2009-04-09 News from Inua Ellams. 09/04/09 I get up at 6.30 every weekday. In the winter months I hold take with urban foxes. These days the sun wakes up before I do. It is definitely spring now, nature bursts back to life, to growth, to its basics. So, inspired, this month's mail is about themed: The Basics.
The Formula: 4 News Items / Smthn frm YouTube: THANKs // ARTICLE // DAYDREAM // BIC BIRO & INTER PEN // YoutTube: I MET THE WALRUS//
THANKs: THE 14th TALE// You'd think a show with just a torch & chair for props wouldn't have any hiccups? Well, you are right! Everything ran smoothly, even the late comers; the dude who walked through the stage three minutes after it started, the hospital light blowing up on the last night, it all worked, the 'vague order to things' rose. A relentless thank you to Michael, Thierry, Tom, Fuel, The Arts Council and all who came to The 14th Tale. Your warmth & willingness to 'go there with me' contributed to the show. I work well when the crowd and I breath together, enough to be teased with pause and poetry... All the nights were sold out. There is a lot of talk about the show, it'll be touring and stuff... I'll speak more when the time is right. But... thanks, I could not have asked for a better run. I am infinite with gratitude. Check out these 3 reviews:
http://moourl.com/ovxuo http://moourl.com/0ihsk http://moourl.com/fr1iu
ARTICLE// Very briefly. I battle constantly against the trend to pigeonhole poets, to label 'em as 'stage poets' or 'page poets', tis not good. As a result of this split, I know of so labelled 'stage poets' who refuse to read page works and 'page poets' who turn up their noses at those who work the stage. I am lucky; my work seems to cross the divide, but it is partly because I do not believe such a divide actually exists. Attempting to address this, I wrote an article for Culture Wars. Please follow link, read, add to the debate, lets talk about it: http://moourl.com/e6ls9
DAY DREAM DD06 // Under my editorship, 'DD06', The 6th Edition of Daydream Magazine, theme: 'Back to Basics' (I kid you not) is out. It hits the digital shelves on Monday 13th and tonight is the Launch Party. We have been busy preparing the brand new studio/gallery titled 'The Carnaby Project' at 33 Marshall Street, London. It is a fantastic space with two floors of orginal artwork, photography, prints, books and lots more. It'll be open till the 25th of April. On the 23rd, we will hold a little Live Lit Show. Drop in. Literature contributors include Gemma Weekes, Naomi Woodis, Warsan Shire, Miriam Nash and Joe Kriss. It is 4 quid worth of words and gorgeous visuals. Get a copy from Monday. See Link. http://moourl.com/apiix
Liv Lit Show: 23rd April, 7.30 'Daydreaming at 33' Cost £3 Quid 33 Marshall Street, London W1.
BIC BIRO & A SHOW: INTER PEN FEST// In light of basics, I'm tryna make these fashionable. I mean, it is ubiquitous already. As sample of great industrial design, it cannot be improved on, its globally iconic, but its not yet a THING to use a BIC. So I am stripping back all the fancy fountain and ink gels and will BIC it till further notice. Who's wit me? In fact, I'm writing a poem that touches on it, with a Bic!
Now, I haven't stood still and read poetry to an audience in quite a while, but dates are coming in. The first is a late night event called 'Insulting Cabaret', part of the International (Bic?)PEN Festival 'FREE THE WORD'. International PEN empowers, societies and communities across cultures and languages through reading and writing. Also on the bill Catherine Millet, Christian Jungersen, Luke Wright and more.
InterPen: http://moourl.com/ma2cb
Insulting Cabaret: 17 April, 10pm. Cost: £6 Place: Southwark Playhouse, Shipwright Yard London, SE1 2TF, UK
YOUTUBE: I MET THE WALRUS // Things that stand the test of time are simple, basic ideas. Like a message of 'HOPE' or a Bic Biro. Equally simple was John Lennon's timeless message of peace. So check this... in 1969, Jerry Leviatan, a 14-year-old Beatle fan, armed with a basic reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John's hotel room and interviewed him. 38 years later, Jerry produced a film about it. Using the original recording as the soundtrack, director Josh Raskin wove a visual narrative mixing Lennon’s words with multipronged animation. Raskin marries the genius (BIC?) pen work of James Braithwaite with digital illustration by Alex Kurina, resulting in this vessel for Lennon’s wit, and timeless message. Sit back, chillax a little, watch...
Stay Cool, Keep Warm. Inua Ellams x Out.