The Starbeck Orion Issue #6 Showcasing: Peter J Donnelly, Page 24 of 25

A Feast Of Words And Image

Felin Rhiwbren is published in my collection Solving The Puzzle published by Alien Buddha Press in 2023.  It previously appeared in the Black Nore Review magazine

The Showcase Interview

Q:. How did you decide on the order of the poems in your second book, "Solving The Puzzle"?

I had quite a lot of positive feedback about my poem 'Felin Rhiwbren' which is a tribute to the poet Anne Grimes, so decided to put that first. I followed it by several more poems about poets and other writers, followed by a few about characters in books. One of these was about a character in a novel by Margaret Drabble, an author who shares my love of jigsaws. 'Almond Blossom' is addressed to her. This poem is succeeded by the title piece, "Solving the Puzzle" - the poems are linked by theme. Then there's one about an artist, a couple about teachers, and next some about my great-aunt and other relatives, two about birds, and later two about colours.  I do mix up the themes and even them out, but try where possible to preserve a connection between a poem and the one that comes before it. I don't always succeed,  sometimes there is no link at all.

Q: How do you feel this second book is a moving on from the first book?

It covers a wider range of subjects,  though it revisits many of the same ones. There are more poems about authors and people I have known including teachers, but not just English teachers.  There is one about a science teacher which was easier to write than I imagined it would be.  There are also a couple about birds, a subject I suppose many poets write about,  but I am in no way an ornithology expert, and I am not as fascinated by them as I am about butterflies and moths. I definitely think you can see a change in the style of my writing in the second book, there are fewer rhyming poems for example.  I don't like to say that the quality has improved,  but I think it has developed more. There are fewer poems modelled on those of other poets, and perhaps fewer echoes of those poets,  though their inspiration is there.

Review

https://thebrokenspine.co.uk/2024/08/04/brokenspinereads-the-second-of-august-by-peter-j-donnelly/

Peter talks about his inspiration in writing “Solving The Puzzle”:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8watwu