Ian Duhig
@ianduhig.bsky.social
'An Arbitrary Light Bulb' the Poetry Book Society Winter 2024 Choice: "some of the most moving, restrained, memorable and technically adroit poetry of our times" --- TLS, 3/25
"No, I don't know who he is either but he's handy for drying towels."
from The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban."
from The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban."
November 26, 2025 at 7:03 AM
"No, I don't know who he is either but he's handy for drying towels."
from The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban."
from The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban."
Cecil Sharp, founder of the English folk-song revival, pictured overhearing a gardener sing the line "Next folk-musicologist bothering me gets 'is poxy brains dashed out with this 'ere crate!"
Artist: Martin Aitchison
Artist: Martin Aitchison
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Cecil Sharp, founder of the English folk-song revival, pictured overhearing a gardener sing the line "Next folk-musicologist bothering me gets 'is poxy brains dashed out with this 'ere crate!"
Artist: Martin Aitchison
Artist: Martin Aitchison
#happybirthdaylaurencesterne
Few know that his achievements may include saving Walter Benjamin's life: this from Eilenberger's 'The Time of the Magicians', p281.
Few know that his achievements may include saving Walter Benjamin's life: this from Eilenberger's 'The Time of the Magicians', p281.
November 24, 2025 at 5:56 PM
#happybirthdaylaurencesterne
Few know that his achievements may include saving Walter Benjamin's life: this from Eilenberger's 'The Time of the Magicians', p281.
Few know that his achievements may include saving Walter Benjamin's life: this from Eilenberger's 'The Time of the Magicians', p281.
Most of my days at the moment, virtually to the exclusion of all else, are taken up with reading entries for the National Poetry Competition.
Many are very good indeed and more take me to new places in my imagination but it does mean the view from my life's front window now looks like this.
Many are very good indeed and more take me to new places in my imagination but it does mean the view from my life's front window now looks like this.
November 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Most of my days at the moment, virtually to the exclusion of all else, are taken up with reading entries for the National Poetry Competition.
Many are very good indeed and more take me to new places in my imagination but it does mean the view from my life's front window now looks like this.
Many are very good indeed and more take me to new places in my imagination but it does mean the view from my life's front window now looks like this.
After his victory over Aleister Crowley in their Golden Dawn power struggle, Yeats commissioned a new Tarot card from Pamela Colman Smith to be slipped into decks when Croowley asked for a reading.
November 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
After his victory over Aleister Crowley in their Golden Dawn power struggle, Yeats commissioned a new Tarot card from Pamela Colman Smith to be slipped into decks when Croowley asked for a reading.
I had a Saturday job around here but now I remember it more from the show I heard about where, when Earth was illuminated in the cosmic dome, somebody started booing.
Postcard via Bill Melhuish
Postcard via Bill Melhuish
November 19, 2025 at 7:25 AM
I had a Saturday job around here but now I remember it more from the show I heard about where, when Earth was illuminated in the cosmic dome, somebody started booing.
Postcard via Bill Melhuish
Postcard via Bill Melhuish
This ms is Paris, BN fr. 146 of the Roman de Fauvel showing his wedding with Vainglory. The disapproving mob below are playing the first written charivari in European music. Part of it also formed the cover of my book 'The Speed of Dark', which included my adaptations of texts for singing.
November 18, 2025 at 11:46 AM
This ms is Paris, BN fr. 146 of the Roman de Fauvel showing his wedding with Vainglory. The disapproving mob below are playing the first written charivari in European music. Part of it also formed the cover of my book 'The Speed of Dark', which included my adaptations of texts for singing.
It was all going so swimmingly until the poetry workshop leader suggested alliterative verse was dead.
November 16, 2025 at 7:12 PM
It was all going so swimmingly until the poetry workshop leader suggested alliterative verse was dead.
"This is a Browning Hi-Power, single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in 9 × 19 mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibres. It is the hand gun Dame Julian of Norwich would have used. I too am proficient in its use. Today is Sunday. Be holy or watch your step."
November 16, 2025 at 8:07 AM
"This is a Browning Hi-Power, single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in 9 × 19 mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibres. It is the hand gun Dame Julian of Norwich would have used. I too am proficient in its use. Today is Sunday. Be holy or watch your step."
' . . . I smoked untipped till my lungs crackled
like Lucozade wrappers. After his Leeds reading,
I offered MacCaig a Silk Cut. “Thank you but no:
those are just a very expensive way of breathing.”
from 'Gaspers' in 'An Arbitrary Light Bulb'
Can't track down photographer
like Lucozade wrappers. After his Leeds reading,
I offered MacCaig a Silk Cut. “Thank you but no:
those are just a very expensive way of breathing.”
from 'Gaspers' in 'An Arbitrary Light Bulb'
Can't track down photographer
November 15, 2025 at 7:19 AM
' . . . I smoked untipped till my lungs crackled
like Lucozade wrappers. After his Leeds reading,
I offered MacCaig a Silk Cut. “Thank you but no:
those are just a very expensive way of breathing.”
from 'Gaspers' in 'An Arbitrary Light Bulb'
Can't track down photographer
like Lucozade wrappers. After his Leeds reading,
I offered MacCaig a Silk Cut. “Thank you but no:
those are just a very expensive way of breathing.”
from 'Gaspers' in 'An Arbitrary Light Bulb'
Can't track down photographer
"I'll be glad when somebody invents the damn scabbard!"
November 14, 2025 at 7:00 AM
"I'll be glad when somebody invents the damn scabbard!"
I appear in a new RG4 film about Mick Meaney, having written about him in my last book, a hero to my generation in Kilburn. Yesterday our zoom about a Kilburn showing coincided with the Irish Post piece below.
There was sadness when I said what a great song Shane MacGowan could have made for Mick.
There was sadness when I said what a great song Shane MacGowan could have made for Mick.
November 13, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I appear in a new RG4 film about Mick Meaney, having written about him in my last book, a hero to my generation in Kilburn. Yesterday our zoom about a Kilburn showing coincided with the Irish Post piece below.
There was sadness when I said what a great song Shane MacGowan could have made for Mick.
There was sadness when I said what a great song Shane MacGowan could have made for Mick.
Honoured to have a couple of poems in the brilliant new @aftershockpoetry with its starry roster. There's some weird old lore about yellowhammers. Swifts were considered 'devil birds' because of their screams but I don't know what grave sin these small birds committed to be regarded in this way.
November 12, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Honoured to have a couple of poems in the brilliant new @aftershockpoetry with its starry roster. There's some weird old lore about yellowhammers. Swifts were considered 'devil birds' because of their screams but I don't know what grave sin these small birds committed to be regarded in this way.
In the old days, working-class eating places messed with people's minds by advertising upside-down peas
November 11, 2025 at 6:46 AM
In the old days, working-class eating places messed with people's minds by advertising upside-down peas
When you suddenly realise you've been saying hello to all the villagers without changing back into human form.
November 9, 2025 at 1:05 PM
When you suddenly realise you've been saying hello to all the villagers without changing back into human form.
Extreme Unction is the funniest of the Catholic sacraments
November 9, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Extreme Unction is the funniest of the Catholic sacraments
he Poets' Version of Beckett: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail worse. No matter. Try again. Fail far worse still. Try again. Fail beyond your imagination's ability to comprehend the scale of possible failures open to you . . .' (contd p.94)
November 7, 2025 at 7:06 AM
he Poets' Version of Beckett: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail worse. No matter. Try again. Fail far worse still. Try again. Fail beyond your imagination's ability to comprehend the scale of possible failures open to you . . .' (contd p.94)
Happy Birthday Tristram Shandy!
Here's his meme about choosing the punctuation for his 'Life & Opinions'.
Here's his meme about choosing the punctuation for his 'Life & Opinions'.
November 5, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Happy Birthday Tristram Shandy!
Here's his meme about choosing the punctuation for his 'Life & Opinions'.
Here's his meme about choosing the punctuation for his 'Life & Opinions'.
"So Sir Geoffrey Luttrell's retainers were racking up for a game of snooker and I was telling them how crap they were at it -- and Jeez; are those boys touchy!"
November 4, 2025 at 3:36 PM
"So Sir Geoffrey Luttrell's retainers were racking up for a game of snooker and I was telling them how crap they were at it -- and Jeez; are those boys touchy!"
The Irish version of this sea creature is terrific company and makes great conversation.
It's called the Craicn.
It's called the Craicn.
November 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The Irish version of this sea creature is terrific company and makes great conversation.
It's called the Craicn.
It's called the Craicn.
The Reverse of a Framed Painting(1670)
Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrecht
Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrecht
November 3, 2025 at 8:14 AM
The Reverse of a Framed Painting(1670)
Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrecht
Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrecht
This is the quotation from David Jones' 'In Parenthesis' that I always felt cried out loudest for its own stele.
Pic from Graeme Rigby
Pic from Graeme Rigby
October 31, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This is the quotation from David Jones' 'In Parenthesis' that I always felt cried out loudest for its own stele.
Pic from Graeme Rigby
Pic from Graeme Rigby
It is Halloween. Turnip Head
Will soon be given his face,
A slit, two triangles, a hole.
His brains litter the table top.
A candle stub will be his soul.
Michael Longley, 'Halloween'
Will soon be given his face,
A slit, two triangles, a hole.
His brains litter the table top.
A candle stub will be his soul.
Michael Longley, 'Halloween'
October 31, 2025 at 5:46 AM
It is Halloween. Turnip Head
Will soon be given his face,
A slit, two triangles, a hole.
His brains litter the table top.
A candle stub will be his soul.
Michael Longley, 'Halloween'
Will soon be given his face,
A slit, two triangles, a hole.
His brains litter the table top.
A candle stub will be his soul.
Michael Longley, 'Halloween'