The Poems: The Gype

Title: The Gype.Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.The cover image is that of Le Mat: The Fool. Woodcut, French, Marseille, 16th century Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall October 17 Acknowledgements:Many of these poems were written while recuperating after surgery at Fadlydyke Farm with Philip and Vicki Watt, New Deer. Le Mat: The Fool or The Jester is one of the 78 cards in a Tarot deck. The Fool is titled Le Mat in the Tarot of Marseilles, and Il Matto in most Italian language tarot decks. These archaic words mean "the madman" or "the beggar.” Jamie Fleeman. Jamie Fleeman was employed as a fool – a clown – by the Laird o’ Udny at Knockhall Castle near Newburgh, along the coast from Aberdeen. Born in 1713 at a croft at Longside near Peterhead Jamie died nearby at Kinmundy, in 1778. He was listed as a pauper in the Statistical Account for Longside.One of the poems was commissioned by John Cairns, Artistic Director of Haddo Arts Festival, after a cultural conversation, others reflected a visit to Peterhead Prison.Time Warp: 1897-2017 was written after a visit to the café on the corner of Whitehall Road and Desswood Place, formerly the hub of my great grandfather Matthew Booth’ s dairy empire in the city of Aberdeen.Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.The Life and Death of Jamie Fleeming: the Laird of Udny’s fool. by John Burnett Pratt was published by Lewis and James Smith in Aberdeen in 1859

The Poems: Win-Blawn

The Poems: Wind-Blawn Published by malfranteaux concepts. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. The cover image is from a surrealist Foocame Art Silk Poster, JapanCost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall August 2017. Many of these poems were written on a research trip to Edinburgh in July. For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall. Thanks are also due to the support and encouragement of Keith Murray, in agreeing to publish this collection.Dedicated to Philip & Vicki Watt, Fadlydyke Farm, New Deer

The Poems: The Sanctuary Knocker

Title: The Sanctuary Knocker. Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. The cover image is that of the great Sanctuary Knocker on the door of Durham Cathedral.Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall May2017. Many of these poems were written on a research trip to County Durham in April, and after a visit to the Beamish Museum , in 2017. Idioticals was published in Lallans Magazine. Military poems were inspired by a day spent at the Gordon Highlanders’ Museum (Blackhall’s son, half brother and cousins served with the regiment). Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Comings & Goings

Title: Comings & Goings.Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S.Blackhall March 2017. Dedicated to Skye-Marie Anderson, born on St Patrick’s Day,March 17th 2017. The cover is a Japanese woodblock print by Harumura Tadao, entitled Weak Twilight, 1924. The story ‘Buonamico Buffalmacco: Peinter o Florence’ by Blackhall is due to be published in Lallans. The poem‘The Alternative Tourist Tour of Properties Owned by Nyaffs’ will feature in Pushing Out the Boat magazine, Issue 14. The poems inspired by artefacts from Aberdeen City archive materials, were written by Blackhall as part of a project involving the Mile Long Club at Aberdeen’s Art Centre venue. The Scots Owesett, ‘The Cat Oot o the Pyoke is drawn from 'Wee Windaes' a website on the National Library of Scotland, which showcases examples of Scots language from the 15th century to the present day.Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Thursdays

Title: Thursdays.Poems & Playlet in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Morven Coutts Blackhall 11/10/1975- 4/7/2016 Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall February 2017 Dedication. This book is dedicated to the memory of the poet's son, Morven Coutts Blackhall. The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living: Marcus Tullius Cicero. Several of these poems were written in February at a Lapidus day-long event. (‘Finding your Place in the Family of Things’, a training day on Therapeutic Writing, which was co-facilitated by Sheena Blackhall & Elaine Reid at the Maggie Centre, in the grounds on Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.Some Scots owersetts of Poems by Jewish Writers are due to appear in Southlight 21. The playlet ‘The Merket Cross’ was written in response to writing workshops at Aberdeen Arts Centre run by the international playwright Peter Arnott. Siskin was inspired by the exquisite photographs by Catriona Low Of Severin Publishing of her resident garden family of the species. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.Copyright S. Blackhall

The CDs: Oot o the Kist

Oot o the Kist is a double cd launched by Scotsoun in the Spring of 2017 SSCD 805 (1 & 2). It is a mixture of song and poetry, all performed by the poet using different instruments. (www.lallans.co.uk). There are 46 entries on the first cd and 42 on the second. Thanks are due to George T. Watt and the Comatee o the Scots Language Society for producing this CD

The Poem: Dimitri Keaw

Title: Dimitri Keaw (Pamphlet 122).Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cover: Dimitri, photograph by Catriona Low. Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall Jan 2017 Dedication:This book is dedicated to Philip and Vicki Watt, Fadlydyke Farm New Deer,& Catriona Low, Lower Boghead, Kintore.The cover photograph by Catriona Low, is of her tenant jackdaw Dimitri who lives with his family on her property.Some of these poems were written in response to artefacts in the Hunterian Gallery at Glasgow University. Awfu Weather was prompted by the cartoon “Awfu Weather” From The Northern Looking Glass. The Short Story, Secrets, was specifically written to perform at the Winter Solstice Poetry Event, run by Aberdeen Inspired for in the city’s Christmas Village in December 2016.