I would like to tell you
how to stack the confectionary shelves
for the sale tomorrow.
We can't speak here though.
I think they might be listening
even now.
What are you talking about?
You mean the jelly babies again?
I've told you before, and I'll tell you
now, jelly babies are not animate.
They can't hear you.
What makes you so certain?
I've started hearing things you see,
in the night when no one's around,
I hear them whispering to each other.
I think they might know you know,
what happens to them in the end.
There's no denying they know.
Now you're being ridiculous.
They can't hear you!
They can't even see you!
I think you've had one too many
jelly babies yourself.
Now pack this nonsense in!
I told you to watch out.
They've opened their bags
and dragged you to the broom cupboard.
Next they see me, and their sugar coated hands
seized me by the nose.
They're cleverer than they look.
(This is a poem I wrote a while ago, and is one of two parts.)
Friday 17 October 2014
Monday 13 October 2014
The Tiger Poet vs. Doctor Who
My first exposure to the global phenomenon that is Doctor Who was back in 2005. I had heard it mentioned in passing before, but the show's revival was the first time I ever watched an episode. I followed it on and off during the first two series, and saw hardly any of the third. In 2008, I watched The Fires of Pompeii, the second episode of the fourth series, and have stuck with it ever since.
There are enough articles about Doctor Who to warrant a planet-sized database, so what can mine bring to the table? Well, I can start with my impression of why it is such a cultural sensation. Much of its success can be traced back to infinite possibilities of travelling in the TARDIS. By having a time machine that can travel to any point in history and anywhere in the universe, the amount of stories that writers can tell is endless. As the main protagonist, the character of the Doctor is a source of endless fascination due to his alien quirkiness and sense of ethereal mystery. This combination served the show tremendously in its original run, and continues to work just as well today.
Of course, there are many facets to the success of Doctor Who, including the imaginative storylines, memorable monsters, and the ever-expanding list of great companions. To try and explain how each of them contributes to the show would span several blog posts. So, to shorten the subject somewhat, allow me to lay out my own thoughts on the series' current state and its future.
Currently Doctor Who is a stronger position that it ever has been, in no small part due to the efforts of executive producers Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat. However, both of these writers have sparked debate and in some cases controversy. Davies has been critics for the lack of visits to alien planets, constant use of deux-ex-machina endings, the embellishment of the Doctor as a saviour-figure, and persistent sentimentality. Moffat on the other hand has been charged with misogyny, homophobia and an over-reliance on complex story arcs that span several series. In general, most of the hatred from ardent fans seems to be directed at Moffat as of late, but why?
I have sometimes been involved in discussions about Doctor Who with various individuals. Most of them seem to dislike the way the show has gone after Moffat took control and Matt Smith became the Doctor. Re-watching some of Smith's episodes, I can see why to a certain extent. His first series was consistently good, apart from a finale that was too complex for its own good. In following series, flaws such as lack of development for supporting characters and the show trying too hard to be clever became more prominent, especially in the latter half of the seventh series.
One problem I've always had with the newer series is that the villains are often lacking in personality, or that there is sometimes no villain at all. Episodes such as The Big Bang, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe are testament to this. Even The Day of the Doctor, the fiftieth anniversary special, had this problem to a certain extent. The villains of Moffat's run, including the Silence, Madame Kovarian, the Great Intelligence and most recently Missy, are all good attempts at memorable villainy but are squandered by a lack of characterisation.
That last mention of Missy leads me nicely to the current series with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. Some of my colleagues have been full of praise for the darker tone, the focus on character development and the variety of new monsters on display. Others have been quite insistent in their criticisms, specifically of the continued time travel complexity, the overuse of the phrase "most dangerous (inset noun here) in the universe" and the kid-friendly resolutions to most of the episodes. I agree with all of these points, good and bad, but any suggestion that Doctor Who is on its way out is a highly miscalculated one.
To test the quality of Doctor Who as it stands, we need to weight until the end of the eighth series so that we can judge it as a whole. With this in mind, I intend to start a Doctor Who tend (if that's what people call it), in which I analyse the newest episodes for the reader's cynical enjoyment. Until then, all I can look forward to are presentations, poetry, and continued university deadlines.
There are enough articles about Doctor Who to warrant a planet-sized database, so what can mine bring to the table? Well, I can start with my impression of why it is such a cultural sensation. Much of its success can be traced back to infinite possibilities of travelling in the TARDIS. By having a time machine that can travel to any point in history and anywhere in the universe, the amount of stories that writers can tell is endless. As the main protagonist, the character of the Doctor is a source of endless fascination due to his alien quirkiness and sense of ethereal mystery. This combination served the show tremendously in its original run, and continues to work just as well today.
Of course, there are many facets to the success of Doctor Who, including the imaginative storylines, memorable monsters, and the ever-expanding list of great companions. To try and explain how each of them contributes to the show would span several blog posts. So, to shorten the subject somewhat, allow me to lay out my own thoughts on the series' current state and its future.
Currently Doctor Who is a stronger position that it ever has been, in no small part due to the efforts of executive producers Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat. However, both of these writers have sparked debate and in some cases controversy. Davies has been critics for the lack of visits to alien planets, constant use of deux-ex-machina endings, the embellishment of the Doctor as a saviour-figure, and persistent sentimentality. Moffat on the other hand has been charged with misogyny, homophobia and an over-reliance on complex story arcs that span several series. In general, most of the hatred from ardent fans seems to be directed at Moffat as of late, but why?
I have sometimes been involved in discussions about Doctor Who with various individuals. Most of them seem to dislike the way the show has gone after Moffat took control and Matt Smith became the Doctor. Re-watching some of Smith's episodes, I can see why to a certain extent. His first series was consistently good, apart from a finale that was too complex for its own good. In following series, flaws such as lack of development for supporting characters and the show trying too hard to be clever became more prominent, especially in the latter half of the seventh series.
One problem I've always had with the newer series is that the villains are often lacking in personality, or that there is sometimes no villain at all. Episodes such as The Big Bang, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe are testament to this. Even The Day of the Doctor, the fiftieth anniversary special, had this problem to a certain extent. The villains of Moffat's run, including the Silence, Madame Kovarian, the Great Intelligence and most recently Missy, are all good attempts at memorable villainy but are squandered by a lack of characterisation.
That last mention of Missy leads me nicely to the current series with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. Some of my colleagues have been full of praise for the darker tone, the focus on character development and the variety of new monsters on display. Others have been quite insistent in their criticisms, specifically of the continued time travel complexity, the overuse of the phrase "most dangerous (inset noun here) in the universe" and the kid-friendly resolutions to most of the episodes. I agree with all of these points, good and bad, but any suggestion that Doctor Who is on its way out is a highly miscalculated one.
To test the quality of Doctor Who as it stands, we need to weight until the end of the eighth series so that we can judge it as a whole. With this in mind, I intend to start a Doctor Who tend (if that's what people call it), in which I analyse the newest episodes for the reader's cynical enjoyment. Until then, all I can look forward to are presentations, poetry, and continued university deadlines.
Sunday 5 October 2014
University Updates
As readers of the poem I posted yesterday may or may not have guessed, I've been back at university for a fortnight. A lot can happen in a fortnight, and as luck would have it, a fair amount did happen. Fresher's Week aside, I've been settling back into the routine of seminars and lectures, which will be more intensive now I'm in my final year.
At my first seminar this week, I was told that I'll have to visit several public events where writers of all sorts will be speaking. I was given a list of possibilities, ranging from the Cheltenham Literature Festival to performance poetry nights in Bristol. The second seminar dealt with poetry, and it turns out I'm expected to produce a collection of the stuff. My last seminar was one for writing a novel. I'll have to write a large portion of this novel over the next year.
Life at university isn't getting any easier in third year. I discovered the other day that I already have an essay due in for the end of the month, along with a study of some event programs and at least a thousand words of a novel due for next week. For a village hermit like me, living in a different place is a very strange but rewarding experience, but all this added work has somewhat lessened my enjoyment of it.
So, how will the new workload affect this blog? Well seeing as I'm an amateur poet, I'll be reporting on my progress throughout the poetry section of the course in the coming months. Maybe I'll do some features on any writing events I go to and possibly include some excerpts from work in progress on my novel writing module. I also think this would be a good opportunity to introduce you to a few of my contemporaries who are undertaking similar challenges.
It's quite different to the quiet, almost sleep-inducing idleness of my village, but it will do. I'll see you all again very soon, possibly with another poem or too. Oh, and tigers will definitely be involved.
At my first seminar this week, I was told that I'll have to visit several public events where writers of all sorts will be speaking. I was given a list of possibilities, ranging from the Cheltenham Literature Festival to performance poetry nights in Bristol. The second seminar dealt with poetry, and it turns out I'm expected to produce a collection of the stuff. My last seminar was one for writing a novel. I'll have to write a large portion of this novel over the next year.
Life at university isn't getting any easier in third year. I discovered the other day that I already have an essay due in for the end of the month, along with a study of some event programs and at least a thousand words of a novel due for next week. For a village hermit like me, living in a different place is a very strange but rewarding experience, but all this added work has somewhat lessened my enjoyment of it.
So, how will the new workload affect this blog? Well seeing as I'm an amateur poet, I'll be reporting on my progress throughout the poetry section of the course in the coming months. Maybe I'll do some features on any writing events I go to and possibly include some excerpts from work in progress on my novel writing module. I also think this would be a good opportunity to introduce you to a few of my contemporaries who are undertaking similar challenges.
It's quite different to the quiet, almost sleep-inducing idleness of my village, but it will do. I'll see you all again very soon, possibly with another poem or too. Oh, and tigers will definitely be involved.
Saturday 4 October 2014
The Long Grey Road
Hello? Are you there?
Yes of course I'm here.
Where are you?
At home. What's the matter?
Well, I appear to be lost.
Could you direct me to the station?
Okay, sit comfortably, and I'll begin.
Isn't it a bit strange
that the road you wish to follow
is grey and not yellow.
For some reason I always imagined
crossing the road as a placid exercise.
How untrue.
Maybe a couple of turns to the left
will soften the journey a bit?
Untrue.
Passing the great sanctuary on the left,
the old doors have sheltered thousands.
Turning past the larder on the corner
used by everyone in twenty miles.
I wonder how it's never empty.
Still, I digress.
It should be just around here.
If not on the right or on the left,
then further away, beyond your reach.
Or maybe it will be close.
We can never know,
yet we strive to reach it.
Travelling this long grey road,
it seems you will never get there.
It will twist and turn countless times.
Yet somehow you know
you will reach it.
Or will you.
The Tiger Poet
Yes of course I'm here.
Where are you?
At home. What's the matter?
Well, I appear to be lost.
Could you direct me to the station?
Okay, sit comfortably, and I'll begin.
Isn't it a bit strange
that the road you wish to follow
is grey and not yellow.
For some reason I always imagined
crossing the road as a placid exercise.
How untrue.
Maybe a couple of turns to the left
will soften the journey a bit?
Untrue.
Passing the great sanctuary on the left,
the old doors have sheltered thousands.
Turning past the larder on the corner
used by everyone in twenty miles.
I wonder how it's never empty.
Still, I digress.
It should be just around here.
If not on the right or on the left,
then further away, beyond your reach.
Or maybe it will be close.
We can never know,
yet we strive to reach it.
Travelling this long grey road,
it seems you will never get there.
It will twist and turn countless times.
Yet somehow you know
you will reach it.
Or will you.
The Tiger Poet
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