair and Cupcake Ltd in Hove, and with kind support from Norman Leaver at Learnatrade Ltd.

On July 7th I co-hosted this year's showcase event by participants of Little Green Pig, a Brighton-based ongoing series of writing workshops for children and young people aged between 7 and 18. In spite of the unbelievably aggressive downpour lots of people came to watch and support the performers, and it was really wonderful to see so much creative talent and confidence - for more info on LGP, have a look at their site: http://www.littlegreenpig.org.uk.

And now? Well, today I will sell 100 beautiful cupcakes... and next week I am off to the north of Scotland to relax a little.

On Saturday 1st August I will be facilitating "Poetic Inspiration", a 3 hour creative workshop as part of the Tresspass Magazine masterclass series. See here for more details: http://www.trespassmagazine.co.uk/workshops.html but ignore the bit about it being in Leeds! It is in Brighton, I tell ye, BRIGHTON!

That is all for now. I promise to say 10 Raspberry Berets, 3 Beat Its and 45 Born In The USAs for my infrequent blog-sins, and henceforth vow to be more regular, in this and every context...