Comments for Charles Christian's Words & Vision

Comment on This blog is moving on… by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 07:47:48 +0000

Good luck moving forward.

Comment on Postcards from the edge by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:22:11 +0000

Now that's a sound effect I would like – my latest computer keyboard has marginally less sexy sound than a pocket calculator. And I think the carriage return should include the bell tinkle of manually typewriters

Comment on Postcards from the edge by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 10:43:23 +0000

Love the typewriter. I had a programme years ago that made your keyboard sound like a typewriter. It was cool.

Comment on Diary of a Short Story Collection #3 by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:41:58 +0000

When you read one of the stories, you will discover the significance of the blue woman – and 'no' I can confirm she is not the mythical X-rated Smurf some people believe exists out there!

Comment on Diary of a Short Story Collection #3 by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:56:36 +0000

Now THAT is a cover I would pick up. My only reservation is that she's blue. It used to be the first thing I'd think of when I saw a blue bird would be Smurfette and I'd just about got that connection out of my head when ruddy 'Avatar' came along.

Comment on Opinion: live literature – dead audiences ? by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:51:32 +0000

Charles Christian adds – just heard from a friend of a friend who says that at the recent Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, the poet Don Patterson was interrupted mid-conversation with another poet by a member of the audience who criticised his reading. Apparently Patterson just looked him straight in the eye and said “Fuck off!”
Full marks to DP – just as audiences should be allowed to heckle poets and live literature performers, so poets should be allowed to heckle their audiences.

Comment on Diary of a Novel #12 + Diary of a Short Story Collection #2 by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 13:01:40 +0000

400pp. Phew!

Comment on Diary of a Novel #10 by Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:32:00 +0000

In midst of complete crisis of confidence right this minute. Deep breathing is vastly over-rated. Have NO idea what works instead. Now do you wish I hadn't commented so helpfully?!
M

Comment on Opinion: live literature – dead audiences ? by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 13:20:49 +0000

Audience reaction at poetry readings depends on the performer. He/she must choose poems that the audience will 'get' on first reading. Anything more complicated, anything likely to go over their heads, is a waste of breath and will at best attract a mere smatter of polite applause and at worse a bemused silence. A poet must prepare and choose the poems with care. They must be of an ideal length, not too long and not two short, perhaps two minutes per poem. They should be read slowly and clearly. If it's too short the audience won't have tuned in. If it's too long the audience will probably lose the thread (assuming there is a thread). There are some good and some bad readings to be viewed on YouTube and to be listened to on various poetry library sites. Dylan Thomas sounds pretentious, Ginsberg who wrote 'Howl' sounds weak. Fame is no guide. The best solution is to get the late Richard Burton to read your poem. In other words, poets must learn how to project themselves, how to command the floor, how to act. Start with Hamlet's soliloquy. Practice, practice and practice. Then go on from there.
I do not pretend to know everything but I always get warm applause.
Gwilym Williams

Comment on Opinion: live literature – dead audiences ? by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 08:36:18 +0000

I don't do poetry, but have done short story readings… never been pelted with urine or indifference. An audience wants performance and not just the words on the page. They want to know background and you, the writer. They don't want a barrage of words moving from one piece to another. They need to draw breath. The audience want led into each piece. They want to know when one piece ends and where the next piece begins. They want entertained. Planning for that is everything and planning with all of that in mind. Been to a fair few poetry readings and the ones that work best is where I feel I know the poet and his thinking and not just his words. His words I can get from the page; I want more at a reading.