Full Description
Scotia Extremis brings together a gallimaufry of poets to take a sideways look at what makes - and makes up - Scotland by examining the country's 'icons'. Featuring specially commissioned works by the National Makar Jackie Kay, plus acclaimed poets including Robert Crawford, Imtiaz Dharker, Douglass Dunn, Vicki Feaver, John Glenday and almost 100 more, all are tasked with probing extremes.
Each brace of contrasting poems tackles the extremities of the nation's culture by looking obliquely at 'icons' at opposite poles to each other. From Laphroaig versus Buckfast, to Oor Wullie against Black Bob, to Jimmy Shand meeting Jack Bruce, and Cullen Skink taking on Irn-Bru, these vivid and varied poems bring to life the people, places and motifs that form the complex and contradictory soul of Scotland.
Contents
Introduction 11
Scotland: A Split Personality? 12
WHIGMALEERIES
Lydia Robb
The Saltire 1
Sheena Blackhall
The Lion Rampant 15
Jacob Polley
A Cultural Landscape 16
Vicki Feaver
Melancholy Thistle, Garvald Quarry 17
Christine De Luca
The White Heather Club 18
Pippa Little
The People's Friend 19
Mandy Haggith
Tweed 20
Magi Gibson
The First Recorded Case 21
Liz Niven
Glasgow Empire 22
Colin Begg
I Remember Your First Time 24
David Kinloch
A Veesion 26
Claire Askew
Nessie to the Unaccompanied Minor 28
FOWK
Richie McCaffery
Hamish Henderson (1919-2002) 30
Colin McGuire
Work! Consume! Die! 31
Dawn Wood
Storm in a Teacup, Catterline 32
Marjorie Lotfi Gill
Millennium Window 33
Catriona Lexy Campbell
Farpais a200/Competition a200 34
Beth McDonough
Prepare to Climb Your Muriel 36
Stephanie Green
Ivor Cutler 37
Angus Peter Campbell
William Topaz McGonagall 39
W N Herbert
Mastercriminal 40
Tracey Herd
Bible Joanne 43
Rob A Mackenzie
To Be John Knox 46
James Robertson
Wee Bozzy Boswell 48
THON PLACE
Robert Crawford
To Sullom Voe 52
Kate Armstrong
Scapa Flow, 2016 53
Aiko Greig
Taking My Mother to Higher Ground 54
Jacqueline Thompson
The In Pin 55
A C Clarke
The Barras 56
Tessa Berring
Caryatid 57
Nikki Robson
The Callanish Stones 58
Hamish Whyte
Little Sparta 59
James McGonigal
Headwaters 62
Matthew Fitt
Spey 63
Lindsay Macgregor
Skara Brae 64
Marion McCready
Polphail Village 65
Rody Gorman
Guth Ri Ràdh/Nothing to be Said 67
Gerry Loose
Gruinard 69
BILL O FARE
Elspeth McLean
Ena Baxter Soup 73
Russell Jones
Masala 74
Fran Baillie
Uisge Beatha 75
Claudia Daventry
Commotion Lotion 76
Rebecca Sharp
The Declaration of Barrbru 78
Dilys Rose
Cullen Skink 80
John Glenday
The Numbers Stations 81
Jean Atkin
Edinburgh Castle Rock 82
GAUN ABOOT
Stewart Conn
The Clockwork Orange 84
Donny O'Rourke
The Vital Spark 85
Ian McDonough
John o'Groats 87
Imtiaz Dharker
Mobarik Picnic 88
Ian Crockatt
The Bridge Over The Atlantic 90
Judith Taylor
The Forth Bridge 91
Janette Ayachi
Sauchiehall Street 92
Alasdair Paterson
The Royal Mile 94
THE GEMM
Richard Watt
George Kidd 96
Tom Pow
Ken Buchanan (1945-) 98
Jim Mackintosh
Unner the Fold 101
Maoilios Caimbeul / Myles Campbell
Rèisean, Weihsian, Nollaig 1944/ Races, Weihsian, Christmas 1944 102
Harry Smart
4 104
Graham Fulton
Archie Gemmill Scores in a Parallel Universe 106
Maggie Rabatski
When I Hear Your Name, Bill McLaren 108
Brian Whittingham
Arthur Montford's Horizontal Hold 110
HOOLEY
Harry Giles
The Gay Gordons 112
Andrew J Wilson
Vambo Unbound 113
Andrew Greig
Jimmy Shand 114
Ian Stephen
Tales of Brave Ulysses 115
Janet Paisley
Voice 117
Valerie Thornton
Susan Magdalene 118
Jim C Wilson
The Alexander Brothers Perform at the Dean Bowling Club, Comely Bank, Edinburgh, June 1971 120
Theresa Muñoz
Men 121
Kevin Reid
Postcard 122
J L Williams
A Rush A Kiss A Rush 123
George T Watt
Niel Gow 124
Stuart A Paterson
Nae Regrets 125
Eleanor Livingstone
Roads Not Taken, Trousers Not Rolled 126
Rachel McCrum
The Jesus and Mary Chain 127
Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir / Martin MacIntyre
Dùthchas Beò / Living Tradition 128
Elizabeth Rimmer
You Play the Melody 130
TALES
Patricia Ace
Gregory's Girl 132
Jane McKie
Where's the Door Here? 133
Sheenagh Pugh
True Places 132
Hugh McMillan
Summerisle 136
John Quinn
Oor Wullie 135
Aonghas MacNeacail
Black Bob (say no more) 138
Keren Macpherson
The DunBroch Tapestry 140
Tim Turnbull
Prime 141
Donald S Murray
Chic Murray 140
Jackie Kay
A Day Like Today 143
Christie Williamson
Meeting Demand 144
Jenni Daiches
The Body Snatchers 145
NOTIONS
Douglas Dunn
Cadell (and other Colourists) 148
Colin Will
In a Good Light 149
Gerrie Fellows
Memoir Concerning the Transmission of Speech 150
Ross Wilson
Stooky Bill 152
Niall Campbell
A Twenty Pound Note 153
Ruth Aylett
Great Powers: John Napier of Merchiston 154
Chris Powici
Happens 156
Jim Carruth
One Proof for Lord Kelvin's Second Law of Thermodynamics 158
Ryan Van Winkle
Grace 159
Roseanne Watt
Hamefarin/Homecoming 160
Ken Cockburn
Bob the Roman 162
Sheila Templeton
James Keir Hardie 163
Brian Johnstone
North Britain 164
Andy Jackson
Caledonia 166
Biographies 167
Acknowledgements 182
