Susan Gordon Byron
@sgordonby.bsky.social
A poet in SE London. My website: https://susangordonbyron.weebly.com/
In other news, I learned today that Josephine, Napoleon's love, owned 900 dresses.
November 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM
In other news, I learned today that Josephine, Napoleon's love, owned 900 dresses.
To apologise sincerely is also admitting something. It's a small confession, and it needs openness to do it. Admitting to your not-quite-flawless human shape.
November 20, 2025 at 4:21 PM
To apologise sincerely is also admitting something. It's a small confession, and it needs openness to do it. Admitting to your not-quite-flawless human shape.
Struck up conversation with a Canadian family on the train. A lovely bit of today. They were on their way back from the BFI Film Festival. My stop arrived a bit too soon, and then on my way again.
October 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Struck up conversation with a Canadian family on the train. A lovely bit of today. They were on their way back from the BFI Film Festival. My stop arrived a bit too soon, and then on my way again.
There's a lot said about the goods and bads of writing competitions. But I had a poem longlisted by the Bournemouth Writing Prize last week and that meant something to me. Partly, it was 'someone read this puzzle-emotion in motion called a poem and they GOT it'
October 1, 2025 at 11:26 AM
There's a lot said about the goods and bads of writing competitions. But I had a poem longlisted by the Bournemouth Writing Prize last week and that meant something to me. Partly, it was 'someone read this puzzle-emotion in motion called a poem and they GOT it'
The Lady from The Sea at The Bridge theatre: a lot of swearing, and a lot of water, but it is gripping theatre.
September 25, 2025 at 4:33 PM
The Lady from The Sea at The Bridge theatre: a lot of swearing, and a lot of water, but it is gripping theatre.
Another discovery courtesy of Radio 3's incomparable Night Tracks: the late Japanese composer Susumu Yomota. I'm listening to Cloud Hidden on Bandcamp.
September 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Another discovery courtesy of Radio 3's incomparable Night Tracks: the late Japanese composer Susumu Yomota. I'm listening to Cloud Hidden on Bandcamp.
Porridge magazine has given it a second home: a poem about puzzling dreams. I love the accompanying graphic porridgemagazine.com/2025/07/23/one-poem-susan-g-byron
ONE POEM – Susan G. Byron
It’s these questions I have. (An astral whodunnit: a whydreamit).
porridgemagazine.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Porridge magazine has given it a second home: a poem about puzzling dreams. I love the accompanying graphic porridgemagazine.com/2025/07/23/one-poem-susan-g-byron
'Every poet is a thief', a lyric in U2's The Fly that is always loudest 😂
September 1, 2025 at 12:50 PM
'Every poet is a thief', a lyric in U2's The Fly that is always loudest 😂
Reposted by Susan Gordon Byron
🎶 Music as company
A new study shows that listening to music can spark mental images of social connection, even when alone.
Compared to silence, music made people imagine more vivid, social scenes.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #Music 🧪
A new study shows that listening to music can spark mental images of social connection, even when alone.
Compared to silence, music made people imagine more vivid, social scenes.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #Music 🧪
Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions
www.nature.com
September 1, 2025 at 12:24 PM
🎶 Music as company
A new study shows that listening to music can spark mental images of social connection, even when alone.
Compared to silence, music made people imagine more vivid, social scenes.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #Music 🧪
A new study shows that listening to music can spark mental images of social connection, even when alone.
Compared to silence, music made people imagine more vivid, social scenes.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#SciComm #Music 🧪
Answered the door to two Hello Fresh reps earlier today. Their opening gambit was 'Are you head chef?' At a residential address; I'm dressed with my usual sporty/yoga class vibes. They ask if I ever have 'a cheeky little takeaway'. No, I don't.
August 26, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Answered the door to two Hello Fresh reps earlier today. Their opening gambit was 'Are you head chef?' At a residential address; I'm dressed with my usual sporty/yoga class vibes. They ask if I ever have 'a cheeky little takeaway'. No, I don't.
I am unfailingly impressed by singer/songwriter Jordan Stephens. His lyrics, his book, his being. So much talent, but I think he also tries really hard to do good in the world, and he's succeeding at that. I think he's really special.
August 17, 2025 at 11:16 AM
I am unfailingly impressed by singer/songwriter Jordan Stephens. His lyrics, his book, his being. So much talent, but I think he also tries really hard to do good in the world, and he's succeeding at that. I think he's really special.
Saw Twelfth Night at the Globe this afternoon. Typically raucous work from them, but beautiful casting. I particularly enjoyed Jos Vantyler's Feste. A big star for the future, surely?
August 14, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Saw Twelfth Night at the Globe this afternoon. Typically raucous work from them, but beautiful casting. I particularly enjoyed Jos Vantyler's Feste. A big star for the future, surely?
Saw the film Materialists last night with a Picturehouse preview. There were a couple of clanging moments, and it's just a smidgen repetitive towards the end, but I loved it's themes, how direct the dialogue was - it's brave, thoughtful, of today. Very glad I got to it after a long day.
August 11, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Saw the film Materialists last night with a Picturehouse preview. There were a couple of clanging moments, and it's just a smidgen repetitive towards the end, but I loved it's themes, how direct the dialogue was - it's brave, thoughtful, of today. Very glad I got to it after a long day.
Wonderful! Thank you for these heartening thoughts.
August 7, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Wonderful! Thank you for these heartening thoughts.
To a degree. We can't escape his charge that describing a sea captain isn't the same as being one, for example. As for my approach... how long have you got 😅 I haven't got quite comfortable with the echoes of predecessors which will appear in my work, probably why the imitation topic interested me.
August 6, 2025 at 7:20 PM
To a degree. We can't escape his charge that describing a sea captain isn't the same as being one, for example. As for my approach... how long have you got 😅 I haven't got quite comfortable with the echoes of predecessors which will appear in my work, probably why the imitation topic interested me.
You express what I wondered about as I replied - the 'accidental' imitation, where we echo earlier artists, but these instances are far from what grates for Plato, which might be, for example, a pint-sized clay rendering of a hurricane, as opposed to 'later guy who borrowed a technique from Homer'.
August 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
You express what I wondered about as I replied - the 'accidental' imitation, where we echo earlier artists, but these instances are far from what grates for Plato, which might be, for example, a pint-sized clay rendering of a hurricane, as opposed to 'later guy who borrowed a technique from Homer'.
and surely an intentional imitation, put forward as an original work, would be an act of deception? The result would be as 'real' as any other work of art, but it isn't the artist's natural vision, either (2/2).
August 6, 2025 at 2:32 PM
and surely an intentional imitation, put forward as an original work, would be an act of deception? The result would be as 'real' as any other work of art, but it isn't the artist's natural vision, either (2/2).
Thank you. To answer your question, usually yes, absolutely - however in this case perhaps Plato is aligning the artist's original vision (manifested in their chosen form), however various, with reality. We could, therefore, extend the meaning of 'imitation' to mean a falsehood (1/2)
August 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Thank you. To answer your question, usually yes, absolutely - however in this case perhaps Plato is aligning the artist's original vision (manifested in their chosen form), however various, with reality. We could, therefore, extend the meaning of 'imitation' to mean a falsehood (1/2)
Reposted by Susan Gordon Byron
🫀 Teach AI how you feel 🤖
This week’s Slow AI prompt begins in the body. Not thought, but sensation.
What does this moment feel like in you, and can your AI tool notice?
Read & try: theslowai.substack.com/p/slow-ai-6-...
#SlowAI #AI 🧪 #SciComm #EthicalAI #GenAI
This week’s Slow AI prompt begins in the body. Not thought, but sensation.
What does this moment feel like in you, and can your AI tool notice?
Read & try: theslowai.substack.com/p/slow-ai-6-...
#SlowAI #AI 🧪 #SciComm #EthicalAI #GenAI
Slow AI #6 – Teach It What It Feels Like
Some knowledge begins in the skin.
theslowai.substack.com
August 5, 2025 at 10:42 AM
🫀 Teach AI how you feel 🤖
This week’s Slow AI prompt begins in the body. Not thought, but sensation.
What does this moment feel like in you, and can your AI tool notice?
Read & try: theslowai.substack.com/p/slow-ai-6-...
#SlowAI #AI 🧪 #SciComm #EthicalAI #GenAI
This week’s Slow AI prompt begins in the body. Not thought, but sensation.
What does this moment feel like in you, and can your AI tool notice?
Read & try: theslowai.substack.com/p/slow-ai-6-...
#SlowAI #AI 🧪 #SciComm #EthicalAI #GenAI
I loved last week's instalment, went back to it a few times. Thank you for this project!
August 4, 2025 at 12:29 PM
I loved last week's instalment, went back to it a few times. Thank you for this project!
Hi Angela, do you add to the list in the month at all? This one looks good... bsky.app/profile/augu...
HEY SFF WRITERS 👋✨
We want your books.
So we can acquire them.
And print them.
For our ✨🪶 SOON TO BE LAUNCHED PRESS 🪶✨
Submissions are open until August 30. 12.5k-40k words.
Guidelines are live on our site, found down-thread.
Pass it on 👀
We want your books.
So we can acquire them.
And print them.
For our ✨🪶 SOON TO BE LAUNCHED PRESS 🪶✨
Submissions are open until August 30. 12.5k-40k words.
Guidelines are live on our site, found down-thread.
Pass it on 👀
August 3, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Hi Angela, do you add to the list in the month at all? This one looks good... bsky.app/profile/augu...
Reposted by Susan Gordon Byron
We're excited to announce Chris Campbell will be reading from his forthcoming collection WHY I WEAR MY PAST TO WORK on 28/9 at The Bridge Inn in Bristol.
Swing by to see Chris and the other amazing readers, grab a pint, and hear some fantastic poetry!
Click through for the poets!
Swing by to see Chris and the other amazing readers, grab a pint, and hear some fantastic poetry!
Click through for the poets!
July 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM
We're excited to announce Chris Campbell will be reading from his forthcoming collection WHY I WEAR MY PAST TO WORK on 28/9 at The Bridge Inn in Bristol.
Swing by to see Chris and the other amazing readers, grab a pint, and hear some fantastic poetry!
Click through for the poets!
Swing by to see Chris and the other amazing readers, grab a pint, and hear some fantastic poetry!
Click through for the poets!
Looked it up. Ah, a highly rated sequel. Thanks for the pointer.
July 26, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Looked it up. Ah, a highly rated sequel. Thanks for the pointer.
Actually a subtle subversion on the 'US military might prevails' narrative popular at the time, because the ending shows that they never actually defeat the alien. The best they can hope for is survival. I enjoyed it, especially the cat-and-mouse jungle scenes, which run almost like a silent movie.
July 26, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Actually a subtle subversion on the 'US military might prevails' narrative popular at the time, because the ending shows that they never actually defeat the alien. The best they can hope for is survival. I enjoyed it, especially the cat-and-mouse jungle scenes, which run almost like a silent movie.
I do think 'art is imitative' is an intentional misreading of Plato's The Republic. Firstly, he is taking aim at Homeric narrative poetry, not other media. Secondly, he distinguishes between a 'good artist' and a 'real artist': the latter 'would be interested in realities and not imitations'.
July 25, 2025 at 10:54 AM
I do think 'art is imitative' is an intentional misreading of Plato's The Republic. Firstly, he is taking aim at Homeric narrative poetry, not other media. Secondly, he distinguishes between a 'good artist' and a 'real artist': the latter 'would be interested in realities and not imitations'.