What I've Been Reading 5
I've been reading loads, and doing loads, retirement suits me!
Contents
Introduction iProse by John Hobson Top Deck Dreaming Ooohhh Aaahhh Odd: the Journal of the Fellowship of the Sixty Odd Poets Strange Party by Amanda Samm
Introduction
I haven’t posted a What I’ve Been Reading since 4th January. I meant to do one every four weeks, but the Christmas period, New Year, and Burns Night (Not to mention Galileo’s 462nd Birthday) put me out of sequence and this is the first opportunity I have had to get into rhythm again.
But to be honest, apart from the stuff that I read on Substack. I have been mainly engrossed in mainstream rather than independent literature over the last couple of months, and I didn’t create these pages to promote the mainstream.
Ohh OK then. I’ll quickly tell you what has been diverting me.
I received a copy of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver for Christmas - from my sister - who had taken advice from my daughter. I had previously enjoyed the Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver, and Copperhead had been highly recommended. And with good reason. it is a fascinating re-telling of the David Copperfield Story set in the American Midwest of the 1990s. It really is a fabulous read. just enough of the Dickens in it to make it a pleasant diversion recognising the characters, but some really modern twists involving issues such as the cynical machinations of big pharma, reasons why hillbillies are treated as a joke, and the continuing poverty in America. Charles would have been proud.
As soon as I had finished that, I had to go to the source. I am now about three quarters of the way through David Copperfield. (supplementing the free ebook with an audiobook read by the marvellous Martin Jarvis1) The language and characterisations are a delight, as they always are with Dickens. I have been supplementing that with Charles Dickens - a Life By Claire Tomalin. A fabulous piece, which goes into the details of all his dark secrets and obsessions, without denying his literary genius.
All this and various other projects have conspired to keep my independent reading to a low. However the first piece that I review here brought be some real joy..
iProse by John Hobson
This little pamphlet was available free to all those who attended John’s stand up poetry Show at the Lescar in Sheffield
The title of that show, Funny Onion, comes from the fact that John is sometimes known as the Vegetable Poet, as he writes an awful lot of poetry about vegetables, and dubs himself a plant based poet. To illustrate his affinity with the kingdom plantae, he appeared on stage for the second half of his show wearing an inflatable avocado suit. It must have been uncomfortable under the spotlight, and after watching him deliver a few poems in it, many of us in the audience began to feel rather concerned for his health, fearing a Tommy Cooper style collapse before our very eyes. Happily he made the right decision and took it off.
John is a rare example of a poet who memorises all of his work, performing it without the aid of notes. It is breathtaking to watch. His pieces are fast, rhythmical and witty. Obtaining a printed version of his work is harder than it might seem though. He is the sort of chap that only hands things out to people who he knows, or who have already paid to come into a gig.
I treasure my copy of the poems which he wrote for National Poetry Writing Month in 2025. The Collection is called NaPoWriMo 2025. There is some fabulous stuff in there, I managed to persuade him to let me use some on a 60 Odd page last summer. However, He was less willing to let me dip my hand into that particular biscuit tin again. He is constantly updating his work and is reluctant to use older versions of his stuff online.
And strangely enough for a piece with the title iProse - this latest offering contains only prose. Delightful prose though, covering topics from bird spotting, cookery, eating out, haircuts, advancing age and plenty more in a rapid sequence of short sharp bursts of observation and wit.
At the stand up night. John read out all the recommendations from the back of the book. They were mostly jocular, flippant and dismissive. I think that he revelled in that. Then he read mine: Decent, hard-working poets will be outraged by Hobson’s almost effortless skill with imagery and ready wit, and I felt a bit silly for praising him. But then I reflected that, seeing as what I said is all true, he can either like it or lump it.
In the absence of a poem here are a couple of shorter pieces from iProse
Top Deck Dreaming
On the top deck of the bus I dreamt of us, of me and you. Then I dreamt of the book I wrote. It was on Richard and Judy, an overnight success. You were very proud of me but when I woke up I realised I had been listening to Kate Moss on Desert Island Discs. So I rang the bell and got off.
Ooohhh Aaahhh
Quite often when getting up out of a chair I find myself going “Ooohhh”, completely involuntarily, maybe? But this is invariably followed by “Aaaahhh Cantona”. Now I’m not a United fan in fact I dislike them with a passion despite being born in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy which is only four minutes from Old Trafford but not a place I know. However, Eric was something else, his magnificent posturing, collar up, arms in the air. Then there was that kung fu kick and his poetic nonsense in a post-match interview. Even his footballing was admirable, striding down the pitch like a marauding Norman. So as much as I dislike Manchester United, I don’t mind my knees paying tribute to Eric.
John is currently working on a revised edition of iProse, you can request a copy on his website and whilst you are there, you can read a few more pieces, watch a few videos and even book him for a performance!
………………………………….
Odd: The Journal of the Fellowship of the 60 Odd Poets Vol 1 No 1 Spring 2026
This is a self promoting review and a bit of a boast . I just wanted to report that the launch was a lovely afternoon last week, and readers of last week’s piece on the Economics of Poetry will be glad to hear that I was able to afford a pint of Guinness zero in Wetherspoons afterwards (actually it was Brewdog AF) and had a few quid for pocket money for the rest of the week) I can also report that royalties from online sales are up from the £6.49 that I reported a week ago to an impressive £18.19! What shall I spend it all on?
I am really proud of the journal though. And there is stuff in it that you can’t find anywhere on the substack (although it is mixed in with stuff that you can). My philosophy is that no one is eligible for publication in the journal until they have contributed to the substack, which is why it is the Journal of the Fellowship. But once you are either a a fellow (having had your own page one Sunday) or an an associate fellow (having contributed to a special edition) I am open to reading more of your work. I added an article, an introduction, a review and notes on all the poets included. I am looking for offers of articles and reviews as well as poetry, but things will be tight for the first few issues whilst I catch up with the unpublished (in print) members.
Ahh - A poem is needed to finish things off - How about one of the unpublished ones from the journal. There will still be plenty more new stuff to read in it, even after you have read this charming little piece from my good friend Amanda Samm;
Strange Party - Amanda Samm
I went to a fabulous party last night I don’t know where, but it felt all right All of my extended family were there They sat on the floor ‘cos there weren't any chairs The dead and the living, the young and the old Were drinking and laughing at stories they told. My sister was cross that the sides were all cluttered My mother complained that the bread wasn’t buttered An old man with dreadlocks sat under the sink And spoke a strange language when offered a drink A toddler was dressed in a bread bag for pants And tried to catch disco lights as he danced Someone cut through a ribbon, and everyone cheered And then I woke up and they all disappeared!
Odd: The Journal of the Fellowship of the 60 Odd Poets can be picked up from my amazon page along with some other 60 Odd Stuff and some of my own writing.
If you would like me to review something of yours, have a word with me, online or in real life. Sending me a PDF copy would be very useful. Alternatively, you might find more takers by sending it to Promote Indie Lit, a loose coalition of interested writers and publishers which offers a means to promote publications easily and without fees. There really is no cost or risk involved. What you send can only be seen by a small group of reviewers, and will not be shared beyond that group.
The Martin Jarvis version is apparently an Audible Exclusive, but If your local Library allows you access to the BorrowBox app (on your phone), then you might be able to loan it for free. If your library has BorrowBox, but Copperfield isn’t listed in it, you can ask them to order it.
I love BorrowBox. My library also gives me free access to Pressreader - which gives you online access to loads of Magazines, including all the daily papers (including the Morning Star) Poets and Writers, The New Yorker, BBC History and loads more, including international titles. You can read most of the articles as resizeable text too!
If modern Dickens is your thing Mike may I recommend Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan
I’m waiting for Demon Copperhead as an audiobook from Borrowbox - it’s so popular there’s a four month reserve list! It’s a great service as I can’t read print novels anymore. We are lucky to have Pressreader too. Not many people seem to know about them.