Review: Himself by the Seaside
Launch of the latest Lemon Tree Writers chapbook
Douglas Hotel, Aberdeen
[Map]
The latest chapbook from Aberdeen's Lemon Tree Writers features contributions from
four of its most talented and diverse members. This Saturday lunchtime, to a sizable
crowd, we heard from them each in turn after a fine introduction from Bill Robertson.
The poetry of Ian Anderson is, for the main, mild-mannered and gentle, like
the man himself. Ian draws on a love of the countryside and incorporates the sights,
sounds and smells of weekend horse-riding into his verse. However, he later bares
his teeth with several biting works tackling politics, religion and other social
issues, finishing with a thought-provoking and uniquely cross-generational poem.
Natural wit Cal Wallace is quick to give the audience the jocular hard-sell,
but justifies it with a reading of It from the book — a warning, or
perhaps a celebration, of peer pressure. Two further highlights from his previous
collection The Man with the Silver Eye find the air filled with laughter
and a further completely fresh, futuristic tale showcases both Cal's skilful turn
of phrase and his unstoppable imagination.
Bill Robertson may appear to be sponsored today by a well-known firm of throat
sweets but it does nothing to hamper his performance. Best known for his dark fiction,
Bill surprises us with two well-crafted poems. However, his stories The Breakthrough
and Stupid Baby show the real power in his pen as the assembled audience
find themselves laughing out loud one minute then picking their jaws up from the
floor the next.
The work of poet and translator Alasdair Gordon neatly stitches together
themes from his native Scotland and his Grecian home of fifteen years. Today he
is joined by representatives from either nation in Morna Annandale and Kostas
Papadopoulos who give new voices to his often whimsical, but always strong
verse. Highlights include his hilarious series of iPhone Senryus and the
touching Ithaca where the message "getting there is half the fun" comes across
most strongly, even if your journey happens to turn into an odyssey.
Published by Lemon Tree Writers, and with a cover illustration by Cal Wallace, Himself
by the Seaside is available at any Lemon Tree Writers event.
Review and photos by Richie Brown
North East Writers and its partner organisations undertake to produce
all events in the New Words festival as advertised, but we can accept no liability
for details that are changed due to circumstances beyond our control.