[Sarah-Jane Crowson]

Since I’ve dipped my toes on the boards I thought it might be worth introducing myself briefly.

I’m Sarah-Jane. I write mainly visual poetry (currently experimenting with collage and reassembled texts) as well as free verse and haiku. I’ve been writing for a while (20+ years), and last year I started to send work ‘out’, so I now have work dotted around in various (mostly online) haiku journals or journals of poetry and art.

I work at a tiny indie art school (one of the two last independent art schools) in the UK. I’m mid-way through my PhD.

I’ve lurked for a while here, and it’s good to be posting. My facility with formal poetry is nearly non-existent (my iambs bump along like a square wheel) but I’m very comfortable with taking robust critique.

I’m looking forward to workshopping with people here & to reading/listening further as this fragile year trails into 2021.


Sarah-Jane

[Jayne Osborn]

Hello Sarah-Jane, and a big welcome to Eratosphere. It's great to have you on board, ...and no longer as a lurker but as an active participant!

The Sphere is a wonderful place to make friends, showcase your work, and to give/receive feedback; I'm sure those metrical square-wheels will soon pass their MOT
I look forward to seeing your poems in due course.

Jayne

[Aaron Novick]

Hi Sarah-Jane, it's lovely to meet you, after already receiving your lovely critique of my latest poem.

There's no place to develop a facility with metrical poetry (if you care to) like the Sphere. You can watch us all yell at each other about what level of regularity is required, what really counts as a "sonnet", etc. It's good fun.

Looking forward to reading some of your work!

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

Hey Sara-Jane. Your comments around the board have been smart and interesting. Glad you aren't lurking.

[Chris O'Carroll]

Welcome, Sarah-Jane. If you're interested in visual poetry (about which I know next to nothing), you might want to check out the online poetry zine Snakeskin. Editor George Simmers is a member here, and he runs a form-friendly publication that has published me and lots of other people whose names are becoming familiar to you. He prides himself on the eclecticism of the journal, and also publishes more "experimental" stuff. Looking through a year's worth of Snakeskin monthly issues might be enjoyable for you.

[Sarah-Jane Crowson]

Thank-you for the welcome, Jayne, Aaron, Andrew and Chris,

Jayne - I love the idea of a poetic MOT. I'm not sure yet whether The Sphere is the equivalent of a 'name' garage with coffee and faux-leather chairs or the one down the road where they crawl out from under a car to take your deets, but cut you some slack & help you out if you're broke, but either way I look forward to finding out.

Aaron and Andrew - I'm really enjoying reading here and I'm glad (and relived) my crits are helpful/useful. Thank-you so much for taking the time to tell me as it's very reassuring.

Chris - thank-you so much for that signpost. I love finding new journals to read & hadn't come across Snakeskin. I'll have time over Christmas to have a good look around, which is great.

Sarah-Jane

[John Riley]

Hello, Jane. Thank you for commenting on my poem. Much appreciated. I hope your time at the Sphere is helpful and that you continue to participate.

Best

[Mark McDonnell]

Hi Jane,

I really hope you like it here and that you stick around. I've enjoyed your crits so far and look forward to reading your poetry. Quite nice to have another Brit too.

Also, have a safe and Happy Christmas everyone! Twelve of the clock over here. Night night.

[Ann Drysdale]

Greetings Sarah-Jane.

Have we met? Perhaps in the Apple Store Gallery? I feel sure we have friends in common.

But if we didn't before, we have now.

Welcome.

[Coleman Glenn]

Hi Sarah-Jane,

Welcome from a fellow newbie! (I joined in October.) Posting my first poem for critique was nerve-wracking, but I’ve found the community here to be very supportive even when offering blunt criticism, and I hope you have the same experience. Glad you’re here!

-Coleman