By Helen Edwards
American poet, Carrie Etter has been a resident in England since 2001, and a reader in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. She published four collections, most recently, The Weather in Normal, and numerous chapbooks. On Saturday Carrie gave a poetry workshop and reading at Devizes Town Hall, as a fringe event of Devizes Arts Festival…..
‘Carrie’s workshop was absolutely fantastic, a distilled overview of prose poetry with many examples to show the variation in style and our own time to create (with no pressure). Carrie was inspiring, impassioned and quick as a whip.
Her students at Bristol University are very lucky to have her as a teacher (as were her many past students from at Bath Spa University). The open mic at the end was inclusive, supportive and fun. Carrie’s final poem saw me wiping away tears; beautiful.
I wish I could write a longer review but I am doing this one-eyed with a poorly optic nerve. I’m effervescing with words which will have to wait or be dictaphoned, when they come I now have many tips as to how to form them better. Thanks Carrie, your generosity is abundant – I’ve a feeling you’ll get a roomful’s worth of follow up messages. Helen.



Trending…..
Bath Celebrates Ninety Year Anniversary of Emperor Haile Selassie’s Stay
May 1936, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I stood with his exiled family on Paddington Station. Before being advised to flee Ethiopia, so he could address…
Book Review: Dave McKenna’s Death Wish
It was back in March last year when I last mentioned Devizes author Dave McKenna, reviewing his debut, The Killer & The Catalyst. He’s returned with…
Facebook User Prays to Jesus to Burn Down Devizes Over Convenience Store Opening!
Another day at the office for Newsquest reporter Jamie Singleton. He reports on a new convenience store at the corner of St John’s Street in…
My Reflection on the Fate of Carnivals
It’s Saturday morning on the 13th July 1985, and there’s a dilemma brewing in my household I’m indifferent with. I’m twelve, aware I should do…
Trowbridge (Folk) Festival – Greenhill Fields, Southwick, 24th to 26th July 2026
By Andy Fawthrop Folk Me! – Another Great Local Music Festival You don’t necessarily need a long pedigree to stage a successful music festival, but…
Stop the Buses! North-East Somerset Reform Hate The “Woke” Bus Ticket Price Cap!
In In 1981 John Sullivan created a deadpan simpleton character for his sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. Immortalised by the late Roger Lloyd-Pack, Trigger would…
Oh The Deep; Sarah Tarry’s New EP & Launch in Devizes
After near-on ten years at this, I assume Devizine has pretty much discovered all the local talent, when suddenly someone off our radar pops up…
Full Throttle For The Sixth Devizes Scooter Rally
Featured Image: ©Gail Foster At least I think it was the sixth Devizes Scooter Rally; after three weekends spent at a sunkissed Lower Park Farm…
Thorn in Conservative Wiltshire Councillors’ Side; The Munster Show Must Go On!
Sheez, I go away for five minutes and look what happens. Devizes Facebookland turns into the Ok Corral! Seems I must interrupt my lovely mountaineering…
Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Devizes welcomes its first female Town Crier
By Charlotte Emily Devizes Town Crier There are some moments when history feels less like something written in books and more like something happening right…