Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Monday, 10 November 2008
Mama Afrika
Miriam Makeba died on Sunday Nov 9th 2008 near Naples, Italy. She died singing just as she had wished. She was 76.
She was/is amazing, one of the first African singers I listened to as a child. I started listening to female vocalists when I was very young on my fathers old stackable gramophone!
Melina Mercouri, Violeta Parra and she, Mama Afrika, lead me on to many others.
Thank you wonderful heart and soul woman and thank you Nelson Mandela for your beautiful words celebrating her life.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Monday, 3 November 2008
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
First Frost
This morning we awoke to the first heavy frost. The fields all around were white and the garden too. Glistening in the sun. This day is beautiful. Bright sunlight, blue sky and the country alive. Birdsong, activity all around as small animals and birds eat seeds, mushrooms and rosehips. There are plenty here. More and more light reaches through as the trees shed their leaves. Last night the sky was clear and full of stars. It reminds me of a clear night in Canada or the Northeast of the States.
The cottage is full of light and beckons me to go out. I will soon since I want to go filming in the valley for my Tarset project.
I have several on the go. Editing a couple of dvd films on poets, filming for two artist biopics and continual personal art work. It seems to be the way to go living rurally like this to have several projects going on simultaneously.
I shall also plant some bulbs while the weather obliges. I have some gorgeous tulips white and "black", Queen of the Night.
Holding my breath as the US election day comes closer and closer. I am sending prayers at this point across the ocean. The last US election shifted the course of my personal life as it changed the life of many. I decided that if Bush won I would not return to the US to live and naturally I never thought he could possibly win! He did so I stayed in the UK.
This time I have decided something else. Am I gambling? Of course not. Of course I am.
It really matters where you live. I have found that more and more in my life. Especially how important it is to actually have that choice.
The cottage is full of light and beckons me to go out. I will soon since I want to go filming in the valley for my Tarset project.
I have several on the go. Editing a couple of dvd films on poets, filming for two artist biopics and continual personal art work. It seems to be the way to go living rurally like this to have several projects going on simultaneously.
I shall also plant some bulbs while the weather obliges. I have some gorgeous tulips white and "black", Queen of the Night.
Holding my breath as the US election day comes closer and closer. I am sending prayers at this point across the ocean. The last US election shifted the course of my personal life as it changed the life of many. I decided that if Bush won I would not return to the US to live and naturally I never thought he could possibly win! He did so I stayed in the UK.
This time I have decided something else. Am I gambling? Of course not. Of course I am.
It really matters where you live. I have found that more and more in my life. Especially how important it is to actually have that choice.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
@ Havant Arts Centre
Chichester Cathedral
Market Cross, Chichester
This past week I was filming John Agard in performance with Keith Waithe a flutist/composer both from Guyana and living in England.
They gave an exceptional performance in the black box theatre space at Havant Arts Centre. Keith has a vast collection of flutes from all over the world and he played on some of them that evening. I have never seen anyone do with flutes what he does. Beautiful innovative music through breath and touch.
John was in top form and the evening was a treat for all who had come out from Portsmouth, Chichester and the south coast.
The filming went very well also and a lot of that footage will be available on DVD with John Agard's upcoming selected book next year with Bloodaxe Books.
While visiting Havant I had a chance to return after almost 40 years to some of my childhood haunts.
I lived near Chichester for a while and went to school there. It is a very pleasant town and the centre is still unspoilt! From the Market Cross streets go North, South, East and West which makes it easy to get to know the place. The cathedral is right there in the centre on West St and can be seen from miles around since the country is very flat there.
A woman was singing opera arias at the Market Cross in a wonderful acoustic setting.
I also visited Birdham and Runcton where I had stayed and spent many a day going for walks in the harbour and bicycling.
Although I had not visited for 40 years or so it was not a sentimental visit strangely enough. I felt quite connected to the young girl I was then before as they say "the shit hit the fan"!
Market Cross, Chichester
This past week I was filming John Agard in performance with Keith Waithe a flutist/composer both from Guyana and living in England.
They gave an exceptional performance in the black box theatre space at Havant Arts Centre. Keith has a vast collection of flutes from all over the world and he played on some of them that evening. I have never seen anyone do with flutes what he does. Beautiful innovative music through breath and touch.
John was in top form and the evening was a treat for all who had come out from Portsmouth, Chichester and the south coast.
The filming went very well also and a lot of that footage will be available on DVD with John Agard's upcoming selected book next year with Bloodaxe Books.
While visiting Havant I had a chance to return after almost 40 years to some of my childhood haunts.
I lived near Chichester for a while and went to school there. It is a very pleasant town and the centre is still unspoilt! From the Market Cross streets go North, South, East and West which makes it easy to get to know the place. The cathedral is right there in the centre on West St and can be seen from miles around since the country is very flat there.
A woman was singing opera arias at the Market Cross in a wonderful acoustic setting.
I also visited Birdham and Runcton where I had stayed and spent many a day going for walks in the harbour and bicycling.
Although I had not visited for 40 years or so it was not a sentimental visit strangely enough. I felt quite connected to the young girl I was then before as they say "the shit hit the fan"!
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Off the Shelf
aka Sheffield's annual celebration of writing and reading.
Every autumn you can go to Sheffield and enjoy some of the best writers and events around. This year David Guterson of Snow Falls on Cedars will be at Off the Shelf. It is rare that he appears anywhere at all! So seize the moment.
Other highlighters are poets Patience Agbabi, Daljit Nagra, Lemn Sissay and Andrew Davies the film maker who has made several literary adaptions into successful films e.g. Pride and Prejudice and Bridgit Jones Diary.
We ourselves are there to present In Person 30 Poets in the evening of Monday October 13th 2008.
If you are in the area please join us!
Also this past weekend there has been a festival, SAMA , in Newcastle of South Asian arts; music, literature, poetry, and dance.
There was a book launch of the Bloodaxe Anthology of Indian Contemporary Poetry
and one of the presenters/readers was Imtiaz Dharker who is one of my favourite poets! The launch was followed by a reception celebrating 30 years of Bloodaxe Books! The samosas were delicious! There were speeches by Mark Robinson, Simon Thirsk and Neil Astley, all three did an excellent job using intriguing metaphors of wine and boats. All the staff were together in one place for the first time ever I think and I am sure they appreciated it.
I am impressed that a publisher of poetry is going strong and stronger for thirty years! Most probably on the road to another thirty! See you in 2038! Gosh will we even be around then? We may not, but poetry will.
Every autumn you can go to Sheffield and enjoy some of the best writers and events around. This year David Guterson of Snow Falls on Cedars will be at Off the Shelf. It is rare that he appears anywhere at all! So seize the moment.
Other highlighters are poets Patience Agbabi, Daljit Nagra, Lemn Sissay and Andrew Davies the film maker who has made several literary adaptions into successful films e.g. Pride and Prejudice and Bridgit Jones Diary.
We ourselves are there to present In Person 30 Poets in the evening of Monday October 13th 2008.
If you are in the area please join us!
Also this past weekend there has been a festival, SAMA , in Newcastle of South Asian arts; music, literature, poetry, and dance.
There was a book launch of the Bloodaxe Anthology of Indian Contemporary Poetry
and one of the presenters/readers was Imtiaz Dharker who is one of my favourite poets! The launch was followed by a reception celebrating 30 years of Bloodaxe Books! The samosas were delicious! There were speeches by Mark Robinson, Simon Thirsk and Neil Astley, all three did an excellent job using intriguing metaphors of wine and boats. All the staff were together in one place for the first time ever I think and I am sure they appreciated it.
I am impressed that a publisher of poetry is going strong and stronger for thirty years! Most probably on the road to another thirty! See you in 2038! Gosh will we even be around then? We may not, but poetry will.
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