Current issue now on sale!

The Lost & Found issue of Helicon is now on sale!

32 pages glossy pages filled with art, poetry, photography, short stories and features - compiled by students from Bristol University. We only have 200 of these limited edition copies so make sure to get your hands on one!

Where can I pick up a copy?

This Friday 31st January, between 11am and 3pm we will be in the foyer of the Refectory on Woodland Road selling copies.

How much does it cost?

If you're a member of Helicon, it's free! The price for non-members is £1, but by signing up to be a member for just £3 you receive the following benefits:

• Free or discounted entry to all Helicon events and workshops - this term we have crafty workshops, creative writing workshops and film trips lined up

• Opportunity to sign up for the Helicon Book Club - announced February

• Free copies of this and future issues this year

• Sign up on Friday, and you will also be entered into our competition to win Boston Tea Party vouchers!

How do you sign up to be a member?

You can sign up for membership this Friday at the Refectory. If you are already a member, come along to pick up your free copy of the magazine then too. Some of us from the Helicon team will be there for a chat if you'd like to find out how you can contribute content to the blog and the next issue!

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the Lost & Found issue - with your help, we really enjoyed putting the magazine together and we are looking forward to another term with lots more creative events for you.

Join the Helicon team!

New theme: Perception

PERCEPTION

This term we're asking you to explore the theme of perception. This can be interpreted in any way and in any creative medium. Send your poetry, creative writing, art, photography or any creative idea to helicon.magazine@gmail.com before Sunday 24th February to be considered for publication in our next issue.

And here's a dose of creative inspiration to get the ideas flowing...

Optical illusions can alter the way we perceive things. The brain can hide things from us, transform shapes, make us see the same thing in multiple ways... 

The five senses are our only means of perceiving the world around us. Are we right in thinking that through these senses we can perceive reality? What is it like to live without one of these senses?

Alison Scarpulla

Michel Nguie

What about self-perception and our perception of others? What influences our perception of beauty, love, religion, living a good life, and how do those perceptions influence us?

William Gropper - Good and Evil

How does memory, emotion or mental illness alter perception? 

Insomniac

The night is only a sort of carbon paper,
Blueblack, with the much-poked periods of stars
Letting in the light, peephole after peephole . . .
A bonewhite light, like death, behind all things.
Under the eyes of the stars and the moon's rictus
He suffers his desert pillow, sleeplessness
Stretching its fine, irritating sand in all directions.

Over and over the old, granular movie
Exposes embarrassments--the mizzling days
Of childhood and adolescence, sticky with dreams,
Parental faces on tall stalks, alternately stern and tearful,
A garden of buggy rose that made him cry.
His forehead is bumpy as a sack of rocks.
Memories jostle each other for face-room like obsolete film stars.

He is immune to pills: red, purple, blue . . .
How they lit the tedium of the protracted evening!
Those sugary planets whose influence won for him
A life baptized in no-life for a while,
And the sweet, drugged waking of a forgetful baby.
Now the pills are worn-out and silly, like classical gods.
Their poppy-sleepy colors do him no good.

His head is a little interior of grey mirrors.
Each gesture flees immediately down an alley
Of diminishing perspectives, and its significance
Drains like water out the hole at the far end.
He lives without privacy in a lidless room,
The bald slots of his eyes stiffened wide-open
On the incessant heat-lightning flicker of situations.

Nightlong, in the granite yard, invisible cats
Have been howling like women, or damaged instruments.
Already he can feel daylight, his white disease,
Creeping up with her hatful of trivial repetitions.
The city is a map of cheerful twitters now,
And everywhere people, eyes mica-silver and blank,
Are riding to work in rows, as if recently brainwashed.

Sylvia Plath

Van Gogh - Old Man in Sorrow

Words(worth) of the week #3

An extract from William Wordsworth's 'The Two-Part Prelude of 1799':

She was an elfin pinnace; twenty times
I dipped my oars into the silent lake,
And as I rose upon the stroke my boat
Went heaving through the water like a swan -
When, from behind that rocky steep (till then
The bound of the horizon) a huge cliff,
As if with voluntary power instinct,
Upreared its head. I struck, and struck again,
And, growing still in stature, the huge cliff
Rose up between me and the stars, and still,
With measured motion, like a living thing
Strode after me. With trembling hands I turned
And through the silent water stole my way
Back to the cavern of the willow-tree.
There in her mooring-place I left my bark,
And through the meadows homeward went with grave
And serious thoughts; and after I had seen
That spectacle, for many days my brain
Worked with a dim and undetermined sense
Of unknown modes of being. In my thoughts
There was a darkness - call it solitude,
Or blank desertion. No familiar shapes
Of hourly objects, images of trees,
Of sea or sky, no colours of green fields,
But huge and mighty forms that do not live
Like living men moved slowly through my mind
By day, and were the trouble of my dreams.

Independent magazines

We often hear that the rise of blogging and digital media will have an impact on printed publications, suggesting a gradual turn away from our books and magazines in favour of more convenient kindles and blogs. There remains, however, a culture for independent magazines, where the emphasis is placed on selecting an (often obscure) subject area, yet one which evokes passion within people, and exploring this interest in a distinctly artistic way. We would assume that this industry would be the first to suffer in the face of digitalisation, yet in fact it could be seen to have the adverse effect, making those who prefer to possess the printed work in all its tangible glory even more loyal to an otherwise threatened art.  

Browsing the shelves in W H Smith's, my eye fell upon the only magazine which did not use flashy colours and pictures of celebrities looking "fat" in a bikini to sell. 'Oh Comely' prefers a minimalist layout, where a sense of uncluttered calm pervades the pages and tells the reader that this is a magazine which deserves to be read, admired, thought about, and then kept on a shelf to be taken down again at another date. The tag-line 'Keep your curiosity sacred' is for me what magazines are all about. There is little purpose to independent, arts focused magazines other than attempting to encourage people's curiosities about the world. I recently subscribed to Stack, a service which collects independent publications from across the globe and sends one to my doorstep every month. I’ve realized that I don't have to be particularly interested in the magazine’s subject area in order to get something out of it. Magazines such as ‘Rouleur’ have an underlying focus on cycling, yet it is the atmospheric and brooding monchrome photography which gives it its distinct character. ‘Anorak’ calls itself a ‘happy mag for kids’, yet the colourful illustrations are enough to make any adult happy too. With certain magazines, it is the actual physicality of the book which we are led to admire. ‘Wrap’ is a magazine showcasing emerging graphic designers and artists, yet once you’ve finished reading it, the pages can 

be taken out to create wrapping paper from these artworks.

It takes a little more searching to find these magazines, yet I would say well worth it if you want to read about something other than the latest new skincare product, or what happened on last week's X Factor.

Ancient Bristol

Map of Bristol, c. 1610.

A lot has changed since then...

~ M.D.

Where the Boats Stay and the Bristolians Live their Days...

The Bristol harbourside. Even as a born and bred Bristolian, I still find myself gravitating towards the familiar sights of the homely canal boats and the gentle sounds of fellow Bristolians pitter pattering, going about their daily business. I am still caught in moments of awe on a crisp, sunny, hazy morning when the river twinkles as if to stay hello, and the sky is of the most dreamy blue, that I feel I could be swept up into it.

 

I have taken many a fellow student from the comfort of the univeristy bubble down  to the harbourside to share with them the delights of my home. Every time, it still astounds me how little people know about, what I believe to be the most beautiful and un-ruined part of Bristol. For this reason I am going to self-indulge and share with you all, the gems of Bristol Harobourside...

 

Bristol Harbourside

 

1. The Arnolfini

All sorts goes on down here, art, theatre, films and it also houses an extensive book and magazine collection. Keep an eye on the website for details of events and exhibitions.

 

2. The Watershed

I have already given the Watershed a heads up in a previous post but it is worth mentioning again. Truly, it is the best place to watch a film. As much as it is a place to go to with a group of people, there is something fairly satisfying about popping along to one of their midday sunday screenings and watching a film in your own company for an afternoon.

 

3. M-Shed

Celebrating the story of Bristol, from the glitzy heights of Clifton, to the furthest 'burbs. The main part is free of charge but they also do temporary exhibitions. At the moment the exhibition 'Real and Imagined Lives: what is fact, what is fiction?' is showing, featuring a rather solemn looking Stephen Merchant....

 

4. SS Great Britain

Fun, in a word. This is further down the river and is the home of Brunel's SS Great Britain, as well as the most friendliest people you will ever meet. You can easily make a day of it down there, whether it is pretending to be a captain for the whole day or losing yourself in the fascinating collection documenting the history of this magnificent ship.

 

The SS Great Britain



5. Weekend Market

It is fairly easy to be distracted by the numerous items on display at this market. I am particularly fond of a book stall run by a man named Keith I got chatting to the other week, who sells boxes upon boxes  of books ranging from Steinbeck to Hemingway, and all at very good prices. I picked up a 1960s vintage John Steinbeck title for a mere £4. A must visit, for the reader who loves their books to have a bit of history indented into the pages.

 

6. The Ferry Services

If you are a bit stuck for time, the cross ferry service runs daily, taking you briskly over to the other side of the river. There are also specialised boat tours, showing you the best of what Bristol has to offer. There are plenty of leaflets down by the harbour (near the SS Great Britain) with listings of  various trips. A good one to keep in mind when the parents happy when they come to visit.

 

7. Under the Stars

A cafe/bar that is as beautiful as it sounds. They certainly try to pack in a lot over the week: friday open mic nights, film showings every wednesday and great food and drink too. Marvellous!

 

8. The Louisianna

Many a successful band has started their days of touring in this small music venue. It is also a great place to catch some local music and mix with some locals.

 

9. The Apple Cider Bar

You are not an initiated student at Bristol until you have sampled some proper Bristol cider. This is the place to do it.

 

10. Thekla

After that you can move a little bit down the river to Thekla, the club on a boat, marked with one of Banksy's famous images. It is also another great place to catch some live music. Their webite has all the details you need.

 

That is just a taste of what this great city has to offer. PLEASE give these places a visit and let the Helicon team know what you think....You can comment on any of these blogs and it would be great to get some feedback from you all about what you think of our posts.

 

A.P

 

 

 

 

The Happiness Machine

‘The Invisible Circus produces unique circus theatre experiences in a wide variety of unusual locations, from circus big tops and traditional theatres to site specific and promenade performances in disused industrial and historical buildings.’ The Invisible Circus

As a treat to ourselves for our hard work and fourth year endurance, we decided to take a trip to the circus. The Happiness Machine, seemed a promising title because we all deserved a smile on our faces.  Indeed it did make us grin, but it also made us ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ and gasp and think and reflect.  I have been to plenty circuses in my time, and in my childhood years, the only things that I was left with were sticky fingers and popcorn leftovers stuck to my jumper. The Happiness Machine provides much more than just a showcase of bumbling clowns, silly gimmicks and cheap laughs. It is a symbolic and powerful performance criticizing how we have become slaves to the commercial world.

The main stage is taken over by a set of two-storey houses and their brightly lit windows gave us a sneak peek into the personal lives of the main characters whilst they are not on stage.  The first scene follows the story of an over-worked office worker as he teeters and staggers along a tight rope wire whilst trying to reach all of his deadlines. His skill becomes more visible as more work is piled into his inbox and it all becomes incredibly stressful. The choreography is a smart way of expressing how our work lives are at times overwhelming, all encompassing and exasperating.

The next few scenes are focused upon our consumerist society, sparkly ruby slippers and golden cleaning gloves are on all of the girl’s wish lists. Beautiful models take to the main stage, mincing around, lifting off into the heights of the tent on aerial hula hoops and show off the products in all of their glory.  But the poor old house wife is devastatingly let down after hoping and dreaming that the products will transform her into a new version of herself.  

In the final scene the couch-potato character finally appears on his favorite TV game show and the stage turns into a golden and glittery roller disco. His life is completed; he has won a chance to go through the ‘magic door’. The message ultimately comes down to the fact that we live in a sad world in which we dedicate much of our lives to television. We specifically put off social events because we have to be at home at 9pm to watch the next episode of our favorite soap.

It is quite a dismal reality, we can all relate to the scenes in some kind of way and I respect the Invisible circus’ attempt to provide a critical outlook on society. It is a smart technique to title the circus, The Happiness Machine because we really are happy. We are watching silly and entertaining stunts and tricks, our mouths wide open in amazement or in hysteria. The production copies the way in which television switches our minds off and subliminally forces us into zombie mode.  The final irony is that even though we are laughing, the happiness machine converts and transforms itself throughout the performance into the commercial marketing machine without us even realizing. 

A.A.H

Escaping the Body

My favourite fashion blogger Susie Bubble recently completed the Nike Women's Half Marathon:

http://www.stylebubble.co.uk/style_bubble/2012/10/run-for-life.html

Susie's description of the journey from panting through 3 kilometres in her first training session to sobbing over the finishing line in San Francisco chimed true with experiences of my own. Since having a major back operation to correct scoliosis in September, 2010 the route back to making my body function again has been frustrating and arduous.

I abjectly hate my body much of the time.  Perhaps more so because adages about health mattering more than looks do not ring true.  I can cover my skin in pretty material, but I can't make my skeleton work properly.  X-rays of a body full of metal do not appear to represent me, maybe since although I know it is there, I cannot physically see the scar that covers it.  Boyfriends are used to tell me what it looks like.

However, one of the rare opportunities I get to experience feelings of appreciation for my body and test its limits is when I cycle.  Before my operation I became quite obsessed with cycling and getting fit..I used it as a way to exert some control over the body that was rebelling against me.  I lived on salads and always pushed myself to go as fast as I could over the 14 miles (7 miles each direction) I went through to work and back each day.  Toned legs and protruding clavicles let me pretend I could control and shape my body as I wished.

Nowadays - as those who know me will attest - I eat cake, drink beer and have clothes in my wardrobe I can no longer fit into.  I don't want to go back to starving myself.  I will never be remembered for being skinny and I cannot write (the thing I live for) if I am hungry.  What I still crave though, is the adrenaline of going slightly too fast down hill after getting dizzy fighting my way up the other side.

I have recently began cycling again and, like Susie, I am quite a wreck when I do so.  Gone are the days when I floated daintily along on my dutch bike in a floral flock.  These autumnal mornings I wheeze and wimper as I cut through the sludge of cold air.  My legs feel like they are wading through trench mud and I hate myself, curse myself, for being made of chubby beer fat and assorted aches and pains.

But I will get there.  Perhaps by next summer I will be able to enjoy half falling off my bike, a sweaty mess in the late afternoon heat, and diving into the shower.  After flummoxing through two years of pain, only imagining it as a means to an end, the aim is now to enjoy the journey once more.

Rosemary Ellen Cherry