The Small Machine Talks - Episode 31 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl
the Small Machine Talks Episode 31
with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl
Recorded on April 8, 2018
Click here to listen to the episode.
Recent Events
We speak of literary and other events that we’ve attended in the past few months. Aaron has moved to a new location. We speak about bicycles and poetry. Amanda offers a teaser about an upcoming event.
Amanda attended a few Black History Month events. We talk about Motown music and the Big Chill. We also learn that Aaron loves jazz fusion and has a jazz drum set. Amanda confesses that her musical taste depends a lot on the lovers she gets involved with who introduce her to it.
We talked events at Sawdust and Tree. Amanda went to an event celebrating International Women’s Day. Lots of different artistic media from spoken word to storytelling to hip hop and dance.
We speak about the Octopus Books event with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Indigenous activism and intellectualism. We end up chatting about the blur of boundaries, including Michael Ondaatje’s Coming Through Slaughter.
We talk about VERSeFest and share some of our highlights.
Factory Reading Series talks appear after the talks at http://www.ottawater.com/seventeenseconds/
Arc Walks #1 with rob mclennan
http://robmclennan.blogspot.ca/2018/03/arc-walks-2018-centretown.html
Indigenous Walks Ottawa
Janes Walk Ottawa
http://www.janeswalkottawa.ca/
We discuss walking tour ideas.
We talk about Rasiqra Revulva’s wonderful performance.
http://rasiqrarevulva.com/Home.html
We discuss erasure and found poems, including the work of Kenny Goldsmith and Vanessa Place.
We discuss the readings of Christine McNair and Major Jackson
Major Jackson Ok Cupid https://vimeo.com/125069964
2. Recent Reads (29.02)
Emily Izsak – Whistle Stops, A Locomotive Serial Poem, Signature Editions, 2017
https://emilyizsak.com/ Aaron gives a few examples of technique and style from her work.
Aaron talks about tennis and difference between new and mid-career players styles.
Kaveh Akbar - Calling A Wolf A Wolf (Alice James Books)
Amanda reads Soot.
http://alicejamesbooks.org/ajb-titles/calling-a-wolf-a-wolf/
Aaron talks about JC Bouchard – Let This Be The End of Me, poems and photographs (Hybrid Heaven, 2018)
https://www.hybridheaven.co/shop/jc-bouchard-let-this-be-the-end-of-me
Amanda talks about Arc Poetry Magazine– Winter 2018, highlights are essays, poems and reviews.
http://arcpoetry.ca/2018/03/20/winter-1028/
3. Upcoming Events
See Bywords.ca for the calendar of events.
4. Contests and submissions
See Bywords.ca news for calls and contests
5. Thanks and sign off
Jennifer Pederson for intro and outro, Charles Earl for processing, audience and those who share the link. Stay tuned for more episodes in May and so forth…
The Small Machine Talks - Episode 30 - Interview with rob mclennan
Recorded on March 15, 2018
AngelHousePress presents NationalPoetryMonth.ca 2018. This year’s contributors come from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Scotland and USA to provide us with a range of styles, some of which make us ponder the nature of poetry and stretch ourselves beyond the standard definition of genre. Sometimes in the work that we receive for NationalPoetryMonth.ca, perhaps because of some kind of zeitgeist or current concern, we end up with a theme. This year I would say the theme is that of finding strength in vulnerability.
Thanks to the contributors and all of those who bravely sent their poems and work they weren’t even certain was poems to AngelHousePress for NationalPoetryMonth.ca. AngelHousePress continues its goal to publish raw talent, ragged edges and rebels and to be a home for misfit artists and audiences to find one another.
I hope you enjoy this month-long celebration, which includes video poems, visual art and poetry, typewriter poems, collages and asemic writing. If you find yourself thinking, “that’s not a poem!” we’ve done our job.
I’ll be sharing a link to each day’s poem via social media on our FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelHousePress/ and on Twitter through my personal account: @KikiFolle. Follow along or simply remember to go to NationalPoetryMonth.ca daily through the month of April.
I would also encourage you to visit http://angelhousepress.com/ to check out our chapbooks, read the essays and sign up for our mailing list, and to go to http://experiment-o.com/ our annual pdf magazine that celebrates the art of risk where you will find ten years of art, poetry, prose, and visual poetry.
Thanks for joining us in our celebration of National Poetry Month. Please share the poetry each day with fellow enthusiasts of poetry that doesn’t fit within boundaries.
In the latest AngelHousePress essay, Sacha Archer talks about some of the consideration for his visual poem series, "Framing Poems."
The Small Machine Talks - Episode 29 - Interview with Jennifer LoveGrove
Episode 29 – The Small Machine Talks (and Walks!) – Interview with Jennifer LoveGrove
Recorded on February 28, 2018
Click here to listen to the episode.
This is the first in what I hope to be a series of interviews with poets in the wild, or at least, in various locations downtown where we can discuss their poetry and other interests. Whether you’re a visiting or local poet, if you’d like to take part in an interview, please let us know. I envisage tea and a walk through Chinatown or along the path en route to the Parliament Buildings or a pub crawl on Elgin or perhaps an interview whilst riding the new light rail, once it opens in late 2018.
1. Art House Café, 555 Somerset W.
Jennifer and I began in the Art House Café., a café full of beautiful art and interesting furniture. It was the ideal location to begin our interview. There was lots of background noise as fellow café enthusiasts chatted beside us.
We talked about her most recent poetry collection, Beautiful Children with Pet Foxes (BookThug, 2017) and her reading at the Tree Reading Series on February 27. We discussed the need to prepare for a reading ahead of time. Jennifer said that rather than try to gauge the vibe in the room, you create the vibe. We discussed the roles of ghosts and animals within the book, Jennifer’s interest in the occult as a child. Jennifer mentioned how the South Korean poet Kim Hyesoon influences her poetry.
We also chatted about her former zine, Dig, published by Jennifer’s press, Wayward Armadillo. We spotted an issue of local magazine Canthius on the shelf at Art House.
https://jenniferlovegrove.wordpress.com/
A How-To Guide on Reading Your Poetry: http://open-book.ca/Writer-in-Residence/Archives/Jennifer-LoveGrove/A-How-To-Guide-for-Your-Poetry-Reading
Richard Ahnert – cover artist for Beautiful Children with Pet Foxes:
http://mycanvas.ca/mycanvas-home/
Kim Hyesoon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Hyesoon
The Lazarus Corporation Text Mixing Desk 2.0:
http://www.lazaruscorporation.co.uk/cutup/text-mixing-desk
2. Darling Vintage, 502 Somerset W. – 30.00
We moved to Darling Vintage across the street and talked to the owner about the odd questions people have about the store. We encountered animals from Jennifer’s book as jewelry, on glassware and on clothing. We gave a running audio narrative of the lovely garments and other items in the store. We talked about buying second hand clothing, sweat shop culture and upcylcled clothing. We get serious about purses and admire the clothing clustered by colour. Amanda commits some terrible puns. Opening drawers results in surprises. We consider clothing to alienate our fellow train travellers. We learn that Jennifer’s dog is afraid of things that flutter. Jamie, the owner of Darling Vintage gives us a list of silly questions people ask about the store.
https://www.instagram.com/darlingvintagestuff/
https://www.facebook.com/darlingvintageshop/
Jennifer LoveGrove Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenlg52/
Jennifer talks about her subscription to Red Bird Vintage Box http://www.redbirdvintagebox.com/ which provides customized vintage jewelry and clothing monthly.
3. Bellwether’s Vintage, 9 Florence Street 51.28
In Bellwethers’ Vintage on Florence we ran into the poet and burlesque performer Kimberly Dawkins.
https://www.instagram.com/bellwethersvintage/
https://www.facebook.com/bellwethersvintage/
We talked about the thrift shop culture in Montreal, Jennifer’s log cabin home, south of Peterborough where some of the editing for the book occurred, and gave a running commentary on the items in the store, including an etch-a-sketch and some funky American red and blue star pants. We talked about the resurgence of the polka dot and our lack of desire for vintage bathing suits. We complained of our inability to sew. We discussed the delicious scent of a wood-burning stove or campfire and that reminded Amanda of Lapsang Souchong tea:
https://www.world-of-tea.ca/collections/black-tea/products/lapsang-souchong
Amanda tries to remember the Pixies song, Greens and Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1vdYTzPtKQ
4. Ragtime Vintage, 43 Flora St.
https://www.facebook.com/RagtimeVintage/
We went to Ragtime on Flora but ran out of space on the portable recorder to record the interview.
Thanks to Jennifer for indulging my whimsical idea and for being a great guest. It was a pleasure to spend time with her and have a whimsical discussion. Let’s hope we have more of these moveable podcast episodes.
Stay tuned for the next episode of the Small Machine Talks. Thanks to listeners and those who share the episode links. Thanks to Charles Earl for sound engineering and Jennifer Pederson for the intro and outro.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 28
The Small Machine Talks #28
with @_amkozak and @kikifolle
Recorded on February 11, 2018
https://soundcloud.com/user-301339427/episode-28
We open with a short statement about recent revelations of racism and abuse of power in CanLit, including in Ottawa. https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
Aaron mentions that these issues are coming to light in other communities he’s involved in. We talk of our own experiences in coping with the bombardment of pain and stress and invite you to contact us if you’d like to talk about it with the possibility of having a more nuanced discussion with anyone who would like to, on the podcast.
7.42 We discuss recent events, such as the Sawdust Reading Series with @IdeasofNature and Spencer Gordan. @sawdustseries @spencergordan @thepuritan @pandora888 @biblioasis . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
11.09 @treeseries @itsakirby @bsbOttawa @margolapierre @bywordsdotca [aside – we’re looking for chapbook and poetry book reviews] great readings at extended open mic and # SouvankhamThammavongsa ‘s great workshop & poetry reading . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
15.16 @cbcunreserved Indigenous Trailblazers: Carving Paths Through Tradition hosted by @RoDeerchild part of @megaphono inspiring talks. it was especially inspiring to hear Alanis Obomsawin . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
17.37 NEWS @_amkozak is moving to Little Italy; he’s made it out of the basement just before turning 30. #drums #soundetry #film #creativity . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm
19.00 @arcpoetry staff changes @montyreid @ceeeejohnson @jkmoran . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
19.26 new Parliamentary poet laureate is Georgette LeBlanc replacing George Elliott Clarke . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
20.02 Liam Burke joins @ckcufm Literary Landscape with @pesbo, @k8thek8 and Robin MacLachlen Thursday nights at 6:30pm . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
20.57 Current and recent reads: Ottawater.com 14 @robmclennanblog We discuss some of the work that resonated, including art and poetry. An inspiration for AngelHousePress’ Experiment-O. @manaaaahil’s wild poetry @meesterchristie # @franchetoast pro-biotic yogurt / the son of Odin @spencergordan @penanddragon @mahazimmo http://ottawater.com/ . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
28.14 @spencergordan “Cruise Missile Liberals” @nightwooded #GerardManleyHopkins #dogears http://www.nightwoodeditions.com/title/CruiseMissileLiberals @_amkozak reads from “Here and Now” “Things were better when you were on fire” & “Survey”
We try to explain indentation & do it poorly. #hanginglinebreak @mrrazovsky #Pockets 37.45 . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
38.24 Amanda read Canisia Lubrin’s Voodoo Hypothesis https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2261700964?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1 . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
38.39 Amanda is reading the anthology “Stairs and Whispers - D/deaf and Disabled Poets Write Back” Edited by @san_alland, @mailbykite & @danielsluman
@ninearchespress #accessibility http://ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/stairs%20and%20whispers.html #erasure #soundcloud . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
41.45 @danielsluman editorial poem, “Shove Ten Pounds of Sugar in a Seven Pound Bag”
Beautiful, revelatory poem of absences and the connection between disability and poetry. https://soundcloud.com/ninearchespress/daniel-sluman-essay . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
41.48 Miki Byrne’s Nepuliser https://soundcloud.com/ninearchespress/013-nebuliser . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
43.29 @_amkozak read a chapbook published by @rahilasghost Normal Women by Megan Fennya Jones https://rahilasghostpress.com/portfolio/normal-women-by-megan-fennya-jones/ @cantlit many poems deal with modelling; immediate and sparse language #WWIpoetry . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm
45.17 @_amkozak reads “Paris Fashion Week”. reminds Amanda of a fashion show. Amanda’s a fan of #ProjectRunway. storytelling via images @cassidymcfadz style & rhymes . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm
48 @_amkozak reads from “A Poem is a Deathwish” which reminded him of the poetry of @kaylaczaga “Selfie”; open ended endings; exploration of the body. he reads part of “the Beach Today” . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm
52.07 @cantlit podcast w/ @rahilasghost design by @curtiswleblanc sad ghost 1st attempt #Episode54 http://cantlit.ca/; inspiration for our podcast also . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
52.55 Accessibility in #CanLit @depalm When Buildings Do the Dirty Work, CanLit Hands Aren’t Clean https://alllitup.ca/Blog/2018/When-Buildings-Do-the-Dirty-Work-CanLit-Hands-Aren-t-Clean
Her CanCripLit page: https://dorothyellenpalmer.com/ . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
55.21 @bywordsdotca is creating a guide to accessible literary, spoken word, storytelling, nonfiction venues in Ottawa. See FB page: www.facebook.com/accesswordottawa and take part in finding venues. @opl_bpo accessible spaces at a nominal cost . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
58.35 If you go to a space in Ottawa that you think might be an accessible space and candidate for a reading, let me know or post on the Access Word Ottawa Page
A site https://ottawa.spacefinder.org/ in progress to share creative spaces . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
1.01.20 _@amkozak talks about psychological/monetary/transit accessibility and the issue of events at bars. . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm
1.04 Amanda is trying to reach out to disabled people to help us create the guide. . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm
1.05 20 Upcoming events and calls
February is Black History Month
http://blackhistoryottawa.weebly.com/black-history-month-2018.html
Theme for 2018 is: "Our Canadian Story: Honouring the U.N. International Decade for Peoples of African Descent." See site for additional events . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
February 21 - Jamaal Jackson Rogers and Jacqui DuToit for an interactive presentation of: The Village - A storytelling and Poetry Experience. 6pm, Main Branch, Ottawa Public Library . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
Tree Reading Series: Feb 27 – Jennifer Lovegrove and Segun Akinlolu; Coven Editions launch
Feb 20 – Sawdust: Anita Dolman, Conyer Clayton and poem-off winner . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
VERSeFest: March 20 – 25
hints on the Instagram and Twitter pages of VERSeOttawa/VERSeFest
Christine McNair, Gary Barwin, Nyla Matuk, Di Brandt, Major Jackson, Sneha Madhavan-Reese, Louise Bernice-Halfe, David Groulx, Klara Duplessis, Ahmed Knowmadic Ali, Faith Arkorful, Madeleine Stratford, the Icelandic poet, Sjon, Jeff Latosik, Hoa Nguyen, Robyn Schiff . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak
6. Calls and contests . https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydb6fqqm @_amkozak See Bywords.ca news
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Small Machine Talks. Thanks to @pandora888 for the intro and outro; @charlesearlfoto for the processing. Please share with your friends!