Category Archives: Poetry

Spotlight On: Joseph Cornell’s Influence


I first discovered Joseph Cornell’s work on a visit to MOMA in New York City in 2006. I was captivated by Taglioni’s Jewel Casket and my interest increased as I found out more about his assemblage art. Known for his boxes showcasing found objects, the twentieth-century American artist inspired many writers.

The Grand Hotels (of Joseph Cornell) by Robert Coover
Coover leads us through ten Grand Hotels, building into his “architectural portrait of the artist” biographical details alongside flights of fancy.

A Convergence of Birds ed. Jonathan Safran Foer
Foer invited writers, including Rick Moody and Joyce Carol Oates, to contribute to this collection of original fiction and poetry inspired by Cornell’s avian boxes.

To find out more about Cornell’s work, keep reading

Carol Ann Duffy Gives Brighton Festival a Peek at The Bees


Last night at the Brighton Festival, Carol Ann Duffy read poetry old and new to a packed auditorium. Both funny and moving, her words were well-received whether they were already learnt by heart or not yet known. The Poet Laureate began her hour-long set with a selection of poems from the The World’s Wife (the collection which got me hooked), then she read from Rapture and ended with her latest collection, The Bees, due to be published this autumn. This was the first time I’d heard Duffy read in person and it was entirely gripping.

To find out more about which poems Duffy performed, keep reading

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