Fiction Adaptation: Meeting with Ross Sutherland

Recently I was able to speak to my chosen poet on the phone.

PHONE MEETING WITH ROSS SUTHERLAND

I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Ross, and I was really interested to learn what I did about his poem 'Poem Heard on Heart 105'.

Ross said:

"I wrote the poem by just sitting in a parked car and listening to local radio. Whatever song came on I promised myself I had to respond it. So it's very much a durational project - just meant to represent a small period of quiet time and where the mind goes"

Whilst talking to him, I also found out:

- That he wrote the poem in the carpark of a dentist, whilst he was waiting for his girlfriend.

- The poem is literally him writing down his thoughts as each song plays on the radio.

- The line "trying to arrange these horses in a way that feels meaningful" is him explaining that there were some horses across the road, and he was trying to think of a way to poetically write something about them.

- The line "the signal went dead, as if an angel took a short cut through the car", is a reference to the old wives tale when during moments of silence people say it's like an angel just passed by.

- The lines about radio jingles are him saying that the process of advertising on radio is still the same as it was 50 years ago.

- The poem explore the ideas of modern day communication, and the idea that thousands of people can all listen to one song at the same time if they all tune into the same radio station.

- It's also about letting the radio guide your thoughts.

I found this phone call with Ross really interesting, and it was really good to hear his thoughts on the poem, and my ideas for its visual representation. He said that I could do what I liked with the poem, and that he looks forward to seeing the results. It's given me a lot to think about.

Ross has also very kindly provided me with a high quality recording of him using the poem which I can use in the film.