#1: Rob Mackenzie
Fruitmarket Gallery, Friday 15 August 2014, 8 pm.
Every year I look forward to returning to Edinburgh at Festival time – because I’m half-Scottish and studied at Edinburgh University, because I love the Book Festival and other festivities there, and because it’s one of the truly splendid cities of the world.
And for the last few years the Fruitmarket Gallery has given added reason for delight, providing the setting for a fine evening of poetry, whatever the festival weather. Hosted by the Fruitmarket’s inimitable Iain Morrison and local host poets Andrew Philip and Rob Mackenzie, the night alone’s been worth the trip north.
I’m very happy this year to be joining Andy and Rob again, along with Simon Barraclough, Chrissy Williams and AB Jackson, and to be hosting here, virtually, a small introduction to their brilliant work.
First up is Rob A. Mackenzie
Rob A. Mackenzie was born and brought up in Glasgow and lives in Leith. He has published two pamphlets (with HappenStance and Salt) and two full collections (both with Salt), the latest of which,The Good News, was published in April 2013. He is reviews editor of Magma poetry magazine.
The Point
The point is to repeat. To repeat the point,
the point is worth repeating, even if not:
we need to stick by the manual, even if useless,
to talk about how we think the things we’ve thought.
The point is worth repeating, even if not
worth retweeting. We cannot trust ourselves
to talk about how we think the things we’ve thought.
Our independence, our politics, our fitting demise
are not worth retweeting. We cannot trust ourselves
to train a parrot. We need experts to refine
our independence, our politics, our fitting demise,
like the Prime Minister and his unlikeable sidekick.
To train a parrot, we need experts to refine
our received pronunciation. Repeat after me,
“We like the Prime Minister and his unlikeable sidekick” –
not to sound desperate, but sing fortissimo, with comedy
in received pronunciation. Repeat after me,
as the point is to repeat, to repeat the point,
not to sound desperate. Sing fortissimo, with comedy,
we need to stick by the manual, even if useless.
See Rob’s blog here.
Follow Rob A. Mackenzie on Twitter: @rob_a_mack