Show Notes
I’m always in motion, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m still the opposite of Ben when I think about it. He’s everywhere and all at once, and so busy, and the scurrying barely stops. I mean, I almost wonder if Ben is real when I stop to think about it. I never see him. I feel like I imagine I hear him as much as actually hearing him, but yeah, the proof of him was definitely on display for a time. And the echo of him sure seems real. I feel like he and I have worked a pretty good system on this place now too — he’s probably more likely to be fully enjoying the run of the joint when I’m out. So I’m trying to go out more. But I also know I’m going nowhere very quickly .Bought a copy of Gravity’s Rainbow from a secondhand store, and I take it with me most places. It’s good. I mean, I am reading it, I do like it, I do get it, and all that. But it’s also a book most people you meet have no fucking idea about, or the idea they have is it’s too big for them, so I am able to bullshit about it with just about anyone. It’s the Ulysses for Generation X. Basically. I must remember to tell a bunch of people that, and with the conviction that’s my own idea too.Hannah was in my dream last night. And I’ve had the dream before. About once a week I’d say at present. I run to her at the tree. I get there in time, but I call her Anna, she shakes her head as if to say that’s not her name, so the query cannot be for her. And I wake with her in the air, the rope around her neck. It’s got me drinking breakfast beers, at least when I have leftovers. I shouldn’t drink before lunchtime, or even before dinner time, but at least I’m too embarrassed to take my car anywhere, so I’m not in danger of driving again. Instead I load up my Discman with this great new album, Rocket by Primitive Radio Gods. No one knows it, which is exactly why I love it. At best, people seem to know the single, Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money In My Hand. Feels like a metaphor to me. Or just a scene I’m constantly walking right through. I first heard it in the movie Cable Guy, and it was perfect, if not that noticeable to many. But how could you not notice and love that song when it’s riding on a sample of B.B. King’s How Blue Can You Get? Only thing about relentlessly listening to this song is it’s not all that great for my mood. I start thinking about whether I’m gonna bump into Joolz, or Anna for that matter. Or that fucking girl that was with Esther and Liz. I mean I don’t think she knows I even exist, but yeah, I would say something now. I know I could. I’d ask her about Gravity’s Rainbow. Show her my book, which is so well-thumbed. Could even make out it was new to me, and it’s my constant re-reading that’s made it look all old and nearly ruined. Slick. I’m’a do that for sure. Will and Glen want me to go record shopping with them, so I walk along with my Primitive Radio Gods, and I listen to Phone Booth three times, then skip it forward to Who Say, which is basically a different band, even though it’s actually the same one guy making all of the music. Sounds like Supergroove or something. I like it. But I’m telling myself I love it, just so I can have something no one else holds on to. Album of the Year I’m deciding. No one will pick this. But I am. Inside the store, Will’s got all these old prog-rock records for a buck each, Genesis and King Crimson and CAN. He holds them up one by one, for me to say yes or no to. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Genesis. “Yes.”In The Court of the Crimson King. King Crimson. “Yes.”Tago Mago. CAN. “Yes.”Tales From Topographic Oceans. By the band Yes. “No.”Well it gets a laugh from Glen. But then, “You’re a fucking snob, Jimmy. Wannabe fucking snob.” “I’m not a snob, I just think Yes is the fucking pits. And Jon Anderson sounds like a frog. I mean, fuckssake, if you’re gonna buy that you might as well buy a Rush album.”“They’re only a buck,” Will says. “So I think I’ll just get it anyway, eh.”“Fine. What would I know,” I say.
More from Sweetman Podcast
Welcome to episode three of my new podcast series — Object/ive Permanence — where in one take, no edits, I chat with someone, the conversation is captured, and you can watch and/or listen to it. The podcast is here on Substack but will go out on all the other usual Podcast channels as past of the “Sweetman Podcast” RSS. This is a new experiment. I’m talking to people about an object they bring, and from there we go wherever the conversation takes us. Of course I’ll let them talk about who they are, what they do, and current or past work, but it’s less the focus than the original Sweetman Podcast, which was audio only. For this pod, each guest is asked to bring an object, something to talk about. We get going from there. Emily Writes is an author, newsletter writer, public speaker and MC, a community fosterer and leader, an activist, and she also sometimes writes filthy, horny film reviews too. A broad range! She’s also a friend. As she says here, I’ve known her since back before she was “Emily Writes”. We met as two writers, sharing ideas and seeking advice, from there we grew our families around the same time. Emily had been on my previous podcast — the episodes are still around for you to listen to — and it’s always a good chat. So she was someone I immediately wanted on the new format. We had such a great chat, about writing, and community, and the difficulties in being public; we talked about Palestine, and fundraising, and activism and charity. We talked about family and the arc of our friendship. We talked about that pesky, necessary social media too. All up, a beautiful conversation to share. We had a lot of laughs and we might have even worked a few things out. You can subscribe to Emily’s newsletter and follow her writing here.
Welcome to episode two of my new podcast series — Object/ive Permanence — where in one take, no edits, I chat with someone, the conversation is captured, and you can watch and/or listen to it. The podcast is here on Substack but will go out on all the other usual Podcast channels as past of the “Sweetman Podcast” RSS. This is a new experiment. I’m talking to people about an object they bring, and from there we go wherever the conversation takes us. Of course I’ll let them talk about who they are, what they do, and current or past work, but it’s less the focus than the original Sweetman Podcast, which was audio only. For this pod, each guest is asked to bring an object, something to talk about. We get going from there. Dr Chris Bowden, an academic from Victoria University of Wellington, was high on my original list of potential guests, one of the first people I reached out to when rebooting my podcast. We met for the first time in the slightly awkward introduction to this conversation and interview. Chris’ PhD focused on understanding young men’s experience of losing a close male friend to suicide. Aware of his work with Mates in Construction, and as an educational psychologist, I was interested to talk with Chris and I’m so glad I did. You’ll hear us talk about Joy Division and Metallica, and we will talk about Chris’ life and work. It is a heavy conversation, but there is so much heart and humility from Dr Bowden that I would hope there’s enough light at the end of the tunnel. But absolutely take care if and when watching or listening to this pod episode. Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Each month I host an open mic called ‘Say The Thing’. Poems, stories, anything people want to read or speak, provided the wrote it. I usually read a poem or two, or some short prose to kick off, so that no one else feels they have to be the ‘first reader’. This month I read two new/ish Harry Nilsson poems, since that’s my current writing obsession. I read two that I’d only just written and shared, Harry Lied: And Bojanglin’ — ostensibly about the song, ‘Mr. Bojangles’ So you can read along or read the poems instead, or check the text after. But I like sharing the odd audio recording and preserving them for the archive. So this was last week at Say The Thing. We have two more events (Oct/Nov) for 2026. Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Welcome to episode one of my new podcast series — Object/ive Permanence — where in one take, no edits, I chat with someone, the conversation is captured, and you can watch and/or listen to it. The podcast is here on Substack but will go out on all the other usual Podcast channels as past of the “Sweetman Podcast” RSS. This is a new experiment. I’m talking to people about an object they bring, and from there we go wherever the conversation takes us. Of course I’ll let them talk about who they are, what they do, and current or past work, but it’s less the focus than the original Sweetman Podcast, which was audio only. For this pod, each guest is asked to bring an object, something to talk about. We get going from there. Duncan Sarkies very kindly agreed to be my first guest. And I don’t even introduce him on camera (how rude!) Duncan’s a writer of films and TV, also novels, plays, and a book of short stories. He is fresh off a spoken word show at the TAHI Festival which I reviewed: That show featured him reading stories from his most recent novel, Stargazers. We also talk a bit about the project, Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium. But beyond that this is a free-flowing conversation that isn’t about any one thing, isn’t pre-planned at all, and isn’t edited. Which is exactly what I want to do with this series of podcasts. It is very much about creativity and connecting and conversation. Which is also what I want. Less of an interview, with some questions arriving about as naturally as possible (hopefully). So, my apologies that the sound isn’t quite how I want it, but this is a work in progress. So audio-quality is on the ‘To Fix’ list. But this is listenable. And watchable. And I hope you like it.
Here’s a reading of a couple of pieces from The Richard Poems, and four new pieces, three of my Harry Nilsson poems, and a poem I wrote just two days before reading. I was the opening for A Party of Poets at The Cabana, in Napier. A terrific event, an incredible lineup to be part of — what I loved was we were all different. The seven poets reading all had different themes, content, and delivery. It’s not my right to record and share the others — but here’s my set. Thanks for reading Sounds Good! ! This post is public so feel free to share it.