The presences prepare for Christmas

 

Drop out, turn on and tune in to I telephoned God

Drop out, turn on and tune in to 'I telephoned God', about 40 minutes of me reading my poetry, released by Sloow Tapes in Belgium.

I telephoned God was originally released on cassette tape.

Cover art by French poet and collagist Bruno Sourdin.

https://sloowtapes.bandcamp.com/album/gary-cummiskey-i-telephoned-god

Chatsworth at David Krut

 

I visited David Krut Bookstore in Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg, today for the first time in about five years and was chuffed to see a copy of Pravasan Pillay 's Chatsworth, published by Dye Hard Press in 2018.

Pravasan's new book, Curry and Bread, is available from Exclusive Books, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, madeindurban.co.za and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Make this moment last

 

Curry and Bread at the Books & Chai Festival

Pravasan Pillay's new book, Curry and Bread, will be on sale at the Books & Chai Festival in Umhlanga, on Sunday 30 November.

Curry and Bread is also available from Exclusive Books in Gauteng, Love Books in Melville, madeindurban.co.za, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Soft talk at midday

 

Good morning

 

A Dye Hard Interview: Manthipe Moila: poetry as language of leaping

 

Courtesy: Salomè Dubois Han 

Manthipe Moila is from Johannesburg, South Africa, and holds a BA honours degree in English Literature. Her work has appeared in publications such as Tupelo Quarterly, New Contrast, Stirring, A Long House, 20.35 Africa, Agbowó, and Saranac Review. She was a Charles Simic Poetry Contest finalist (Hole in the Head Review) and a Best of the Net Nominee (Hotazel Review). Rootbound is her debut poetry collection and was published by uHlanga in 2025. Manthipe is currently based in Seoul, South Korea.

Your poems are autobiographical in that they draw on your own experiences, from your past in South Africa and your present, adjusting to a new life in South Korea.  What are your thoughts about confessional poetry, and do you prefer such personal poetry to more objective, impersonal work? 

I love confessional poetry – it is the reason why I am enamored with poetry at all. As for objective, impersonal poetry, I’m not sure that I’ve come across much of it. Poetry is art and objective art seems to me a bit paradoxical. As I’ve matured as a reader and writer, I’ve found myself more and more drawn to poetry that plays with language ... Read more.

Adding curry spices to canned pea soup, and other tales from a Durbanite abroad

 

A warm and enthusiastic review of Pravasan Pillay's new book has been published in Daily Maverick.

Curry and Bread is available from Exclusive Books, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, madeindurban.co.za and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Surprise artwork by Pascal Ulrich

A surprise artwork by French artist and poet Pascal Ulrich, emailed to me by Robert Roman.

Curry and Bread at Sari and Sweetmeats Festival

Wonderful to see Pravasan Pillay's new book Curry and Bread on sale at the Sari and Sweetmeats Festival in Umhlanga at the weekend.

Curry and Bread is available from Exclusive Books, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, madeindurban.co.za and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Curry and Bread at News24

In his latest book, Curry and Bread, Pravasan Pillay explores, among other things, a georgraphy of pickles and lists his six favourite South African breakfasts. You can read these extracts at News24.

There is a paywall, but you can sign up for a free 14-day trial.

Curry and Bread is published by Dye Hard Press, and is available at select Exclusive Books branches, Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg, Made in Durban, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Curry and Bread at Exclusive Books Sandton City

Pravasan Pillay's new title Curry and Bread on display at Exclusive Books, Sandton City, Johannesburg.

Curry and Bread is also available from other select Exclusive Books branches, Love Books in Johannesburg, Made in Durban, and Clarke's in Cape Town.

Vertigo -- feast -- fast

Thanks to poet and collagist Bruno Sourdin for suggesting the title.

Durable goods from 2012 with Subhankar Das and others

Durable Goods was (is still?) a micro poetry journal published in the US. Issue 65 contained poems by Rajarshi Chattopadhyay, Sharmy Pandey (who also did the cover art), the late Subhankar Das and yours truly.

Subhankar Das published two collections of mine - Sky Dreaming in 2011 and Somewhere else in 2024.

 

A leap into liberation? I telephoned God: a recording of poetry by Gary Cummiskey

 

Was it a descent into Hell? Madness?

A leap into liberation?

I telephoned God, a 40-minute recording of Gary Cummiskey reading a selection of his poetry and released by Sloow Tapes in Belgium, is available for download on Bandcamp.

Check it out here.

Cover art by French poet and collagist Bruno Sourdin.