What’s Up? — Laurie Eaves

Oh hey. It’s been a wee while since I’ve done an update on here so I thought I’d do a catch-all update on what’s been going on in my poetry life over the past few months.

Metal Gear Sonnets

The big thing for me writing-wise has been wrapping up a half-decent version of (potentially) my next collection, which I’m provisionally calling Metal Gear Sonnets. It’s a sonnet sequence retelling the story of the 1998 PlayStation game Metal Gear Solid.

The narrative collection follows secret agent Solid Snake as he infiltrates the Shadow Moses nuclear disposal facility to rescue hostages during a terrorist coup – a mission which quickly goes awry. Poems take the form of radio (CODEC) calls with Solid Snake’s remote support team, conversations with allies and “boss fights”. Each character is given a different sonnet variation, with influences including Japanese sonnets, Inuit poetry and ASCII art sitting alongside traditional Shakespearean and Italian-inspired forms.

Over a single chill Alaskan night, clouds mushroom and unmushroom, snipers crouch in the pixel snow, viruses slip softly from throat to throat, brothers turn to nemeses, and green eyes meet their first caribou in the frozen tundra.

The good news is… I now have a full manuscript for the project! And have submitted it to a few publishers I like. I’ll probably submit it to a few more. I don’t know if anyone will want to take it, but I’ve sure had a blast writing it and have really enjoyed stretching the sonnet form and pushing myself to experiment with my writing.

Genesis Slam & Other Gigs

I’ve been a bit nervous about calling myself the host or producer of Genesis Slam, since Caz Teague’s Doc Martens are some pretty big boots to fill, but I think I’ve now produced the slam for 6 months without any real disasters so can probably start using those words now. Producing the night is a lot of work but it’s an absolute joy to see new writers who’ve sometimes never performed before come and try out Genesis for the first time. When I first moved to London, Genesis was one of the first nights I discovered and truly loved, so to have the honour of continuing to run the nights and platform new writers is a great privilege.

Honestly, after Covid I was really worried about whether I’d totally lose touch with new blood in the poetry community and seeing performers much younger than me come and smash Genesis every month is a real lifeline and makes me confident the poetry world is headed for some exciting places. Tickets for our next slam are HERE!

I’ve also been to some fantastic nights over the past few months – particular shout-out for Jasmine Gardosi’s Dancing to Music You Hate, Boomerang Club x London Queer Writers’ Fundraiser for Caz, That Goddamn Poetry Jam and Tongue Fu. I’ve also been in the back of the van again with The Poetry Takeaway which is always a pleasure.

Starting to line up some gigs for later in the year – watch this space.

Publications

I made a push to do more submissions at the start of the year. Some worked out, some didn’t – all were worth doing. Here’s some places that have been kind enough to feature some of my newer poems:

- when easter comes my brother will lose a badger in his beard featured in Atrium Poetry

- the doughnut souffle at whitstable bay also featured in Atrium Poetry

- live action little mermaid featured in The Primer

- the potter featured in The Thicket

Thanks to all these lovely places for publishing my newer, weirder poetry.

Dead Darlings Podcast

All things podcast are still a-go – we just put out our 40th episode with special guest our good pal Daisy Thurston-Gent.

PLUS our amazing producer and co-host Rebecca Cooney has a double-whammy of great news this week. She’s playing Glastonbury Festival AND putting out her dope debut pamphlet Where the Lights Come On with Allographic Press. You should grab a copy.

Reading

As always, I’ve been reading a lot of poetry that’s much better than my scrawlings. Here’s a few recommendations:

- The Fire People – Various, ed. Lemn Sissay (Canongate)

- Eat or We Both Starve – Victoria Kennefick (Carcanet)

- If All the World and Love Were Young – Stephen Sexton (Penguin)

- The Bible II – Sam J. Grudgings (Verve)

- Sonnets for Albert – Anthony Joseph (Bloomsbury)

- Peach Pig – Cecilia Knapp (Corsair)

- Home is Not a Place – Roger Robinson and Johny Pitts (William Collins)

- The Last Lesbian Bar in the Midlands – Cleo Henry (14 Poems)

I’ve been a bit quiet with writing the last few weeks since finishing the manuscript draft, but am now tentatively putting the pen back on the paper the last few days.

Oh also, looks like I’m going to be moving soon. If you’d like to make my move a little lighter/easier I still have a few copies of Biceps on book / cassette in boxes that you can order right now from my webshop.

I hope all’s good with you and will check in again soon.