Radio appearance + An evolving poem about evolution
Link included in this post.
EDIT: I won’t be live posting to Substack tonight, as when I tried to log in using the app it generated a new account for me…
I have a backup however. If I do go live, it will be on my instagram instead.
https://www.instagram.com/realphillipcarter/
I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of love my last sci-poetry post got, so I have a good feeling about this one. I might be reading this on the radio soon, as I have a slot at Allfm’s Manchester open mic, part of their 26-hour live show all about Manchester.
First, here’s a poem about the precise moment life began on Earth.
I will start with the first draft, and move along through time.
Lifestruck (first written 29.09.2024 crossed out word being the only edit) In the beginning everything was dead and time struck the rocks and the minerals and slashed into the air its cruel clawmarks and bubbles learned how tostaymove without current and current learned how to speak between bubbles and cells became life became us - - - Lifestruck - 03.10.2024 (rewritten on instagram during my National Poetry Day livestream (something I'll be trying on Substack next)) In the beginning everything was dead and time struck the rocks and the minerals and slashed into the air its cruel clawmarks and bubbles learned to delay popping by trading minerals with the universe and cilium became cilia became legs and fins that would kick and swim and so bubbles could move without current and current learned how to speak between bubbles and cells became life became us and bubbles learned to fear death and make cheat it, passing on their code in offspring Like a cremation in reverse - - - Lifestruck - 03.10.2024 In the beginning everything was dead and time struck the rocks and the minerals and slashed into the air its cruel clawmarks as the first thunderclouds burst (an idea breaking overhead) and current rippled out through primordial ooze and bubbles avoided popping by trading minerals with the universe swapping goods across cell membranes and cilium became cilia became legs and fins that would kick and swim so bubbles could move without current and bubbles learned to fear death and cheat it, passing on their code in offspring
So, three different versions of the same poem here. I’m torn between which is the best, but ultimately I think the shorter one is more interesting. The others pull in different directions, elaborating a bit too far on the idea. I really like the line ‘a cremation in reverse’ but I think it would be better in something like Earthloop, my upcoming time travel four-book trilogy.
But what do you think?
The radio thing
As many of you know, my first live radio interview was with Ruth at ALLfm Manchester, for WHO BUILT THE HUMANS? Back then in 2020, Ruth thought I might be Californian, and expected a phone call interview. She was surprised to hear I lived up the road, and that the radio station was set inside the very first library in which a four-year-old Phillip had picked up his first outside book - something which opened new worlds of weird.
I might soon write a little post about my life in and out of libraries, perhaps I shall do it tonight, and read a bit of it tomorrow.
Anyway, we soon became friends and I am now something of a regular guest and sporadic co-host on Allfm. We’ve even reviewed stuff together, like Daliso Chaponda’s very clever Citizen of Nowhere BBC radio show, which we got to see live (I asked an AI chatbot to prove Daliso was real, which it could not).
So, as always, the comedy and sci-fi and poetry intersect.
There will be bits of all of that tomorrow.
Allfm is doing a charity event with 4everManchester tomorrow, and I am part of the 5-7pm open mic. I’ve no idea precisely when I’ll be on, as we are reliant on other guests showing up on time to get things running.
I am in the UK, so I’m on UK time for this 5-7pm slot. Might be an awkward time if you’re in America, but the best bits might be recorded.
I will also be attempting to do some streaming in the studio, directly to the substack app, when it happens, but if that doesn’t work (I’ve never done it before) or you don’t have the app, here’s a link.
