ZIP 16
Ada unclutters table
wedlock roses nip ringlets
dotted swiss crimped
olivesheen mules ticktack
meticulous yardstick
foundation’s huffish
lumbar-ease chair twirls
moxie jolts the room
alcove obscures work
ZIP 17
unyielding duck cloth
how-do-you-do floor manager
Polly’s smitten
whacked is mere la-di-da
blue jay flicks in hawthorn
ingots on choker
needle clamp lodges – ready
crimpers teeter – lassoed
ZIP 18
lace on gingham
keen eclipsing of a bleb
seam ripper’s all drama
amplifying smirk
feed dogs run
primper urges on culottes
Joe’s tardy with mortgage
whim-wham the model prowls
overhears himself brood
ZIP 19
cozy flannel backslides
logo on camisole
Sara dwells on tryst
hesitant flump into gown
pincushion absconded
overshot wires
foot controller’s trusty
manikin torso ignored
zigzag stitch waltzes
ZIP 20
Meg’s back from canteen
wattle and flax on brow
veers damask at angle
kiss curl set
bias tape firms
hip-hop loosens
menu screen dayglo
buyer tilts specs
frock coat builds
In 1998 Christopher Barnes won a Northern Arts writers award. In July 2000 he read at Waterstones bookshop to promote the anthology ‘Titles Are Bitches’. Christmas 2001 he debuted at Newcastle’s famous Morden Tower doing a reading of poems. Each year he read for Proudwords lesbian and gay writing festival and partook in workshops. 2005 saw the publication of his collection LOVEBITES published by Chanticleer Press, 6/1 Jamaica Mews, Edinburgh.
On Saturday 16Th August 2003 he read at the Edinburgh Festival as a Per Verse.
Christmas 2001 The Northern Cultural Skills Partnership sponsored him to be mentored by Andy Croft in conjunction with New Writing North. He made a radio programme for Web FM community radio about his writing group. October-November 2005, he entered a poem/visual image into the art exhibition The Art Cafe Project, his piece Post-Mark was shown in Betty’s Newcastle. This event was sponsored by Pride On The Tyne. He made a digital film with artists Kate Sweeney and Julie Ballands at a film making workshop called Out Of The Picture which was shown at the festival party for Proudwords, it contains his poem The Old Heave-Ho. He worked on a collaborative art and literature project called How Gay Are Your Genes, facilitated by Lisa Mathews (poet) which exhibited at The Hatton Gallery, Newcastle University, including a film piece by the artist Predrag Pajdic in which he read his poem On Brenkley St. The event was funded by The Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Institute, Bio-science Centre at Newcastle’s Centre for Life. He was involved in the Five Arts Cities poetry postcard event which exhibited at The Seven Stories children’s literature building. In May he had 2006 a solo art/poetry exhibition at The People’s Theatre.
The South Bank Centre in London recorded his poem “The Holiday I Never Had”; he can be heard reading it on www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=18456
In August 2007 he made a film called ‘A Blank Screen, 60 seconds, 1 shot’ for Queerbeats Festival at The Star & Shadow Cinema Newcastle, reviewing a poem…see www.myspace.com/queerbeatsfestival He has also written Art Criticism for Peel and Combustus Magazines.
Bindweed Magazine 