A Writer's Life by John Siddique

John, I'd love to see what you'd do with &...

2012-05-31T14:47:32.399+01:00

John, I'd love to see what you'd do with "Hulk" as your inspiration.

Very interesting thanks for sharing

2012-05-12T20:38:03.215+01:00

Very interesting
thanks for sharing

Wonderful, John!

2012-04-24T18:00:29.718+01:00

Wonderful, John!

This is quite an achievement John. Aside of all t...

2012-03-13T18:38:52.992Z

This is quite an achievement John. Aside of all the countless commentaries on Shakespeare's sonnets, on one level the sonnets speak for themselves. However I do think someone like yourself who reads them well and is able to drive the audience along with his understanding conveyed through the poetry is a huge bonus. It is said that most poets are terrible readers of their work though some as described above are gifted with the agility to convey poem, I am thinking of Betjeman, Ted Hughes, Tony Harrison et al.

Well-deserved press, John. So glad the trip was a ...

2012-02-18T15:20:29.194Z

Well-deserved press, John. So glad the trip was a success for you.

I like your perspective on relationships and stori...

2012-02-18T14:02:25.637Z

I like your perspective on relationships and stories. I continue to work on both.

Congrats on the press!

I can't claim to agree with every bit of this ...

2012-02-15T19:06:43.523Z

I can't claim to agree with every bit of this but it does seem to have been scribbled in his more sober moments.

I'm sure I signed this when I started my job. ...

2012-02-11T11:27:47.603Z

I'm sure I signed this when I started my job. (Not saying where I work through fear of reprisals, mind!)

Full Blood looks awesome on the display the...

2012-02-10T20:30:17.005Z

Full Blood looks awesome on the display there and just the cover and contents of a proper Valentine's Day gift, a poetry book, I think is the best gift one can give to someone deserving of one's sentiments. I have a dozen or so such small gifts I have bought but never sent to the intended people. I also have another copy of Full Blood. For hope and as the Urdu poet Ghalib says Dil kei khush rakhhney ko Ghalib yei khayal achha hei, it is good to think upon such things to amuse the heart.

Many thanks John I've added the link to my bl...

2012-02-10T09:00:19.278Z

Many thanks John

I've added the link to my blog, hope it's OK

Dear Maureen. Your input & support and friends...

2011-12-31T14:01:34.926Z

Dear Maureen. Your input & support and friendship has been one of the great highlights of the year for me. I pray that your own art continues to flourish and that your openness to lit and art lights the paths of others who interact with you. You really are a light in the darkness...

Happy New Year

Wishing you joys and much continued writing succes...

2011-12-31T13:40:06.723Z

Wishing you joys and much continued writing success in the coming new year, John. It's been such a delight for me to read and write about your work.

Since I've always enjoyed expressive liberatio...

2011-12-20T14:50:25.134Z

Since I've always enjoyed expressive liberation, I have to say my favorite is: Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition.

Hi Maureen thank you, I just thought it would be g...

2011-12-08T14:21:54.114Z

Hi Maureen
thank you, I just thought it would be good to bring stuff together in one place, have done it on my website too. You could do that for 'Neruda's Memoirs.'

The idea came about cos I know there are a couple of doctorate students out there studying my writing as part of their work, so I thought they, and other interested readers would find it beneficial if all this stuff was in one place.

I am honoured to have your review and essay in there. They mean so much to me, am intensely proud of them, and full of gratitude to you. quite honestly it is so important for us as writers to get good feedback in reviews and letters from our readers. Much too much criticism seeks to take the writer apart as if it is some kind of battle going on. Supporting things we honestly enjoy is a much better way, as you exemplify.

Kindest wishes

John

Great idea to do a round-up, John. Thank you for i...

2011-12-08T13:22:06.316Z

Great idea to do a round-up, John. Thank you for including my posts.

Wish I had thought to do this with 'Neruda's Memoirs: Poems".

Wishing you much continued success.

Thanks so much for doing this, John. If others are...

2011-12-07T14:20:10.864Z

Thanks so much for doing this, John. If others are keen to follow in your footsteps and show solidarity with Liu Xiaobo, there are more ideas of how to do so here: http://www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/wipcnews/penhonoursimprisonedwritersoninternationalhumanrightsday10december/

Thanks again for your support!

Beautiful and moving reading, John. I'm going...

2011-12-06T15:51:54.630Z

Beautiful and moving reading, John.

I'm going to post this on my site, as I know some of my readers will not be aware of Liu Xiabo.

Very True. Einstein said that 'Not everything ...

2011-12-03T20:38:20.585Z

Very True. Einstein said that 'Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.' In the final instance, it is art that matters and counts. However much the acknowledged totalitarian legislators may try to pretend it doesn't matter beyond entertainment. I am reminded of Leigh Hunt's supreme essay on 'What is Poetry? and of Keats' remark to the effect that he felt he could not exist without poetry. For me poetry has been my life. More than anything else it is art that shapes the way we think even if other factors such as money twist the way most people choose to lead their lives. Money does not have the power to control people's minds:

“Fire and poetry—two great powers
that mek this so-called god’s world OURS

The fire of poetry still burns in human hearts and minds and no power in the world can change that. It is what makes us human, more aware of our world and thus, more difficult to deceive.

Congratulations, John. It's wonderful - and im...

2011-11-24T16:17:46.181Z

Congratulations, John. It's wonderful - and important - to see the stories of yours and others' lives celebrated in this way.

Lovely setting for your photo.

Thank you Rehan. It is interesting that when I rea...

2011-11-17T10:26:40.035Z

Thank you Rehan. It is interesting that when I read poetry aloud it somehow breathes its life into me, and not the other way round. when I see actors do poetry they tend to force their feelings onto it rather than let the music of the poem, the life of the words animate them. I've been reading some shakespeare aloud recently to see what he has to show me. I should be able to reveal a bit of that next month..

i hope you are well, and thank you fro being such a supporter of the work i endeavour to do. Literature is the most important human creation, it is right up there with baking bread, discovering fire and having babies..

You have recited this incredible poem as it deserv...

2011-11-17T02:08:09.350Z

You have recited this incredible poem as it deserves to be recited. When I heard you reciting this I was reminded of Keats' passage in his letters where he describes his theory of the Chameleon Poet. A true poet becomes their own subject. Your recital is full of passion and powerful feelings and meaningful messages that are still given voice through the words written by Owen all those years ago.

I have delighted in all of these animations, John....

2011-11-10T17:16:21.929Z

I have delighted in all of these animations, John. They are a wonderful visual presentation of your words, creative, thought-provoking, and inspirational.

Thank you Maureen, Rehan, Cat It was so exciting ...

2011-11-04T17:48:49.849Z

Thank you Maureen, Rehan, Cat

It was so exciting every evening watching the words appear and seeing the reactions on people's faces as they came to a halt on the street.

Amazing! It must have been so beautiful! Really wi...

2011-11-04T07:51:09.485Z

Amazing! It must have been so beautiful! Really wish I could have seen. How lovely, words on stone at dusk!

Truly Beautiful.

2011-11-04T05:51:35.564Z

Truly Beautiful.