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Posts Tagged Writing

Archive

January 22, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 3: “Can’t and Won’t” by Lydia Davis

Can’t and Won’t by Lydia Davis I could have picked another book by Lydia Davis – I could have picked from a few and probably I should highlight Varieties of Disturbancesince that was my introduction to this incredible writer. But Can’t and Won’t – which I reviewed back when I read it in 2014 as […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged “Can’t and Won’t ” by Lydia Davis, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 3, Books That Blew My Mind # 3: “Can’t and Won’t ” by Lydia Davis, Can't and Won't, Can't and Won't: Stories, Cows, Lydia Davis, Novel, Poem, Short Stories, Story, Translation, Varieties of Disturbance, Writing ·

Archive

January 18, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Short Story: The Despondency of Taking A Break

Summer holiday writing block is the building block for the year. And from such terrible foundations all one can do is hope to build on it. Brick by brick you chip away at the task. You pile it up and hope it doesn’t come crashing down. If it does – and when it does – […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Short Story, Short Story: The Despondency of Taking A Break, Summer Holiday, The Despondency of Taking A Break, Writer's Block, Writing ·

Archive

December 22, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: Summer Holiday Writes

The poems dry up this time of year, like the grass, all piss-yellow and browned and tough. You fight for one, now and then, and it’s almost (or entirely) never quite worth it.
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Poem, Poem: Summer Holiday Writes, Poetry, Summer, Summer Holiday Writes, Writing ·

Archive

December 20, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Off The Tracks Christmas Hours 2020: Happy Holidays!

Hiya! I don’t ‘blog’ as often as I used to. I mean it’s all blogging at the end of the day. Reviews, poems, columns, essays – they all live here on this site. And they’re all part of a massive blog. And that’s fine. But daily missives are really a part of Facebook now more […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 20/20, Blog, Blogging, Break, Christmas, Happy Holidays, Holiday, Off The Tracks, Off The Tracks Christmas Hours 2020, Off The Tracks Christmas Hours 2020: Happy Holidays!, Summer, Summer Holiday, Writing, Xmas, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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December 2, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Sweetman Podcast # 241: John Newton

Welcome to episode 241 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify […]
Posted in Blog, Podcasts · Tagged Academic, Acast, Anchor, Anchor FM, Apple, Australia, Burns Fellowship, Chat, Christchurch, Conversation, Country Music, Dunedin, Escape Path Lighting, Family Songbook, Hard Frost, Hard Frost: Structures of Feeling in New Zealand Literature 1908–1945, Interview, James K. Baxter, John Newton, Music, Novel, Podcast, Podcaster, Podcasts, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Richmond Fontaine, Songs, Songwriter, Spotify, Stitcher, Sweetman Podcast, Sweetman Podcast # 241, Sweetman Podcast # 241: John Newton, Sweetman Podcast: John Newton, Tales from the Angler’s Eldorado, The Delines, The Double Rainbow, The Lives of The Poets, The Overdogs, The Tenderizers, University, Verse, VUP, Wellington, Willy Vlautin, Writer, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

December 2, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

A Panoply of Poets at Book Haven: Sunday, December 13, 2pm

Sunday December 13, 2pm at Book Haven in Newtown – there will be a A Panoply of Poets. Poets of all ages and stages. Poets reading – from their recently published collections. Poets reading poems they’ve just written that week even! Book Haven is one of Wellington’s many wonderful bookstores – and the readings they host are a […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 20/20, 2pm, A Panoply of Poets, A Panoply of Poets at Book Haven, A Panoply of Poets at Book Haven: Sunday, Book, Book Haven, Books, Cuba Press, December 13, Maggie Rainey-Smith, Makaro Press, Mary McCallum, Michael Fitzsimons, Nicola Easthope, Oscar Sweetman, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Poets, Rachel McAlpine, Reading, Richard Langston, Sam Duckor-Jones, Simon Sweetman, Sunday, VUW, Wellington, Writing ·

Archive

November 7, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Words In November – Sweet Talk: Saturday, November 21, Featherston Bowling Club

Featherston’s Booktown has been one of the shining lights in the NZ literary festivals over the last few years – this year, of course Covid had other plans. So some of the events were rescheduled and spread out across the year. I’m thrilled to be part of the final even for 2020 – Words in […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 68 Fox Street, 7.00-8.00pm, Book, Booktown, Bowling Club, Discussion, Featherston, Featherston Bowling Club, Five O’Clock Shadows, Lynn Freeman, November 21, People from the Pit Stand Up, Poems, Poetry, Reading, Richard Langston, Sam Duckor-Jones, Saturday, Simon Sweetman, Sweet Talk, The Death of Music Journalism, Wellington, Words, Words In November, Words In November - Sweet Talk: Saturday, Writers, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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November 4, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Bob Gaulke: Pocket Blues

Pocket Blues Bob Gaulke (Independent) Bob Gaulke is an American musician and poet – I’ve enjoyed his songs, very much and via Facebook I get to see his poems. He’s prolific, thoughtful and approaches his poetic work with the twin gifts of songwriting brevity and journalistic observation. That is to say his social commentary is […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Amazon, Bob Gaulke, Bob Gaulke: Pocket Blues, Book, Book Review, Facebook, https://offthetracks.co.nz/?s=Bob+Gaulke, Independent, Pocket Blues, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Songwriter, Vols 1-3, Writer, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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November 4, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Sweetman Podcast # 237: Jackson Nieuwland

Welcome to episode 237 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify […]
Posted in Blog, Podcasts · Tagged Acast, Anchor, Anchor FM, Apple, Basketball, Bookstore, Chat, Compound Press, Conversation, Depression, Discussion, ep.237, Fluidity, Foodcourt, Gender, Hip-Hop, I AM A HUMAN BEING, IIML, Interview, iTunes, Jackson Nieuwland, Journey, Librarian, Library, Mental Health, Non-Binary, Podcast, Podcatcher, Poet, Poetry, Simon Sweetman, Soundcloud, Spotify, Sweetman Podcast, Sweetman Podcast # 237, Sweetman Podcast # 237: Jackson Nieuwland, Sweetman Podcast: Jackon Neiuwland, Wellington, Writer, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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October 20, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: John Wareham Reading Poems

he stands in his suit. the scarf around his neck lets you know he really means it. his words are strong and you could never sing along. he says “you like that?” at the end of each poem. and i did. i’m sure we all did. his words are hard fought, he sells them easily.
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged John Wareham, John Wareham Reading Poems, Performance, Poem, Poem: John Wareham Reading Poems, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Reading, Reading Poems, Writing ·

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October 13, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

We Launched The Book: Long Live The Death of Music Journalism!

Last Sunday (October 11) we launched my debut collection of poems, The Death of Music Journalism. We were there at Meow for a 4pm start. Dr. Blue kicked things off with some guitar and singing – a little blues and some soulful tunes to guide us in. Dr. Blue is also a poet so he […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 20/20, Book Launch, Dr. Blue, Frey Daly Sadgrove, Head Girl, How To Be Old, https://thecubapress.nz/shop/the-death-of-music-journalism/, James Ogle, Long Live The Death of Music Journalism!, Mary McCallum, Meow, Music, Oct 11, October 11, Paul Stewart, Photography, photos, Pip Adam, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Rachel McAlpine, Read, Readers, Reading, Sarah Bolland, Simon Sweetman, Speech, Sunday, Talk, The Cuba Press, The Death of Music Journalism, Unity Books, We Launched The Book, We Launched The Book: Long Live The Death of Music Journalism!, Writers, Writing ·

Archive

October 9, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

RNZ Interview: The Death of Music Journalism

I’m often on RNZ to talk about music – but the boot was on the other foot just the other day when I was interviewed about my debut poetry collection, The Death of Music Journalism. The book, published by The Cuba Press, is available through all good book shops now and launches tomorrow, Sunday, October […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Afternoons, Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan, Book, Book Launch, Interview, Jesse Mulligan, Live On Air, Meow, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Poetry Reading, Radio New Zealand, Radio NZ National, Reading, RNZ, RNZ Interview, RNZ Interview: The Death of Music Journalism, The Cuba Press, The Death of Music Journalism, Wellington, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·
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