How to Make Curry Goat Poetry By Louise McStravick

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I think many of you know my interest in poetry helped forge my love of reading. To this day, I maintain a growing collection of poetry as I adore rhymes, allegories,  play on words, and free verse.  I  often gravitate to works that observe the natural world and explore passions and traditions and love and loss. So, a few months back I was thrilled to have the managing director of Fly On the Wall Press contact me about poet Louise McStravick and her book 'How to Make Curry Goat'.

 
I soon learned that McStravick is an interesting performer and page poet. She has headlined at events in London, Birmingham, and Amsterdam including London Literature Festival with Heaux Noire, Beans Rhymes & Life, Streetfest, and Words at the Warehouse. She was also part of the very first Apples and Snakes Platform Poets writer development programme, 2020. She was commissioned to write poems for the Words on Windrush anthology in 2019 with Empoword Slough. This project involved writing poetry based on oral history interviews. As a part of this, she was asked to read her poetry on BBC Berkshire. She uses writing to explore the nuances of her mixed-heritage, working-class identity. Her family is part of the Windrush generation. Her dad emigrated to the UK from Jamaica. 


There is something to say for a persons background helping with their writing of poetry. Rural, working-class poetry has always appealed to me because it's who I am and it's about habits, tradition, culture, and language and sometimes it's written as a springboard for change and growth. 


I would say  McStravick's book is definitely worth the read and while How to Make Curry Goat is the title cover I was impressed with all her work and especially liked  Solo female traveller and Tanned Feet. 


I look forward to reading more of  McStravick's poetry. I'd called it contemporary. Her writing is bold and there is a rawness about it that both soothes and excites me as it evokes a strong sense of belonging which offers great connection and value.

https://www.flyonthewallpoetry.co.uk/post/introducing-louise-mcstravick