Guerrilla Country - an interview with Phil Vernon
Peace, the other jobs of a poet, using different voices, and working things out through poetry
Hello to you all on what’s a peaceful spring day here,
We are so privileged to know peace, so I’m happy to bring you an interview with Phil Vernon today who has just launched his newest collection, Guerrilla Country.
I hope that when you listen to it, you’ll see why I wanted to share this video interview with you. He talks about peace, his work with International Alert, a peace-building agency, how he came back to poetry, and how he chooses his subjects. As always, I’ve shared some of the links we discuss below, plus given you a little writing exercise.
Phil talks about our local poetry society, Kent and Sussex Poetry Society, and also the writers’ retreat, Hawthornden Castle. You can buy the book here, and find out more about Phil here. I encourage you to do both!
Here’s your writing exercise, actually three - take what’s useful:
Commission yourself. Phil talks about how he commissioned himself to write this collection. I invite you to write yourself a brief about something you would like to write about. If it requires you to do some research, all the better.
Phil talks about his epilogue from William Blake he opens the collection with: ‘The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels & God, and at Liberty when of Devils and Hell, is because he was a true Poet & of the Devil’s party without knowing it.’ Your invitation is to choose an epilogue and write from it. It may be direct or oblique - you are in charge. And if you like (we’d like!), share it here.
Write something in a different voice from your own. Maybe a tourist in your own town.
And here’s one of the poems Phil talks about writing in the video:
Choosing the score They sought a music to replace D major, kettledrums and brass; a music ending on a quiet, sustained C major tutti chord. But the scores they chose were beyond their grasp or opened a hidden door.
I hope you enjoy this - so much food for thought. Do let me know what you think.
With love,
Sarahx
I love these exercises I have now just commissioned myself to write something I have been thinking about doing for years. Thanks, Mx