Bringing Poetry back from dead

[unpredictablebijou]

Now then.

Hey I know. If we start referring to it as "spoken word" we won't get bogged down so much in definitions of good and bad "writing", performance, and so on. Hate for this to turn into a semantic debate when there are so many cool things that could be being manifested with that energy.

Anything is possible. And since this is a relatively new art form, at least in terms of its accessibility to the masses, anything goes.

I have a lot of ideas and opinions on this but I haven't had enough coffee today to start trying to express them yet. But you've revived a very old vision of mine, and I'm thinking a lot about it.

Meanwhile, I am happy to report that there is some wacky, beautiful, ridiculous stuff going on out there. Perhaps this can give at least an idea of the immense variety of possibilities, and the amazing things the kids these days are trying to accomplish.

Like check these out.

I put this on the Music thread but it bears repeating. This is David Byrne, one of the grandfathers of poetry-art-performance-video-like-behavior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1-Q8ly8iKE

What if one did something like this with lines of poetry in English?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zo-5OJM2-s

Here's a young man thinking very hard about Dadaist poetry
The “Preparation” video is interesting too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWzgBaQx-lA


Here's a high school kid working with Wordsworth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xX92IrTbW0

Young-Hae Chang does some brilliant work, but this is my favorite.
Probably because it's about sex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9cJbyYn1PU

Here's an extraordinary piece. Sweet, simple, heartbreaking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l6z4BUUR1Y


The variety blows my mind. The enthusiasm gives me hope. And it seems obvious that YouTube is a very good place to begin Reaching The Masses.

More thoughts on this after I'm properly caffeinated. Maybe.

bijou

 

[TheRainMan]

. . .
XX

A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,
Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change, as is false women's fashion:
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue all hues in his controlling,
Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.




CXXXV

Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will to boot, and Will in over-plus;
More than enough am I that vexed thee still,
To thy sweet will making addition thus.
Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,
Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?
Shall will in others seem right gracious,
And in my will no fair acceptance shine?
The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,
And in abundance addeth to his store;
So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy Will
One will of mine, to make thy large will more.
Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill;
Think all but one, and me in that one Will.

just like i said . . . fat and bloated.

 

[Tathagata]

I put this on the Music thread but it bears repeating. This is David Byrne, one of the grandfathers of poetry-art-performance-video-like-behavior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1-Q8ly8iKE

bijou

I'm a huge David Byrne fan
I may be the only one who bought this record when it came out...but it's certainly spoken word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV7HYSVoPoE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC8_4Xhn-qc

 

[unpredictablebijou]

I'm a huge David Byrne fan
I may be the only one who bought this record when it came out...but it's certainly spoken word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV7HYSVoPoE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC8_4Xhn-qc

That was fine work indeed. I was blown away by My Life In the Bush of Ghosts when it first came out. "Out, Jezebel" from that album was so nostalgic... Can't find that one but here's another from the same album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QLXTsviMxk

Fripp, especially with the League of Gentlemen, and King Crimson were big influences too.

Did a benefit for Move-On PAC once in which I read pieces to the accompaniment of a stand-up bass, african drumming and a flute. I assured my friends that it would be butt-puckeringly awful but they came anyway. They assured me that it was not quite as butt-puckeringly awful as I had thought it might be.

What I know is that it was fun. I felt like Janis Joplin. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, for a good cause.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

just like i said . . . fat and bloated.

feh. some of my favorite things are fat. And occasionally bloated, though that's not the most poetic word for it...

watch that attitude, youngster, or there will be discipline. Mine, hopefully.

* rockets, dancing ducks, random smiley symbols *

 

[Eluard]

When he was the U.S. Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky created the Favorite Poems Project of ordinary people reading their favorite poems and explaining why they like them. It's an interesting project.

And UBU has lots of interesting audio and video poetry (as well as some stuff that's just, well, strange). It's one of my favorite sites, with recordings of poets as far back as Yeats, I believe.

Maybe these sites will help your muse, Eluard.

Thanks Angeline. This looks very interesting.

BTW This whole idea has this morning received a huge technological updraft, in the form of a revision to iMovie for Mac in iLife08. See here:


iMovie08


On the aethetic civil wars, I have sometimes felt around here as though I'm the Lone Confedereate, battling against Yankee simplicity. But every now and again I get the feeling that I am not entirely alone. Good to know! — though deeply disturbing as well.

 

[Tzara]

On the aethetic civil wars, I have sometimes felt around here as though I'm the Lone Confedereate, battling against Yankee simplicity

Well, you're certainly from the Deep South, if that means anything.

 

[Eluard]

Well, you're certainly from the Deep South, if that means anything.

It does mean something — it's a measure of just how deeply I am in the Confederacy. General Lee wishes!

 

[TMV]

Whoa..., bad!

RainMan, my sweet,

I write th'immortal words on buttocks fair
and toward you gently wave them in the air.

with all affection, darling,
bijou



XX

A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,
Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change, as is false women's fashion:
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue all hues in his controlling,
Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.




CXXXV

Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will to boot, and Will in over-plus;
More than enough am I that vexed thee still,
To thy sweet will making addition thus.
Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,
Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?
Shall will in others seem right gracious,
And in my will no fair acceptance shine?
The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,
And in abundance addeth to his store;
So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy Will
One will of mine, to make thy large will more.
Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill;
Think all but one, and me in that one Will.

Fat? Overbloated? No, no, no! Sorry TRM, but I found it sly, intriguing and diverse! I love it and I ain't afraid to say it! I love how the images slip so wetly from one idea to another, without losing one iota of the context of the subject! It was beautiful! Even though it was hard to follow the language, I persevered as I needed to read it! I felt it was nice enough to invest in.

I will argue this point on the project, yes we don't have any of the expertise to make the project take off like a Raven! But then many people didn't have the expertise when they started something. Like Alexander Bell, Thomas Alva Edison. Sometimes you walk into something just to learn how to do it. Besides, we have computer's and program's and school's. All of which can come in handy every once in a while.

And so, it is a project that asks for enthusiast, and I'm an enthusiast about the project! Over-planning, under-planning..., nothing will get done criticizing something that hasn't even started. I'd say the biggest demon here is over-analyzing.

You know, for the next couple of month's, I'm going to try to put something together. Please submit some poetry for me to work with.

 

[manipulatrix]

......

 

[Eluard]

Thanks, these offers are great and very generous. I'm sure there will be knocks upon your door at some point.

In the first instance I am going to try to do something with one or two of my own things — on the principle that a good doctor always practices upon himself first. I am something of a control freak and want to have complete say in how the whole thing looks and sounds. But rampant promiscuity is a very good thing and I always encourage it in others.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

But rampant promiscuity is a very good thing and I always encourage it in others.

Hear hear!

more to the point, if you practice on your own work and give us some examples to look at, I for one will be able to give you better info on how I perceive your skills helping the visions I have for my own work.

If I had the tech and talent, I'd make these myself, but I've always done well with collaborations in this area too. At least with artists I trust.

bijou

 

[TMV]

Inspirational

As to category-wise, I think that being a new project, that we should look at doing the things we are used to at first. And then work to expand our skill's and talents, as we discuss the mistakes and successes, that are sure to come. It would be novel to see how things work out and then see how we might improve through our own visual perceptions. It seems that we can find new form's and thoughts in putting things together, and might even increase our experience and understanding in our own idividual project's. By doing individual project's, it could work out to where we might be able to enhance a group projectt with some individual work.

It seems to me, that starting out small and collaborating further into group projects would net the biggest inspirations through viewing the projects in bits and pieces. as well as their montage of works.

 

[TMV]

And the goblin snips my hair once again.

I wouldn't want this to fall too far back. as it seems that not so many have the desire to create and illuminate their imagination. BUMP

 

[unpredictablebijou]

I wouldn't want this to fall too far back. as it seems that not so many have the desire to create and illuminate their imagination. BUMP

Do not assume that.

 

[TMV]

Yes, scold me.

Do not assume that.

But isn't that the crux of every life? Assumptions? Yes.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Aaaaaanyhoo.

Hey Eluard, when you get a chance, wander through the works of Nam June Paik, Dara Birnbaum and Tricky for some really keen ideas.

 

[Eluard]

Aaaaaanyhoo.

Hey Eluard, when you get a chance, wander through the works of Nam June Paik, Dara Birnbaum and Tricky for some really keen ideas.

Yes, I'm very fond of Tricky and will check out the others.

Did I hear you say somewhere that you like Trip Hop?

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Yes, I'm very fond of Tricky and will check out the others.

Did I hear you say somewhere that you like Trip Hop?

You did. Indeed. Juicy and delicious.

 

[Eluard]

You did. Indeed. Juicy and delicious.

Me too. Will try to find some YouTube entries of my favourite things not well known in the U.S.

(My favourite thing is not there: I've already looked.)

 

[Rumpleteazer]

*Bolts in Neck*

well to be cynical,

in an increasingly un poetic overly ironic world

i have my doubts as to wether anyone can jolt this corpse back to life


i mean to be even slightly earnest in this seen-everything subliminal mind fuck culture is too open yourself to attack

 

[manipulatrix]

.....

 

[unpredictablebijou]

well to be cynical,

in an increasingly un poetic overly ironic world

i have my doubts as to wether anyone can jolt this corpse back to life


i mean to be even slightly earnest in this seen-everything subliminal mind fuck culture is too open yourself to attack

poor thing! here, have some dark chocolate and a neck massage.

You're right, of course. It's a rotting corpse, or at least that can be argued. But then, isn't everything? (my I am buddhist today)

But I suspect you wouldn't be here at all if you didn't feel that somewhere, perhaps only in you, perhaps the very last spark of it is still alive?

And if we keep feeding it, blowing on it, perhaps we can bring it back to life? Just maybe?

Share the hope with me. Keep the faith.

bijou

 

[TMV]

I remember a professor shaking his head over the majority of students enrolled in his poetry lecture, saying, "if only young men knew how poetry could get the girls...."

I prefer my irony and cynicism poetic, personally.

"I prefer my irony and cynicism poetic, personally."

And if only that were a poet's view. Too many Ironic's and cynics. And not just poetically. Eluard, I like you a lot. But some people are hampering your effort. I'll keep reading, but I can no longer reciprocate. Too many of the wrong people, foisting their filth while trailing after me. I have to take the fight where it belongs. Good luck.

 

[Eluard]

Eluard, I like you a lot. But some people are hampering your effort. I'll keep reading, but I can no longer reciprocate. Too many of the wrong people, foisting their filth while trailing after me. I have to take the fight where it belongs. Good luck.

No worries — as we say in Oz — this thread is really only to announce intentions, anyway. I don't expect anything tangible to appear here. That said, all discussion is most welcome.