Here’s three brand new poems from me at the regular Poetry in Motion open mic at the Fringe Bar in Wellington. My first time reading there in a couple of months. I debuted three new poems which you can click on below for text versions if you’d like to read them first, or after, or read along with the recording: .They are called The Centre-Right is Ick , Strange Hours , and Rip Me Apart Like A Shark in the Shallows: So make of that what you will — just trying to keep my hand in reading poems, as ...
Jul 02, 2025•3 min
Just mucking around with stories — so these are two different readings of the same story. The audio and video are separate recordings, so you can listen to the audio above on its own, or with reading the story below. Or you can watch the video. Or any combo… Click: They’d met at a café. First impressions were awful. But by coffee number three, things had reset. She’d spilled a drink on his lap. He laughed it off. She blushed and grinned. It was already a story. The click was instant. Like a frid...
Jun 10, 2025•5 min
I haven’t made a bit of music for a while. Some would say I never have — including after hearing any of the pieces. Fair enough. With that in mind, here’s my most recent. A wee piece I call New Coat . I guess I tried to address the question no one was asking — what would happen if Moby and Robert Miles collaborated after they’d both been hit in the head a bit? My (“musical”) answer is above. Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becomi...
May 22, 2025•3 min
I always knew when my grandfather had come home too boozed, or sometimes it was even on a night when he’d just drift in his chair. The whiskey had done a number on him again. There’d be some noise and then my grandmother would shout out, “Boil the combs!” Grandad was a good sort otherwise. He made me a go-kart out of old boxes, but when the other kids could go much faster, he took the engine from his leaf-blower and hid it under the hood. He said, “put your foot on this button and just ease off ...
May 20, 2025•6 min
We are back with the tenth episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . Our second of 2025 is the King’s first YA title, The Eyes of The Dragon, and since there’s no film version, as yet (and unlikely to ever be), and because it’s related — age-wise, we also dip into his graphic novelette, The Cycle of the Werewolf , and its ropey film adaptation, Silver Bullet . The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . Sounds Good! ...
May 18, 2025•31 min
I haven’t made a bit of music for a while. Some would say I never have — including after hearing any of the pieces. Fair enough. With that in mind, here’s my most recent. A wee piece I call Dark Winds . Might use it for some spoken word at some point, but for now, here it is. Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for reading Sounds Good! ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full...
Apr 30, 2025•4 min
When George Harrison died, I helped move a friend from her flat in Elizabeth St to her new place then in Tasman St. From Mt Vic to Mt Cook sounds like the title to a down-scaling book but this was just how it was back in 2001. We scrubbed the walls to get the smoke stains off from where the pictures had been and all the while the radio was playing Beatles songs. I was on the heavy lifting, helping the removal men when they arrived. I was lifting tables and chairs, computer desks and various thin...
Apr 22, 2025•3 min
It was my first time reading at The Office in Newtown, a regular get-together for some, but a new venue for it. I read two new poems — including one so new I wrote it the morning of the day I read it. The other is a couple of weeks old, both were new to being read aloud. They have a musical guest and a guest-poet but the first half of the programme is all-comers on an open mic. So check it out above to hear my two new poems. Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts an...
Mar 23, 2025•3 min
Here’s three brand new poems from me at the regular Poetry in Motion open mic at the Fringe Bar in Wellington. Where all of last year and even into early this year I have been rehearsing and showcasing material from The Richard Poems , this was my first time in years reading brand new material. So the three poems captured here are being read for the very first time.They are called Worlds Colliding , Ex/Terminate and Shake What Ya Mama Gave You . In the case of Ex/Terminate , I haven’t even uploa...
Mar 13, 2025•4 min
I’ve mentioned my little book, The Richard Poems a bunch here. Launched in November last year. I’ve shared a few (audio) readings along the way to publication — and then a couple that have come out since the release: But there at the top you have a video poem, I’m reading Summerslam, 1988 — a piece from early in the book. A scene-setter I guess. I also will include here a bonus video of a handful of poems from the book — being read for the first time, and as you’ll see (and hear) chosen on the f...
Feb 18, 2025•3 min
The final rehearsal for our show “DICK” is in the can — here’s a couple of sneak-peek clips; we were in the main room at Photospace Gallery today, where we’ll be delivering the show this Friday, Feb 21, 7.30pm. A reminder to buy your tickets online from The Fringe website — it’s $10 and that money goes to Women’s Refuge. There are no door sales on the night . Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
Feb 16, 2025•4 min
I popped along to the New Zealand Society of Authors — Wellington’s first event of 2025, an open mic at Undercurrent bookshop. There were all sorts of readings from all sorts of readings, including from novels and short stories and memoir and children’s books, and poetry. For my five-minute set, I read four poems from my latest collection, The Richard Poems . And you can listen to the recording here. It was also — of course — a chance to plug the upcoming show: Thanks for reading Sounds Good! ! ...
Feb 12, 2025•5 min
We are back with the ninth episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . Our first of 2025 is the classic Pet Sematar y , and the slightly less classic film adaptations (plural). Will they ever get this book right on screen? We think not. The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks...
Feb 07, 2025•40 min
Another rehearsal, so a few more teaser clips of the show developing… On Friday, February 21, I’ll be performing poems from my latest book as part of a Fringe Festival show : The show is taking place at Photospace Gallery in Courtenay Place, Wellington, at 7.30pm. I’m being backed by musicians John Kingston and James Gilberd of the duo Filtersphere. Their ambient, improvised wash of music is the perfect soundscape for my Richard Reimagining — a kind of poetry remix where I take about a third of ...
Jan 29, 2025•1 min
We are back with the eighth episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . A bit delayed here sorry, we actually put this up first on YouTube in late 2024, but then, you know, summer holidays, etc… And we are talking Christine — from 1983, the classic movie version from the same year too (John Carpenter). It’s a big book too, so as always that is the focus of the chat. We’ll be back as quick as we can with Pet Sematar y , the first proper pod of 2025… The podcast goes out on YouTub...
Jan 26, 2025•31 min
We are back with the seventhepisode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . And we are talking Cujo — from 1981, the classic movie version, and the sequel story Rattlesnakes , from the brand new story collection, You Like It Darker . But, as always, it’s the book that matters most. And for this conversation we were joined by our first guest, one of New Zealand’s greatest authors, Pip Adam . The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe o...
Nov 24, 2024•59 min
I was the guest poet at the November edition of Poetry in Motion. They have an open mic each month, and then a Feature Poet. This month it was me. I’d last done it in 2021 after the late 2020 release of The Death of Music Journalism. This time I had The Richard Poems to plug, but also read a few new and old poems. I also introduced Tarns Hood, during my segment, and got her to recite one of her poems. (Tarns is thanked in the Acknowledgments of my new book, she is one of the best performance poe...
Nov 07, 2024•31 min
We are back with the sixth episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . And we are talking Firestarter — the first book of the 1980s, the classic Drew Barrymore-starring film version, its ludicrous non-canon ‘sequel’, and a pretty bad recent remake. But it’s the book that matters most. (And the film soundtracks by Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter — LOL!). The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . But also adding it ...
Oct 25, 2024•41 min
We are back with the fifth episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . And we are talking Dead Zone — the 1979 political thriller/existential horror, and its 1983 David Cronenberg-helmed Sci-Fi film adaptation — but we are not discussing the TV series. We did not go there! The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . But also adding it here so you can find it on Substack, and your favourite podcast providers like Spotif...
Oct 14, 2024•29 min
I’ve got this (silly) idea for my next book — by which I mean the one after the one that is about to be released. I’d like to catalogue various low-key failures in my life via a set of autobiographical short stories. Vignettes, really. I have some audio recordings of some of these too, so I’m occasionally sharing them here with both options — you can listen to the spoken-word version (with my primitive soundscaping) or read the story below. Or both, you know, read-along-as-you-listen… Anyway, he...
Oct 08, 2024•2 min
Hey there, here’s a new set of recordings — more from the files of ‘The Richard Poems’. You’ll remember I have shareda few previous times reading, as I try to get to grips with these new poems, and work on the idea of creating an actual show, also the book is on its way soon. But if you missed the other recordings I’ll add them down here below: And, if you’re playing at home, I like to give you the option to read along — so below are the poems featured in this podcast in their print/text ‘readin...
Oct 03, 2024•7 min
We are back with the fourth episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . And we are talking The Stand — the 1978 epic novel, and its 1994 and 2020 miniseries’ — but we are discussing the 1990 Complete and Uncut version of the novel, since that’s the one in circulation these days. (And the one we read). The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . But also adding it here so you can find it on Substack, and your favourite ...
Sep 08, 2024•46 min
One year, when I gave up on university before it gave up on me, I made a last ditch effort to climb the hill and instead of going to class I studied the wall at Student Job Search, saw a piece of paper with a listing for a bookstore job. I’d always wanted one of those. So I took up the slip and registered. I aced the interview. And that was me. The new me. A worker. I’d pop down The Terrace and onto Lambton Quay and report for duty. It wasn’t a ‘great’ bookshop. But it did have books. And books ...
Aug 27, 2024•7 min
Alright, it’s time for the third episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . We are talking The Shining — the 1977 novel, and the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film adaptation. (Heck, we even talk a bit about the 1997 TV movie/mini-series). The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . But also adding it here so you can find it on Substack, and your favourite podcast providers like Spotify if you just want the audio. Sounds Good!...
Aug 26, 2024•51 min
Last night, as part of Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, I was honoured to be both the MC and one of the poets reading at an event held at Wellington’s divine secondhand bookstore and venue, Undercurrent. It was a wonderful line-up of poets, a dream to be part of this cast — and to get to introduce them all. I recorded my set, where I read six short pieces from the upcoming book, ‘The Richard Poems’. And now you can hear those poems here regardless of whether you were there on the night ...
Aug 23, 2024•7 min
I’ll have shared this story already — at least for paying subscribers — but here’s an audio-rendition (for all). I’m reading the story, and I’ve created the musical backing there, in my primitive way (under my Second Storey Teller alias). Anyway, it came up recently that I carried the Commonwealth Torch as part of the build up to the 1990 games. My dad still has a videotape he won’t part with, and, you guessed it — he doesn’t have a VCR. Anyway, here’s that story, in audio form, or you can read ...
Aug 20, 2024•2 min
Three ‘Richard’ Poems here in a recording at home. I read them earlier tonight at the Fringe Bar. And it went well — I think. Apart from me botching the audio recording. There were some gasps — at the use of the word ‘faggot’ and some of the anger and energy of these poems. And I wish I had that recorded. Instead I have this recording. And you have it too — if you’re interested. You can read along, or read instead by checking out the individual poems here: I must try to record a few more of thes...
Aug 15, 2024•5 min
Hey there, here we are with the second episode of We All Float Down Here — A Stephen King podcast . We talk about the book Salem’s Lot and the 1979 and 2004 film versions. There’s also a third film adaptation on the way … The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . But also adding it here so you can find it on Substack, and your favourite podcast providers like Spotify if you just want the audio. Thank you for reading Sounds Good! . Th...
Aug 07, 2024•37 min
Hello and welcome to the We All Float Down Here podcast . Today we talk in detail about Stephen King’s debut, Carrie, what we love, what we don’t love as much, and same applies to all the movies. The podcast goes out on YouTube first and foremost — so we’d love you to like and subscribe over there . But also adding it here so you can find it on Substack, and your favourite podcast providers like Spotify if you just want the audio. Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new po...
Jul 20, 2024•38 min
This is a first go at recording a video of a new poem. The text can be read or shared here: Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for reading Sounds Good! . This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 27, 2024•3 min
