Books
Events
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to suzanne.black@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.
Glasgow
I Belong to Glasgow? Aye Right! Garnethill Multi-Cultural Centre. 21 Rose Street. 332 9765. l—2.30pm. £9 (£6 per session). The first of six 'l'hursday writing workshops on the themes of alienation and connection. Contact ()141 435 4828 or campbel1creature(0‘ yahoo.co.uk.
Edinburgh
BeatniX Poetry Nite The Jan. Bar. 1 Chambers Street. 220 4290. 1 1pm. Free. ()pen mic poetry and music hosted by Anita (iovan. this week featuring Ash Dickinson. plus Nick-1i .Melville and songster Mickey. Call 07962 912590 for more info.
Michael Faulkner Blackwells. 53 -59 South Bridge. 622 8222. Faulkner drops in to spread some wisdom about his escape from civilisation in his new book. The Blue Cabin.
Glasgow
31¢ Andrea Levy Pollokshaws Library and Learning Centre. 50/60 Shawbridge Street. 632 3544. 2.30pm. Free. Readings from and discussions about 2004 ()range Prize for Fiction winner Andrea Levy’s Small Isluml.
Edinburgh
Paul Sutherland Quaker Meeting House. 7 Victoria Terrace. 225 4825. 10am-~4pm. £20 (£15 for workshop). The Canadian- British poet leads a creative writing workshop on spiritual poems and stories then reads a selection of his own work (4.30pm. £5/£3). Booking required on njwalk5300ta hotmail.co.uk or 331 4469.
Glasgow
Talking of Poetry Artists in lixile (ilasgow. 8 10 ()sborne Street. 552 7668. 3pm. £5. An afternoon with poets from Palestine and Persia plus music from the Middle liast. all presented by Scottish PIiN. To book contact 649 7365 or acclarke6(a btopenworldcom.
Edinburgh
Society of Children’s Book Writers and lllustrators: Writers’ Day 2007 Scottish Storytelling Centre. 43 45 High Street. 556 9579. £28 (.£l2»--<£22). Talks and workshops designed to germinate ideas and offer advice for published and aspiring writers. limail Sheila Faichney for tnore info at
scbwi _scot1and(a btinternetcom.
Glasgow
Creative Writing Class Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700.
6 8pm. £5. Alistair Patterson hosts a writing workshop every Monday: ‘1)iscover and develop the writer within‘. For further info please call 07969 823712.
Tuesday 6
Edinburgh
Creative Writing Course National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 6200. 10.30am l.30pm. £40 (£35). A four-week creative-writing course held on Tuesdays. which focuses on different artworks froin Edinburgh galleries each week.
Thursday 8
Glasgow I Belong to Glasgovr.’ Aye Right! (iarnethill Multi-Cultural Centre. 21 Rose
28 THE LIST 1-15 Mar 2007
Street. 332 9765. ~ 2.30pm. £9 (£6 per session). See Thu 1.
Edinburgh
Scottish PEN: International Women’s Day Word Power Bookshop. 43 West .\'ico1son Street. 662 91 12. 6-—7.30pm. Free. ‘Women 'l‘ranslated by Women‘ with Anna Crowe. Christine De Luca. Tessa Ransford. Bashabi Fraser and Morelle Smith.
Getting Into Poetry Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton’s Close. Canongate. 557 2876. 6.30~8pm. £5 (£3 inc wine). See Thu 1.
Glasgow
Look Who’s Talking: Gordon Smith Theatre Royal. 282 Hope Street. 0870 0606647. 1pm. £5.50 (£4). The 'Psychic Barber~ talks about his book. Through My lives.
* Andrea Levy Pollokshaws Library and Learning Centre. 50/60 Shawbridge Street. 632 3544. 2.30pm. Free. See Fri 2.
Saturday 1 0
Edinburgh
Scottish PEN 1927-2007: 80 Years in Scotland Writers' Museum. Lady Stair's Close. Lawnmarket. 529 4901. L'ntil 5 May. Mon Sat 10am «5pm. An exhibition celebrating 80 years of the Scottish branch of the worldwide writers association. set up by Hugh .\’1ac1)iarmid.
Glasgow
Creative Writing Class Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6~~8pm. £5. See Mon 5.
Edinburgh
Poetry Book Group Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton's Close. Canongate. 557 2876. 6.30—8.30pm. £5 (£3). [p for discussion this month is District A’- Chile by Seamus Heaney. Please book in advance.
Edinburgh
Creative Writing Course National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 6200. 10.30am l.30pm. £40 (£35). See Tue 6.
>1< The Bridge Readings: Christopher Brookmyre and Denise Mina National Library of Scotland. 33 Salisbury Place. 623 3845. 7pm. Free. The Scottish author with the best book titles in the hi]. is joined by fellow crime writer Mina.
The School of Poets Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton‘s Close. Canongate. 557 2876. 7.30pm. Annual subscription: £10 (£5). Monthly workshop-type poetry session aiming to encourage and develop writing skills.
Wednesday 14
Edinburgh
MR Peacocke Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton‘s Close. Canongate. 557 2876. 7.30pm. £3 (£2: SPA members free). A reading of 12 poems written by Meg Peacocke for The Poetry Path beside the River liden in Cumbria.
Glasgow
I Belong to Glasgow‘.’ Aye Right! (iarnethill .‘vlulti—Cultural Centre. 21 Rose Street. 332 9765. 1 72.30pm. £9 (£6 per session). See Thu |.
Edinburgh
The Poetry Path Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton's Close. Canongate. 557 2876. l 1am 6pm. Free. Photographs by Douglas May taken along the River liden in Cumbria where 12 poems by Meg Peacocke have been inscribed on stones.
Comics GHOST RIDER
As the new movie roars onto the big screen, Henry Northmore looks at the history of Ghost Rider.
It's 1972. Evel Knievel was the most famous man in America: films like B/acu/a. Deep Throat and Deliverance were topping the box-office: events like Watergate and Vietnam meant there was a darker edge in the air. Marvel were running stories like Werewolf by Night and Tomb of Dracula. but craved another addition to their ranks of horror to rival the usual superhero fare. The team ended up amalgamating all these seemingly disparate aSpects of pop Culture to create Ghost Rider. which debuted in Marvel Spotlight. Or more accurately Roy Thomas. Gary Freidrich and Mike Ploog created Ghost Rider. the phantom cyclist with the bla7ing skull. By day champion stunt—rider. Johnny Blaze. by night — after being tricked by Satan himself — a ghostly apparition who rides his chopper across the American badlands.
Then. in 1973. there was the runaway success of The Exorcist. all things demonic where hot property. Ghost Rider branched out into his own title. alongside the launch of Marvels most diabolical creation yet. The Son of Satan. All this is documented in Essential Ghost Rider, Volume 1 (Marvel 0000 l. a huge compendium
reprinting all the character's early adventures from 1972—1976. lt’s classic superhero comic writing from the age, with a supernatural twist. over the top and always enthusiastic. there's even time for an obvious Jaws cash-in. alongside Ghost Rider's usual run-ins with demonic cults. biker gangs and supervillains.
Johnny Blazes transformation into the Ghost Rider was also recently retold in Mythos: Ghost Rider (Marvel 0000 ). perhaps the most successful entry yet in Paul Jenkins series retelling the early stories of various superheroes. Paolo Rivera's fully painted pages really coming into their own with the flame and fire of Ghost Rider.
Then. as only happens in comics. a complete refit took place in 1990 masterminded by writer Howard MacKie. This time around the character of Daniel Ketch takes on the mantel of the Ghost Rider. reborn as the Spirit of Vengeance. The first seven iSSLies are still in print as Ghost Rider: Resurrected (Marvel. coo ). another comic that reeks of the age it was written. and is fairly entertaining in a throwaway manner. Events gets incredibly convoluted for young Ketch. who eventually turned out to be the long lost brother of Johnny Blaze. but this series came to an early close as Marvel faced bankruptcy in the mid- 90s. Ghost Rider was cancelled with only one
issue left to print. which never saw the light of day. Until now. Marvel have delved back into the achieves for Ghost Rider: Finale (Marvel 0 ). While this must have seemed a great idea. especially for any fans left hanging, the reality is overly complex and fairly incomprehensible as a stand alone issue.
With the film adaptation on the way. GR is back as Johnny Blaze. last seen in Garth Ennis‘ Road to Damnation (Marvel coo ) a lurid tale of hell in Clayton Crain‘s over emphatic. cartoon style. And of c0urse there‘s Daniel Way's new ongoing series, the first five issues reprinted as Vicious Cycle (Marvel co ). which features a nice pun but rough art, a lack of pace and a generally poor attempt at reviving the character. Admittedly. these first issues are a set up for the series as a whole. and here's hoping it revs up a bit more steam as the series motors on.
Ghost Rider represents a perfect microcosm of the world of comics: creation. cancellation. relaunch, reinvention. cancellation and full circle back to the origins. The character has always been in a weird position. a fan favourite simply because he looks so goddamn cool, though his stories often let him down. He's never been a huge seller but the new film should help revaluate one of comics' most enigmatic characters.