James Davies

James Davies is editor of if p then q, former editor of the cult poetry object Matchbox, sometime collaborator with Simon Taylor as Joy as Tiresome Vandalism and is one of the organisers of The Other Room poetry night and website.

Read an extract from Plants

View a poem as a postcard

A review of Plants in 3am Magazine

A review of Plants by Tony Lopez

Clip of the launch reading

Reading in Manchester

Plants

Plants is James Davies' first collection proper after the sequences The Manual Handling Process (Beard of Bees) and Acronyms (onedit).

“Plants” as in poems which are substitutes for poems. These “poems” exhibit a fuzzy logic more compelling than the poems they have replaced. Imagine if instead of Brundlefly, a fused Hans Arp and P Inman had emerged from the telepod. Or P Inman and Ivor Cutler. Or Ivor Cutler, the English High Street (inc Poundland) and a phonebook. Or the English High Street (inc Poundland), Babestation, the internet and a hornbook. Q: “What is a, b, spelt backward with the horn on his head?” A: “Cindy B working at McTucky’s.” – Jeff Hilson

There is not a closed word class in this collection. Cinch-backed poems are piled high with name-teasing. Planxties of hom-bo him-jam merriment abound. Davies’ wit sends us many a mass noun without Imms. Reading Plants “unmade” my day, and it is a melch better swing than I have ever sung. – Tina Darragh

2011, 978-1-874400-51-6, 80pp,  price £9.50 £6