Just to say that I have realised that the Collected Poems (2000 - 2025) does not contain 4 poems that I wrote for the anthology To kingdom come, published by the Onslaught Press in 2016. I am especially proud of one of these poems that is based on a Reuters article of the time titled The Afghan Housing Crisis. Perhaps I should include these in the Selected Poems? Decisions decisions!
Very Best,
Alan
Just to say that I have started work on publishing a 'Selected' edition of my poems 2000 - 2025.
And good news celebrated award winning poet and biographer Fiona Sampson has agreed to the use of her Preface to The Lost Box of Eyes, as a Preface to the Selected. Thank you Fiona, that's very kind.
looking forward to completing this personal selection.
Best Regards,
Alan John Stubbs
ANNOUNCING THE PUBLICATION OF ALL 5 BOOKS.
I have received a copy of the Collected Poems 2000 - 2025, and I am very happy with it.
All 5 Poems (The Collected Poems 2000 - 2025) is available as a hardback on Amazon.
To see it press here ALL 5 Books
This book is a record of the poems I have written over this period, and also contains an essay I wrote for Agenda Magazine.
When I first started submitting poems to magazines etc I kept a list / record as a kind of writing CV. I thought it would be interesting to make it available here.
Note that after 2016, when The Onslsught Press began publishing collections of my poetry and I felt that I no longer needed it, I ceased making entrys on this record.
Alan John Stubbs Writing History:
1st Published (Poetry Monthly) Poem: Out there
No fee just free cop of mag that I gave to Mum and Dad.
Published in the poetry collection: Into a Gathering. Editor Terry Jones
published by Cumbria Community Arts Project. 2004 Poems: Bog Man
Ivy
Finalist in Mirehouse Poetry Competition 2007. Poem: Begin Judge: Ruth Padel
(Prizewinner - £100 of books)
Shortlisted Bridport Poetry Competition 2008 Judge: David Harsent 2 Poems Growth and Socks.
Commended Arvon International Poem: a philosophical provocation
Poetry Competition 2008
Prize £500 awarded by Andrew Motion Judges Andrew Motion, Moniza Ali, Alice Oswald
Published Poetry Review - Volume 99:1 Spring 2009. Psycho-geographies.
Poem: A Body Of Ice Is Hot. To see press here Poetry Review Spring 2009
Editor Fiona Sampson
Commended: Kent and Sussex Poetry Competition Poem: Time Judge Penelope Shuttle.
March 2009
Published Poetry Review - Volume 100:1 Spring 2010. Poem: Oedipus
Editor Fiona Sampson. To see press here Poetry Review 100:1
Published Poetry Review - Volume 100:4 Winter 2010. Poem: Unknown
Editor Fiona Sampson. To see press here Poetry Review 100:4 Winter 2010
Published The Rialto - Volume 70 Poem: Broad Street
Editor Michael Mackmin
Shortlisted in Bridport Prize 2010 Poem: beyond crack willow 'pip'
Judge Michael Laskey.
Poetry Reading at Carlisle college on 1st November 2010, 11.30 - 12.15, Read Broad Street, A Philosophical Provocation, To Ithaca, and On the Days.
Free of Charge
Poetry Reading on 1st March 2011 - At Chigwell (Public) School - Essex
Theme : What is Poetry for?
- read to age-groups 11 - 13 years
14 - 16 years
and 17 - 18 years
Published Poetry Review Volume 101:2 Summer 2011 Poem: a philosophical provocation
Editor Fiona Sampson. To see press here Poetry Review Summer 2011
Published AgendaVol 45 no 4/ vol 46 / 1 May 2011 Poems: 'Woken', and
'there are four boats and her'. To see press here Agenda Dwelling Places Contents
Editor: Patricia McCarthy
Published Agenda Website May 2011 Article on John Burnside.
Read here Essay Reading Burnside Go down to page 19 for my essay.
See Agenda Supplements here Agenda Supplements
Published Poetry Review Volume 102:1 Spring 2012 Poem: 'the slight curved feather'
Editor: Fiona Sampson. To see press here Poetry Review Spring 2012
Published Carillon Magazine (Dec 2012.) Poems: 1st November 2012
Havana Scene
Editor: Graham Rippon
Published The Cannon's Mouth magazine Poem: Circa sus partes en mi paisaje
(Dec 2012) Editor: Greg Cox
Published Dreamcatcher Magazine Poem: As they dance.
(2014)
Published The Cannon's Mouth Magazine Poem: begin
(2014)
Published The Cannon's Mouth June 2015 Poem:The First to pass was
Published Carillon Autumn / Winter 2015 Poem: Trypich.
Published first Collection The Lost Box of Eyes Editor Mathew Staunton.
See here The Lost Box of Eyes
Forward by Fiona Sampson Back page blog – Marion McCready.
Published Cumberland News April 2016
Poem: Broad Street.
Published in the Book: To Kingdom Come - Published by The Onslaught Press.
Poems:
The first to pass was
what are you having
afghans housing crisis
reflections
Drones
States
Editor: Rethabile Masilo
See here To Kingdom Come
Published in International Magazine POEM. June 2016
Poems:
Ivy
After the fall
SF Soft Dissolve.
See here International Magazine POEM June 2016
Published in The Journal (once of contemporary Anglo-Scandinavian Poetry)
Issue 48 (June 2016) Poems:
In the waiting room
Where
News and Star newspaper 25th June 2016
Poem:
Perfect (old shoes)
Although I have continued to be published occassionaly in magazines (most notably in Obsessed with Pipework and The Dawntreader), I am afraid that I have not continued to update this record beyond 2016.
I am excited to receive the proof copy of All 5 Books ready for checking and correcting.
Within the next two weeks book this should be ready.
I have had an initial read and apart from some spacing issues, one new page marker needed, and a couple of spelling corrections, it looks good. I am very pleased with the look of the book, the front and back covers, the illustrations in 'when she is winter', and the fonts etc..
Very Best.
I have now launched an ebook (kindle) version of my latest collection 'when she is winter'.
Competitively priced and Available on Amazon now.
Very Best.
I am beginning to prepare a collected book of poems comprising the poems from the 5 published books 'The Lost Box of Eyes', 'ident', 'tomorrow is the tugboat of today', 'sound about hot', and 'when she is winter'.
I am going to initially publish this as a hardback, with plans to publish as a paperback book, and even perhaps an ebook later.
Best Regards,
Alan
Here is the cover of when she is winter designed by the very talented Emily Ford.
You can see more info on the book, including a preview here When She Is Winter
Announcing the launch of a new paperback collection, my first since 2020's sound about hot.
I am very happy with the poems in this collection, and very happy with the cover design and illustrations by excellent Cumbrian artist and illustrator Emily Ford.
These poems were made in the time that both of my parents died, and some of the poems address this.
There are also poems occassioned by birth.
This is my first venture into using kindle publisher. I hope that the collection is interesting.
To order please visit amazon, or click on the link here when she is winter
Best Regards.
I have made an ebook of some of the poems occasioned by my many visits to the vibrant city of Madrid.
A city I love being in, with great people, great art, great buildings, and wonderful parks.
I hope that readers will enjoy this.
Just a note to say that poet Matt Barnard has contacted me to let me know that the Onslaught Press Anthology Poems for the NHS is being converted into an ebook. It has been made free / as cheap as possible, and readers are encouraged to donate to NHS Charities Together via a link on the site.
Hoping that this a success.
The ebook is available from Amazon.
I have two poems in the anthology.
5 POEMS Book 5 launched.
I have completed the last of my practise ebooks series '5 POEMS', that offer a bite sized taster of my poetry.
Hoping that readers like these, and that they generate interest in the 4 full sized collections available to purchase from the publisher -The Onslaught Press, Amazon, Bookshops and other retailers.
These are :
The Lost Box of Eyes
ident
tommorow is the tugboat of today
sound about hot
Best Regards,
Alan John Stubbs
Announcing the publication of a series of Kindle ebooks available to buy on amazon as a taster, in small bites, of my poems.
The books published todate are :
5 POEMS Book 1 available here 5 POEMS
5 POEMS Book 2 available here 5 POEMS 2
5 POEMS Book 3 available here 5 POEMS Book 3
5 POEMS Book 4 available here 5 POEMS Book 4
If you would like to try my poems before investing in one of my 4 poetry collections please consider trying one of these.
Scan.
Is the black an atmosphere, or mud-flats, or fluid?
White body? The white
appears intact inside of the sound
of itself,
a heart is beating loosed
within pale overarchings,
—a bud yearning to spring open
whatever lock restrains
so that what was a chamber of stillness
breaks to be released,
reaches.
Is it weightless?
Aware of its own weightlessness?
I am anxious of the unknown, for it,
its diaphragm rises and falls and rises in
‘practise breaths’
the Midwife says, as she measures and listens
—and we all listen
to blood’s flow through arteries and veins.
This is the cord in section,
a section through the cord.
Why then does this machine not show it
reaching out and running like a cable should
and plugging in shocking us deep beneath our skin.
This is the landscape of the nose, the open
mouth. I remember
hearing memory begins
when words are used for things.
Alan John Stubbs.
Dream
When I realised she was made of ash
and all of the talking, talking, talking. Not
the ash that consolidates about a sapling
but what remains after a fierce conflagration.
A black and grey ash that disperses
eventually breaking to a dust, rather than
the rich blood ash that burnt peat becomes.
When I realised she was made of ash
and waiting, waiting, waiting for some
words to stop her from breaking, I was
afraid that a touch would dry the river
or raise a flood, and understood that her
words would be a wind to raise the good
earth from the charred bones of the land.
Like an anchor
holds close to the shore
it used to be a wise sailor
would tend a crow,
keeping it close
on a long journey, so
that lost he might throw it
up out of the nest
to soar high above
the clouds and see
a line they could follow
to safe land
and tomorrow.....
rail replacement bus service.
the green gleam of leaves turning
metal, fragile, brittle, is changing
as we traverse water that is still
across the road on the way in to Aspatria after
the flood, just a small flood this time
three hundred or so houses emptied out
Oh! but the light is breaking the sky
through a low cloud so forbidding
up high is a blue clear high, and the view
as we descend to the train station by
the Lake District Creamery with it's ageless
sign, a black and white cow and a milk churn -
is of a builders yard with a white van, and the usual
stacks of used wooden pallets
the bus reverses into to turn back
up the road at Johanna Terrace - but what
a light – all encompassing
everything bright as a button
a yellow wagon smiles into reverse letting us on
two horses in a field are
waked by the sun
West Street Health Centre stands ablaze
across the street the Red Lion slumbers in shade
the black faced sheep have never looked so clean
electricity pylons are positively gleaming
and the tops of hedges - shocked into a last
thrust up in the air
are a child's hair under the influence
A poem from The Lost Box of Eyes:
this tree is both an assertion and a dialogue
it is ambiguous and playfully sets out in branches
it is rooting too slowly to appreciate in inches
it is not just itself but also lichens and mosses
aggregate on its surfaces, and the spine of trunk
is a book of record in a way, and the flat leaf
a translator of light and air and water, a sheathe
of cares where a slaughter of aphids turn gunk
and tear into a million chews, or that tree frogs
may choose to hide beneath and snooze, or foxes
paw at when they parachute loose, and so this
is an interpretation, and that is all it is, a miss
heard call, a faint echo, an accumulation of
words sighing like leaves on a tree, or a stove
that is ready to cook the meal that's inside it.
This door is blind shut and we don't know it's lit.
This poem won a prize in The Arvon International Poetry Prize, and it was published in Poetry Review.
There is an excellent exhibition of Sheila Fell landscapes and portraits at Tullie House until mid March 2025. It reminded me of this poem I wrote.
unable to see the Sheila Fell landscapes.
Air dances the wings of Cherry leaves
so that green shakes about the white frowsy hair pinked in the midst
of upraised arms shaking like a child’s upbraided for walking
out onto a busy street
though it is restrained by an iron cage fitted about it and into the concrete
paving slabs diminishing what might be subtle yearnings
She has a patch, rather a coarse plaster, at her throat where
a piercing with a kind of stone is set in a wound
painfully healing. Her hair
that was wound up in a soft grey woollen towel is let down
so that what were flowers split apart and spill
about the slender bole out to the border-edges of the paving
where wall break stones tumble the corner of my eye
caught by the sleek grey of a wild cat turning away
Copywrite Alan John Stubbs
Published in THIS PLACE I KNOW, a new anthology of Cumbria Poetry, by Handstand Press,
and in the collection tomorrow is the tugboat of today by The Onslaught Press.
Free read lost box of eyes.
I have been told that anyone interested in my poetry can find my first collection the lost box of eyes in the 'internet archive' and borrow it to read free of charge.
I am delighted with this and have added a link to the archive copy below.
enjoy
