Elgar Country: Peter Sutton, Black Pear Press

Parlyaree Press Favorite Poem: I Am the Man That I Wanted to Be Three things I loved: 1. A lot of what Chris describes are things I thought were part of the female condition, like imposter syndrome and self-doubt, but it turns out men have feelings and insecurities too. (I’m being facetious.)  2. I haven’t read much work through this gaze and I was impressed with Chris’s navigation of daily life and the poetic.

Hypersensitive by Taylor N. Williams Press: self-published I was familiar with Taylor’s work as a digital artist, but she recently (very quietly) released a short book of poems! Favorite poem: Mother Three things I loved: 1. Taylor puts the emotions of being enough while feeling you aren’t enough into words (poets will know what I mean).  2. Taylor writes as both the observer of her life and the protagonist.

Thank you, Carmen

YouTube video by Words and Poetry of Mike Falconer

A Promote Indie Lit Review

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. This week has been busy. Friends visiting the past weekend got us across North Tyneside and Northumberland. A walk around Rising Sun Country Park, a trip to the coast and a walk over the causeway to St. Mary’s Lighthouse. Some fish and chips too. I also saw Tim Minchin live on Wednesday at Newcastle City Hall who was excellent as always. His live shows always make me laugh, cry and leave with a smile. On top of that, I’ve been reading;

This modern poetry collection doesn’t walk, it staggers, bleeds, and sometimes howls like a late-night preacher with whiskey breath. The Whiskey Mule Diner

With the publication of his first full collection, New Famous Phrases (Broken Sleep Books, 2025), Daniel Hinds has confirmed that he’s very...

Julia Webb’s The Telling (Nine Arches Press) is not so much a poetry collection as it is a beautifully damaged house you wander through in a dream. Every room

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. This week has been busy. Bank Holiday blustery winds almost sent my towels into next doors garden, I got an acceptance and a rejection, saw some oystercatcher chicks fledge from the nest near work and attended the Broken Spine Arts open mic on Thursday evening. Also, I started anniversary celebrations with a visit to a very special restaurant. Details on that in couple of weeks maybe. I also launched The Book Bag: Poetic Voices. If you’re yet to read, each month will feature a different Poet, showcasing an exemplary piece of poetry.