Christina Thatcher RSS
Poetry London reviews How to Carry Fire
'Thatcher’s poems can be nostalgic and delicious in their visualisations…In these echoes of capturing, cradling, holding — Thatcher suggests that the speaker’s temptations aren’t drugs, or fire, but deeply-felt connections, touches, and caresses. There might never be enough.’ In their latest issue, Poetry London has given Christina Thatcher's second poetry collection, How to Carry Fire, a glowing review! In this perfect summing-up: 'Thatcher suggests that the speaker's temptations aren't drugs, or fire, but deeply-felt conections, touches, and caresses. There might never be enough.' they capture the burning heart of this fine collection. If you haven't read it yet, you can...
'Writing Across Continents'
Sydney Whiteside, for the Wales Arts Review, takes an indepth look at the writings of Christina Thatcher (How to Carry Fire) and Zoë Brigley (Notes from a Swing State), finding cultural depths and resonances as an American living in Wales.
'Both Christina Thatcher’s How to Carry Fire and Zoë Brigley’s Notes from a Swing State are born of trans-Atlantic origins. Writing between Wales and America, though in opposite directions, Thatcher and Brigley speak of both countries with spellbinding precision and depth. As someone inhabiting a similar position, reading these works was both a joy and an inspiration.'
You can read the full article here.
And both books are available to buy on our website - link here.
Author's Notes: Christina Thatcher
So many lovely comments have been flooding in for Christina Thatcher's second poetry collection 'How to Carry Fire' over the weekend. Look at this blazing spread in the Western Mail Weekend supplement on Saturday by Jenny White. ‘The resulting work cements Thatcher’s position as a distinctive, powerful and unerring authentic new poetic voice - a stall she first set out with More Than You Were, her 2017 debut collection which explored the legacy of her father’s addiction and death. 'While many of her poems deal with gritty topics, they are also strikingly beautiful in the purity of the love they convey. There...
Striking the Match – Introducing the 'How to Carry Fire' Blog Tour
Back in 2012, I was asked to design and run a blog-writing course for a community organisation in South Wales. Although I was no expert, I said yes! and started reading blogs every day to prepare. I loved the versatility of this form and feeling connected to people through their posts. It wasn’t long before I decided to start my own blog, Collecting Words, where I shared my experiences as an American writer living in Wales. I posted about the ups and downs of freelance projects, celebrated successes and included lots of poems and photos.
Since then, my little blog has changed enormously—existing now as a part of my professional website. I still read blogs on everything from true crime and British history to funeral directing and PhD life. However, the blogs I return to most are about books. I love finding out what people are reading and seeing the transformative power of literature in action. Perhaps this is why I am so excited to take part in my first blog tour for one of my own books
Preview: 3 poems by Christina Thatcher on Anthropocene
Read 3 poems from Christina's forthcoming 2020 poetry collection How to Carry Fire including the title poem on Anthropocene. Conjure every fire you have ever read about— London’s gutting, Brisbane’s breadless factory, Boston’s burning. Remember your aching home, the leftovers of your childhood journals flaking in the hot shell of your bedroom. Christina Thatcher is a Creative Writing Lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her work has featured in over 40 publications including The London Magazine, Planet Magazine, The Interpreter’s House and more. Her first collection, More than you were, was published by Parthian Books in 2017...