A phenomenal weekend in Toronto with the Dub Poets Collective! Warmly invited by Lillian Allen to perform as part of the Dub Poetry Series, a group of us from Kingston's Poetry & Company arrived in T.O. for a workshop and performance set for Saturday.
I made it down for the Friday night Open Mic only to be seduced by drums and song, drawing me into the state from where poetry flows freely. Not one to improvise on the spot, I took the leap, played a drum for the first time (thanks, Sonny), and learned that poetry composed to a beat is much easier to retain for later use. It also carries a hypnotic pull not always found with conventional poetic structure.
Ellington's Cafe was inspiring in its encouragement of the arts. Thanks, Winston, for providing such a great venue for writers, musicians, and performance artists to express and explore their art.
On the Saturday, Lillian and Peculiar I hosted a workshop that focused on grandmothers and whether poetry prepares us for life and death. The sharing that ensued had a cohesive quality to it, as we found commonalities in talking about our grandmothers and the deeper issue of passing out of human existence. Lillian closed by encouraging even the most reserved of us to create a sound to blend in harmony with other participants. Amazing how beautiful and effortless making music and poetry is when the natural, pre-existing beat is found - the heartbeat of the poetry, if you will.
There was an opportunity earlier in the day to attend the Small Press Book Fair. I waded among the tables, waist-high in the original thoughts of my comrades. I picked up a few books and magazines and received "The Word of Gord" (http://www.thewordofgord.com/).
Our hosts for the evening show, Peculiar I and Clifton Joseph, were fireballs of energetic inspiration, burning up the stage with their enthusiastic introductions. We could not have been more warmly welcomed. I came away from this weekend with a renewed desire to write, a fresh perspective on poetic structure, and an absolute need to buy a drum!
Much love to our friends with the Dub Poets Collective and Ellington's Cafe!
Bonita
I made it down for the Friday night Open Mic only to be seduced by drums and song, drawing me into the state from where poetry flows freely. Not one to improvise on the spot, I took the leap, played a drum for the first time (thanks, Sonny), and learned that poetry composed to a beat is much easier to retain for later use. It also carries a hypnotic pull not always found with conventional poetic structure.
Ellington's Cafe was inspiring in its encouragement of the arts. Thanks, Winston, for providing such a great venue for writers, musicians, and performance artists to express and explore their art.
On the Saturday, Lillian and Peculiar I hosted a workshop that focused on grandmothers and whether poetry prepares us for life and death. The sharing that ensued had a cohesive quality to it, as we found commonalities in talking about our grandmothers and the deeper issue of passing out of human existence. Lillian closed by encouraging even the most reserved of us to create a sound to blend in harmony with other participants. Amazing how beautiful and effortless making music and poetry is when the natural, pre-existing beat is found - the heartbeat of the poetry, if you will.
There was an opportunity earlier in the day to attend the Small Press Book Fair. I waded among the tables, waist-high in the original thoughts of my comrades. I picked up a few books and magazines and received "The Word of Gord" (http://www.thewordofgord.com/).
Our hosts for the evening show, Peculiar I and Clifton Joseph, were fireballs of energetic inspiration, burning up the stage with their enthusiastic introductions. We could not have been more warmly welcomed. I came away from this weekend with a renewed desire to write, a fresh perspective on poetic structure, and an absolute need to buy a drum!
Much love to our friends with the Dub Poets Collective and Ellington's Cafe!
Bonita
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