Welcome once again, to the editorial and points of view section of Write Out Quiet, the paramillitary wing of Write Out Loud.  December was a fantastic month marred only by the sad demise of Paul Blackburn.  He will be sorely missed and a play has been comissioned in his honour: Blackburn in Wonderland, and will be available when we get hold of some tipp-ex® and hastily change the name on an existing script, because it was either that or put some effort in.

 

And, good gracious,what a lot of opinions you seem to be having.  Edith Trowel of Wormwood Scrubs, London writes...

Dear Dermot,

I find your new ezine a very marvellous place, well done to you and all your team.

I particularly enjoyed Poem of the Month and that What I do that's new series is a revelation.

I have a couple of complaints though. The cryptic poem thing was far too hard - could we have a easier one for us not so bright people.

Similarly, I have read Mr Newman's article several times and am now in a mental hospital having electric shock therapy.

Yours

Mrs Edith Trowel

Good idea, Edith, the team here at Write Out Quiet feel that it will have therapeutic value and we wish you the best of luck with it.

 

Dear Dermot,

Have to say, I spent the best part of two hours yesterday morning perusing the new features.
I found it to be interesting, packed with a various assortment of, well.. features!

I can understand that while some of them would benefit from having nowhere for reader comments, i feel that others might. It would possibly save having to set up separate discussion threads like this one.

Personally, i've always enjoyed reading reviews by Mr. Thomas and Ian MacMillan among others, so it's nice to see them in one section for easy access. I would have liked to see Alec Newmans poetic writing know how in a larger text format. I lost interest because i had to concentrate too hard on being able to actually read it without a magnifying glass as well as my specs on.
Maybe the next issue then?

I do love the jukebox idea and Fiona's pics although i haven't actually tried the excercises yet but there's a whole month to have a go.
Chris Dawson's done a great job of providing info for improving stature and voice projection in performance and i look forward to testing them out.

I wish the mag and the team success.

Janet Ramsden

 

On behalf of the whole team hear at Write Out Quiet (Provisional Title Only), I would like to thank you for such lovely encouraging feedback.  We have acted on a couple of your recommendations and added comment boxes to the workshop exercises section.

 

Dear Ed or may I say Derm
 

You may (Editor)

How presient, precient, prescsient....how  uncanny the way Mystic Fred
reads me like the proverbially cliché book. What insight he (or she)
exhibits in describing my cat in a cupboard qualities. My only beef is how
to interpret the direction to "Jshuzz" up my life. I know I'm falling
behind the mainstream (or even the fringe) but is this a happening word
that somehow passed me by? I loked it up in the dictionary, (OK it's lost
five pages in pre.... section) but to no avail. Where can I find my avail?
 

Dave Morgan
 

PS. The Features section is a real winner Dermot, well done to all. 

Mystic Ted assures me that it is scouse slang that he learned when he was somewhere fairly near to Liverpool.  He also says there is knowledge even in the boughs of a growing tree and that, if you listen very hard to the babbling of the water in the brook, in time you will discover the esoteric secrets of jshuzzing things in a vaguely upwards direction.  Then he asked for a payrise and more time to spend with his family.

 I love it. A lot of hard work has obviously gone into it and I can't believe that you have actually got people to do all this for nothing... There must be so much good will out there. Is mystic Ted really a man? His observations seem far too keen... and how did he know that I was a was a Cancerian?
Like Janet, I think that a comments page would be great. It is easy to leave a comment but a drag having to construct an email that then has to be fed into something else. On first glance, I found the cryptic crossword to be too hard, but then I've never liked cryptic crossies, just like I don't like overly cryptic poetry.
Chris Dawson's tips on breath control sound a hoot. I'm looking forward to finding a special moment to try them out...
Loved reading Darren's review - he's always a hoot - though I felt for the 'reviewed'. I could never do that job in a million years...
Well done everyone - I think you are a brilliant team. x

 

Isobel

Thank you Isobel, the point about a comments page will be raised at the next meeting of our features team (the temporary solution of a thread in Discussions seems to be working quite nicely at present but we could probably come up with something more permanent).  As to Mystic Ted, who knows and I didn't feel it polite to ask him last time i saw him, but he seemed to somehow guess my question and replied that he's a bit like the stig.  Not sure if that helps - certainly left me baffled. 

 Dear Dermot,

The magazine is excellent. Very well done. A lot of work went into that.

I enjoyed Darren's review of 'Wirral's Winter Words', but what is the typo in 'In Poetry'?

Malcolm

 

Much appreciated.  From his hideout (to which he bolted in anticipation of a Fatwa), Darren has issued a statement in which he identifies the typo as residing in the second line of the final stanza.  He also gave clues as to where he is hiding, so if you will excuse me I'm away to bring his severed head to an Ayatollah and claim my reward.

Dear Dermot

Enjoyed all of it - well done and congratulations to all who contributed.
I particularly liked the photos and wrote a short, instant response... images work well for me.
Thanks to the whole team - a wonderful way to start the new year.
May your muse, always amuse.

Frances Macauley Forde

We're delighted you enjoyed the zine.  In response to your final comment, I have to say she certainly tickles me... despite restraining orders and whatnot.

 

Dear Dermot

Well just a quick reaction from a short perusal of the new Features ezine - well presented and written, well put together, punchy and eye catching. Nearly wet myself at Mystic Ted, can't wait to see Blackburn in Wonderland (so sorry to hear Paul is dead but hey ho! When's the piss up, I mean wake?) or should that be Blackburn in Shitsville? Mr Thomas on great form with his wobbly bicycle and Claire's tips on international success a must try, for all budding performance poets. I'm off to write, I mean read Uncle Dermot's problem page and check out the rest and suggest you do the same.
 

Louise Coulson

 

Alas, were they my problems, the page would go on for ever without ever getting to any solutions.

 

Hi

Bit informal... and are you chewing gum? (Editor)

Great work everyone and, Dermot, you been burning the midnight oil. Will the features section have any way of including embedded 'youtube' footage?

Would like to see poets performance videos.
I have filmed many poets over the years, also have some films to include, as does Paul etc

Pete Crompton

Great to here from you Pete, I like the videos idea a lot if the software can handle it and if I can get someone to manage such a feature.  I have also filmed many poets over the years, until they eventually found the camera.  However, I've now served my sentence and think that society should give me another chance.