This blog is now inactive

I'll no longer be updating this blog but it will remain online as an archive of sorts. 

Publications, audio, events and documentation of performances can be found on my new website and the rest can be found on twitter and facey.

clairepotter.net

@PotterClaire

facebook.com/claire.potter.33

Mental Furniture is published!

You can read my interview with publisher David Berridge and the first few pages of the book here: http://verysmallkitchen.com/2014/10/24/new-publication-mental-furniture-by-claire-potter/

You can also buy it. Just saying.

#noise #mistakes #voice #typewriting #affect

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MENTAL FURNITURE
 
by Claire Potter
Published by VerySmallKitchen, Hastings, 2014.
60pp
ISBN 978-1-909925-04-5

News from the publisher

The proof has come for the awesome MENTAL FURNITURE by @PotterClaire out from @verysmallkitch in one week. pic.twitter.com/hwP2YsmPuo
— VerySmallKitchen (@verysmallkitch) October 12, 2014

Picking, by Claire Potter and Bridget Hayden

New audio work produced with Bridget Hayden based on extracts from my first book Mental Furniture (VerySmallKitchen 2014). Bridget is an artist, writer and noise musician famed for her solo work and member of Vibracathedral Orchestra.

Picking is one of six tracks collectively called, Mother To No Swimming Laughing Child out with Irish cassette label Fort Evil Fruit later this winter.

Upcoming performances, talks and readings

Symposium 25th & 26th October

Speaking and reading at the Weekend Symposium (25/26 Oct, 12 - 4pm) that compliments the current group show Concerning The Bodyguard, curated by Laura Morrison at the Tetley gallery, Leeds.
Other speakers include Prof. Adrian Rifkin and artist Matthew McQuillian.
Free and open to the public.

I expect I'll be giving a performance reading and taking part in discussion later in the afternoon.


Camarade Fest 25th October

Delivering a collaborative performance work with poet Sarah Kelly at this year's Camarade Poetry Festival at the Rich Mix centre in London. 12pm - late.


The Other Room 27th November

Performing at Manchester's prem poetry night at The Castle on Oldham Street on my dad's birthday... Reading alongside Canadian poet Steve McCaffery and Karen Mac Cormack


Storm and Golden Sky 23rd January

Performing alongside Tim Atkins at the first poetry event of the year for Storm and Golden Sky series at Liverpool's Caledonia pub.

New book

MEN is a collection of poetry works based on crime articles from the Manchester Evening News paper circa 2011, due to be published early 2015.

Sneak look at Mental Furniture

My list for Emily Beber's reading list profiling project These Lists

These Lists was set up by London based writer Emily Beber in the Autumn of 2013. It aims to become a collection of reading lists from artists, writers, illustrators, collectors, musicians, philosophers…(the list goes on). They are books recommended upon the moment of request, with unknown attachment, but ultimate intrigue.

#BrendanBradyZombie

He is back
risen
returned.
He, such calm.
He the void into which
I have poured my words
til silence
til breath only
from tears
and lesions inside.
Brendan.
Returned as zombie;
now and always half here
half with me
a part inside alive
in me
a part a shell the
body of an actor.
Brendan -
your height
your weight
your gait makes it you.
Your stooping
and holding of shoulders
to emphasise truths.
Your half breath
half laugh
half life
make it you
you returned
you existing once more
outside my control
blinking as you will,
walking in rooms in
houses in ways
I cannot command,
in ways I cannot dream of.
All new.
You born anew
- a zombie.
Anointed with a new name
but, Lo! the sound,
:footsteps on the landing, I know
your life 
your sins,
Brendan -
a new disciple. 

#newtogardening (part of fanfic project but also because I did this and am ashamed)

it was blue and saying sorry

in its way crying and letting

leaves fall from where its mouth is

it didn’t mean to, didn’t need them

its eyes like on a cartoon, squeezed

mouth open as I crushed its

middle in the tissue dry against

the moisture of its body

alkaline grey turning blue with

embarrassment and fear and I

killed it and it was only doing

nature

it was only being nature and I

drowned it crying turning blue

in bog water with bog paper

first burning the moisture

from its flesh.

and I squeezed its middle hard

I said you, you little fucker

you’ll think so in a minute

and he was crying in his way

and I took him to the toilet

and I dropped him in the water

knowing he would drown and

now he’s gone and I have killed him

and he was only eating seedlings

just an innocent eating seedlings,

that’s all he knew how to do.