Saturday, December 6, 2008

Rejection's icy blast and Irons in the fire

Nothing but rejections recently.Not only did Theo Dorgan dismiss my breathtaking collection of poetry (Paddy K award) he by coincidence also rejected a beautiful portrait of mine for an exhibition, bad enough the poetry-but at least he was a good judge of that ! The art exhibition went ahead sans my genius ,but with some not so good photography.A rejection too from THE SHOp,quick, kind and encouraging, as ever.I was also rejected by the RHA which was fair enough.I was up at the 178th annual exhibition last week and it is totally brilliant, I loved it.Can't wait to have a crack at the 179th next year. Go and see it if you can ,it is the exhibition highlight of every year, but more so than ever this year. Some great photographs, cool sculpture, stunning portraiture. Among my favourites an unusual painting of a Peugeot 10 speed racer, most of the photography and some quirky stuff including this strange kind of 3D photographic head, by a Spanish artist I think.It was handed in at the same time as my stuff and I thought then that it would be accepted .Funnily enough the few I wasn't so bowled over with were all by members of the Academy .The cutting edge stuff was by all lesser (and un) knowns. Thought the catalogue a little pricey at €20 as it didn't include pictures of everything and especially as there was no other price list.I could never afford anything but I'm always really curious to know the price of things I'm looking at. On the bright side a photo of mine made it into The Dubliner magazine's Day and Night exhibition in Temple Bar last week (it was also in 'the stinging fly' a while ago).The only Irons remaining in the fire are The Rialto, Revival ,West 47 and a quirky little online mag that is so cool I really want to be in it but am keeping to myself, for now. Oh, and a couple of entries into The New Yorker cartoon caption contest- just for the craic.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Now you can definitely consider yourself a true writer. With all those rejections in your desk drawer, you're in good company! ;)

Totalfeckineejit said...

Hey, thanks Barbara.Your'e very welcome to my blog thanks a million for dropping by -love your blog by the way.Rejection is indeed the cornerstone upon which literary careers are built but I worry that my foundations may be getting a little over-engineered! :)

Group 8 said...

Congrats on the Dubliner photo. Which Stinging Fly was it in so I can have a look? (If I can find any of them among the heaps of junk in my house...)

Totalfeckineejit said...

Welcome back WRW, how are you? The Dubliner photo is on page 34 of the summer 2008 issue of the fly.Funnily enough the photo that Theo Dorgan rejectedis on page88.(Nice review on pg97 by the way!)Did the spring 07 cover and the front cover of the new anthology too.The fly are cool and have been generous in the extreme to me, a nobody from the arse-end of nowhere.Can't believe someone is interested(especially a REAL poet!) thanks for askin'
Peadar.

December 8, 2008 3:42 AM

Liz said...

TFE, hello, found you through Barbara's pork report...just checked out your photos in the fly...like them ...nice to meet you, in the blogging sense of the word... : ) And join us in the old rejectee boat - leaks and all.; )

Group 8 said...

I'm grand, Total. Apart from the glowering presence of my sulky teenage son who is wrecking my head ALL day today.
The Fly are indeed very cool. Declan has been good to me, too.
I love the new anthology cover! Fair play. I'll have to dig out the others and have a look.
Love that Ha'penny bridge shot above. Makes me all nostalgic for me hometown, stuck here in the west.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Hello Liz,
Yeh Porkgate.I thought all meat was supposed to be traceable and if so then why does every last chipolata in the country have to be taken from the shelves when only a few farms are involved? It'd give ye a pain in the hole! (Actually it'd give ye cancer but we won't dwell on that.)Nice to meet you too.Delighted that you liked the fly photos and thanks for dropping in to say so,you are most welcome.Are they your own photos on the blog? I like the one of the graffiti and I see you have 3 poems in Magma which is brilliant-well done. I'd love to get a poem in there, I think it's a great magazine. (I had a rake of photos in the previous issue if you have it).I'll re-read your poems with added interest now that I know the author!I'm new to all this how do I follow your blog there was no yoke to click on? Whats the weather like in your neck of the woods? It' fffffeckin fffreezin' here ,I'm off to get a bale of briquettes! slan!Or is it buenos notches?

Totalfeckineejit said...

Hello WRW,
I hate to tell you this but that's what sons are for.I know because I used to be one.Still am come to think of it.Glad you liked the cover and delighted that you came back to say so.This blogging malarkey is a gas ,isn't it? I think I'm hooked which is a feck coz I'll get nuttin done-I'm supposed to be getting a fire started at the moment but didn't even get as far as the front door!(I'm not startin a fire outside be da way, no, I've to get a bale.As for stuck in Galway-Stuck?If it's anywhere near Clifden it's totally gorgeous and where we plan to retire to when the pension plan (one-line lotto ticket) comes to fruition.

Totalfeckineejit said...

And Liz,I see you're the featured poet in spring fly 08. Wow!See, Iam a TFE.

Liz said...

TFE, how goes it? Cheers for checking out the blog - the whole blogging scene is a gas carry on, isn't it? ; )
RE: following the blog, I think you might have to put my blog in 'by hand', so to speak, if you want it on your side bar..don't think I have a press button...must check it out!
Yeah, the photos on the blog are my own...love out and about snapping, whenever I can.
Cool ha'penny bridge photo ...used to live in Dublin so brought back memories.
Hope you got the briquettes and the home fires burning...it's chilly here at night just now but sunny by day; )

Liz said...

P.S. congrats on the Magma photos...you're definitely getting
the work out there!

Totalfeckineejit said...

Thanks liz,sure getting the work out there is no bother, it's the fact that it keeps coming back is the problem.Sometimes I wonder if they're poems or homing pigeons:)