Poetry Month Continues With Ivor Cutler!

Where to begin with Ivor Cutler?

Here he is.
Here he is.

Well, he was a poet, musician, all-around kook, and he played Buster Bloodvessel in Magical Mystery Tour. John Peel used to play his music all the time, and people complained, and so he played it even more!

I discovered him when I was in a bookstore in England. I had been making little books of my own, and I came across a little book in this store. It was full of strange drawings and writing, so I bought it. It seemed up my alley.

This is it.
This is it.

I was hooked. He writes odd prose poems with odd little drawings, and it all makes sense if you know what you like.

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Here’s a video of him reciting one of his poems.

And here’s a song:

 

I read a story where a college once called him and wanted him to perform. After they told him the payment for the show, he thought about it, then whispered, “Offer me less money.” They did, and he shouted, “DONE!”

Apparently when Paul McCartney called him about being in Magical Mystery Tour, the only response he got out of Ivor was “oh.” They don’t make them like this anymore.