I’ve posted this poem before, a couple of times, because it becomes more relevant and sinister by the day. It is part of my 2018 collection, Poems from the Swamp which explores the psychogeography of an imagined version of the East Marsh where I live, it’s material reality and the unconscious and mythic layers that exist beyond the thinnest of veils. Each poem is written from the point of view of characters I have created.
Author Archives: Josie Moon
Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, Panaiotis: Deep Listening
In the entire history of struggle for rights and freedoms, those in power never give it up willingly. Power has to be wrested from them and there is always a fight. There needs to a be a fight now. I hope that this week, which concludes with Mother’s Day for God’s sake, is the start of a fight; one which can be won and not by those currently holding the levers of power.
Iris DeMent: My Life
Sometimes life interrupts your plans and so I have been spending longer with Iris DeMent than I’d planned and I’m not sorry. My Life is an extraordinary, tender and evocative album that is definitely worth a fortnight.
Oumou Sangare: Moussolou
In the midst of a bleak week, Oulou Sangare’s voice brought shafts of sunshine and warmth. Listening to her debut album, its rich rhythms and feisty vocals, I was lifted out of the challenges of the days for some bright and beautiful moments.
Ms Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
She left a lasting mark on the scene she was so much a part of with her soulful voice, clever rhymes and spiky content.
Madonna: Ray of Light
Did it stand up? Did I dive back in and find it as exciting and engaging as I did all those years ago?
Pearl: Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin’s star burned bright and fell too early. Her legacy endures.
Hollowbone: Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening
The vibrant presence of Kathryn Tickell, igniting passion for music, playing so magnificently and being a true Queen of the North thrills my soul and Tyneside is an enriched place for having her in it.
Horses: Patti Smith
One morning this week, feeling unusually energised in this strange time in our collective lives, I danced to the whole of Gloria, in my pyjamas, shaking my whitening locks and soaking in the raw, energetic brilliance of it.
Listening to Women
We decided that in 2021 we would have a dedicated list of 52 albums by women to listen to over the course of a week. And I decided that I would write a blog post each week to accompany the listening.
Josie Moon 