Bloom-ing Marvelous

The South African author, Kevin Bloom, stopped over in New York on his way back from launching his memoir, Ways of Staying, in Toronto. Editor At Large caught up with him at a punk bar on Bedford Av in Williamsburg for a pint of locally brewed Brooklyn Lager and a conversation about how even if he wanted to leave South Africa (which he doesn't), he can't now that he's written a book called Ways of Staying , but he did concede that if he had to leave the country, Williamsburg wouldn't be a bad place to land up.

See what the Economist had to say about his book here

Beggar’s Composure

These porcelain Pinschers.
Life-size, larger even
than your living room
(and my composure)
should bear.
I swear I see teeth.

Clever.
When you come down
you’re already one up.

My hand stretched to itching,
my rent-paying smile,
is how it will be.
“Good to see you,
Colin, I love your place.”

A line to keep me
plunging all night.

But what if: my pockets
hauled them down
(my beggar hands)
and my smile was submerged,
stashed in reserve,
for that maniac fern
on its pink-marble perch?

I could meet you with an eyebrow,
say: “Class, Colin, pure class.”

Knowing full-well that irony
gets on fine without you

like your money
without me.


Kevin Bloom, South African poet, editor, award-winning journalist and soon-to-be-published author

Posted with permission of the author