A bridge belongs to neither bank, so where do you stand. Richard Rathwell and Saltash
From Alden Carrow's Poetry Podcast · 22:09
Show by Alden Carrow
A bridge belongs to neither bank. It’s all middle. In Episode 49 we travel to the eastern edge of Cornwall, to Saltash on the River Tamar, where Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge (1859) and the Tamar Bridge (1961) now stand side by side, facing Plymouth across the water. First, a guest poem: three excerpts, shared with the poet’s agreement, from an untitled prose poem by living poet Richard Rathwell, about a life with no beginning or end, only a middle. I’ll show you what to listen for, then unpack how it works. Then my own poem, Saltash, with the real story of the place behind it: the ferry, the iron spans, the tide and the town. Finally, a craft discussion on writing the middle, the crossings and in-between places we pass daily and rarely write about, with three tips and a simple exercise to try this week. Win a signed copy of Cornwall In Verse - Tide To Tor In Poetry by suggesting a future guest poem: [email protected] Subscribe for a new episode every Wednesday. Music licence number: FMMTGZZXQNHZ7IVU
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