1976

by David

1976

snooker balls crack in the heat.
school afternoons Mrs Taylor has us lie down and sleep.
the sky is too bright.
it bleaches the chalky soil.
in the summer holidays we paddle in the brook
six feet below the field,
spot minnows & sticklebacks
– transparent slivers in the dazzle & shallows –
they shiver and dart
then anchor in the stream
hold still as page-markers
while you watch your serious children play
Posted in Poems | Leave a comment

Spokenworder Xander Maksik's novel published

Congratulations to long time Spokenworder and former Paris resident, Xander Maksik, whose novel was published this year. He was recently interviewed by World Literature Today about writing in Paris, an article well worth reading. He also contributed a piece to Strangers in Paris. His novel you can find on Amazon (US) or Amazon (Europe).  Praise for his novel you can find here.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

SPOKENWORD 8-8-2011

Some highlights, by David.

Marius groped his sister. “Eliza,” cried Colin, “ride me like a steed! Enfold me in your knees!” Amanda was at it too, despite being 84, she wanted to make love one more time. And she was transformed from marble to mozzarella.
James had an ode to CY O’Connor. He cycled from Perth to Melbourne. Sit in one space long enough and the Milky Way will come to you.
I read from and adapted from Nicke Greene’s lines in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando:

      Oh young writers will turn out any trash that will sell…It confounds me to think that I have sold only 500 copies of my poem! (Though this of course is largely due to what can only be described as a conspiracy against me.) It hurts me to say it, for I love literature – as I love life – but the art of poetry is dead in England.

Alexa reported on cat life.
Grace approached the morning fridge. Saved nobody with her final gasp.

Lauren, New York-based singer, let the blues roll through Culture Rapide.

John McNulty went home with the waitress.
Moe & Anne Marie murmured in the night.
Maxx’s children lie in silent spaces.
Bee never eats eggs alone.
Mike was dragged across the couch for 15 hours (or possibly the south, my handwriting was deteriorating as the night wore on…)
Pablo. Ah, Pablo, with his evil flowers.
REA corrupted the flesh. Will I ever find my mother, by and by, in the sky?
Miche Miche? A magician, lost on the metro.
Paul went howling through the bar like village fire.
Beth, lying closer to God (that sod).
Troy? Tenderness with a belt. A foolish heart on a rampage.

Camille did Motherology, in the name of her children.

 Next SpokenWord this Monday, 22nd Aug from 8.30.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Sabotage review of Strangers

link

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Photos from the launch

taken by Calvin Chan.

David Barnes. Think I was explaining something or other.

Colin Mahar reads his “re-translations”
Suzanne Allen reads An Hour with Madame Sabatier
Sion Dayson reads The Idiopath

Helen Cusack O’Keeffe after reading The Ehrlich Remedy for Grief


Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

David Fishel and Leemore Malka launch

Posted in Interesting things and press | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Strangers in Paris launch 25th July 6pm/9pm

At 6pm we launch at Shakespeare & Company bookshop
(37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005, Métro St Michel)
A sparkling taste of some of the distinct voices that make up the book.
Like literary champagne!
Just enough of each voice to tantalise and excite the palate.
With short readings from the book by Suzanne Allen, David Barnes, Marie Davis, Sion Dayson, Antonia Klimenko, Colin Joseph Wolfgang Mahar, Danielle McShine, Helen Cusack O’Keeffe and Sarah Riggs.

After, there’ll be wine courtesy of Shakespeare & Co.

Link to Shakespeare & Co’s page about the event

At 9pm the launch continues at SpokenWord
(at the bar Culture Rapide – 103 rue Julien Lacroix, 75020, Metro Belleville)

Featuring writers from Strangers integrated into the usual open mic.

facebook page for the launch:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162557423817015

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Spokenword likes… Claire Trevien

The next Spokenword isn’t till 25th July when we launch the anthology Strangers in Paris, so why not come to the Culture Rapide on Thursday to hear two great poets and catch the free blues jam afterwards…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

SpokenWord 27-6-2011

Denis blows the house down

Suzanna jazzed up a Shakespeare sonnet. Troy drowned in eager dreams, wanting somebody who crumbles, breaks, says sorry but slaps back. Julien took in flies like a whale takes in plankton. Later, he read a letter of complaint directed at his audience.

Julien Field

Kelly grave crazy advice while Harvey interpreted souls with Gilgamesh. Dheeraj’s toothless princess rode her aunt’s knee. Tous à cause de la secheresse, Ifeanyi a dit. But like a snap of the tongue, Alberto was water exploding on his own forehead while Maxx blotted out the names once carved into the great Cedar of Lebanon. 
But for Matilde, summer in the city was long gone.
 
As Trèlys asked, Will there be not a trace left behind?

SpokenWord will be back to find out at  9pm Monday 11th July at the Culture Rapide.

Harvey/Hérvé

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

SpokenWord likes… Julian's new stand up comedy show

//////

Every Wednesday at 9:30 PM (July and August) @ Theatre La Cible (62, rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle – Metro Pigalle)

Video teaser: http://vimeo.com/25081691

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments