Posts that mention a person other than myself
Currently enjoying the first leg of the journey that is Takin’ It To The Streets, the annual poetry pub crawl. Dante’s now, Southpaw and Blue Velvet later. For specifics, check out the Overload Poetry website page for this gig.
The launch was amazing, The Heart Chamber were fantastic.
I had the good fortune to attend the kick off for 2009 of Wordplay, the monthly gig hosted by Geoff Lemon which has now moved to the more spacious surrounds of the Dan O’Connell in Carlton. Given recent sad events it was also turned into a fundraiser for a poet who had suffered and lost in the recent bushfires.
We were entertained by the spiritual and thoughtful Simon Cox, Joelistics (musician and rap artist with TZU) got us moving, we were blown away by the picturesque story telling of Eleanor Jackson and beguiled at the end by the work of Kevin Brophy.
Go check out their website, listen to the mp3s of previous gigs, download a copy of the Wordplay mag that they’ve just launched. It’s all worth your time.
I was delighted to discover that the Indiefeed Performance Poetry podcast is interviewing and featuring work by three Melbourne poets currently in the US. Alicia Sometimes, Emily Zoe Baker and Sean Whelan have all just appeared on the list. If you don’t listen to Indiefeed, I highly recommend it to lovers of poetry. As a podcast it can be handled through programs like iTunes or you can download individual episodes from the Indiefeed website.
More about Alicia, Emily and Sean can be found by following their links here!
Reading: “District And Circle” – Seamus Heaney
Listening: “This Year’s Girl” – Elvis Costello
My first poetry feature of the year will be at Passionate Tongues!
What: Passionate Tongues! Hosted by Michael Reynolds.
Who: Me! I will be headlining with Ozlem Baro. This is her first feature (I believe). I have heard her read at Spinning Room, I suspect this won’t be her last.
Where: The Brunswick Hotel, 140 Sydney Rd, Brunswick (cnr. Weston Rd.)
When: 8pm, Monday, 2nd February
How: (…much?) Entry is free, but we do encourage the sale of raffle tickets as the proceeds get split between the features for the evening. Besides, the raffle prizes are good!
Why: Because I have new stuff! Because I have old stuff! Because Ozlem is really good! Because The Brunswick Hotel has bad album sleeves adorning their walls and good beer adorning their bar!
Reading: “Just Your Everyday Apocalypse†– Amelia Walker (which I got the last time I was at PT!!)
Listening: “Apparitions†– Matthew Good Band
I was thrilled to see Australian poet (and patron of the Melbourne Poet’s Union) Kevin Brophy is featured in the Guardian’s Poem of the Week. Link here.
Reading: “Penguin Modern Poets 17 – David Gascoyne, W.S. Graham, Kathleen Raineâ€
Listening: “Everybody Has To Eat†– The Triffids
Playing: GTA IV and 2 games of futsal this evening.
Another marvellous feature by Rosanne Bersten at the Spinning Room poetry gig last night. Her poems gave a preview of her upcoming California vignettes series and went through a series of works on people in her life. It also reminded me of how well she can switch between free and structured verse.
The night was also notable for the really rather impressive collection of new poets appearing in the open mic section. At least two new poets who I hope to see more of, one getting a callback.
For my part, I think I did OK, I’m more comfortable reading the revised version of Tomorrow’s Ghosts now, Ballard Days still feels a little unbalanced, though I’m not sure why. Either way, I think it needs a little more tweaking.
Hosted by Helen Lucas, Alex Skovron and I will be featuring in the magnificent stone acoustics of the Eltham Courthouse.
When: Thursday, 21st February, 7:30 for an 8pm start.
Where: Eltham Courthouse, 728 Main Rd, Eltham (near the corner of Brougham St., about center in the map)
What: $5 entry, open mic, free tea, wine, coffee, biscuits and door prize.
Hope to see as many of you there as possible!
Reading: City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology (ed. Lawrence Ferlinghetti)
Listening: Ani Difranco – Wish I May
Come join Alex Skovron and I at the Eltham Courthouse!
Hosted by Helen Lucas, Alex and I will be featuring in the magnificent stone acoustics of the Eltham Courthouse.
When: Thursday, 21st February, 7:30 for an 8pm start.
Where: Eltham Courthouse, 728 Main Rd, Eltham (near the corner of Brougham St., about center in the map)
What: $5 entry, open mic, free tea, wine, coffee, biscuits and door prize.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do the happy dance, then write frantically for approximately 5 weeks.
Listening: Matthew Good Band – Weapon
Reading: London Review of Books, January 3rd, 2008
I attribute the following quote to Christine Hamm, English lecturer at Rutgers University and author of The Transparent Dinner.
“The reverse poem exercise consists of taking a poem, breaking it down line by line and trying to write the opposite of each image and word. After you’re done you can play with it anyway you want.”
Suffice to say I’ve had far too much fun doing this. Beneath the cut is one example I’ve been working on.
Continue reading yrteoP esreveR
Quoting from The Age article here : “Sekou Sundiata, the Harlem-born poet, performer, artist, activist and educator who inspired audiences at last year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival, passed away in New York yesterday from heart failure. He was 58.”.
I discovered a site several years ago where you could download mp3s of amazing poets reading their own work. The site is no longer there, but the first person I discovered on it was Sekou Sundiata. Brilliant poet, teller of stories. Lyrical, passionate, his work was spiritual, regardless of actual content. His use of rhythm and cadence was gorgeous.
Then I discovered he’d released an album “Longstoryshort”. The album is one of my favorite albums, musical or otherwise. I was very lucky to catch “51st Dream State”, one of the few performances of any media that I’ve wept from. I wish I’d seen “blessing the boats” (read the article for the story behind that performance).
If you are interested, listen to “The Sound Of Memory” to hear what I’m talking about.
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