This week M+K sits across the table with Elaine Beckett, Poet. ‘Make the most of what you already have,’ she says as she describes a life lesson learnt through cooking, her creative process and the grounding ritual of ‘lunch.’
1. My cooking inspiration…
Any ingredients I’ve managed to grow in my garden.
Elizabeth David’s ‘Summer Cooking’
2. A meal that reminds me of home…
Fish pie with quartered, hard-boiled eggs.
3. A life lesson cooking has taught me…
Make the most of what you already have.
4. When I want to be creative I…
I switch off my phone. Train journeys can also be useful, as is walking, but so is doing nothing. I’ve learned to accept periods of time when no ideas occur; meaning, there would be no point in writing them down. Very occasionally a poem arrives almost fully formed and doesn’t need much attention. Most require a process of draft and re-draft. Listening to music contrary to one’s mood can stimulate ideas. Booking a ticket for an orchestral concert, and going alone to listen to a vast symphony is the best way for me to shift my state of mind. The film director Ken Loach once said: ‘pudding is the enemy of creativity.’ I also find that to be the case.
5. The most transformational book I’ve read is…
Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch
6. The routines that keep me grounded are…
Mainly to do with preparing lunch, which I’m lucky to be able to do as I mainly work from home. Lunch, however simple, separates my working morning, with all its high ideals, from my less well intentioned afternoon.
7. I recently learnt…
The primo part of Stravinsky’s Sonata for Two Pianos.
8. Favourite random act of kindness…
Sending a hand written letter to a friend.
9. To make a difference in my community I…
Volunteer for my local Citizens Advice Bureau.
10. Right now, I’m grateful for…
The love that surrounds me.
Elaine Beckett is a poet and screenwriter with a background in music. She originally trained as a composer, later as a music therapist, working mainly with children on the autistic spectrum. Her poetry was first published in pamphlet form by Faber & Faber in 2016 when she was selected for one of the coveted Faber New Poets awards. Her poems have appeared in numerous publications such as The New European, and The Poetry Review including her poem ‘Thursday’ which had over 3,000 shares on Facebook. Her first full-length poetry collection is due out with Verve Poetry Press in April 2021.
To connect visit:
Website: www.elainebeckett.com
Twitter: @Elaine_Beckett
Her Faber poetry pamphlet (£5.00) is available from: https://www.faber.co.uk/books/poetry/filter-by-author/elaine-beckett.html
