What other people say

There are a couple of reviews of Tonguefire (the pamphlet, that is, not the blog) online.

Colin Will's concise review is on the review pages of the Poetry Scotland website. You have to scroll down quite a way or do a search for the title. He says mine is "a refreshing and distinctive new voice", which is good to hear.

An even more concise review can be found on Tim Love's literary references. Mr Love says the pamphlet

"Reminds me of a more sinewy, less liminal version of John Burnside."

I'll take the comparison as a compliment, but I can't help asking: does it make me a subliminal writer?

There have also been a couple of print reviews of the pamphlet. Anna Crowe gave it a very favourable review indeed in the second issue of Sphinx, the HappenStance chapbook review, but the review isn't online, unfortunately.

Also in print only is Jim Burns's review in Ambit 182. He mentions my "careful way of writing"; a pity similar care was not taken over the spelling of my surname, which is rendered "Phillip" three times out of the four it's mentioned. However, I certainly can't grumble about the review. Far from it: Mr Burns divulges that he has lines from "To Bake the Bread" pinned up above his desk and ends by saying:

"This is a slim volume ..., but it leaves an impression that is much more memorable than many bigger books. Andrew Philip [Yes! Only one l!] is a poet worth watching."