Moments

Spectacularly busy day, and I don't mean that in a good way. But it had some good moments - which is one of the rewards of having a job that involves contact with bright young people: such moments can't be avoided.

For example, Paul or Mervyln, or both - I'm not sure how it worked - had arranged for a talk for a class by a couple of local writers, poets, who happened to be old boys - one a very young old boy, if you see what I mean. I'd not expected a great deal from this other than to pass the time in a vaguely pleasurable way whilst thinking I'd prefer to be getting down and dirty with Webster's Duchess. It turned out to be a thoroughly illuminating 100 minutes. It helped that I enjoyed the poems they read but the insightfully unpretentious points both guys made about their work and the processes involved had me thinking a bit harder than usual about a whole raft of issues connected with what it is to be a writer, and especially a writer in this Place.

I came away with a volume from each, and looking forward to two good reads: Sonnets From The Singlish by Joshua Ip, and Chasing Curtained Suns by Jerrold Yam. And if that sounds like a covert recommendation - yes, it is.