Hi all,

This is a fine example of bookcrossing karma... I hope everyone who gets to read this enjoys the same...

After my JE for Emotional Geology by Linda Gillard (http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4530029), Skyewriter (aka Linda Gillard) messaged me to break the sad news that Calum's poetry doesn't in fact exist, and never will (sniff!). However, she also told me that Calum's poetry is based on that of Ian Stephen, a real-life Scottish poet, and that she had some spare copies of two of his books, which she sent on to me so that I can register, read and release them...

The Ian Stephen books arrived with just in time for a trip to Scotland and the end of Sept/start of Oct, and while I still had Emotional Geology so that I could flick between all three books.

This is all fabulous, and has had me grinning for weeks now :)

So, to share the bookcrossing karma further, I am setting up bookrays for both of the Ian Stephen books (this book and Varying States of Grace: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5581665). The bookrays will begin their journeys together, heading off to LyzzyBee who set up the Emotional Geology bookray and got all this started in the first place, but I don't think that they necessarily need to stay together once they have made the rounds of all the people who want to read both of them...

The bookrays are open, so please PM me with shipping preferences if you want to join...

Cheers,
PeaMartian

ETA: Here's the running order for the ray so far (as usual, when you're done with the books just PM the next person on the list and ask for their address)...

ETA again: to add starflash to the running order (who found these bookrings after reading the copy of Emotional Geology referenced above)...

Lyzzybee
CaterinaAnna
Beebarf <--- (Books are here as of Dec 2007)
Cassiopaeia
Birmingham-rose
Starflash

So, what did I actually think of the book? *MILD SPOLIER WARNING*

This book is discussed by Rose and Calum in Emotional Geology, and I can see why this might spark their plan to jointly exhibit poetry and textiles. I really enjoyed the combination of poetry and photography in Providence II, and found some of the photographs really grabbed my attention (e.g. Red Sail on page 49, fish on pages 63 and 64). I did find a fair amount of the poetry pretty difficult to get to grips with, but again some of them really caught my attention and gave me very clear images in my head (e.g. Hard-Hats on pages 26 and 27, and Narative of Catherine Letreguilly on pages 40 - 43).

Altogether a great experience, which I never would have had without bookcrossing...

This book will be posted off to Lyzzybee today along with Varying States of Grace...

Received today on the first stage of their bookring. I will check back to see who I'm to post them on to in due course. Should be read fairly soon. Thank you! Ooh wonderful - the pics are just the kind I like myself (and try to take)

These pieces were more directly rooted in the sea and ships, and I loved that. Also adored the pictures - they are exactly the kind of shot I like to take, and appreciate. Too many good ones to single them out! Thanks again for adding me to the ring and I'll pass them to CaterinaAnna as soon as I can.

RELEASE NOTES:

Giving to Katisha50 when I see her this afternoon, to give to CaterinaAnna when she sees her this evening!

Recieved as planned, & sorry for being a bad BCer & not journalling sooner.

My experience of the sea and ships is warmer and bluer than that of Ian Stephens, so quite a few of the poems and images in this collection were without my experience, distant and didn't manage to bring me to a new one. However there were those that I want to savour and roll round again, particularly those where colour plays a central part. Yes, some of these are matched to some of the pictures, but the words used are vivid and strong enough to stand alone and Ian Stephen really does paint with words: as a taster, have Pigment:

pigment and oil and wood
sympathise
bleach to skies above

reds seep out
pale
to dulse below

and Impurities is even better in this respect - but I leave you to read that for yourself.

By the way, was anyone else reminded of UrbanSpaceman's pictures whn looking at these? The awareness of colour, the focus on the unexpected and the celebration of the found seem, to me (no art critic), rather similar.

Arrived saffely with me yesterday - I look forward to reading these in conjunction with Emotional Geology.

Update:

Book has been read, and next participant's address requested. Full review to follow!

I'm sorry for holding this up - the book will definitely be mailed today!

I loved the bare,evocative poetry, and the detailed, almost abstract photographs echo the poetry perfectly.

Deep in my veins runs the blood of islanders, and I feel the pull when I read something like this. Why I ended up in England, about as far from the sea as it's possible to be is anyone's guess...

The poetry reminds me a little of the lyrics of the band Runrig, who are also from those parts.

My favourite poem was Markets. This one I like because it reminds me of the times I would go to the Aberdeen fish market with my dad, and also the trips we had out to argricultural shows in the North East of Scotland. Now that my gran is no longer with us, I don't really have a reason to return to Aberdeen.

RELEASE NOTES:

Arrived in the post today. Really looking forward to browsing through these poems.

The introduction and above the combination of the photographs and the words really helped me to appreciate this book more than Varying States of Grace. I could feel my feet under me here and the topography of the boats, the sea and the tides were elements that I felt at home with. Many thanks for sharing these two books.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Starflash, in todays post.
KTMC 2008

I have tried contacting birmingham-rose who was next in line, but had no response.
I think she will be moved to the end of the list.

Collected when I went back to work on Friday


7.6.8

I found Stephens poetry rather inaccessible. It was all very personal to him- names, places etc. And I dont sail either, so there was another gap n my understanding there. I am glad I read the two books though. Thank you for sharing.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending home sometime next week

This book has arrived safely back with me, and I'm looking forward to re-reading it (and Varying States of Grace)...

Thanks to all of you who participated in the ring - I really enjoyed your comments, etc!

I'll try contacting Birmingham-rose again in a couple of weeks to see if she's still interested in reading them...