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
An exquisitely-tuned second collection, following from her debut Terms & Conditions, and exploring boundaries of animal and human worlds and the intimate nature of time, existence and joy.
And look what amazing company I'm in, I can't wait to get my hands on their books! #gratituesday
Happy #NationalPoetryDay! Would you'd like to purchase some poems? Buy signed copies of my latest pamphlet (published by Live Canon) directly from me - with a special deal if you buy pamphlet + my collection, Terms & Conditions, and I'll donate £1 to Samaritans. All the details are here: taniahershman.com/wp/books/
"When asked to write a blog post about a poem from my collection Terms and Conditions, at first I didn’t know which one to pick. And what to say about it? But when I leafed (on my Kindle, electronic leafing) through the book, this one stood out, the longest title and the feeling behind it still so raw, so present. And about what came after, what I discovered.Read the rest of the blog post here...
‘After Seeing Monet's Waterlilies And Then Hearing the News’ is exactly what happened. Let’s examine this like a journalist (which I used to be): Where, What, Why, When, Who.
Where was I? In the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon.
What was I doing there? I was in Portland taking a poetry course (with Sharon Olds. Yes, SHARON OLDS. I wanted only to sit at her feet. Oh my.)
Why the Art Museum? A few of us, my new classmates and their friends, decided to take time off, go into the city, see some art.
When? Now this is the question...
Hello! In the run-up to the publication of my debut poetry collection, Terms and Conditions (see the gorgeous cover on the left, by artist Hollie Chastain), I'm delighted to read you four new poems from the book - and to give you details about my launch events in Manchester (July 27th) and London (July 31st), do head to my website to find out more. Here is this month's audio - happy listening! 
