I had the most wonderful time on Thursday evening launching my debut novel, Go On, a hybrid "fictional memoir in collage" published by Broken Sleep Books, in conversation with the wonderful poet Andrew McMillan! My philosophy whenever I do a reading or give a talk is, first, to not be boring, and, second, to be useful in some way - and I wanted to do this even though it was my own book launch - I wanted to pass on permission to other writers to write odd, uncategorizable books! If you'd like to watch the launch, it's now up on YouTube, you can watch it below - and there's more info about the book here: http://www.taniahershman.com/wp/go-on-a-novel/
I'm so excited about my first event as Arvon's writer-in-residence: hosting an online reading and Q&A on Wed Nov 23 at 7.15pm UK time with brilliant NZ flash writer & poet Frankie McMillan - one of my new favourite writers! Here's the beginning of one of her flash stories, published in Cleaver magazine, to whet your appetite:
SEVEN STARTS TO THE WOMAN WHO WENT OVER THE FALLS IN A BARREL
Annie Edson Taylor, 1901
by Frankie McMillan1
Picture the cold dark inside of the barrel. Annie feeling her way over the padded mattress to a harness hanging from the side. The barrel sways in the water. Picture her fastening herself upright into the harness, pulling the leather strap tight across her chest. Picture Annie flailing about, she can’t find her lucky heart-shaped pillow. Now picture the barrel picking up speed, with the current, heading straight towards the falls.
2
It’s not as if falling was something new. Early on, I fell from my crib, I fell through haystacks, I fell from grace, I fell behind the church to kiss the bridesmaids, I fell between heaven and hell then into marriage
...
Read the full story here cleavermagazine.com/seven-starts-t - book your ticket here https://www.arvon.org/writing-courses/courses-retreats/how-i-write-frankie-mcmillan/. See you there!
Happy World Octopus Day! Here's a poem from my new collection, Still Life With Octopus, in celebration:
Still Life With Octopus (II)
I only asked her once to climb inside a jar for me. (Before we met, I'd watched all the videos of those experiments.) She sighed but did it, said I could screw the lid, released herself easily. You could become any shape you want, I said. She said nothing. One arm sent itself out to switch the kettle on. While she made us tea, I put the jar back in the cupboard, feeling that slight ache from too much sitting in my hip bones, my lower back, where fixed part meets fixed part of me.
Why, yes, I *did* get a tattoo today to celebrate publication of my poetry collection! Thank you to the wondrous Jane Commane at Nine Arches Press for bringing 'Still Life With Octopus' to life - and adding extra tentacles. Details & purchase info here: http://www.taniahershman.com/wp/still-life-with-octopus-poems/
Here I am reading one of the title poems from my new poetry collection, “Still Life With Octopus”.
The book will be published on July 7th by Nine Arches Press.
For more details and to pre-order, click here: https://www.ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/still-life-with-octopus
Just revealed : the cover for my new poetry collection, "Still Life With Octopus", isn't she gorgeous! The book will be published in July by Nine Arches Press, if you'd like more details or to pre-order, click here: https://www.ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/still-life-with-octopus
