“So many ways to begin…” (© Jon McGregor)
First, to explain the name “Altered Land”.
It’s a phrase drawn from a poem called “The Almond Tree” by Jon Stallworthy (1935-2014) that was also used as the title of a novel by Jules Hardy.
The poem describes the writers journey to the hospital for the birth of his son. He parks under an almond tree that is coming into blossom (and notices this). He finds that his son has Downs Syndrome and in considering this and all the other altered lives in the hospital, he describes the hospital as a great ship setting sail for the night-
“The hospital – its heavy freight
lashed down ship-shape ward over ward –
steamed into the night with some on board
soon to be lost if the desperate
charts were known. Others would come
altered to land or find the land
altered. At their voyage’s end
some would be added to, some diminished.”
The intention is that these words will be about seeing the almond tree in blossom as your world changes beyond all recognition, taking time to notice and note and to realise when an alteration has occurred.
There will be books and poems and films and pictures as well.
Thank you for reading this far.
