Elbows on the Table

Speaking of Slam Poetry

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:38:00 +0000

So I dipped my toes in the Slam Poetry pool and I made it through to the Wellington Regional Final. That's tomorrow night. You can find out more information here: NZ Poetry Slam

I got 5th in the last round with an angry and political poem. Tomorrow night I'm taking it a bit easier both on myself and the crowd with a simpler and less angry poem.

If you're around and into poetry you should come and watch. I don't know if there are any spots left in the final heat but you could contact the organisers and ask.

The National Final is going to be held on the 29th at Fringe Bar in Wellington. There are some amazing poets who have already made it through to the finals from Christchurch and Auckland and even if I don't get through to the final I reckon I'll go along and see what it's all about. The audience is just as important as the poet in my opinion when it comes to slam.

Angst and Slam Poetry

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:39:00 +0000

I am going through a bit of poetry angst at the moment. Well, perhaps life angst. Those periods where you question what is going on, what you're doing, why you're doing what you're doing. It's pretty much the usual in my brain, but sometimes it gets a bit more, well, serious.

The last couple of months have been serious. In an attempt to make myself feel better about life, the universe and everything I've been attending a lot more live events than I usually would, both poetry and music. I've seen The Adults and Liam Finn live recently and both gigs were excellent, although I loved Liam Finn a little more. I was right up the front beside the two drum kits and was able to really get into the experience (even if it involved a little more touching from high gig-goers than one would perhaps like, I was practically snuggled at one point!). Liam and his younger brother Elroy were captivating in their enthusiasm and talent. I had forgotten how live music is just better than headphones or my shitty stereo. The drums! The bass! The heart pounding! Julia Deans did an amazing version of that song I've linked above. Much grittier and intense than the Ladi6 version I linked. Best song of the night in my opinion.

As for poetry I went and saw a wonderful reading by Selina Tusitala Marsh and Lynn Jenner. The next morning I was sitting in Fidel's reading Selina's book Fast Talking PI and who should walk in but the author. It was the first time I've had that happen. I'm sure I blushed, but she seemed happy and I later went and asked her to sign my book. Selina was really lovely and enthusiastic about writing. Good vibes. She read in a more lively manner than I'm used to and it was really enjoyable. She read a poem about her mother that was just amazing. Intense emtionally and very beautiful. Sadly I have forgotten the name of the poem.

Then last week I went to the regular reading at The Ballroom. It was an interesting reading, one that left me with mixed feelings. The rest of the event was the usual mix of readers. Some highlights were Mike Eager and Alina Siegfried. On this occasion there was a mike which helped immensely. It meant I could actually hear some of the readers who are usually too quiet to be heard. These days I find myself drawn to poetry that makes me laugh. And there were some good laughs to be had that day.

In the same week I was also very lucky to attend a poetry slam event "Poetry in Motion" at Happy. There was a selection of local writers/performers and a duo of touring slam poets from The US: Ken Arkind and Carrie Rudzinski. Prior to the event I had watched videos of both performing. Carrie grabbed me with her surreal imagery and her tense emotional poems. Ken's charms weren't totally obvious to me in the videos, but live he was charming, acerbic, hilarious and politically engaging as well as impressively bearded. Carrie managed to take the audience to striking emotional heights and then go even higher. After the event I felt oddly drained from it just because they were both so intense I couldn't help but be a little enthralled by them. They were especially complimentary about both the good looks of the audience (and Wellington in general) and the city. I couldn't tell if it was a practised trick or sincere. It didn't matter much though the audience loved it!

Slam poetry is such a different beast to its more sedate counterpart. I find myself wanting poets to have memorised their work and wanting them to engage with me as they read. I've feel I've known all these things for years but only just grasped the concept. Sometimes slam poetry grabs you and won't let go, but just as easily can fail to come off. It's a knife edge and I think that's what I like about it. It's hard work to get the audience connecting with you, but when you do it transforms the whole event. I feel like everything that I've written in that last paragraph is cliché, which is appropriate for slam poetry I think. It operates in different territory to poetry for the page and even more traditional New Zealand performed poetry. Cliché does have a place. But I much more enjoy the surprise and loops that much poetry, slam or not, uses. Both Carrie and Ken surprised with their language use and their clever tricks. Both had emotional depth and Ken especially had really good jokes.

The local poets ranged from starkly political (giving me goosebumps) to some who were wryly observant or amusing. There was one young man, Duncan Hope, whom I look forward to seeing perform again in future. I was also pleased to see the P Town Poets read again. I saw them at their last Te Papa gig and thought it was a bit of a crime that the audience was so sparse. I look forward to seeing them again and hope that their audience improves. There was a general air from the audience and some of the local poets that they were slightly embarrassed by poetry or thought it a bit ridiculous. Perhaps that doesn't convey it quite right. They just seemed surprised about poetry. The audience was much, much younger than any poetry audience I've seen in Wellington before (bearing in mind my three year tenure so far, but definitely one of the youngest audiences I've ever seen). I wanted to talk to these young poets and let them know that there are other people writing in Wellington. In fact there are heaps of people writing in Wellington. I hope that as more Poetry in Motion events occur it will become obvious to them that there's a wealth of talent out there.

Alina Siegfried organised this event and is looking to start regular slam poetry events in Wellington. I think I'm going to try my hand at it and see how I do. Can't hurt and might help me get through this poetry weirdness I'm feeling. I was into theatre sports and drama at high school, even performing in the 1997 Christchurch Art's Festival. After that I gave it all up for poetry. But maybe it's time to mix the two together and get up on stage and perform again.

What I've Been Up To

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:14:00 +0000

I recently read at Te Papa as part of the annual Writers on Mondays series for the Best New Zealand Poems 2010 reading. I read with 9 other poets, some of whom I am a big fan of and one of whom was a lecturer of mine at Canterbury University. I ended up reading The Totally Artificial Heart by Kate Camp. I had five poems I was attempting to choose from on the day. I was experiencing a little doubt about the one I wanted to read. The moment I knew I was going to be reading I wanted to read Kate Camp's poem. But I was sure it would be weird to read it with the poet watching me. I trawled through book after book looking for the right poem. So many poems I like have rude words in them or are a bit depressing for a Monday lunch time. The rest had words I didn't trust myself to pronounce under pressure or were simply too long. Just as I got up to read I decided and left the other books behind.

It did feel a bit weird reading a poem by someone who was also reading. But I sucked it up and got to read one of my favourite poems with the author in the room. That's pretty cool if you ask me.

It was a really enjoyable reading. Hinemoana Baker read a great poem I'd read before but can no longer remember the writer or the name of the poem. I will have to chase that up because it was political and funny. Anna Jackson read in a rather amazing manner, harnessing nervous energy and using it admirably. Geoff Cochrane read a David Mitchell poem by heart. It was so lovely to hear a poem read by heart. I should do more of that. Jennifer Compton read her excellent and hilarous poem which made the audience laugh out loud many times. She's another great reader. I feel like she's telling stories rather than reading poems, but at the same time her language and poetic style is clever and often catches me unawares. The reading was a feast and I felt very lucky to be a part of it. It was also a bit of a treat to have Bill Manhire introduce me.

I've got a few other sessions I'm planning to go to from the Writers on Mondays series. It looks like there's some great stuff in there!

In other writing news I'm doing my best to get Enamel out ASAP. I won't go into the details of the whys and the issues. I will say that this will be the last Enamel. Head on over to the Enamel blog to see a bit more about it. At this stage it looks to be a Spring arrival. There's some great stuff in there and I can't wait to get it out so all the writers with work inside it can see their words on its pages.

I'm in the midst of reading Anna Jackson's Thicket. It's a lovely book. I'm really liking what Anna is doing in it. I've been thinking a lot about how poetry collections are put together and how they stand up or fall over. At the DCM bookfair this year I was very lucky to pick up a lot of relatively recent New Zealand poets' work. Some of it is fabulous and some of it is not to my taste. All of it has been helpful in this thinking about books and how to write them. One of my favourites so far (which isn't recent) is a 1988 Rachel McAlpine collection. Not only is it a beautiful object, there's some lovely work in there.

I still have to admit to being slightly bewildered about books I might write. I love the books of people who are not me. Beside my bed is a towering pile of poetry and fiction that I fall in and out of. But books I might write? Well I'm not sure. When Bill Manhire introduced me at the reading he intimated that a book should really be forthcoming from me soon. We'll see what happens.

Best New Zealand Poems 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Oh poor little neglected blog. Sometimes I want to write in you, but mostly I don't. I am much more present on Twitter. A place where it's hard to go back in time and I exist mostly in the present. That's something I like.

Since my last update I've been putting together the next Enamel, writing and getting my work out there. It has been a time of upheavals, funerals and change. We bought our first house, lost a family member, a close friend and a beloved pet and went for a two week road trip around the South Island. September feels like much longer than six-ish months ago. We have been packing the living in tightly.

But amongst all this I've been published in Best New Zealand Poems 2010 and had other acceptances for magazines and journals that I'm happy to be published in. I've been writing and would say that I am pretty much finished my book. I am procrastinating on the last stages of final edits before I print it out to find its way in the world.

I hope that the next time I have the occasion to write here it will be to talk about it being published.

Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:26:00 +0000

On the 1st of September I was the featured poet at Stand Up Poetry in Palmerston North. It was my first time being the main reader and it was basically awesome. My friends Johanna Aitchison and Helen Lehndorf had invited me up to read and eased me through the process by being encouraging and accommodating.

Johanna hit upon the idea to do the reading more in the style of the Writers On Mondays series that is held at Te Papa throughout winter. And so we had two periods of me reading bisected by a question and answer session. The crowd started out small but by the end of the reading it had filled up and I found the audience warm and encouraging with appropriate laughter and at one stage even some loud shouts of "Yeah!". I loved it of course, not being one to shy away from talking either about myself or my passions.

I read more of what I consider my scary confrontational work and the audience loved it. It's quite a liberating feeling to unleash yourself in front of an audience. Having lived in Palmerston North for a couple of years I wasn't unfamiliar with the location and so found myself quite comfortable. The library staff we friendly and awesome too. An excellent night.

Catalyst 9: Looking for musicians!

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:48:00 +0000

If you're a musician I have something you might like.

Catalyst are releasing another CD of poetry and music and they have a proposition for you. Head on over to their blog to read all about it.

You can thank me later!

Slogging Away

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:33:00 +0000

At this time of year I'm busily putting together Enamel, checking layout and making sure everything works together. I'm probably a fairly eclectic editor, but I don't mind this. I love the shape that just seems to organically appear when I'm editing. It's a very different pursuit to writing and whilst it's hard for me at the moment it is definitely easier than writing.

After completing NaPoWriMo by the skin of my teeth I do have to say that I am exhausted by writing. But at the same time I'm just aching to write something good. A friend of mine talks about a runner's high and I think that there is such a thing as a poetry high. I haven't had one since I wrote the poem that will be coming out in Landfall this month. That poem was an amazing experience across a week. Each day I would sit down for five to ten minutes, sometimes an hour, and do a few more lines.

It was an experieince very different to my usual method, but one so powerful that it still is very present in my memory and now I find myself matching every experience I have of writing to that week. My goal in the next few months is to forget that! Well perhaps not forget, but make it less of a monument and certainly remove it as a barrier to entry. Writing in private again will hopefully make me feel at ease enough that I can just write. Just because.

Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:55:00 +0000

After such a long time without writing I feel compelled to do a recap! It's been a fairly good year for me poetry wise. After finding out I was in Best New Zealand poems 2008 I actually ended up doing a not terrible reading at Te Papa. Definitely one of the highlights. I've also had a few other poems published through out the year mostly in New Zealand, with one in Australia. I've updated the side bar for any of you who have missed these. Over all a good year, one where I've spent many, many hours volunteering and doing things other than poetry.

I'm hoping that 2010 will have more of a focus on poetry as I scale back a little and reduce the extra commitments I've got. I have several ideas for zines that I'm dying to get out there and of course my baby Enamel hits the shelves in March 2010. I've had some great submissions for the second round and I hope that Enamel only grows from here.

As you can probably tell I think blogging is out the window. These days I'm more likely to be in google wave or on twitter, formats that are more communal and make me feel less like I'm pontificating.

Enamel Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:25:00 +0000

There have been another couple of reviews of Enamel coming through from other blogs around New Zealand. Most notably from my two favourite Helens! (After Aunty Helen that is!)

Helen Rickerby did a lovely wee review. And so did Helen Heath. Helen H. called it a yummy wee number. Thanks Helen and Helen!

I've also noticed a few other people spreading the news through aggregators and other sites about publishing and writing which is very lovely.

Sales are going well on Trade Me. Better than almost anywhere else. So if you haven't gotten a copy yet and you want one go here.

Rewriting WCW

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:22:00 +0000

If you know me you'll know that I love This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams. At the very end of this podcast there are some awesome versions of that poem. Some of them are so good they made my toes curl.

NaPoWriMo

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Although it's not poetry month here I'm going to be doing NaPoWriMo again this year. I have a massively full on April so this could either be total genius or punishment! You can see what I'm writing here. I can't promise that it will good. Just that it will be daily.

A review of Enamel

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Enamel has received its first review. I'm pleased to read what Tim Jones thinks about Enamel after his first read through.

Thanks Tim!

I'll be at the Poetry Society meeting in Wellington tomorrow (Monday) if anyone is interested in buying a copy from me!

Enamel

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:43:00 +0000

Enamel has finally come back from the printers!

If you'd like your copy and you are in New Zealand or Australia you can go here to purchase your copy.

Otherwise email enamel dot editor at gmail dot com and I'll see if I can sort you out!

You can buy a copy for between $10-$15 depending on how you're feeling. The .pdf copy is available for a donation of your specification!

Yay for poetry!

Jennifer Compton

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:08:00 +0000

This Monday we went to see Jennifer Compton and Mary McCallum have a conversation with each other at the National Library Auditorium.

I really liked the venue (although I did think Jennifer's mike volume could have been lower, always a critic!) and found the hour long talk to be excellent. I really enjoyed the readings of Jennifer's work, from plays to poems. I also really appreciated her take on writing, which really seems to be her take on life and living it. The line that has stuck with me the most is: Don't be boring! Although, I'm paraphrasing I think. If I was into Oprah I could say it was a light bulb moment. Afterwards someone told me that she sounded pretty negative. I found it hard to agree with that. To me she seemed anything but and in fact made me laugh out loud several times. I only wish I had taken more notes. I did have my computer, and I even considered live blogging. However, I instead chose to enjoy the moment. And I'm glad I did. I was pleased to discover that the poem of Jennifer's I selected for Enamel is an old favourite of hers that hadn't found a home. It felt like a little bit of treasure, hearing the news from her.

I haven't quite got into the groove of writing in Wellington, yet. As I start a new job on Monday I hope I am still able to find the time and inclination. Living here is exciting. It's especially exciting to be a part of books being written and criticism being received etc. I am excited by the prospect of my best friend getting a book published and I will enjoy the process alongside her.

A Missive

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:39:00 +0000

Before I left Christchurch in 2004 I had the chance to go along to a Catalyst sponsored reading. It still retains its position as one of the best poetry readings I have ever been to. Catalyst also holds a special place in my little heart, as it was the first NZ publication to print my poetry. The Neoismist people do good work in Canterbury. Here's a little something they're doing for the Christchurch Writers' Festival 08.

Hi all!

A quick message to note the impending release of Catalyst 7: The Original Branch Manual on Saturday 6th September as part of the Christchurch Writers Festival 08. For more details about the project itself please visit our blogsite for the full media release with pictures.

www.catalystnz.blogspot.com

I just wanted to write about the significance of this volume in terms of what Catalyst is trying to achieve. At Neoismist Press we have a very human interest in numbers and their significance as well as patterns in mathematics so we can't resist doing something special for our 7th edition.

Choosing to celebrate all the things we have achieved so far in Catalyst's 5 year history we wanted to represent them in this volume - poetry, visual art, design, spoken word and innovation. So on the occasion of our 5th anniversary and our 7th edition we have chosen to produce another CD volume containing 7 poems + 7 songs and in the accompanying booklet - 7 artists work. The innovation comes in the format of Catalyst 7 - forgoing the book format altogether and opting for a CD/booklet inside a DVD case.

We have long been fans of the quirky innovation of literary journal McSweeneys and have sought to emulate (with a miniscule budget)in some small way this playful approach to publishing Catalyst within New Zealand's literary scene. So far, we have largely been overlooked. Eschewed by arts funders and ignored by the literary press in New Zealand we have quietly continued to innovate and push boundaries all 'on the smell of an oily rag'. We may be small but we are proud. Catalyst was the first literary journal in NZ to commit to releasing CDs of spoken word. The polish and production of the first Spoken Word volume of poetry (accompanying Catalyst 4) drew praise from the music scene and silence from literary circles. However a raft of imitators and clones followed - poetry CD releases from other publications and poetry groups followed including the impressive series from Auckland University Press of Classic NZ Poets in Performance, Contemporary NZ Poets in Performance and lastly New NZ Poets in Performance.

Meanwhile Catalyst continues to quietly agitate in the shadows of such literary collossi. Catalyst 7: The Original Branch Manual once again breaks new ground in shifting it's format. In the first collection of spoken word (Catalyst 4), music was chosen to act as backing for the poets, enhancing and illuminating the delivery of the poem. This time round the exploration of the resonance between poetry and music is by direct contrast of songwriting and poetry. 7 songs were selected based not only on their musical quality but also their lyrical content. By juxtaposing the poems directly next to and overlapping the songs an alchemical reaction seemed to occur. In the words of Doc Drumheller "accidental synergy" even though the songs and poems were composed and written quite independently. The result of this experiment is The Original Branch Manual - Catalyst vol. 7.

And still we struggle to even get a mention in our local papers as well as literary publications. Any support you can give in spreading the word about this project would be an enormous help to us - we appreciate you keeping in touch.

Poetry is free speech - speak freely!

yours literally,

Catalyst.

The Loving Embrace of Aotearoa

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:20:00 +0000

On the first night that we were back we crowded into the National Library, along with what felt like most of Wellington. We were all there to see the poet laureates read and talk about their tokotoko. We stood at the back throughout the reading and listened. We couldn't see the poets, but it didn't really matter. And that was it! We were plunged back into Wellington and New Zealand. We were sleep starved after a marathon of cancelled flights and angry passengers. And the poetry was just what we needed.

Now after two weeks of travel around the country we are back in Wellington, permanently. It is good to be home.

P.S. We are down to four poems on the front page as I shuffle them around. Hopefully back to five ASAP.

blueprintreview 17

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:42:00 +0000

can literary magazines develop a sense of self? if so, it would only be logical that blueprintreview, at 17, turned physical. and no, it isn't me, the editor, who chooses the issue themes. they develop through incoming submissions, just like adolescents develop their personality through exposure to the world.

bodyscapes, then: flesh. and blood.

also: feathers. and cigarettes. stone. and dust. solitude. and an orgy. a portrait. and a pinup.

blueprintreview has selected another of my poems for their latest issue. It looks to be even better than the last issue if that is possible! Check out my poem here. Thanks again to blueprintreview for selecting my poem!

Blackout Poems

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:48:00 +0000

These are some really awesome poems by Austin Kleon who lives in Austin, Texas. They are magic to me.

a poem I like

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Sun, 11 May 2008 03:52:00 +0000

This poem is by Tze Ming Mok.

blueprintreview

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:22:00 +0000

The latest issue of blueprintreview is out! You can see my poem here. I really like the way the issues are structured. It appeals to my OCD! I haven't read the full issue yet, but there is some really great stuff in there. Thanks to blueprintreview for selecting my poem!

Published

noreply@blogger.com (Emma Barnes) — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Now that NaPoWriMo is safely put away, and I have had a little break, hopefully some poetry will make itself known. In a week or so I'll come back here and put up a link to one of my poems that will be appearing in an online zine. I'm excited about it because the feeling of being published is still exciting for me, long may it continue.