British schools teach students to hate reading in the same way Singaporean schools seem to teach them to hate music; by insisting they start with the classics which, in the words of Morrissey, “say nothing to me about my life”.
Now, I’m not suggesting we hang the teachers (I’m really hoping some of you get that reference!), but wouldn’t it make more sense to start with something more relevant/contemporary then work backwards to its roots?
It is this insistence on Beowulf over Betjeman and Shakespeare over Salinger that caused me to stop reading for a decade and skip poetry for two. However, as my forties unfurl I find myself appreciating the beauty, meaning and, let’s be honest, brevity of verse more. I hope you will too.
Mooreish Reads
It was on my last trip to the UK, in the midst of the pandemic, that this cover called to me from the shelves of Waterstones in Piccadilly. Now, as war rages in Europe, it calls to me from my book shelf at home all the more.
‘Poems for A World Gone to Sh*t’ can be bought from Amazon (if you must), and is filled with accessible, angry yet uplifting verse. I knew I had to buy it when I opened it and found one of my favourite poems on the first page; Philip Larkin’s funny and prophetic ‘This Be The Verse’, which goes a little something like this…
Ukraine is of course still in my thoughts, not only because its people are fighting for their lives but also for their language and culture, which would be eradicated under Russian rule. Ukrainian poet Iya Kiva knows this better than most. Having been forced from her home in Donetsk by Russian separatists in 2014 she is now facing the same threat in Kyiv. She shares her experience of war in three moving poems published this week on Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/february-get-the-ink-and-weep-contemporary-poetry-from-ukraine/.
Mooreish Sounds
At my school they taught poetry like maths, more interested in the meter than the emotion. If only they had taught it like British comedian Frank Skinner in his eponymous podcast, ‘Frank Skinner’s Poetry Podcast’.
Frank, a working class bloke from Birmingham and former flagbearer for ‘90s “new lads”, picks one poet to read each week and dissects their work with a passion and clarity that was sorely missing from my school. A great accompaniment to a walk.
By the way, you may recall that last week I looked into some Ukrainian popular culture which sent me down a clickhole of amazing art and music. Well, I’m still there and have discovered another playlist of Ukrainian bangers by world music blog Beehype 🤘😝
Mooreish Visions
Like a fine wine or a stinky cheese Iggy Pop’s voice only gets better with age. I have previously posted a link to his jazz-infused version of Dylan Thomas’s poem ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ but I finally found the video for it (which inexplicably disappeared from YouTube). Pour yourself a whisky, turn down the lights and just soak in this stunning piece of theatre.
Following last week’s Ukraine special I want to to throw one more artist at you called Pianoboy a.k.a. Dmitry Shurov. His song ‘Родина’ (Rodeena), meaning ‘Motherland’, was released during the 2014 Maidan Revolution accompanied by a gut-wrencher of a video and containing some painfully poetic lyrics that are apt for 2022.
Let all the rivers dry up to the last drop, let all the money fade away to the last cent, let all the birds fly away to the last nestling, I will never betray you, for you are dear to me.
Mooreish Happenings
Finally (FINALLY!), it seems like Singapore is opening up with lots of happenings in the next few weeks so tear off those PJs, brush your teeth and leave your house, HDB or condo to support our local scene.
Tomorrow night I am heading to one of a limited number of 50th Anniversary screenings of The Godfather at independent cinema The Projector. If there’s any tickets left, they’ll be here: https://theprojector.sg/films-and-events/the-godfather
To celebrate the release of Time Capsule, a compilation album of Singaporean electronica, a special two-day live performance will be held on 17th & 18th March at the Esplanade Annexe Studio. It will feature performances by genre-blasting artists such as BGourd, Kitty Purrnaz, Fzpz, O$P$ and more. Get your tickets here: https://www.esplanade.com/events/2022/uploading-presents-time-capsule
And also at The Projector, local record label Closed Door Collective will be presenting ‘OASIS’, a one-night, two-set live concert in the Blue Room on 26th March. Tickets from Peatix: https://closeddoorcollective.peatix.com/
Know of anything else cool that’s happening around town? Let me know because, as Iggy himself once sang, “I’m bored. I’m the chairman of the bored” 😆
Cheers, Nx