“…And as we journey into
the underworld, I will plunge you all into darkness…” I half expected a
maniacal laugh from Simon’s lips as he turned off all the lights. Before
starting the reading, he added, “Oh, if I outstay my 22 minutes, you can throw
stuff.” There were a few chuckles before the room fell silent as Simon’s serene
voice began. It was a very eerie atmosphere; turning the lights off did the
trick; it made me focus on Simon’s work from his new book, Beneath.
This is the second reading I’ve been to, and I only
signed up to it last minute because I was intrigued by Simon’s Archilochus on the Moon, and wanted to hear more of his work.
When Peter Riley graced the stage with Due
North, I didn’t really know he who he was, but I did like his work, and the
theme of people on the move and looking for a place to live. He cracked a few
jokes and made me chuckle a few times; I loved how the last part was in
Spanish, not that he knows why. I remember him saying, “I don’t quite know why
half of the last part’s in Spanish. Maybe I’m hiding behind another language at
the end.”
And that was when I
spotted the books on sale and all other thoughts flew out the window. I feel
sorry for my bank account right now.
Lauren Raybould
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