Graeme Richardson
@ravoon.bsky.social
Writer/critic. All views very much my own.
Would love this sort of headline to say "read"
November 29, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Would love this sort of headline to say "read"
In the Times today offering commentary in the Love Song of RFK Jr:
November 25, 2025 at 10:07 AM
In the Times today offering commentary in the Love Song of RFK Jr:
Tom Paulin's 1986 LRB piece on Yeats' letters is a glass of champagne - both dry and sparkling. Look at these 3 sentences! "The impulse dissolved in helpless love..." What a writer he was.
November 21, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Tom Paulin's 1986 LRB piece on Yeats' letters is a glass of champagne - both dry and sparkling. Look at these 3 sentences! "The impulse dissolved in helpless love..." What a writer he was.
This is the illustration accompanying Robert Pinsky's review of Seamus Heaney's Collected Poems in the New York Times... But who the fuck is it supposed to be?
November 17, 2025 at 8:22 PM
This is the illustration accompanying Robert Pinsky's review of Seamus Heaney's Collected Poems in the New York Times... But who the fuck is it supposed to be?
On whether or not a harsh review is pointless, I call, as my next witness, Michael Hulse:
November 7, 2025 at 3:35 PM
On whether or not a harsh review is pointless, I call, as my next witness, Michael Hulse:
Among the 5000 German war dead in Cannock Chase Cemetery... History surprising and complex.
November 6, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Among the 5000 German war dead in Cannock Chase Cemetery... History surprising and complex.
I like this, by Clare Pollard - the best "lockdown" poem in a very overcrowded field - and now included in her new collection "Lives of the Female Poets". Note the quietly infectious internal rhymes...
October 27, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I like this, by Clare Pollard - the best "lockdown" poem in a very overcrowded field - and now included in her new collection "Lives of the Female Poets". Note the quietly infectious internal rhymes...
I'm thrilled to say that my collection "Dirt Rich" will be published by Carcanet in January. I've been working at it for almost 30 years: love poems, elegies, lamentations, jokes... The aim is "all killer no filler". Please buy it if you can. Here's Andrew Latimer's brilliant cover:
October 24, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I'm thrilled to say that my collection "Dirt Rich" will be published by Carcanet in January. I've been working at it for almost 30 years: love poems, elegies, lamentations, jokes... The aim is "all killer no filler". Please buy it if you can. Here's Andrew Latimer's brilliant cover:
Hurrahing in Harvest
October 14, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Hurrahing in Harvest
Is it ok to like this poem, and to judge that it narrowly misses the obvious pitfall of the sentimental? I hope so.
October 5, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Is it ok to like this poem, and to judge that it narrowly misses the obvious pitfall of the sentimental? I hope so.
Tony Harrison RIP. Cracking poet
September 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Tony Harrison RIP. Cracking poet
Thank you Alex. But fairly wild accusations are being made on here too...
September 24, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Thank you Alex. But fairly wild accusations are being made on here too...
This, from welovestornaway.com is my favourite news item about the Forward Prizes so far... @niallpoetry.bsky.social
July 21, 2025 at 8:13 AM
This, from welovestornaway.com is my favourite news item about the Forward Prizes so far... @niallpoetry.bsky.social
Love this - Kurt Vonnegut on his sister Alice, a painter:
July 6, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Love this - Kurt Vonnegut on his sister Alice, a painter:
This translation might be your cup of tea...
May 1, 2025 at 1:42 PM
This translation might be your cup of tea...
Jeremy, asking this question:
April 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Jeremy, asking this question:
I'm not an expert on Geoffrey Hill, but this doesn't really sound like him
April 17, 2025 at 9:17 PM
I'm not an expert on Geoffrey Hill, but this doesn't really sound like him
We think of Richard Wilbur as elegant and urbane (he was) but he could also do horror - horror elegant and urbane.
April 16, 2025 at 4:49 PM
We think of Richard Wilbur as elegant and urbane (he was) but he could also do horror - horror elegant and urbane.
Am astonished to find this 89th in a 1995 BBC book, The Nation's Favourite Poems
April 7, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Am astonished to find this 89th in a 1995 BBC book, The Nation's Favourite Poems
A poem-prayer worth spending some time with, brushing out the knots, and learning by heart
April 7, 2025 at 5:28 PM
A poem-prayer worth spending some time with, brushing out the knots, and learning by heart
What's the best love-poem written in English this century? Dunno - but I'll start with "Song" by Tracey K Smith (published 2011)
March 26, 2025 at 1:21 PM
What's the best love-poem written in English this century? Dunno - but I'll start with "Song" by Tracey K Smith (published 2011)
Please help! Does anyone have a copy of this 1986 Carcanet Book - and could photograph the contents page?
March 25, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Please help! Does anyone have a copy of this 1986 Carcanet Book - and could photograph the contents page?
Niall's lovely piece here reminds me of a favourite poem from his last collection - at his best, he is Heaney-esque.
March 14, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Niall's lovely piece here reminds me of a favourite poem from his last collection - at his best, he is Heaney-esque.
"A Certain World" - this imaginary book review by JB Morton has made me laugh for years....
March 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
"A Certain World" - this imaginary book review by JB Morton has made me laugh for years....