University of Brighton, Arts & Humanities, invites you to a Writers in Residence Salon Thursday 26th February 2015 Boardroom (M2), Grand Parade, BN2 0JY All welcome: free entry, wine and canapés from 5.30 pm discussion on CREATIVE COLLABORATION from 6.30 pm How do artists from different disciplines approach creative collaboration? How can they identify and overcome…
Category: News
Back from Transatlantic Connections 2 – a Drew University conference in Ireland
I liked the look of this conference as soon as I saw the call for papers from Drew University’s Caspersen School of Graduate Studies (based in Madison, New Jersey). This was to be an interdisciplinary gathering, with the Medical Humanities School at Drew interested in ‘a conversation about the importance and conceptual scope of the…
The work of waiting
‘The more Susan waited, the more the doorbell didn’t ring. Or the phone.’ Douglas Adams – Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency I’ve always liked Advent – the idea of waiting by preparing. Active waiting. Years ago, when I was waiting and hoping for a baby, I bought a handmade crib in a hilltop town in Provence….
Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis’s recent exhibition at Portland Gallery, London
Here’s the text of a review I wrote for Mary Anne’s latest exhibition at Portland Gallery, London, which included a good number of paintings made as part of the Springlines project: Tim Craven, Curator of Art at Southampton City Art Gallery, in his excellent essay at the front of the catalogue, places Aytoun-Ellis’ work firmly…
The 5th International Symposium on Poetry and Medicine: a few thoughts
Here’s a link to a short piece I’ve written about the Symposium on 10 May, for the BMJ Medical Humanities blog. http://blogs.bmj.com/medical-humanities/2014/05/17/5th-international-symposium-on-poetry-and-medicine-at-the-royal-society-of-medicine-wimpole-street-london-on-saturday-10-may-2014/
Fifth International Symposium on Poetry and Medicine: 10 May, 2014
The programme for this year’s Poetry and Medicine Symposium on Saturday 10 May (to be held at The Royal Society of Medicine in Wimpole Street) looks rich and varied, with talks ranging from Michael Hulse on ‘The Romantic ego in medical poetry’ to David Francis on ‘Surgical metaphor in the poetry of Sylvia Plath’, from Dean…
Bloggin’ the Blog
I’ve recently written a couple of linked pieces for the BMJ Medical Humanities Blog, about cutting and editing, scars and memories. Thank you to the editor, Deborah Bowman, for inviting me to contribute. The pieces are online here: http://blogs.bmj.com/medical-humanities/2014/04/13/guest-post-by-poet-and-writer-clare-best-on-cutting-and-editing-and-scars-and-memories/ http://blogs.bmj.com/medical-humanities/2014/04/21/guest-blog-post-by-poet-and-writer-clare-best-part-2-on-scars-and-memories/
Springlines quiz… the answers!
1. C On average each of us uses 150 litres of water a day. 2. B A floush-hole is a hole which receives waste water from a mill-pond. 3. B It was the River Tillingham that provided water power to operate the bellows of an iron works used to make cannons for the Royal Navy…
Apples, wires and being alone
I returned home yesterday from Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire. I think I’ll be going there again. What a privilege it is to be able to abandon routines, even for a few days. I’ve done a couple of terrific Arvon courses over the years (one was when I was putting together my first full collection,…
Seven-year itch
I can’t quite believe I’m now seven years post-op. What is it about seven years? Some urban myth that every single cell in the body has renewed itself in that time (skin is quick to renew itself in seven days, bones take longer – several to seven years, and it seems most other organs are…
Clare Best 