Photos from les pères populaires

Posted on January 12, 2008 by David Barnes





Theme was Laughter vs Sadness. “All good humour comes from real pain” – Deborah Moggach.
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Halloween Spoken Word… hosted by Conor & Alexa. Report by Alexa.

Posted on November 15, 2007 by David Barnes

The place was packed! Not all at once, but gradually more and more people came until the room was full. We had scary sound effects, even scarier MCs and Bob brought us a Jack O’Lantern before delighting the crowd with his hen-pecked hootenanny! And then, there were some serious and very moving moments. Sion read a fantastic piece about inter-racial strife and a mother’s loss. Morris read from Finnegan’s Wake with an eloquence that I have rarely heard before. Conrad couldn’t stop making fun of his friend Jack –O’Lantern– and had us holding our sides with laughter. The dynamic duo of Laura and Igor — the Argentine siblings — who read from some of their favorite novels left us hanging on our seats–Laura really brought her story to life with her kooky hat and grand gestures! Conor, of course gave us The Raven, with props and jests, and although always exciting, it’s hard to appreciate Poe when the delivery is given by a man in a Mexican wrestling outfit! But Maxime was the scariest of all: for it was he of the blackness and spikes who appeared completely dressed in white, and with his hair unleashed, he made the perfect bride of Frankenstein—umm, for a guy. Neil delighted us as usual, with stories of his life and busting up Halloween pumpkins and Pauline had us howling with Tim Burton’s story of a couple whose offspring looked–and tasted–like oysters. Nila was as quiet as a ghost: “I had nothing to read”, quoth she, but I’m sure it’s because she is thinking of her novel…good luck Nila!I told ghost stories and recounted Mexican withcraft lore, when I wasn’t going on about kissing…All in all it was a grand time and although we forgot to pass out the mailing sheet, I do wish and hope that you’ll all come back. The ambiance was terrific!

Alexa

All together too many people to mention everyone, so this is just some of the highlights.
Oh and a request, to Sion and Conrad, any chance we could put what you read on the blog? People have been asking if they could get a copy.

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Alexa, Bérangère, Conrad, Simone & Alison, Dominic

Posted on November 15, 2007 by David Barnes





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Pauline reads the sad story of Oyster Boy

Posted on November 15, 2007 by David Barnes

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The Anti-Max

Posted on November 15, 2007 by David Barnes



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Xander

Posted on November 15, 2007 by David Barnes

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Mysterious artist

Posted on November 15, 2007 by David Barnes

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Report from 10th October at The Ogre

Posted on October 23, 2007 by David Barnes

Back for a night of sex & love after the cold and dismal summer. Captain Bob chased a moorhen through his boat with a meat cleaver, naked as the way God made him and trying out all his Kung-Fu moves. Erin brought out what really goes on in a man’s mind when he’s trying not to… you know. Alexa called a con a CON! among other things while Conor touched his tits and thought about when he was a baby. Neil’s shotgun was only for his Grandaddy, Erica sang the story of Jack & Jill and shut us all up for a moment, Nila brought sharp sketches of People We All Know. (You know who you are.) And a reminder that November is “Write a novel in a month month” so get tapping away on those keyboards. Simona gave us heartfelt stuff about her dad and her good friend, and I snotted all over the mic’. Ewwwww! Maxime invoked Aleister Crowley. God knows what he’ll do next time when the theme for the night is Halloween.
If I’ve forgotten anyone who read, well, it’s been a while and that’s all I can remember of the top of me head.
Supporting cast provided by Pablo Neruda, Roger McGough, e.e. cummings, Henry Normal (“The house is not the same since you left”), John Hegley http://www.johnhegley.co.uk/ and Richard Brautigan.

Next time it’s at the Ogre again and it’ll be Halloween so write or find or ransack stuff about Halloween and bring it down to the cellar at the Ogre at 8 o’clock. Edgar Alan Poe in French anyone? I seem to recall he was translated by a certain gent by the name of Baudelaire, Mr Flowers of Evil himself.
And there’ll be a prize for the best Halloween get up. Personally I like to go as Jesus as he scares the crap out of me, dragging that big bloody cross around, but I can’t really give myself a prize can I?

David

PS David Fishel – who many of you will recall from autumn and winter’s Spoken Word – you know, that tall lanky guy who came down the catacombs and wrote poetry about cheese – is gonna be in town mid November with his girlfriend and they need a room to crash in – if you can help, email me.
And for your amusement, here’s a video of the man himself.
http://www.vimeo.com/207506

Ciao!

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You Keep Living or You Don't: On the Anniversary of Hemingway's Death, Essay by Alexander Maksik

Posted on September 6, 2007 by David Barnes

When I was in high school I read Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Nothing I’d read had so entirely hypnotized me, nothing had so seduced me. I was seventeen years old and living in Ketchum, Idaho.

I read the book for my Senior Seminar, a class taught by my father (then the headmaster of the school I attended) and a teacher I loved and admired named Tom Johnson. By the then I’d read some Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea, nearly all of his collected stories, The Sun Also Rises. I know now that I didn’t understand much of what I read. Not really. Not the way you do when you’re older. But when I read A Moveable Feast I felt something change. Perhaps it was the first of very few books that altered my perception of the world.
You don’t always know why a book moves you. But something takes hold, you give in to it, you fall. And once you’re taken, you begin to hold the book differently, you think about it when you’re away from it, you look forward to returning to it, you’re terrified you’ll lose it. Hemingway’s memoir took me; nothing I’d read before had captured so clearly a sense of place, a sense of time passing, the urgency of desire and of a sensual life.
To read the rest, go here:
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Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators

Posted on September 3, 2007 by David Barnes

A recommendation from me for those of you writing children’s books:
SCBWI France have their site up and running at http://www.scbwifrance.com/
Tioka, who’s been organising their events, says:
“Two great events listed on there. A series with some pros talking shop and a master class with the chair of an MFA program, prolific writer, poet and cool woman.”
“There’s a four-part series led by published writers for 25 euros starting in October. The chair of Vermont College’s MFA program is coming for a 2 part master class in November. I think that one is about 50 euros and that includes a pre and post peer critique session. Then on April 5 were having a one day conference with agents and editors. One of the top agents in the US, Andrea Brown is coming as is Rosemary Brosnan from Harper Collins. That will be a bit expensive because we’re flying people in.

Tioka is no mean children’s writer herself, as Other Writers’ regulars may remember from back in January and February.

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