The Lunar Ticks Boxes: A Review Of The Lunar Poetry Podcast

-Reviewed by Matt Miles

The Arts is a scene filled with unique, sometimes eccentric minds and interesting souls, yet even within itself, it’s easy to get lost in your local scene and specific clique. It can be quite hard for it to unite on a country or even worldwide stage. What the Lunar Poetry Podcast does, is shine a spotlight on a broader spectrum of voices, writers and concepts introducing you to a family that you didn’t even know you had. In a poetic sense, tuning in feels like the memory of sitting around the wireless radio and being part of something sacred, it makes listening just a little more special. It serves up food for thought that is truly worth savouring, in a world increasingly fed on quick fix click bait fast food media; it has a substantially larger amount of meat on its bones.

David Turner is not only a powerful voice in his own right but the passion and time invested into this platform cannot be undervalued. David has an insight that is invaluable in and of itself but his skill as a host is that he knows when to not speak, and the exact questions to ask to draw out jewels of wisdom from his guests. Hearing contemporaries, influencers and teachers talking candidly about their practice and art is something made all the more powerful by the fact that it’s presence alone highlights the absence of anything similar. Whether discussing how an artist goes about being paid and how to make that transition, accessibility in the arts and where and how different voices can make themselves seen and heard, this is a guide to those already established and those stepping onto the public stage for the first time. A resource that until now I mined from the minds of my more experienced friends bartered with alcohol, chased dawns and conversations around a kitchen table in a fog of cigarette smoke and shared passions, I’m happy to say David plays that role too and is conveniently snuggled into a work commute to boot.

As well as being a mentor the podcast acts as a stage and the quality and impact of the works and artists that have been introduced to me directly is profoundly humbling, an episode that was particularly powerful was the National Poetry Day stream, a varied collection of incredibly talented voices reading their favourite poems. Other interesting entry points include the Bristol & Bath scene exposé and the episodes on accessibility in the arts and how artists go about getting paid in the industry.

You can listen to the podcast on SoundCloud and follow David on Twitter @Silent_Tongue for updates.