tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91039102024-03-13T18:18:25.333+00:00Author Seán Martin's Blog: Ramblings, & c.Author of The Knights Templar: The History & Myths of the Legendary Military Order, The Cathars: The Rise & Fall of the Great Heresy, The Gnostics: The First Christian Heretics, Andrei Tarkovsky, and New Waves in Cinema. Wigtown Poetry Prize winner 2011; Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature's Emerging Writers 2012; Plough Poetry Prize 2013 (longlist); Poetry Business Pamphlet Comp. shortlist 2017; Wells Poetry Competition 2017 & 20 shortlist; Templar Portfolio Award winner 2017.Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-46143362295671407292023-05-22T10:44:00.000+01:002023-05-22T10:44:01.749+01:00'Eternal Return' Longlisted for Fish Poetry Prize<p>My poem 'Eternal Return' has just been Longlisted for the 2023 Fish Poetry Prize, judged by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Full details of the winners can be found <a href="https://www.fishpublishing.com/2023/05/15/poetry-prize-2023-results/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-48570653922900689542022-06-18T11:33:00.003+01:002022-06-18T11:33:45.081+01:00A VAST SHADOW HOUSE: DAVID LINDSAY'S VISION - WORLD PREMIERE<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvf_fOZ1F3A4Ou8xHnlfzNkuLrbi9bKSeqYT1t0xW_56FOlHsZNo8fNMX8HnCpqhHrJzAfEZgl4kS9KLV7sm8KnlLJnGvSB4gFbRtZaKATwPbzZpnJTmsBQYn95Iqm05jtonUGxEH3xD2NUF6UZFmBLXakHF0pyo6uSGSvPvqOVJ7Gb5UW8I/s2700/IMAGE%201%20Vast%20Shadow%20House,%20Martin%20&%20Milne%202022%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="2700" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvf_fOZ1F3A4Ou8xHnlfzNkuLrbi9bKSeqYT1t0xW_56FOlHsZNo8fNMX8HnCpqhHrJzAfEZgl4kS9KLV7sm8KnlLJnGvSB4gFbRtZaKATwPbzZpnJTmsBQYn95Iqm05jtonUGxEH3xD2NUF6UZFmBLXakHF0pyo6uSGSvPvqOVJ7Gb5UW8I/w400-h213/IMAGE%201%20Vast%20Shadow%20House,%20Martin%20&%20Milne%202022%20copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">My documentary/essay film on David Lindsay, <i>A Vast Shadow House</i>, will receive its world premiere at the Maine International Film Festival on 12th July. The film will screen again the following day. Tickets and more info can be <a href="https://miff25.eventive.org/films/a-vast-shadow-house-6290d7474aae6d006ee49759" target="_blank">found here.</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Admired by the likes of Philip Pullman, Nina Allan, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, Lindsay’s novels explore the theme of a real world, hiding behind the mundane everyday. Influenced by the German Romantics and the fantasies of George Macdonald, Lindsay’s books depict a world of illusion that must be transcended and ultimately escaped from. This essentially gnostic philosophy predates the work of Philip K. Dick, who explored similar themes, by some 30 or 40 years. Lindsay’s later work became more matriarchal, feminist and pagan in its themes, although the vision of the false and true worlds remained.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>A Vast Shadow House</i> explores Lindsay’s life and works, the philosophy in his works, the difficulties he had in finding an audience, and his posthumous success. It features interviews with some of Lindsay’s original supporters and champions, including critic and poet J. B. Pick, biographer Bernard Sellin, and critics Harold Bloom and Gary K. Wolfe. Also appearing are Alan Moore (comics writer, novelist, wizard), Brian Stableford (sci-fi author, translator), and Gary Lachman (writer, and, in a previous life, founder member of Blondie – although we didn’t get around to discussing Gary’s musical career in the interview. That will have to wait for my next film…). My filmmaking colleague Louise Milne acts as our guide and interviewer.</p><div>More information on Lindsay and his work can be found at Murray Ewing's authoritative Lindsay website, <a href="https://www.violetapple.org.uk/index.php" target="_blank">The Violet Apple</a>. (Murray also appears in the film.)</div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-88354038702072119402022-05-23T20:59:00.000+01:002022-05-23T20:59:02.609+01:00Fish Poetry Prize: Shortlisted<p> </p><p>My poem "The Troubles" has been shortlisted for the <a href="https://www.fishpublishing.com" target="_blank">2022 Fish Poetry Prize</a>, judged by former US Poet Laureate <a href="https://billycollinspoetry.com" target="_blank">Billy Collins</a>.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-3509320047445401792022-04-22T11:26:00.005+01:002022-04-22T11:28:32.368+01:00New TV appearance: Cursed Films - Stalker<p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.shudder.com/series/watch/cursed-films/62bd7871627dfc6b?season=2" target="_blank"><i></i></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AAsF2Yi0xTqhwBdSK5KsJSUo1k8J8LiRL6AwBjUZ57ciyY5pT3KcW8Jkp3EtnfkELspiuME07mhA3IUl33DmkohiJpAKVKfx8Yzg7Ibyo7iqN4or3QP0zWRDDjAF8MP8sdpJ_EMAmeMgxv1P0vCe14T4tTKs4-QXVN0Av-Dm9u_3U7GlM98/s1198/Screenshot%202022-04-22%20at%2011.24.22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1198" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AAsF2Yi0xTqhwBdSK5KsJSUo1k8J8LiRL6AwBjUZ57ciyY5pT3KcW8Jkp3EtnfkELspiuME07mhA3IUl33DmkohiJpAKVKfx8Yzg7Ibyo7iqN4or3QP0zWRDDjAF8MP8sdpJ_EMAmeMgxv1P0vCe14T4tTKs4-QXVN0Av-Dm9u_3U7GlM98/s320/Screenshot%202022-04-22%20at%2011.24.22.png" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p><div><i>Cursed Films</i>, season 2, episode 3, on Tarkovsky's <i>Stalker</i>, <a href="https://www.shudder.com/series/watch/cursed-films/62bd7871627dfc6b?season=2" target="_blank">premiered yesterday on Shudder</a>. The film tells the story of the troubled production of Tarkovsky's legendary 1979 science fiction film, and the myths that have grown up around the film. The episode features a great cast of informants, including the late Tarkovsky scholar Robert Bird, cinematographer Roger Deakins, photographer Arvo Iho (all of whom, at one time or another, I've met - gents all). Oh, and me.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>My contribution was shot - after some discussion about where to actually do the interview - in New York State, somewhere in the Sleepy Hollow/Ossinning region. I was actually in Boston at the time, and after deciding against shooting in the UK, I agreed to go down to NYC to meet the guys and do the interview in what I originally thought was going to be somewhere uptown. This meant getting up at 0500, and going down from Cambridge where I was staying in a very nice AirBnB on Prospect Hill in Somerville to get the 0700 MegaBus from South Station. I got into NYC late, due to the bus getting stuck in traffic in the Bronx/Uptown. I met the crew at the Met, and then we then went back uptown - more Manhattan traffic - but carried on into the countryside, where it transpired we had the use of a very nice house somewhere around Sleepy Hollow (as in Legend of...). </div><div><br /></div><div>But it was far from a sleepy interview. We were now very behind schedule: not only had I to be back on the 7pm MegaBus back to Boston, but Jay, Brian and the guys had to get to La Guardia to fly to Chicago to interview Robert Bird. The interview was done at breakneck speed, all shot in about 45 minutes or less. And then we ran back to the van, and got on the road again. They dropped me at the Cotton Club, and drove hell for leather to the airport (they made the flight), while I got an Uber downtown to the Madison Square Garden area and got the bus. I remember the air con was broken, and the driver couldn't switch it off. We arrived back at South Station in Boston absolutely frozen. I got the T back to Cambridge, and was in bed around 0200. A 21-hour day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, luvvie story aside, it's a great episode, and I recommend it. A pleasure to have been part of such a great project.</div></div>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-79574979363613136412022-01-03T10:45:00.001+00:002022-01-03T10:45:45.358+00:00Now on Patreon<p> </p><p>I've decided to launch a Patreon, which can be found here: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/seanmartin" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/seanmartin</a>. If you're interested in my work and would like to support me, I'd be very grateful. Subscribers can expect patron-only blog posts, videos, drafts of works-in-progress, and probably other things as well (when I have anything else!). I'll try posting every fortnight to start with, and see how we go. I've never done this king of thing before, but I'm hoping that it will be a worthwhile thing to do; it should certainly remind me to keep writing!</p><p>This week's update: I am working on updates for A Short History of Disease, which will be published in the spring. I hope to get those done by the end of this week, so that next week I can get on with the next book, which has been on the back burned for far too long.</p><p>I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year, and let's hope this year is better than the last two...</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-28781953218117629992021-11-15T11:37:00.004+00:002021-11-15T11:37:24.700+00:00A Short History of Disease: New Edition 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNgFNBvZqk4/YZJFs-9VW_I/AAAAAAAD8uM/AXCOlz_26WU50cI3sxEJtL8XPXu7Hwr7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2345/Disease%2BNew%2BEdition%2B2022%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2345" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNgFNBvZqk4/YZJFs-9VW_I/AAAAAAAD8uM/AXCOlz_26WU50cI3sxEJtL8XPXu7Hwr7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Disease%2BNew%2BEdition%2B2022%2BCover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A new edition of <i>A Short History of Disease</i> will be published spring 2022. The book will contain an afterword on COVID-19, and the systemic and political failures worldwide, with a special focus on the UK, where tens of thousands of people died needlessly.</div><br /><p></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-59367166640533137042021-08-25T19:27:00.000+01:002021-08-25T19:27:01.529+01:00Poem in new anthology<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b-SQwtjkBvo/YSaKaQvIEpI/AAAAAAAD8e4/GILinrY6DPgIXjOKtmkUFOIGKQ-UjFHNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s4032/IMG_3927.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b-SQwtjkBvo/YSaKaQvIEpI/AAAAAAAD8e4/GILinrY6DPgIXjOKtmkUFOIGKQ-UjFHNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3927.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Lost, Looking & Found</i>, an anthology of writing by the Edinburgh Literary Salon, has just been published. My contribution is a poem, 'Louvain Epiphany.' Available from all good bookshops (ISBN<span style="background-color: white;">: 9781911524014).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><br /> <p></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-1267626151688276892021-08-20T10:50:00.008+01:002021-11-15T11:48:24.455+00:00Happy Birthday, H. P. Lovecraft<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRB_slBPG8s/YR92P7TJYHI/AAAAAAAD8eU/roIGkxRSXAQx0fvOUIF91anhtuxaeRqWACPcBGAYYCw/s698/HPL%2BThe%2BTomb%2BPanther%2B1970.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="440" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRB_slBPG8s/YR92P7TJYHI/AAAAAAAD8eU/roIGkxRSXAQx0fvOUIF91anhtuxaeRqWACPcBGAYYCw/w253-h400/HPL%2BThe%2BTomb%2BPanther%2B1970.png" width="253" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Happy Birthday, H. P. Lovecraft! HPL was born on this day in 1890, at the family home on Angell Street in Providence, RI. He has a lot to answer for, being one of those figures who seem to lurk in one's imagination for years after you've first read their work, or heard about them. I first came across the name Lovecraft in the Jim Morrison biography <i>No One Here Gets Out Alive</i> (the first, but not the best, bio of JDM). Jim's poetry was compared to Bosch and Lovecraft. I knew who Bosch was, as I'd discovered 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' in an encyclopaedia we had at home (Bosch I suppose is another figure who's haunted my imagination for years, but I'll leave that for another post). Intrigued, I set out to track down books by this Lovecraft fellow. At that time, Lovecraft was out of print in the UK, so I had to frequent second-hand bookshops. I used to trawl all of them in my home town. (Back then, we had about half a dozen places to try for second hand books. All those shops are gone now.) The first one I ever found was <i>The Tomb</i>, the late 60s/early 70s paperback from Panther (pictured above). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> It's a collection of minor stories, culled from the larger collection Dagon and Other Stories (Arkham House, 1965). Despite being minor, it did contain a few gems, principally 'The Festival', which has always remained one of my favourite Lovecraft stories. When the things fly out of the darkness at the end, I could see the connection with Bosch. (I won't say any more, in case you haven't read it. I don't want to spoil the ending!) The other Lovecrafts I got from this period were all stories in anthologies: 'The Colour out of Space' and 'The Haunter of the Dark' came to me this way; they remain possibly my two favourite Lovecraft stories for their haunting depictions of rural and urban environments respectively. (Indeed, there is a 'Haunter of the Dark' church a ten-minute walk from where I'm writing this.) When Lovecraft was republished in the UK by Grafton/Granada (AKA HarperCollins), that was tremendously exciting, as it meant I could get to read the bulk of his work, but it kind of spoiled the book-hunting in obscure bookshops. (For a while, at least.) </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> Another key book for me was Philip Shreffler's H. P. Lovecraft Companion, which explained that many of Lovecraft's stories were set in actual places that still exist. That set me off on a long trail of research and, to cut a long story short, I shot a documentary about Lovecraft - inspired by Shreffler's book, and Lin Carter's <i>Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos</i>, from which I got the phrase 'The Last Disciple', which became the film's title. We managed to track down Frank Belknap Long, who actually knew Lovecraft (as opposed to being one of Lovecraft's man correspondents), biographer L. Sprague de Camp, Colin Wilson, Ramsey Campbell, Stuart Gordon, and the lady who was married to the real-life Charles Dexter Ward. Despite this roster of stars, the film was never fully finished for want of funds (sanity was also in short supply. The work-in-progress received one screening, <a href="https://hplovecraft.com/study/centennial.aspx" target="_blank">at the Lovecraft Centenary conference in Providence</a>, and has never been screened again. I have been wondering whether my recently-completed PhD in filmmaking might somehow enable me to finish the Lovecraft film in some way... </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> The film's real theme, perhaps, was why do people read Lovecraft? What turns us into fans? Despite the trauma of making the film, I still reread Lovecraft, and am working my way slowly through the Collected Letters. And to this day, certain churches - especially those with blackened brickwork, and/or looking deserted - always remind me of 'The Haunter of the Dark'. It's become a reflex. Maybe that's what writing that really chimes with you does: it becomes not just a story that you've read, but a part of your life, a part of the way you experience the world.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-77848899863374565812021-07-18T22:46:00.001+01:002021-07-18T22:46:50.878+01:00Tarkovsky: 3rd edition out in September<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nlsj-r-dVZU/YPSgbGUY84I/AAAAAAAD8ZU/VP5LjdHt0q4a7qJ_vwtfEiqd42V4REXHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2339/81vVTtWriyS.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nlsj-r-dVZU/YPSgbGUY84I/AAAAAAAD8ZU/VP5LjdHt0q4a7qJ_vwtfEiqd42V4REXHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w260-h400/81vVTtWriyS.jpeg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The new (third) edition of <i>Andrei Tarkovsky</i> is published on 21 September by Kamera Books. It's revised and updated, and has a slightly different cover. You can <a href="http://kamerabooks.co.uk/index1.php?imprint=3&isbn=9780857304704" target="_blank">pre-order a copy here</a>.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-76724826636479641412021-07-07T21:47:00.001+01:002021-07-07T21:47:05.945+01:00The Dream in the Mirror -- Released Today <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpiK-1vXE88/YOYRWxnae4I/AAAAAAAD8XE/gbHF5XkfF7Y8YsKaItgDEXK8OfHiNNntgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Criterion%2BMirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1288" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpiK-1vXE88/YOYRWxnae4I/AAAAAAAD8XE/gbHF5XkfF7Y8YsKaItgDEXK8OfHiNNntgCLcBGAsYHQ/w323-h400/Criterion%2BMirror.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><p>Our documentary, <i>The Dream in the Mirror</i>, is released today as part of Criterion's new Blu-ray and DVD of Tarkovsky's <i>The Mirror</i> (1975). Our film features interviews with Tarkovsky's sister, Marina, and her husband, the late Aleksandr Gordon; composer Eduard Artemyev; critics Mark Le Fanu, Dmitri Salynsky, Vladimir Golstein, Stephanie Sandler, and Vida Johnson; and translators Kitty Hunter-Blair and Layla Alexander-Garrett. You can <a href="https://www.criterion.com/films/28894-mirror" target="_blank">order a copy here</a>.</p><p>This film is part of our ongoing series of films, <i>Andrei Tarkovsky: Cinema of Dreams</i>, more details of which can be <a href="http://www.tarkovskycinemaofdreams.com" target="_blank">found here</a>.</p><p>The next chapter of the film, due for release in 2022, will be on <i>The Sacrifice</i>. I'll post more details here when I have them.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-45054159739905374242021-06-28T11:56:00.006+01:002021-06-28T12:00:00.503+01:00Appearance at Edinburgh Literary Salon: 29 June 2021<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtLGFrDK0ew/YNmrVdECdzI/AAAAAAAD8Fk/Ew2h1cgQZVcKlZ9QqUPnEnMUigZy7Yo8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s678/Salon%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="626" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtLGFrDK0ew/YNmrVdECdzI/AAAAAAAD8Fk/Ew2h1cgQZVcKlZ9QqUPnEnMUigZy7Yo8wCLcBGAsYHQ/w184-h200/Salon%2Blogo.png" width="184" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>I'll be doing a short interview/chat at the Edinburgh Literary Salon on Tuesday 29 June 2021, 1800 (UK time). </p><p>It's free to attend, but you need to <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/junes-literary-bookshop-salon-from-your-home-tickets-159914038193" target="_blank">get tickets here</a>.</p><p>The Salon is publishing an anthology of writing by salon regulars, <i>Lost, Looking and Found</i> which will be out in August, in time for the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The anthology is being made in collaboration with publishing students from Edinburgh Napier University. My contribution is a poem.</p><p>Anyway, see you tomorrow!</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-8041573819811604522021-05-30T09:22:00.003+01:002021-05-30T09:23:19.033+01:00Poetry Lit Reading 4th June<p><br /></p><p>I'll be doing a poetry reading on 4th June 2021, organised by the excellent Poetry Lit series. Details and tickets <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poetry-lit-online-reading-series-tickets-115998708259?aff=ebdssbeac&keep_tld=1" target="_blank">can be found here.</a></p><p>Meanwhile, my pamphlet <i>The Girl Who Got onto the Ferry in Citizen Kane</i>, <a href="https://templarpoetry.com/products/the-girl-who-got-onto-the-ferry-in-citizen-kane?_pos=1&_sid=e8a7d0744&_ss=r" target="_blank">is available from Templar Poetry</a>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jqryQT5gY4/YLNLHjpYcyI/AAAAAAAD7_w/bfng26olO5IeuMX2-FD3F4pN--b9rCrNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1450/Girl%2BWho%2BGot%2Bonto%2Bthe%2BFerry%2Bcover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="976" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jqryQT5gY4/YLNLHjpYcyI/AAAAAAAD7_w/bfng26olO5IeuMX2-FD3F4pN--b9rCrNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w269-h400/Girl%2BWho%2BGot%2Bonto%2Bthe%2BFerry%2Bcover.png" width="269" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-28769127565686175152021-05-15T22:35:00.001+01:002021-05-15T22:37:29.377+01:00'Men with Guns' Shorlisted for Fish Poetry Prize<p> </p><p>My poem 'Men with Guns' has been shortlisted for the 2021 Fish Poetry Prize, judged by former US Poet Laureate, Billy Collins. More info <a href="https://www.fishpublishing.com/2021/05/15/poetry-prize-2021-results-long-and-short-lists/#short" target="_blank">here</a>. The piece is a bit of family folklore, recounting my grandfather's experiences during the Larne Gun Running of 1914.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-40428120491160249902021-03-06T14:42:00.002+00:002021-03-06T14:42:16.381+00:00Poetry Reading with John Glenday et al at The Bakehouse tonight<p> </p><p>I'll be taking part in an online poetry reading this evening, Saturday 6 March 2021, organised by The Bakehouse in Gatehouse of Fleet. Star attraction is the estimable and wondrous John Glenday; I will be one of the poets reading in the second half of the evening.</p><p>The reading starts at 1930 tonight. More info <a href="http://www.thebakehouse.info/index.php/programme/329-the-bakehouse-goes-digital-john-glenday" target="_blank">here.</a> </p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-80839528126161125132021-02-05T14:04:00.001+00:002021-02-05T14:04:39.461+00:00Now on Ko-fi<p> </p><p>You can now support me by "buying me a coffee" here <a href="https://ko-fi.com/seanmartin" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/seanmartin</a>. This is, of course, a euphemism for offering modest financial support. But if you do need to know, I am quite partial to lattes with oat milk; but my real favourite hot drink is a hot white chocolate:-)</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-107747999211392122021-02-04T13:23:00.000+00:002021-02-04T13:23:00.687+00:00Where in the world is Freewrite?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjV8U34CaH8/YBv0ZwFJu-I/AAAAAAADzck/XuXNnYGaa2QeU2c_yFHgtl7ERVzyK3fMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s606/Astrohaus%2BTraveler%2Bcompetition%2B-%2BMy%2Bshot%2Bcopy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjV8U34CaH8/YBv0ZwFJu-I/AAAAAAADzck/XuXNnYGaa2QeU2c_yFHgtl7ERVzyK3fMQCLcBGAsYHQ/w399-h400/Astrohaus%2BTraveler%2Bcompetition%2B-%2BMy%2Bshot%2Bcopy.png" width="399" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The folks over at Astrohaus recently ran a competition for people to photograph their Freewrite Traveler. The winning photos were selected for their website. Mine was one of the winning pictures. It's not been a week of peace and quiet, and this image reminds me of what decent writing conditions are like... Anyway, you can see the whole collection of photos, including mine, <a href="https://getfreewrite.com/pages/where-in-the-world-is-freewrite" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-20755923658085557982021-02-03T13:50:00.002+00:002021-02-03T13:52:37.638+00:00Ancient Aliens appearance<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_ZcC2JdGYg/YBqpaxxoMPI/AAAAAAADzcA/vkUsUzIP7Kc6ODOHdfvnUuRa2iPpLmTBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s817/Ancient%2BAliens%2B-%2BTreasures%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGods%2B2014.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="817" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_ZcC2JdGYg/YBqpaxxoMPI/AAAAAAADzcA/vkUsUzIP7Kc6ODOHdfvnUuRa2iPpLmTBQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h219/Ancient%2BAliens%2B-%2BTreasures%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGods%2B2014.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Here's a still of me in <i>Ancient Aliens</i>, episode "Treasures of the Gods". Although it was first broadcast in 2014, I've only just seen the episode. (I was never sent a copy by the production company, which is unusual.) My next TV programme will be <i>The Secret Story of the Knights Templar</i>, a 3-part miniseries, due out soon, if not out in your territory already. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1FUIqpGBjw" target="_blank">Here's a short trailer</a>.<p></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-85015305518931224162021-01-26T11:13:00.002+00:002021-01-26T11:19:01.417+00:00Tarkovsky news<p> </p><p>Here is a good article on Tarkovsky's <i>Stalker</i>, written at the time of the 4K restoration, <a href="https://www.criterion.com/films/28150-stalker" target="_blank">released on Blu Ray and DVD by Criterion</a>:</p><p><a href="https://www.framerated.co.uk/stalker-1979/" target="_blank">https://www.framerated.co.uk/stalker-1979/</a></p><p>I came across this piece because I couldn't remember who was head of Goskino in the mid-70s - was it Filip Yermash, or Nikolai Sizov? (It was the former; Sizov was head of Mosfilm.) And my reason for this little bit of <a href="https://www.ecosia.org" target="_blank">Ecosia</a>-usage is that we are currently making a documentary about Tarkovsky's <i>The Mirror, </i>which will be released by Criterion later this year. </p><p>I will post more details when we have finished the film, and when a release date has been announced.</p><p>Incidentally, there is a <a href="http://kamerabooks.co.uk/index1.php?imprint=3&isbn=9780857304704" target="_blank">new edition of my book <i>Andrei Tarkovsky</i></a> in the works. This will be published by Kamera Books later in the year as well. The current edition (the second edition of 2011) is out of print, but the ebook version can be found <a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sean-Martin/Andrei-Tarkovsky/11572380" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-53882476160057524122020-12-01T14:34:00.002+00:002020-12-01T14:34:16.427+00:00A Voyage to Arcturus and Beyond: David Lindsay's Visionary Imagination 9 December 2020<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B5Dfs6Iww08/X8ZSp7R_8BI/AAAAAAADzIc/DKibAtCWwCsWZ46YsZVDL8ecxhxb45VBACLcBGAsYHQ/s3486/VTA%2B1986%2BAllison%2B%2526%2BBusby.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3486" data-original-width="2265" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B5Dfs6Iww08/X8ZSp7R_8BI/AAAAAAADzIc/DKibAtCWwCsWZ46YsZVDL8ecxhxb45VBACLcBGAsYHQ/w260-h400/VTA%2B1986%2BAllison%2B%2526%2BBusby.jpeg" width="260" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p><p>This year marks the centenary of the publication of the extraordinary metaphysical fantasy novel <i>A Voyage to Arcturus</i>, the first book by the relatively neglected Scottish author <a href="http://violetapple.org.uk" target="_blank">David Lindsay (1876-1945)</a>. The novel counts <a href="https://www.philip-pullman.com" target="_blank">Philip Pullman</a>, <a href="http://www.cslewis.org" target="_blank">C. S. Lewis</a>, Alan Moore and <a href="http://www.ninaallan.co.uk" target="_blank">Nina Allan</a> among its admirers.</p><p>To celebrate the centenary of this extraordinary book, I am helping organise an event that will take place on 9 December via the website of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, on Zoom. This will run from 1300-1800 (UK time), and will feature presentations on not just <i>A Voyage to Arcturus</i>, but also Lindsay's other novels, <i>The Haunted Woman</i>, <i>The Violet Apple</i>, <i>Devil's Tor</i>, and <i>The Witch</i>. Composer <a href="http://www.davidpowercomposer.co.uk" target="_blank">David Power</a> will talk about writing Lindsay-inspired music, and I will be showing a preview of the film I have made about Lindsay's work. </p><p>Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-like basis. More info and tickets <a href="https://scottishstorytellingcentre.online.red61.co.uk/event/913:3781/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Pictured: the first copy of <i>A Voyage to Arcturus</i> I ever bought, the 1986 Allison & Busby edition. Now starting to fall apart... One of the better cover designs, showing <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/brett-glacier-of-rosenlaui-n05643" target="_blank">John Brett's <i>The Glacier of Rosenlaui</i></a>, but it uses the 1963 copyedited text, prepared for the book's first U.S. publication. If you want to get a copy of the book, the new Bookship edition is possibly the most textually accurate. You can get it as a FREE EBOOK, or as a NICE HARDBACK - both <a href="http://violetapple.org.uk/vta/ebook.php" target="_blank">available here</a>.</p><div><br /></div>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-90761066765372265412020-11-22T10:29:00.001+00:002020-11-22T10:29:14.397+00:00Fighting fire with fire: the Freewrite Traveler<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6Mhs8xP_TI/X7o7lul6RaI/AAAAAAADzGI/_vJw4R6OpDAEZIcTB4X0fYRNplN5WeoMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s4032/IMG_5324.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6Mhs8xP_TI/X7o7lul6RaI/AAAAAAADzGI/_vJw4R6OpDAEZIcTB4X0fYRNplN5WeoMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_5324.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is an old saying, that fire is a good servant, but a bad master. The same can be said of technology. My iPhone is a good example: I love it because I can shoot lots of video on it, and take thousands of photographs. I can use it for voice memos when I want to dictate an idea. I can check emails and texts. I can pay for things. I can buy tickets for plane, train, book places to stay when travelling. I can even call my Mum.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it has a downside. Namely: notifications, and the addictive nature of the damn thing. I now have app limits set, and try to avoid checking my email every five minutes. You can get into this weird fugue state where you expect it - for some unknown reason - to be the bearer of absurd good news. And picking it up again and again throughout the day does not bring any such news, only takes you more and more out of yourself; away from the matter at hand.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am now opting to fight fire with fire: I have a new piece of kit to write with. A small, very lightweight word processor called a <a href="https://getfreewrite.com/products/freewrite-traveler" target="_blank">Freewrite Traveler</a>. Yes, that’s right - a word processor. All you can do on it is write, and then sync with the cloud (or you can email draft). I haven’t written on a word processor in twenty years. But since it arrived yesterday, I have found myself drawn to it, and words have come easily.</p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 9pt 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LM1vQdDSbU/X7o7l6oKPCI/AAAAAAADzGk/fhPFBFQBfqoobJiAMOyACkZngC81HV_BQCPcBGAYYCw/s4032/IMG_5325.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LM1vQdDSbU/X7o7l6oKPCI/AAAAAAADzGk/fhPFBFQBfqoobJiAMOyACkZngC81HV_BQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/IMG_5325.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 9pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">I am pleasantly surprised. The keyboard and e-ink screen are nice, although I almost wish the screen was backlit. This is not a problem, though: I just work at a desk with an angle poise light, or sit near the window. There is a slight lag between typing and the words appearing on screen. This is not a problem either. It can also sometimes appear to freeze, but I think that is more a case of my wifi being very slow, and the Traveler attempting to sync with Dropbox. This is not a problem either.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 9pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">In fact, these are small prices to pay for the joy of having no distractions. I’m so tired of email, of trivia, of 'some useless information/supposed to fire my imagination' to quote Messrs Jagger and Richards, even of online petitions (although I think it is important to sign them - we are at war with capitalism, consumerism, materialism, patriarchy). </p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 9pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">There comes a time when you have to close your door, and let your own words come. With the aid of the Freewrite Travler, I find that words are indeed coming, that something has been released. The odd thing about the Traveler is that it makes me want to write. And I am not going to question that.</p></div><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 9pt 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XcnHCuGhglU/X7o7mBm5pyI/AAAAAAADzGg/8EGNpVe25y8ecmXu8KDHmPv2dDB5hgPUACPcBGAYYCw/s4032/IMG_5326.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XcnHCuGhglU/X7o7mBm5pyI/AAAAAAADzGg/8EGNpVe25y8ecmXu8KDHmPv2dDB5hgPUACPcBGAYYCw/s320/IMG_5326.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-89762766075144836762020-11-05T18:41:00.002+00:002020-11-05T18:44:44.420+00:00Two events to celebrate David Lindsay & A Voyage to Arcturus<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1k-5zMSoRk/X6RG7NjpQDI/AAAAAAADzDE/_JpSQnyv6qwuyhjFLRpe41ol6MxPAftJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s3662/David%2BLindsay%2Bc.%2B1914%2BIMG_4535%2BBEST%2B-%2BSLIGHT%2BCROP.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3662" data-original-width="2553" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1k-5zMSoRk/X6RG7NjpQDI/AAAAAAADzDE/_JpSQnyv6qwuyhjFLRpe41ol6MxPAftJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/David%2BLindsay%2Bc.%2B1914%2BIMG_4535%2BBEST%2B-%2BSLIGHT%2BCROP.jpeg" /></a></div> <p></p><p>This year - 16th September, to be exact - marks the centenary of the publication of the extraordinary metaphysical fantasy novel <i>A Voyage to Arcturus</i>, the first book by the relatively neglected Scottish author <a href="http://violetapple.org.uk" target="_blank">David Lindsay (1876-1945)</a>. </p><p>Two online events are coming up to celebrate Lindsay's work. <b>The first takes place on 19th November, organised by the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow</b>. This will feature author <a href="http://www.ninaallan.co.uk" target="_blank">Nina Allen</a>, and scholars <a href="http://tolkienandfantasy.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Douglas A. Anderson</a> and <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/staff/robertdavis/" target="_blank">Professor Robert Davis</a>. The event runs on Zoom from 1800-1930 (UK time). More info and tickets can be found <a href="https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/2020/10/15/celebrating-the-centenary-of-a-voyage-to-arcturus/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><b>The second event, which I am helping to organise, will take place on 9 December via the website of the Scottish Storytelling Centre</b>. This will run from 1300-1800, and will feature presentations on not just <i>A Voyage to Arcturus</i>, but also Lindsay's other novels, <i>The Haunted Woman</i>, <i>The Violet Apple</i>, <i>Devil's Tor</i>, and <i>The Witch</i>. Composer <a href="http://www.davidpowercomposer.co.uk" target="_blank">David Power</a> will talk about writing Lindsay-inspired music, and I will be showing a preview of the film I have made about Lindsay's work. More info and tickets can be found <a href="https://scottishstorytellingcentre.online.red61.co.uk/event/913:3781/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: David Lindsay, <i>c</i>. 1914. Courtesy of the Estate of David Lindsay.</span></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-52775059876759033522020-11-01T22:42:00.003+00:002020-11-01T22:42:55.872+00:00Bridport Shortlist<p> </p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a bit of poetry news, my poem 'The Silence in the Hall' was Shortlisted for this year's Bridport Prize.</span></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-82761755060162899462020-10-08T13:40:00.005+01:002020-10-08T13:40:53.194+01:00Gambit (short story, flash fiction)<p> </p><p>Here's a piece of flash fiction for you. It's about Edinburgh, psychogeography, chess, and a few other things.</p><p><span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT,Bold"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Gambit</b></span></p><div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">Brian intended to turn into Wendy at the Camera Obscura at noon. Leaving the pawn shop, the old trouble returned: after two blocks he compulsively veered off at the next left. Then he jaywalked diagonally across Holy Corner, nearly colliding with a churchman in full robes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">The shadow of a great black bird fell across him. Brian knew evasive moves were called for, but the Castle now loomed ahead, blocking his path.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">He was trapped. His only option was to knock over a Greene King. Taking a deep breath, he made a beeline for the bar at the World’s End.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">© Seán Martin 2020</span></p></div></div></div>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-57179339646585950352020-09-13T09:37:00.007+01:002020-09-13T09:40:32.075+01:00'Certain Events in Blackburn, Lancashire, 1967' shortlisted at Wells <p> </p><p>My poem 'Certain Events in Blackburn, Lancashire, 1967' has been <a href="https://www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk/2020-competitions" target="_blank">shortlisted</a> for the <a href="https://www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk" target="_blank">Wells Festival of Literature</a>'s Poetry Competition. This year's judge is Sean Borodale. Prizes are announced on 22nd October. I'm hoping to attend the prize-giving ceremony - Johnson be damned - as Wells is a great place. A magical part of the world. And, of course, it's a great festival!</p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9103910.post-45062810274115105462020-09-11T00:03:00.003+01:002020-09-11T00:06:41.170+01:00'Variations on a Theme from Isaac Holland' receives Notable Mention in Poetry London Competition<p><br /></p><p>My poem 'Variations on a Theme from Isaac Holland' has received a 'Notable Mention' in the 2020 Poetry London Prize, judged by Ilya Kaminsky: <a href="https://poetrylondon.co.uk/competition/" target="_blank">https://poetrylondon.co.uk/competition/</a></p>Seán Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04454806060468472133noreply@blogger.com0