Artistic Licence: Published with pride

The precarious nature of a poet's life makes small cheques always welcome, writes Dermot Bolger.

Dermot Bolger: 'Unless run by reputable organisations, competitions are best left to horses and greyhounds.'

I once heard the great poet, Michael Hartnett, interviewed on radio about his struggles with alcohol. He explained how small things would set him off. "Like what?" the interviewer asked. "It could be something very small," he replied, darkly mischievous and aware that such items weren't always forthcoming, "like a small cheque from RTE."

The precarious nature of a poet's life makes small cheques always welcome. However, once I was tempted not to ...