Author: James Burt

Incorporating Writing

The new issue of Incorporating Writing is now out (downloadable from here).  It was guest edited by the Tight Lip team, who asked me to contribute an interview with poet Gary Goodman.  I spoke to Gary towards the end of last year at the Royal Albion hotel. 

Editing the interview into an article was interesting work.  Some fascinating responses were cut to allow the article to flow.  Halfway through we were interrupted by an accident outside, a young woman knocked off her bicycle by a learner driver.  It was a disturbing thing to watch and seemed as if it ought to be recorded, but never fitted into the interview.

The magazine is a good read, featuring some provocative articles, an interview with China Mieville and photos from Sam Collins.

A photograph I didn’t take

The best way to find perfect scenes to photograph is to come out without your camera.  I visited a friend this evening to cook pasta and drink cocktails (I will definitely be drinking sidecars again).  When I'd arrived she'd just finished mopping the kitchen and told me not to go in, the floor was wet.  Rather than suggest I get my shoes, she dried the floor…  with a hairdryer.  She leaned into the kitchen holding the doorpost, driving off the water to  making a path to the cooker and the sink.  It would have been a perfect photograph.

"Best thing is," she said, "The floor will be lovely and warm."

Video footage from Sparks Night 2

I meant to post this before Christmas, but somehow missed it in the excitement of Winterval.  As mentioned on Sparks blog, the video footage of my reading at Sparks 2 is now on youtube:

I've not actually watched this, as I can't bear hearing to my own voice (something I need to get over, particularly if I except other people to listen to it), so let me know what you think.  No comments so far which is probably a good thing as youtube commenters aren't known for their good manners and intelligence.

Also online is Vanessa Gebbie reading her story 'Gas Gangrene'.  Thanks to Jo Horsmann for putting these up. 

James at 11: an early review

I recently found a cache of old school reports.  The most interesting one was from the village school form teacher I had at 11:

"His creative writings reveal a very vivid imagination.  His stories are full of good ideas and phrases but James lacks the self-discipline to develop and shape them for the reader's benefit.  His understanding of the main rules of punctuation is good but he does not always apply them to his own work."

Some people still claim my stories are self-indulgent and that shunning the word 'that' isn't a sign of talent.  It's weird to think: all the years of education since then and I haven't improved.  My goal for 2009 is simple: to summon the self-discipline to finish my novel.  I think the punctuation's good enough though.

Long-running ambition (M-12 weeks)

Growing up, I wasn't much of an athlete.  I wheezed when I ran and came in last every race, which is why my love of running has been such a surprise.  I don't really mind the bad days so much because I'm still getting over the novelty that I run at all.

Of course, there's one obvious challenge with running.  Every year London marathon runners were paraded on Blue Peter.  It felt like taunting to me since I was as likely to run a marathon as I was to climb Everest or whatever other wholesome exploits were celebrated on the show.

But the more I've run the more I've thought: I could do that.  In the Runner's Handbook, Dick Traum is quoted as saying  "Anyone who honestly takes the time to train can finish a marathon.  You don't have to be much of an athlete, just patient and disciplined." The idea seems delightfully unlikely based on the child I was but I've decided to take the plunge.

The Brighton Marathon won't be until 2010 at the earliest so I've signed up for the Blackpool Marathon in April.  I know the area well, it's flat and I have family nearby so it looked like fun.

I'm now 3 weeks into the training program and it's going well so far.  I'm hoping for a time between 255 and 270 minutes and seem to be on track so far.  It's been hard work, but I'm very excited.  I only wish I could go and visit me at 13 to tell him what I'm up to right now.  He'd never believe me.

I’m reading at Wordplay on January 20th

I'm very excited as it was recently confirmed that I'm reading at Wordplay this month.  Wordplay is a regular night of music and poetry run by Rachel Weston taking place at the Sanctuary Cella.

I'll be doing about ten minutes early in the evening.  Rather than doing a single long story I want to read lots of very short stories, ranging from 50 words to 200 words long.  The stories themselves are all written, but framing them within a performance is proving interesting. 

The great thing about Wordplay is the size and variety of the line-up.  Also appearing are the talented and charming Nathan Filer, Sam Chara, and Phillipe Barnes and Tom Phelan.  I hope to see you there!

My favourite films of 2008

I watched a lot of movies in 2008. Most of the mainstream films were disappointing, particularly the superhero ones, all of which ended with two men fighting to settle points of principle.  As Roger Ebert points out, by far the best shot in The Incredible Hulk was a simple ariel shot of Rio; and, while the Dark Knight was fun, I can't see why so many people declare it a classic since it was neither innovative or surprising.

I did see some great films though.  My favourites were:

  1. The Orphanage (now facing an unneccessary Hollywood remake)
  2. Man on Wire
  3. My Winnipeg
  4. Brighton Wok
  5. Cloverfield (I loved the final scene)

I don't think My Winnipeg had the coverage it deserved, with a blink-and-you-miss-it showing at the Duke of Yorks, but it was one of the most creative and exciting films I've seen in years.  Hopefully someone else will be prompted to watch it and tell me what they think.

The turn of the year: 2009

2008 started with me joining Mr. Spratt for a dip in the English Channel. I've been so cold recently that a swim didn't appeal, but I did manage a 13 mile run this morning.  Tough, but a lovely way to see in the new year.

New Years Day 2009 finds me feeling upbeat.  Four months of sabbatical have allowed me to do lots of writing and make a range of positive changes.  Sadly I can't spend my whole life on sabbatical but I'm planning on 2009 being as positive as 2008 while getting much more done.

From Monday I'm going to be wrangling EJB3 for Domus, who have some lovely software for me to play with.  It's going to be good working in Brighton again, particularly being able to walk to work along the seafront.

I'm also looking forward to doing more running this year.  In February I have the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, although that's been a little eclipsed by my plan for April: entering the Blackpool Marathon.  The first few weeks of training have gone well and I'm very excited.  But that really deserves its own post.

While I did some good writing in 2008 my level of submissions was shameful (particularly when I see Kay Sexton's record).  In 2009 I want to have all my finished work circulating – I was appalled to discover I had 27 finished stories sitting idle on my hard drive.  I'm also working on a new novel which I'm very excited about.

There are lots of other things I plan to do, such as finally read Ulysses, lose a stone, take a foreign holiday and go out a lot more than I did in 2008.  2009 should be a great year.