Dream Catcher 23 Review
Resembling an anthology rather than a literary magazine, each issue of Dream Catcher offers up a collection of poetry, short stories, art and reviews that seemed designed to linger in your mind. Issue 23 had a special focus on Canadian writers, so may not have been representative of the whole, but the quality and tone of the published works gave a clear impression of the tastes of editor Paul Sutherland.
I found that certain phrases and images rang out particularly in the poems, as in the curiously named V by Kate Marshal Flaherty, which ended on the fabulous line: “listening/in the silence of air/for the honk/ and sweep of angels”, leaving us with an impression of heavenly geese.
The feeling of displacement, of guilt over others’ displacement and nostalgic for an earlier, perhaps purer time were evident in many of the tales, to the extent thatreading the carnival of Steven Bock’s Bonsai Garden was a relief, with its rampaging storyline and intriguing preoccupation with jackets.
Likewise, John Donlan’s series of nature-inspired poems was a retreat into a wilderness where the earthiness of botany nestles comfortably with hints of magic, as “Nebulas of algae breathe for us”, and a “A mink frog yips and skitters over the water.” I felt transported by his encompassing descriptions, which were spare and rich at the same time.
There is wry humour present in many of the poems, including the hopeful Happy Kites by Moez Surani, in which the writer dreams of a future in which “we amble towards/each other in old age and fence/timidly with our canes” before waking “into that guest bedroom of yours/ that was absurd with sunlight.” Those last three words in particular made me smile with recognition. Dream Catcher is a dense package of ideas and imagery, a magazine to savour at length rather than flick through. The contents require some effort on the part of the reader, which is no bad thing, rewarding our concentration with a collection that deserves a space on a bookshelf, to be read time and again.
Judy Darley
www.essentialwriters.com
Dream Catcher Workshop
Dream Catcher Writers Workshop meets from 6-9pm on the first Sunday of the month unless otherwise indicated.
The venue is The Minster Inn, Marygate, York. Marygate is the first left going north along Bootham (A19) from the city walls. The nearest car park is the Marygate Car Park. The nearest bus stops outside the Theatre Royal. There are bicycle loops outside the pub.
Bring along any kind of work, from poetry and short stories to extracts from novels and sketches for stage. We are also interested in work that overlaps with or incorporates other kinds of artwork.
Please bring 5-6 copies of your work, no more than 2000 words or 4 sides of A4.
Cost of workshop - £2:00 ((£1 if you are under 18).
For further details, please contact Adrian Tellwright at adriantellwright@hotmail.com
We look forward to seeing you and your work.