I don't even know what it was exactly that possessed me to go up last year I mean, it's miles away. Crystal Swing were playing but I didn't really know anyone else that was except a few other poets I'd met around town. Me and the man himself went up, had a rapid weekend, and legged it off home. Simple as that, tiny wee literary festival, gorgeous time, life went on.
This year, however, sweet Jesus, I hope to be telling the wild tales of it for the rest of my life.
I'll condense it into a list in case I waffle on for pages. I was looking forward to Flatlake a lot because something in my belly, call it an instinct, said here girl this could probably be the best festival EVER.
Basically here is what I have between Friday morning, departing in a TINY Ford Coupé:
You can get away with screaming obscenities out the window of a car at any passing farmer: they will not stop, they will not chase you, so just go wild
Lifts are SIXTY TIMES better than buses especially if they have deadly music and intensely philosophical conversations about whether or not poetry actually exists (hint, it fucking does) or if they come from new friends who jump in to save the day first thing on a soggy Monday morning
Couches under trees should not be festival exclusive
Moccasins are a stupid idea. Also even if it is promised by RTE weather to be the hottest weekend of the year it won't be, don't believe the fallacy of it and DO PACK WELLIES for Christ's sake do pack wellies because you'll be so wet and squishy especially if your shoes are useless moccasins
The Eco Bus Café should probably feed me for the rest of my life: however, venison tastes like hole no matter what Ceri Bevan or Erin Fornoff tell you)
The Poetry Depot makes me happy to be alive: writing poems at high speed makes my hand hurt but my heart soar
The Rubber Bandits are clearly sick of their own material
Four twelve year old boys playing 50s songs in polo-necks is ENDLESSLY entertaining
Gazebos will not ever ever protect you from the rain please don't stop to shelter in one go to a real tent
Cavan is clearly holding all the coolest art in Ireland hostage
The impressions done by the Brown Bread Players are on the NAIL and I want to be in a band called Surprise Patio Attack
Poteen is NOT a good idea ever ever ever ever and no, that was not Gin with lemon and fizzy water you were all drinking it was fucking Poteen and they didn't even tell you
Poteen has narcotic-like effects
Cigars are a stupid idea
Choosing your future children's godparents by a campfire at five in the morning JUST the point comes where you can't remember anything ever (Tom Rowley I'm looking at you) proves to you that your honest instincts towards the people you care about are unchangable, poteen or no poteen
Hangovers aren't funny ever
Hangover + Rain + Festival = SAD FACE (fact)
Regardless of absolutely torrential rain good company will counterbalance what is probably alcohol poisoning
The Gombeens make me cry with laughter and the poetry my friends make lifts my heart (Poetry Slam Flatlake 2011 for the win)
In conjunction with that there is such a thing as being too hungover to do poems even if you wrote a really heartwrenching one specifically to compete
Pat McCabe is missing one bottle of gin from his barn and I KNOW WHO STOLE IT even though it wasn't me, I'm very glad to have seen the aftermath. He's lucky he got his bottle of vodka and bottle of tonic back though so he shouldn't be complaining.
No matter how disorientated from being hungover you are, Lisa Keegan arriving into your tent after no sleep trying to play relaxation games with you is still brilliant - 'Ok, one, two, three - we're in space'
Robert Sheehan is actually that beautiful in person but is still a shockingly bad actor (saw him do a reading of a play, he was outshone)
Andreas Stack can play a MEAN violin and tell an equally incredible story
Christina Duff, Boris Belony and Dave Lordan are quitters who go home early and SO THEY WILL ALWAYS BE
The people I was surrounded by at Flatlake this year made me realise one of the major reasons I write: the community and friendships that blossom by shared passion for an art form, or fuck, for any art form, without pretentiousness or artifice or ego. Thanks so much for everything lads, it was a deadly weekend and I'll for sure see yis all there next year
xx
this list is clearly going to be elongated as my head goes back to normal gradually over the course of the day. i am very tired and need a shower and have to air out the fucking tepee and wash EVERYTHING and bury my moccasins. rest in peace little minnetonkas, see you in another life
(i'm just being dramatic they're getting fucked in the washing machine with the sleeping bag and brought back to life)
So yes I promise with all my little beating heart that I'll update more often. I'm starting a teaching creative writing to teenagers job tomorrow afternoon and am very nervous but sure we'll see how we go, I'll let yis know. Things have been getting sort of exciting lately and I've been writing a lot: it's hard to write about writing when you're actually writing a lot. I think that makes sense.
Here I'll be back in touch soon like
Be well and all
s
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