Description
Book SynopsisScotia Extremis brings together a gallimaufry of poets to take a sideways look at what makes - and makes up - Scotland by examining the country's 'icons'. Featuring specially commissioned works by the National Makar Jackie Kay, plus acclaimed poets including Robert Crawford, Imtiaz Dharker, Douglass Dunn, Vicki Feaver, John Glenday and almost 100 more, all are tasked with probing extremes.
Each brace of contrasting poems tackles the extremities of the nation's culture by looking obliquely at 'icons' at opposite poles to each other. From Laphroaig versus Buckfast, to Oor Wullie against Black Bob, to Jimmy Shand meeting Jack Bruce, and Cullen Skink taking on Irn-Bru, these vivid and varied poems bring to life the people, places and motifs that form the complex and contradictory soul of Scotland.
Trade ReviewScotia Extremis is a kist of riches – a book to dip into and then smile at the diversity of voices it holds… Add the inventiveness of what reads like a roll call of many of Scotland’s finest contemporary poets and this book is both a keeper and – at £9.99 – a bargain.
–NORTHWORDS NOW
Table of ContentsIntroduction 11 Scotland: A Split Personality? 12 WHIGMALEERIES Lydia Robb The Saltire 1 Sheena Blackhall The Lion Rampant 15 Jacob Polley A Cultural Landscape 16 Vicki Feaver Melancholy Thistle, Garvald Quarry 17 Christine De Luca The White Heather Club 18 Pippa Little The People’s Friend 19 Mandy Haggith Tweed 20 Magi Gibson The First Recorded Case 21 Liz Niven Glasgow Empire 22 Colin Begg I Remember Your First Time 24 David Kinloch A Veesion 26 Claire Askew Nessie to the Unaccompanied Minor 28 FOWK Richie McCaffery Hamish Henderson (1919–2002) 30 Colin McGuire Work! Consume! Die! 31 Dawn Wood Storm in a Teacup, Catterline 32 Marjorie Lotfi Gill Millennium Window 33 Catriona Lexy Campbell Farpais a200/Competition a200 34 Beth McDonough Prepare to Climb Your Muriel 36 Stephanie Green Ivor Cutler 37 Angus Peter Campbell William Topaz McGonagall 39 W N Herbert Mastercriminal 40 Tracey Herd Bible Joanne 43 Rob A Mackenzie To Be John Knox 46 James Robertson Wee Bozzy Boswell 48 THON PLACE Robert Crawford To Sullom Voe 52 Kate Armstrong Scapa Flow, 2016 53 Aiko Greig Taking My Mother to Higher Ground 54 Jacqueline Thompson The In Pin 55 A C Clarke The Barras 56 Tessa Berring Caryatid 57 Nikki Robson The Callanish Stones 58 Hamish Whyte Little Sparta 59 James McGonigal Headwaters 62 Matthew Fitt Spey 63 Lindsay Macgregor Skara Brae 64 Marion McCready Polphail Village 65 Rody Gorman Guth Ri Ràdh/Nothing to be Said 67 Gerry Loose Gruinard 69 BILL O FARE Elspeth McLean Ena Baxter Soup 73 Russell Jones Masala 74 Fran Baillie Uisge Beatha 75 Claudia Daventry Commotion Lotion 76 Rebecca Sharp The Declaration of Barrbru 78 Dilys Rose Cullen Skink 80 John Glenday The Numbers Stations 81 Jean Atkin Edinburgh Castle Rock 82 GAUN ABOOT Stewart Conn The Clockwork Orange 84 Donny O’Rourke The Vital Spark 85 Ian McDonough John o’Groats 87 Imtiaz Dharker Mobarik Picnic 88 Ian Crockatt The Bridge Over The Atlantic 90 Judith Taylor The Forth Bridge 91 Janette Ayachi Sauchiehall Street 92 Alasdair Paterson The Royal Mile 94 THE GEMM Richard Watt George Kidd 96 Tom Pow Ken Buchanan (1945–) 98 Jim Mackintosh Unner the Fold 101 Maoilios Caimbeul / Myles Campbell Rèisean, Weihsian, Nollaig 1944/ Races, Weihsian, Christmas 1944 102 Harry Smart 4 104 Graham Fulton Archie Gemmill Scores in a Parallel Universe 106 Maggie Rabatski When I Hear Your Name, Bill McLaren 108 Brian Whittingham Arthur Montford’s Horizontal Hold 110 HOOLEY Harry Giles The Gay Gordons 112 Andrew J Wilson Vambo Unbound 113 Andrew Greig Jimmy Shand 114 Ian Stephen Tales of Brave Ulysses 115 Janet Paisley Voice 117 Valerie Thornton Susan Magdalene 118 Jim C Wilson The Alexander Brothers Perform at the Dean Bowling Club, Comely Bank, Edinburgh, June 1971 120 Theresa Muñoz Men 121 Kevin Reid Postcard 122 J L Williams A Rush A Kiss A Rush 123 George T Watt Niel Gow 124 Stuart A Paterson Nae Regrets 125 Eleanor Livingstone Roads Not Taken, Trousers Not Rolled 126 Rachel McCrum The Jesus and Mary Chain 127 Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir / Martin MacIntyre Dùthchas Beò / Living Tradition 128 Elizabeth Rimmer You Play the Melody 130 TALES Patricia Ace Gregory’s Girl 132 Jane McKie Where’s the Door Here? 133 Sheenagh Pugh True Places 132 Hugh McMillan Summerisle 136 John Quinn Oor Wullie 135 Aonghas MacNeacail Black Bob (say no more) 138 Keren Macpherson The DunBroch Tapestry 140 Tim Turnbull Prime 141 Donald S Murray Chic Murray 140 Jackie Kay A Day Like Today 143 Christie Williamson Meeting Demand 144 Jenni Daiches The Body Snatchers 145 NOTIONS Douglas Dunn Cadell (and other Colourists) 148 Colin Will In a Good Light 149 Gerrie Fellows Memoir Concerning the Transmission of Speech 150 Ross Wilson Stooky Bill 152 Niall Campbell A Twenty Pound Note 153 Ruth Aylett Great Powers: John Napier of Merchiston 154 Chris Powici Happens 156 Jim Carruth One Proof for Lord Kelvin’s Second Law of Thermodynamics 158 Ryan Van Winkle Grace 159 Roseanne Watt Hamefarin/Homecoming 160 Ken Cockburn Bob the Roman 162 Sheila Templeton James Keir Hardie 163 Brian Johnstone North Britain 164 Andy Jackson Caledonia 166 Biographies 167 Acknowledgements 182
