Besides writing and poetry I am interested in the visual arts and I am a keen photographer, with some pictures published and printed, mainly of poets and poetry events. I also enjoy sport, mainly watching, mainly football, though I do play tennis when I get the time. I have also supported and followed my local football team, Crystal Palace, since before I can remember, that is my excuse, it has never been easy!
This is my first internet blog thingey. If I meet anyone in Myspace I'd like them to be interesting and creative with a bit of spark and brainpower.
I like many different types and genres of music but I really love soul and r&b, from Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Dione Warwick, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the whole Motown thing, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker through to Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Gabrielle, Beverly Knight, so many great artists. I also enjoy some pop, rock, hip hop and jazz as well as a little classical music. I love great lyricists, Lennon & McCartney, (Beatles especially), Bob Marley, Gil Scott Heron, Bob Dylan and Paul Weller and so on...
There are lots of books, writers and poets I love and admire, from Tender Is The Night by F.Scott Fitzgerald to Blood, Tin, Straw, an amazing collection of poetry by Sharon Olds. For short stories Raymond Carver is the modern master, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love and Elephant are incredible collections of short prose. My favourite book about writing, because it doesn't tell you how to, is Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg. I wish that I had language skills because in translation I am in awe of many writers including Pablo Neruda and so many others.