- Joined
- Thursday March 30, 2017
Glad you enjoyed the Ackroyd books S. - I'm taken by your description of 'Lud Heat' - but I'm not good with poetry - totally rubbish in fact. The result of a shit English teacher - who put me off for life. Sinclair-wise - I'd point you in the direction of 'Lights Out for the Territory' and 'London Overground' - the first was particularly impressive - his signature drawing together of the oddest of sources from an apparently simple premise - nothing of course - is really simple in his world. You should check out - 'Strange Labyrinth' by Will Ashon - not as hardcore as Sinclair but in the same sphere - it was sent to me by @Barry Giddens - who I'm sure would second the recommendation. I'm over half way through 'Jocks' - and enjoying it - I'll reserve fuller comment until I finish it - cheers - I.Well, courtesy of @Digimonkey and @Barry Giddens, I've just finished Chaucer and London Under by Peter Ackroyd. Both excellent reads. Now, I've jumped deeply into what's been called ‘psychogeography'. Lud Heat by Iain Sinclair is part-prose and part-poetry; which takes as its basis the cartographic (and possibly psychic) connections between churches designed and built in London by Nicholas Hawksmoor during the eighteenth century. Can place affect the psyche? Notable nineteenth century serial killings (and one twentieth century murder) in the shadows of these churches form Sinclair's work. Bring in Stan Brakhage, esoteric mysticism, Egyptology and Sinclair's own experience as a Council gardener and it makes for a heady mix.
So far, a dense and challenging read; especially the free verse, as I haven't read much poetry. But very enjoyable. Sticking with not dissimilar material, I've ordered what I think is his first novel White Chappel, Scarlet Tracings.
For those that are interested, the first part of Lud Heat ‘Nicholas Hawksmoor, His Churches' inspired Peter Ackroyd's Hawksmoor; and may have influenced Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's graphic novel From Hell.
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