November 2007 – Tim Jones

On Identity – 1

Posted on November 26, 2007

Tim Jones isn’t a name that leaps out at you – like, say, Zaphod Beeblebrox or Mark Z. Danielewski. That has its advantages and disadvantages, but it does lead to confusion. No less an authority than the Bodleian Library was called upon to determine that my official designation for bibliographic purposes is henceforth to be Jones, Tim, 1959 June 15-, because there’s so many other Tim Joneses out there writing, and composing, and playing music, and developing software, and …

So if you’re looking for a different Tim Jones, try the Other Tim Joneses page maintained by a helpful Tim Jones in the USA. Or try Google: there are a lot of us!

What to Call Your Book

Posted on November 19, 2007

Since it contains no kitchens, no All Blacks, and only occasional gardens, why did I call my second poetry collection All Blacks’ Kitchen Gardens?

When I submitted the manuscript, my second poetry collection after Boat People, to publisher HeadworX I gave it the rather boring title Taking Sides. When it didn’t get a grant from Creative New Zealand, I thought to myself “I have to do better than this!” and decided to name it after one of my poems, “What to Call Your Book”:

All Blacks’ Kitchen Gardens
or With Scott to Shackleton
or Man Management with Mitch

or Blokes in Traction
or Make Mine a Mansfield
or Best Friends Go Bungy Mad

or Something Snappy
or Txt Me a Title
or Naming Rights Sponsor Required.

Some of these titles won’t make much sense to non-NZers, and as for “Man Management with Mitch”, readers should be reminded that I wrote the poem just after the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Confused? Check out some of the sample poems from ABKG to the left, and then you’ll be either less confused or more confused.

Underway

Posted on November 9, 2007

At last I’ve got this blog underway. I’ve got a web site which has basic information about my writing and interests, but I’ve wanted to put up something a bit more dynamic for a while. I’ll focus on the three books – All Blacks’ Kitchen Gardens, Anarya’s Secret and Transported – to start with, but I’m sure I’ll wander off topic from time to time.

I’m also very involved in sustainable energy and climate change issues – I’ll add links about these in due course, but for the flavour of what I’m involved in, see my blog on BeTheChange.

Next post: more on All Blacks’ Kitchen Gardens.