Rothesay Library, Isle of Bute, 4 March 2009

ON A FROSTY, mid-week March evening, it comes as a surprise to find forty or so eager souls, waiting in Rothesay Library to join Norman Bissell on his poetic journey, starting in his early days amongst the street sounds of Glasgow to arrive amidst the light and life of the Atlantic Island of Luing.

For a description of Norman’s appearance, I cannot better the title of his book, Slate, Sea and Sky, from the colour of his clothes to the grey of his twinkling, seer’s eyes.

Our journey begins in Glasgow, where Norman was a teacher of History. His opening poem, Street Sounds, is a plea for silence in the midst of the incessant noise of city life. Perhaps to escape this constant sound, Norman became a student of Zen and was with the Glasgow Zen group for more than six years. The Last Time was written when the group was moving premises.

Throughout our journey, Norman intersperses his poems with titbits of information like this and so we learn a little about his life and the inspirations behind his poems. We discover that the fanciful and amusing poem, The Ears Have It was written in response to Norman’s anger at changes in the Arts in Glasgow:

“We got off at Partick Bridge
and flew upriver those ears and I
to Kelvingrove, looked down and peed
on Spalding from a great height
Julian not Gray I’m sure you know”

Despite some technical problems which slightly mar the timing of the presentation of Oscar Marzaroli’s stunning photographs which accompany each poem, Norman’s soothing voice and calm presence lulls the audience into a space where ideas and images engage the imagination.

From Glasgow, our journey is moving towards the light and the Island of Luing, but before we arrive, we stop off in one or two other places, amongst them Edinburgh, where two of Norman’s poems were written for close friends: the poignant Thinking of Him Now, written after the death of Tony McManus, teacher and cultural activist, and my personal favourite from the collection, To a Wild-Flowering Woman, written for Elaine Murray on her 40th birthday.

As Norrie moves our journey onwards from Edinburgh to Argyll we pay a visit to Lismore with Clear Glint of Lismore, encountering a magical winter’s day visit to that island.

The final part of our journey is centred on the Island of Luing, which sits in The Firth of Lorne and has become Norrie’s adopted home.

After listening to the evocative Wind and Water and the slow quietness of Lone Seal Travelling South, we are somewhat surprised, after our journey, to find ourselves once more in the cosy, relaxed environs of Rothesay library.

Throughout his reading, Norman makes many references to Oscar Marzaroli and his work, as well as to the photographer’s family. Norman has been a close friend of the family for years and it was at their invitation that he selected the photographs, many of them previously unpublished, to accompany the poems in this collection.

After the reading and Norman’s invitation to ask him questions on ‘anything at all’, it is no surprise that the Marzaroli photographs are the subject of many questions. There are also several questions about the Island of Luing, with people curious to know how Norman had come to find himself there. Norman replies that he went walking on Seil one May weekend and went on to Luing. Quite simply, he fell in love with it. Seeing a ‘For Sale’ sign on a cottage there and then, he looked at it and, though it is not the house he ended up in, he did end up staying.

Norman speaks at length about Luing, its 200 population and community activity there, with Keep Fit, T’ai Chi, Whist and Ceilidhs, as well as the week long arts festival, The Atlantic Islands Festival (running from 4- 11 July this year). Norman urges anyone who can to make the effort to go.

At the end of the question and answer session, most people stay to enjoy the hospitality of the library staff, with a selection of home baking, tea and coffee or a glass of wine adding to the intimate, relaxed atmosphere of the venue.

This was an all round gem of an evening, a treat to the senses, and this poet comes across as a calm, generous and grounded man who has found his space in the cosmos.

This event was supported for A&B by Live Literature Scotland.

© Ishbel Crawford, 2009

Links

• Norman Bissell Blog