Saturday, September 26, 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact: Paul E. Nelson
SPLAB!
C. City, WA98118
http://splabman.blogspot.com/

SPLAB! E-Fishwrapper

In this E-Fishwrapper, Investigative Poetry class at Hugo House, Creole Celebration tomorrow (Sunday) in C City, Talon Books Fred Wah Party, Red Sky returns, Pacific Rim Review of Books, Kerouac Film, something new from Nico & Seattle Bookfest 4 weeks away.

From the Hugo House: On Saturday, October 17, (yep, only one afternoon this time) try Investigative Poetry with that wily Splabman, Paul Nelson. You’ll look at some postmodern examples of history in verse form, do some writing exercises, then spend a good hunk of the time working on a poem that includes history. http://www.hugohouseservices.org/home/Class/DisplayClass.aspx?CatalogID=12

Louisiana Creole Celebration @ Rainier Valley Cultural Center, Alaska & Rainier Av S, Sunday, September 27, 5 – 10pm
Presented by NW Zydeco Music and Dance Association

5:00pm - BAYOU BLAST playing French Creole and Zydeco tunes from the Bayou.
6:00pm - MARDI GRAS LINE/PARADE with beads music and more.
6:30pm - Free samples of outrageous gumbo from the KING CREOLE Restaurant and gumbo-making demonstration.
7:30pm - Sample Louisiana culture through face painting, Rub board playing, All about Accordions workshop, and Zydeco dancing downstairs.

Talonbooks Poetry Event: Fred Wah and Friends

The success of our (Talon Books) summer poetry event has inspired us to host an even bigger poetry event this month. The amazing line-up of poets features Fred Wah plus Daphne Marlatt, Colin Browne, Jeff Derksen, Roy Miki, and George Bowering, who will emcee the event.

Fred Wah and Friends
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Upstairs at the ANZA Club (3 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver)

www.talonbooks.com

Red Sky Poetry Theater Reunion

"Always Open Mic"
What: Performance
Start Time: Sunday, October 4 at 7:00pm
End Time: Sunday, October 4 at 10:00pm
Where: Hugo House
Featuring: Featuring select Jack Straw Writers Anna Balint, Priscilla Long, and Michael Magee.

The next of the Pacific Rim Review of Books is going to press and should be ready for printing by Thursday, October 1st. This issue will also be available in pdf format at http://www.prrb.ca soon afterwards.
Here are some of the contents of issue 12:

“‘The Holy Curse of Poetry: On Jack Gilbert”: The Dance Most of All by Jack Gilbert Reviewed by David Day

What Is Canadian Literature? By Mike Doyle

“Evolving the Organic: Duncan, Levertov, Olson”: The Letters of Robert Duncan and Denise Levertov. Robert Bertholf & Albert Gelpi, eds. Reviewed by Paul Nelson

On the Road in the Middle Kingdom”: Zen Baggage by Bill Porter, Reviewed by Trevor Carolan

“Writing the ‘Life’ in Writing”: Choose: Selected Poems by Michael Rothenberg, Reviewed by Jordan Zinovich

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, Reviewed by Linda Rogers

“The Oosumich of Open Form: Writing as Vision Quest” By Paul Nelson

Unnecessary talking: the Montesano Stories by Mike O’Connor, Reviewed by Trevor Carolan

Hello from KEROUAC FILMS!

Here is an update regarding the distribution of One Fast Move Or I'm Gone:Kerouac's Big Sur.
As some of you may know already, we produced a feature-length documentary and a 12 cut soundtrack album about Jack Kerouac's novel "Big Sur". The documentary features notable people including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Dar Williams, Aram Saroyan, Sam Shepard and 25 more. The song lyrics on the soundtrack album were written by Jay Farrar by using Kerouac's prose from the book. Performing with Jay on this album is Ben Gibbard.

We recently signed a distribution agreement with Atlantic Records to distribute both the film and album worldwide.

So now is your chance to see the film and listen to the music. The film will be shown theatrically in 40 cities in United States on October 20th which is also the release date of the film. The film will also premiere in Los Angeles and New York City on October 15th. There will be other screenings in various venues that we will be sure to let you know about.

The music album will also be released on October 20th and a 4 city concert tour will begin on October 23rd. http://www.kerouacfilms.com/

From Nico V:
notes on staring
...
http://wordforword.info/vol15/Vassilakis.htm

Seattle Bookfest: October 24 & 25
Remember the old Northwest Bookfestival on the waterfront? Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood is bringing it back October 24-25 at the Columbia City Event Center, a former school that's one block from the new Columbia City light rail station.
The resurrected fair will feature more than 70 local authors, including poets and writers of fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance, fantasy, and children's books. In addition, the fair will showcase over 50 area bookstores, nonprofits, and small but influential publishers as exhibitors. http://www.seattlebookfest.com/authors.php

Sunday’s panel at 1PM on the poetry stage will be Is Seattle Hostile to Innovative Writing? Panelists include Sam Hamill, Judith Roche, J.W. Marshall, John Olson and Sarah Mangold. Emcee, your humble Splabman. By the way, the SPLAB! booth needs volunteers to pass out bookmarks and help spread the news about SPLAB!’s move from Auburn to C. City (finally!) Call 206.422.5002 if you can volunteer.

Yes, SPLAB! is coming back. Details are being ironed out, BUT, we’ll have Living Room – a writer’s critique circle every Tuesday night in downtown Columbia City and we’re working on a 2009/2010 schedule. If you want the details, call me. For all those smart asses who axe if I ever go backpacking after my LOST episode, well, yeah. I hiked to Appleton Pass & back and had three days, two nights in the beautiful Olympics with bell-shaped wild blueberries warmed by September afternoon sun. You should try it sometime. There will be some changes to this org coming soon. Meantime, Mer & I are in Seattle and would love to get caught up with you if you want the info on SPLAB!

Blessings.

Hey! Want off this email list? Just ask.

xoxo President Postcard.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact: Paul E. Nelson
Global Voices Radio/SPLAB!
Seattle, WA 98118-1802
http://splabman.blogspot.com/

Global Voices Radio / SPLAB! E-Fishwrapper

In this E-Fishwrapper, Mexico City Blues tomorrow (Sunday) at Hugo House w/ Band o Poets (not the John Burgess Society), Sam Hamill featured on an interesting Bookfest panel, A Time Before Slaughter inches closer and a reading/workshop at Doe Bay in November, another Hugo House class, Nico crucifies books in Georgetown, Glenn Beck gets the key to Mt. Vernon, Poetry in Fremont, Raven Chronicles workshop, new book from Tim McNulty, a fund for ailing Gabrielle Bouliane and plans are being made for a new SPLAB! in C City.

1) Mexico City Blues turns 50 this year. Michael McClure called the long Kerouac poem a masterpiece, “a religious poem startling in its majesty and comedy and gentleness and vision.” John Burgess has assembled a highly capable group of poets and musicians to read and perform the poem (almost all of it) at the Richard Hugo House tomorrow, Sunday, Sept 13 at 2P. It’s free. Bring your copy and read along. Or risk suffering from the plague of pigs, turtles, frogs, insects, nits, Mice, lice, lizards, rats, roan Racinghorses, poxy bucolic pigtics, horrible unnameable lice of vultures, Murderous attacking dog armies of Africa…

2) The Hugo House Fall Class Calendar is out here: http://hugohouseservices.org/home/Class/DisplayClass.aspx?CatalogID=12
and look at this FASCINATING one day course: Investigative Poetry
“News is the first draft of history.” Pity if it turns out to be Fox News, eh? Well, don’t let those fuckers get the last word, do it yourself with a template from Ed Sanders, Joanne Kyger or Allen Ginsberg. We’ll look at some postmodern examples of history in verse form, do some writing exercises to warm us up, then spend a good hunk of the time working on a poem that includes history. Bring a book you’ve read (biographies are good) a news story or a whole file of stories on a subject, along with an open mind.
Instructor: Paul Nelson
Meets: Saturday, October 17, 2009

3) Bookfest is Back!
Remember the old Northwest Book Festival on the waterfront? Seattle's Columbia City community is bringing it back. The event will be held October 24-25 at the Columbia City Event Center, at 3528 S. Ferdinand, a block off Rainier and a block from the Columbia City Light Rail Station. So far the response has been terrific with dozens of local writers and bookstores already committed, including POETS Judith Roche, John Marshall, John Olson and others. Sunday the 25th at 1P, Sam Hamill, Sarah Mangold and those poets already mentioned will participate in a panel: Is Seattle Hostile to Innovative Writing?
http://www.seattlebookfest.com/

4) Michael McClure is touring and interested in a Seattle date this Fall or next Spring. He’s interested in doing a reading/workshop and lecture. The workshop would have space for 20 at $100 and the lecture space for 30 at $30 each. Would you sign up? Co-sponsors and volunteers are needed, so call me or email back if you can help make this happen. 206.422.5002 pen (at) splab (dot) org

5) From Nico
First Salvo:
Books nailed to telephone poles in downtown Georgetown
The idea is to follow the deterioration and disintegration of these books
Started September 5th
Thanks for your time

6) Doe Bay Workshop and Reading
Doe Bay, that magical retreat/resort on Orcas Island continues its renewal by starting a Literary Series on Monday nights. Working with Artsmith, they’ve come up with a Monday night reading series featuring an Island poet with an out-of-towner and Open Mic. I’ll be doing it the Monday after Thanksgiving and likely facilitating a workshop on that Sunday, the 29th of November. http://www.orcasartsmith.org/ and http://www.DoeBay.com

7) From Don Kentop

The distinguished poets Richard Kenney, Sharon Cumberland and Erin Malone will be reading at the Fremont Public Library, on Saturday, September 26th at 2:00PM.

I hope you can join us.

Don Kentop

8) Gabrielle Bouliane has Cancer
Many folks connected to the Seattle Slam scene for a long time no doubt know Gabrielle Bouliane, a fine poet who documented slam via video footage. She’s in a Texas hospital with a rare form of Cancer. There is a Facebook group dedicated to helping her out:

Subject: Gabrielle PayPal Fund

So many of you have asked what you can do to show your love to Gabrielle from wherever you are. Here is your answer!

Phil West has set up a PayPal account for G. The current priority is a laptop replacement or repair, for, as Phil said, "her computer is currently almost literally being held together by duct tape and chicken wire."

All you need to do to donate to fund is go to http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.paypal.com, click the tab that says
Personal>>Send Money>>Send Money Online

Follow the directions, using gabriellefund@gmail.com as Gabrielle's email.

On behalf of everyone - many thanks in advance,

~ missy (dugan) ~

9) From Michael Daley:

Pleasure Boat Studio: A Literary Press is pleased to announce the publication of

Some Ducks:

A Cycle of Poems for My Daughter
By Tim McNulty

In "Some Ducks" poet and nature writer Tim McNulty gathers together poems written to his daughter, Caitlin, on the occasion of her 21st birthday. Beginning with "First Song," written the night of her birth, McNulty celebrates his daughter's early encounters with the
moon, bears, the ocean, ducks, and her first glimpse of mortality, "where all we know of love / and loss / spills past the words / we have to tell it."

Tender, insightful, always delightful, these lyric poems capture moments of epiphany between father and daughter. And in their celebration of the ordinary, they echo Czeslaw Milosz's observation, "Only the moment is eternal."

10) So they’re giving Glenn Beck, Fox News demagogue, the Key to Mt. Vernon. Young Democrats are chanting Change the Locks! I say we buy tickets for the event and throw shoes at him!

11) From Phoebe Bosche:

Los Norteños Flash Workshop #2: The Prose Poem
When: Saturday, October 10th, 2009, 1-3 pm.
Where: Raven Chronicles’ Office
909 N.E. 43rd St., #205
(Corner of 43rd St. and Roosevelt, 3-storied Green Building),
Seattle, WA 98105

Author Oliver de la Paz, Assistant Professor and Creative Writing Advisor in the Department of English at Western Washington University, will offer a two hour workshop on the prose poem.

The workshop will be $35 per person, with priority to members of Los Norteños. (Bring check or cash on the day of the workshop: Make checks out to RAVEN CHRONICLES.) We need a minimum of ten people for this to work, with a maximum of twelve.

OK, so SPLAB! Is in the early stages of getting our act together to relocate in Columbia City. I think we’ve nailed a fine venue for our weekly Writer’s Critique Circle, again to be called Living Room, and that will start in late October. Your fishwrapperer may have been taking most of the summer off from his e-fishwrapping duties, but with a new SPLAB!, you can be sure we’ll be more regular. (Cuz they are loaded with fiber!)

They say A Time Before Slaughter is coming out October 1 and they seem for real, those folks at Apprentice House press (http://www.ApprenticeHouse.com) so if you have a copy coming, get ready, there will CERTAINLY be a fishwrapper with that little chicken mcnugget.

And finally, if you want to do a postcard project next August, but be one of 31 serious poets who will commit to writing one every day, please let me know. There are a few of us unhappy with the way the August project has been going (so many SHITTY poems) and we’d like to limit it to 31 if there’s enough interest. Hasta mañana.

xoxo President Postcard.
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