Parker's Pieces

Breaking, but not heart-breaking, news from the light verse universe is that I Think I Thought, a 120-page collection of Martin Parker's work, will be coming out in time for the Christmas present–buying season. More details as and when, but the general thrust is " a journey from nappies to the Last Great Perhaps — the stages including Getting Started — Getting it Wrong, Mostly,— Getting the Hang of it— Getting Near the Buffers — pausing along the way for a visit to Grouches Corner  . . . "

Barbara's BackWords

Barbara Lydecker Crane's BackWords Logic (Local Gems Press, Long Island, New York) will be published shortly.  It comprises 64 humorous quatrains; each contains a pair of 'mirror' words (italicized) that spell each other backwards (i.e., 'repaid' and 'diaper', 'tuba' and 'abut'). Illustrations by Fran McCormick accompany each poem. The book will be available online from the publisher or from Amazon. 

P.S. August '17. The collection has now appeared –a feast of what Melissa Balmain describes as 'reversible anagrams–aka backronyms or semordnilaps–in games of rhyming, punny, verbal Twister.'

P.P.S September '17. You can now go to Amazon.com and enter Barbara Lydecker Crane in the Books search-box and all three of her titles will come up.

THE BLIND LOON HAS LANDED!

Ed Shacklee's bestiary The Blind Loon is now available from the publisher Able Muse Press (www.ablemusepress.com/books/ed-s) or for preorder at Amazon.com. The official publication date is 24 July 2017. "Filled with beasts real or fantastical", some of which first appeared in LUPO, it includes over 50 illustrations by Russ Spitkovsky. Those who have appreciated Ed's work here and elsewhere have been looking forward to this and I hope will join me in ordering a copy pronto from the publisher.

There's Gold In Them Thar Pennines!

Joan Butler, a contributor to LUPO from Issue 2, has just scooped first prize and a cheque for £450 for her poem Pennine Waller, plus a commendation for another piece, in the Cannon Poets’ Sonnet Or Not competition, judged by Steve Ellis, professor of English Literature at Birmingham University.

Not content with showing fellow-Luperati how to convert metre into moolah with this and her previous win in the Settle Sessions competition (see Hawk Talk in LUPO for December 2016) she has demonstrated a flair not just for sonnet-lining but also stomach-lining. Not long ago her vegetarian moussaka took first prize in her annual village show. It must be something in the Yorkshire water.