The Eccentric Verb
Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's cabaret of the word, examining eccentricity. Guests include Kevin Jackson, Sharon Olds, Heather Phillipson and David Bramwell.
Ian's guests on the Eccentric Verb include the writer David Bramwell who has co-written 'The Odditorium' (Brewer's) with Jo Keeling. The book celebrates the often unsung 'tricksters, eccentrics, deviants and inventors whose obsessions changed the world'.
The poet won the T.S Eliot prize in 2012 for her last collection, 'Stag's Leap'. She published her latest collection earlier this year, 'Odes'.
Heather Phillipson presents the last new commission in Radio 3's 70th anniversary season 'Three Score and Ten', which features new original poems from up and coming writers.
The writer Kevin Jackson examines literary eccentricity. His latest book is 'Constellation of Genius: Modernism Year One'. (Windmill)
Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Faith Lawrence.
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Kevin Jackson
In ‘pompous commentator mode’, Kevin Jackson has written a dialogue especially for The Verb inspired by Edith Sitwell’s ‘English Eccentrics’, staring our very own Ian McMillan as an ‘eccentric’. Kevin has been researching eccentricity for us and has discovered that eccentrics are happy, almost never bored, and crucially, never think they are eccentric.
Heather Phillipson
The artist and poet Heather Phillipson finds the word ‘eccentric’ problematic; she notes that it has often been used to label women and can diminish their achievements. Heather has written the last of our ‘Three Score and Ten’ poems celebrating Radio 3’s 70th anniversary. Her new commission ‘Junk Log’ combines recordings and live performance and asks questions about the boundaries between humans and animals. Heather recently won the Jarman award for emerging artist filmmakers and her poetry is published by Bloodaxe.
Sharon Olds
Joining us down the line from New York, the award-winning U.S. poet Sharon Olds thinks we are all eccentrics to one extent or another, but some people have the desire to express the unusual aspects of themselves. Sharon reads from her new collection ‘Odes’ (Cape) and is joined by a mysterious friend, Norma…
David Bramwell
David Bramwell spends much of his time seeking out eccentrics for his Odditorum series of events and podcasts. Now he has co-authored a book, ‘The Odditorum’  (Brewer’s) - a compendium of remarkable lives of people who were often ‘ahead of their time’, such as friend of ‘The Verb’ Ken Campbell, and lesser known figures like Flora Tristan, who hit upon ideas which later became central to The Communist Manifesto (years before Marx and Engels).
Norman and Norma the lobsters
Although an unexpected transatlantic love appeared to blossom between Ian McMillan’s imaginary Lobster Norman and fellow crustacean Norma, who was keeping Sharon Olds company in the studio in New York, I think it’s safe to say that neither Lobster pulled their conversational weight in this highbrow examination of the language of eccentricity. Should have invited a prawn really.Â
Broadcast
- Fri 16 Dec 2016 22:00Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3
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The Verb
Radio 3's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance