Dear all,
It’s been so long since I wrote on here. I guess that’s a reflection in itself, of how busy this last six months have been.
I’ve learned recently that too much busy is bad for you. It takes over your head and your brain starts to think busy is normal and won’t turn off even when the lights flick out. That is pure evil. So I now know I need to relax more. I need to write more.
Tonight I nearly finished a poem for my dad’s wedding. I’m reading it at the church, after they say the words. It’s been a hard poem for me to write. I don’t write much about love. My love, or the love of others. And it’s not the same. But I’m happy with my poem, and I hope they will be too.
I’ve recently moved to Ely which is a bit quieter than Cambridge but we live on the side of the road and cars don’t take the trouble to be silent past our window. But that’s fine. We do our weekly shopping at the farmers’ market. But Tesco casts a shadow over our house, and it’s too convenient. I want to avoid it, but it has beer and wine where no where else in Ely is open after work.
But the people walking around Tesco are so angry. They drive trolleys around as if they own the aisles, don’t look, and generally bring their stress into the big room full of light and cold and frozen chicken. Everyone’s stress combines in the busy aisles and lingers like fog around the stupid fake asian section. Coz there’s another asian section, that they hide. It’s in another ‘whole food’ aisle. I call it the ‘real food’ aisle. Tesco is anti cooking. I went in the other evening looking for a recipe book. NONE.
Anyway my own book is gradually being sold and sent to all sorts of exotic places - Athens being one. I’m organising a launch for it soon. It’s about time. But time is something I haven’t had until now. If you haven’t bought the book and want to, then just buy it now. It’s that easy really. CLICK HERE.
Copies of the book are now here and available. It looks great.
Remember, it’s only £5.20 (AUS$9.10) plus postage. And you should buy it here.
(Customers in AUS should buy through UK shop - it will be sent very quickly)
Look out for more news on the book launch….once I have organised it.
‘Writing in a deceptively simple, vivid style, Lee Smith has crafted a portrait of life on opposite sides of the globe that’s much more than the sum of its observational parts. This elegant pamphlet announces the arrival of a poet with a fine ear, a sharp eye and a generous heart.’
Andrew Philip
‘Lee Smith’s poems and photographs reward exploration. Like all good poems they refuse to see the everyday as mundane but make it something other.’
Andrea Porter
My collection of photographs and poems Away from the City is available NOW from Salt Publishing. Find out more and buy it HERE. You’ll get 20% discount, so it will only cost you £5.20 + postage.
It has photographs and poems in it. You can see two extracts here:
HOT OFF THE PRESS:
Away from the city, my collection of photographs and poems, is going to be published by Salt Publishing next month. It’ll be the first title in the Salt Modern Voices series of innovative pamphlet-length releases. Priced at £6.50, it will be available to buy from Salt, Amazon, or directly from me. It will also be released in ebook formats and as an audio book.
I’ll be following up the release with readings and exhibitions in the coming months, along with embarking on a brand new project - to be announced soon.
MORE NEWS TO FOLLOW
Here are a few photos and videos from the exhibition:
Melbourne poems from leesmithwriter on Vimeo.
Cambridge poems from leesmithwriter on Vimeo.
After a good few months of trying to get an exhibition organised, everything’s come down to the last minute. But yes, I’ll be having an exhibition evening at The Ruskin Gallery on Friday 26th March, 6-9pm. Come along to see my collection of photographs and poems. I’ll be reading a few poems at 8pm, and there will be wine.
Afterwards everyone’s welcome to come to The White Swan on Mill Road where we can get drunk and stuff.
The Ruskin Gallery, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge - Ask at the main entrance for directions to the gallery.
