Books

At Burghley House the system of bells included bells labelled "Library" and "Anti Library". I know what they mean.

I keep books/magazines hidden away in the wardrobes - sections are: Prose magazines, Prose anthologies, Short story collections (maybe the biggest section), Flash collections, Novels (8 of them), Poetry magazines, Poetry anthologies, Theory, Magazines I'm in.

Here's a rare sighting of one of my book in Waterstones, next to Christopher Logue. I saw my poetry pamphlet in an Edinburgh secondhand bookshop once.

I don't know why the Ely Oxfam shop had this label on the bookshelves - Tim's Literature Labyrinth".

I used to borrow from Cambridge University library. I miss it. It's a copyright library so in theory there are millions of books to choose from.

Writers circles

My local writers group began as a "Circle" in 1948. It removed "Circle" from its name decades ago because of the connotations that "Circle" had then. Those connotations are less scary now, and recent changes in the literary world make me wonder if it's time for a circle revival.

On "What Is a Writers Circle?" Katherine Payne writes "A writers circle has many similarities to a workshop group. Perhaps I’m putting too fine point on it, but for me, the name is significant. A “workshop” calls up images of an apprenticeship model where a master of a particular craft demonstrates and works with students as they develop proficiency and then mastery within that particular craft. For writing this is an important model and the backbone of the majority of creative writing programs. I in no way want to denigrate that model as I have benefited from it immensely and know many others who have as well.
But a “writers circle” calls up slightly different connotations. “Circle” is a flexible term that can refer to any group of people who associate with each other. It is freed from the apprenticeship model, as a circle implies equality and a bond shared among members. A geometry that can be turned in any direction. It also has feminist undertones, such as a “sewing circle” that might provide a space for consciousness raising among a group of women.

Fair enough, but I think circles have problematic connotations too. The word still puts off ambitious writers. To me, the word brings to mind a circle of chairs with their backs to the outside world. Artists groups have similar issues. The cliché about village Artists Circles is that they focus on portraits, landscapes, and still lifes as if Art ended at Impressionism. Members paint for themselves, and join a group so that they can paint for themselves better. Each year they exhibit their work in the village hall. When challenged, members (who aren't young) declare that they might not know much about art but they know what they like. This is an unfair description of some groups I know, but that cosiness/isolationism is always a risk with local creative groups, and difficult to reverse. The membership numbers might not decay, but the group members get ever fewer successes, and budding, prospective visitors won't come again.

What's wrong with people enjoying creating together? Nothing's wrong - I think each town/village should have such a group. After all, not every artist wants to be Tracey Emin. Not every jogger wants to break records - even their own ones. However, I think also that each town/city should have a group that engages with the rest of the world too, that acknowledges that Modernism happened, that tries to reach out beyond their bubble, their circle, that tries to make the mirrors they keep staring at into windows.

Decades ago I was asked by a group to give them a talk. The organiser was worried that the group was getting too cosy and felt unable himself to change the tone, wanting an outsider to shake things up. Much more recently, people from another group visited ours, saying that their own group has become too settled, too keen on tea and biscuits. Talking to writers at a residential conference this summer I concluded that local groups for ambitious writers are doomed, replaced by small, invitation-only Zoom groups who often ask prospective members for samples of work/critiques first.

I think Covid was the tipping point. During lockdown, more people started using online options to meet fellow writers. They discovered like-minded people online who they'd never have met at their local group, and questioned the benefits a local IRL group has over international ones. It looks to me that experienced writers (often the lifeblood of their groups) are abandoning local groups and are not being replaced. Local groups might consequently need to reposition themselves in the market - an opportunity? I hope so.

AI for writers again

Maybe the usual competition/magazine guidelines about AI (i.e. don’t use it at all) are becoming untenable. As AI becomes an ever more standard, useful tool, there'll come a time when competent writers are expected to use it, in the way that they already use spell-checkers and style-checkers.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize includes the following in its guidelines, which may show how things will be in the future -

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools (including generative text or image systems) is not permitted as a primary author of submitted work. AI tools may be ONLY be used for copyediting:

• The submission remains substantially the author’s own work, demonstrating clear human creative control and decision-making
• The work is not wholly or predominantly generated by AI
• Any use of AI tools is clearly declared at the point of submission

Authors must include a brief statement outlining any use of AI in the creation of their work. Failure to disclose AI use may result in disqualification or withdrawal of the submission. We reserve the right to reject submissions where AI use is deemed to undermine originality, authorship, or the integrity of the publication.

Tim Love on Goodreads

Searching for "Tim Love" (author) on Goodreads, these appeared on the first page of results -

• The Book That Gets Better With Age: Observations Through the Looking Glass of Aging by Tim Love
• Tim Love on the Lonesome Dove Trail by Tim Love
• The Medium is the Mirror: The Reformation of Truth Reshaping Our Relationships, Politics, and Sacred Beliefs by Tim Love et al
• Discovering Truth: How to Navigate between Fact & Fiction in an Overwhelming Social Media World by Tim Love et al
• I love Tim: Notebook / Journal / Diary - 6 x 9 inches (15,24 x 22,86 cm), 150 pages. For everyone who's in love with Tim by I Love Tim Publishing
• Urbanism Starter Kit by Tim Love

Needless to say, I wrote none of them. I wouldn't mind reading some of them though. My By All Means is there too. 1 review. 1 rating.

Glasgow

I visited Glasgow a few times during the Commonwealth games. The traffic cone hat has become a Glasgow symbol. The statue where it all began is outside the Museum of Modern Art

The cone idea has spread. This is Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The clouds were there all week. Each day it rained while Cambridge baked. It rained so hard at the athletics one evening (we were in an uncovered stand) that they offered us free tickets for the next day

I saw signs of several cultures. These images of Morocco - Marrakesh/Marrakech, Rabat, Tangier, Casablanca,Fes - were nostalgic. Scottish versions of pizza included haggis. Licensed breakfasts were served from 9 am.

And there are many murals. I liked this one on Hope Street.