‘My poetry is definitely a way of processing uncomfortable experiences and imaginings and a way of coming to terms with those things… If I can create a poem I am happy with, from difficult or unsettling experience, then that enables me to come to terms with it and move on.’
Is that glass eye staring at you? In this episode we persuade Tess Jolly to tell us about her dark alchemy, her ability to transforming fear into hauntingly beautiful poetry. She shares some spine-tinglers from her published work, including her new Blue Diode collection, Breakfast at the Origami Cafe. We quiz Krishan Coupland editor of Neon , the literary magazine with flavours of horror and science fiction, and learn about the dreamlike qualities that unnerve and excite him. Plus Robin and Peter swap tips, gleaned from bitter experience, on what to do when your poetry submissions are rejected.
Poems this episode – Robin reads ‘Call It Fear’, by Joy Harjo (00:47), Tess Jolly reads ‘Crab Water’ (06:38), from her pamphlet Touchpapers; ‘The Night Light’ (08:55), ‘Clock’ (15:42), ‘The Cliff Path’ from Thus The Blue Hour Comes, ‘St. Ives‘ (22:02) from Breakfast at the Origami Cafe.