To read two of Steven's stories on the showcase, click here
Steven Porter was born in Inverness, Scotland, currently lives in Girona, Catalonia and writes for www.soccer-spain.com. He translates from Spanish & Catalan. For poetry translations from Catalan and for more on the language click here. His poetry has been published in various lit mags including Cutting Teeth, Northwords and Orbis. He is currently seeking publisher for his first collection of poetry. His ebook entitled 'The Iberian Horseshoe', a long intermittent journey through Galicia, Portugal, Andalusia, Valencia and Catalonia, is available from here. For more news on on Steve Porter visit here
To leave a message for Steven on the site forum click here
STEVEN'S FAVOURITE BOOKS
THE NAME OF THE ROSE - Umberto Eco
For intensive look at Umberto Eco and his work on The Modern World website, click image, or for related items on Amazon, click here
TUNNEL VISIONS: JOURNEYS OF AN UNDERGROUND PHILOSOPHER – Christopher Ross
For an interview with Ross about the book on the Going Underground website, click image, or for related items on Amazon, click here
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS – Colm Toibin
For a biography, bibliography and critical perspective of Toibin on the British Council's Contemporary Writers website, click image, or for related items on Amazon, click here
TRAVELS IN THE DRIFTING DAWN – Kenneth White
For Michèle Duclos's article, 'Kenneth White, Wandering Scot and Intellectual Nomad' on the Etudes Britanniques Contemporaines website, click image, or for related items on Amazon, click here
A SEASON IN HELL & OTHER POEMS – Arthur Rimbaud (translation by Norman Cameron)
To read 'A Season in Hell' on the Mag4 website, click image, or for related items on Amazon, click here
‘Hymns of the 49th Parallel’ – Great album of cover versions of other Canadian songwriters, including songs by Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Ron Sexsmith and Joni Mitchel. Somehow the great Johnny Cash was left out in the cold.
SELECTED POETRY
by Steven Porter
ON ABDICATING
In public parks, our raven faces wrapped in shawls
We abdicate like kings.
A monsoon of conversation
Floods the university café.
The student is choking on dead gulls and eggshells
Mulling over skeleton efforts.
In the technicolour of the snooker hall
Midnight surrounds the clocks.
Spring rainbows appear, brutally disfigured,
We swallow the beer of loneliness.
The Great Bear is pounding the earth
Unchained from the mountain of yesterday’s violence.
SEVEN YEARS OF LIVING LIKE A LEAF
As the tourists gather up their rucksacks
And begin the Sunday crawl
From rambla to railway station,
I stay on, not quite settled,
Just thin fingers of a branch
Waiting for a hand to latch onto
MY HUSBAND
These words are a dawn alarm call
Interrupting an unbearably good dream
There are so many women in these awakening streets
And evidently, too many men.
ALL DOING TIME
Here she comes
Sits on the sofa
Next to my girl
Not so far from me.
We’re watching
An episode of Porridge
Where Fletcher gets out
To see his wife.
And we’re laughing
Because we’re all doing time
On different channels
Huddled together
On this worn out sofa
With loose stitching.
THE WEATHER POET
"A weather poet," they said.
He comes from those islands
Where it’s so hard
Not to mention you know what.
He writes reports on games
Played in all conditions.
Outside, no just don't go there.
Stay in with the books
And have tea with the critics.
Don't look within
Where it's often raining.
Switch on the fog lights.
Shit! I am a weatherman
Trapped in a poet's skull.
CAN YOU AFFORD ME?
I have just enough for the train fare
And one night’s lodging in Perpignan.
I can barely afford to carry my own shadow -
It devours too much light.
