Thursday, April 14, 2005

May will be awesome

Yeah! Stuart Ross is joining my poetry workshop for a very special night!

The Quebec Writers Federation Presents...
May 1st, 2005. 8pm
Live @ Blizzarts (3956A St-Laurent)

CONTENT UNDER PRESSURE
an evening with emerging poets

T.K. Murphy
Jan Jorgensen
Elise Moser
Anna Carathanasis
Julia DeSouza
Frank Crcek
Crystal Beliveau
Shawnda Wilson
Maureen Rappaport
Ali Dimyati

with very special guest, the legendary Stuart Ross, launching his brand new book:
CONFESSIONS OF A SMALL PRESS RACKETEER! (Anvil Press)
and your host, local gadabout, Jon Paul Fiorentino!

Sunday, April 03, 2005

New York drawls

I will joining a group of very cool authors in New York for two special nights:

Hazards of Globalisation: Entertainment by Foreigners. The ex-pat artists in this city are mostly busy being New Yorkers like everyone else. At this cabaret, though, they revert to their étranger status and express their ideas about where they've come from vs. the country they've come to. Think of it as a mini-Olympics of music, theatre, dance, spoken-word, and video art. Tuesday, April 12th, 10 pm. Galapagos Art Space, 70 North 6th Street, Williamsburg. (L to Bedford Ave.) 718 782-5188. Free.

Don't Blame Canada: Some of Canada's most entertaining poets and writers talk and perform work about cross-border mutual misunderestimations. David McGimpsey, Adeena Karasick, Catherine Kidd, Corey Frost, Jon Paul Fiorentino, Ian Ferrier, and Amanda Marchand. Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery. 212-614-0505. Wed., April 13th. 10 pm. $5 (US or Can. dollars.)

These will sort of be my NYC Asthmatica launches. Hope to see you there.

Friday, April 01, 2005

I know you're strong

The Weakerthans -- the best band since The Smiths. There. I've said it. John K. Samson has this uncanny ability to use all of his influences-- lyric poetry, literary and Marxist theory, country, punk, etc.-- to craft intricate and beautiful pop songs. The band nails it every time. You can't go to a Weakerthans show and not be uplifted. They can be sappy, hyper-emotive, highly political and still rock like bastards. There's a generosity and fierce intelligence in their music that restores my faith. I strongly suggest you visit them here.

And while you're at it, visit John K. Samson's brilliant publishing house
here.