Thursday Night at SAAM, Contemporary Chinese Poetry

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Splabman

A bilingual reading of contemporary Chinese poetry happens this Thursday, September 29, 2011 at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, in the Stimson Auditorium at 7:00p. Admission is free and poets Xi Chuan and Zhou Zan visit from China to take part in this exchange.

Xi Chuan and Paul Nelson in Beijing August 2011

I had the good fortune to meet Xi Chuan in Xining, Qinghai province and he gave me a copy of his Notes on the Mosquito: Selected Poems. In the work I found intelligence, irreverence and some interesting phrases that come at life from a different angle than the typical American might expect. An example:

The beast, it despises my hairstyle, despises my scent, despises my repentance and reserve. In a word, it despises that I doll up happiness in baubles and jewels. IT squeeze its way into my room, orders me to stand in the corner, and with no word of explanation collapses in my chair, shatters my mirror, shreds up my curtains and all that belongs to my spiritual defence. I beseech it: “Don’t take my teacup when I’m thirsty!” Right there it digs up a spring, which I suppose must be some kind of response.

This notion of a spiritual defense fascinates me and I’d hope to interview him while he is in town and ask him what goes in to his spiritual defense and what might he be defending himself from. Other than a traditional Christian view and their notion of the devil, which is not Xi Chuan’s tradition, what would make up an entity for which one must create a spiritual defense? Oh, I have a few ideas on this, but it’s his line,so he gets to answer.

Bio: Xi Chuan (1963), poet, leading representative of the so-called ‘intellectual poets’. Has published numerous collections of poems and has been active as a journal editor and a translator of Pound, Borges and Milosz. His work has been translated in numerous languages and has earned him awards in China and abroad.

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Living Room, Tuesday September 27, 2011

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Splabman

Kimiko Hahn

The mind writes what is.  —Gertrude Stein

Zuihitisu is a classical Japanese form that looks like prose but sounds like poetry. Zuihitsu has been translated as “following the brush” or “random jottings.” The poet accumulates anecdotes, impressions, overheard conversations, lists, diary entries…. real and imaginary musings. In this way the form mirrors the mind as it jogs and jags this way and that.

January 13th.  It’s my first husband’s birthday.  Should I send a card? How young we were! How old now, this body, that lifts free weights three times a week! This body I did not love till after I turned forty—and told myself whatever is flawed is a flaw—not an issue of, say, chocolate.  What to tell my daughters?  . . .

Red, Green, Iceberg—

Musk, Sweet, Winter Wax, Yellow Doll, Honeydew    

from “Pulse and Impulse” by Kimiko Hahn

Come to Living Room to read some of Kimiko Hahn’s contemporary zuihitsu and to try your hand at one of your own!

Also bring a piece of work you’d like to read for our critique session. Writers of all ages and skill levels gather Tuesdays at 7P to read new work, the work of someone else or to just be in the engaging company of other writers. Your donation of $5 helps SPLAB put on special events and continue programming. Please bring 8 copies of the work you plan to read. If you do not bring copies, they are available for 10c.

Living Room happens in the new SPLAB in the Cultural Corner of the old Columbia School, between Rainier AV S and 36th AV S, on Edmunds. We’re 2 blocks from the Columbia City Link Light Rail Station. Parking is available on the school grounds.)

 

 

 

 

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100 TPC Love from Aunt Mama

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Splabman

Aunt Mama

Paul,
Please forward this to  Judith, Carolyn Wright and whomever else was responsible. I am sure that includes Meredith, the grand dame of hosts.
The 100K Poets for Change reading at SPLAB this past Saturday was a fabulous event. Each reader’s voice, culture, experience and craft were well worth the time and so much more than the donation. The readers represent this city and the great diversity we celebrate yet often, do not see. We saw, we heard and were well blessed by this active community of poets.
SPLAB consistently raises politics to the level of art and creates art that transforms time. We obviously need change around the world and these voices help all of us understand why and feed our souls for the continuing struggle of justice for all. It was ironically fitting that a tribute to waste was among the readings and it made me proud of the City of Seattle, the Public Utilities and the artist. Everything  recycles and in the end, we are waste again.
The sponsors of this event are to be commended and the curators lauded.
To all of you who brought such excellence to Seattle, thank you so very much.
In appreciation
Mary Anne Moorman
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Audio from 100 Thousand Poets for Change

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Splabman

Cedar Sigo

On September 24th, poets gathered at SPLAB & in 650 cities around the world in an event called 100 Thousand Poets for Change.

Featured poets at SPLAB for 100 Thousand Poets for Change included City Lights poet and Suquamish native Cedar Sigo, who also facilitated a workshop on poets of the San Francisco Renaissance (Jack Spicer, Joanne Kyger and John Weiners), as well as writing exercises based on an idea by Ted Berrigan. Here is he SPLAB Presents segment for the week of September 12. For the week of September 19th. The entire interview can be downloaded here.

The local poets were curated by Judith Roche and Carolyne Wright, who also read their own work.                   Audio from 100 TPC: Brian McGuigan, Eugenia Toledo, Lawrence Matsuda.

Nilki Benitez, Judith Roche.

Deborah Woodard, Frances McCue, Carletta Carrington Wilson, Carolyne Wright.

Cedar Sigo workshop.

Cedar Sigo reading.

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