For the love of libraries

When was the last time you set foot in your local library? If you have to stop and think, then maybe it’s time you went and checked it out. I am a proud, card-carrying member… always have been and for good reason.

Established in the mid-19th Century, public libraries were seen to be essential to the longevity of democracy. Libraries as purveyors of information, pursued the notion of establishing an educated and enlightened citizenry. And while this has not changed, libraries have become so much more than a repository for books and other printed matter. For me they are a vital civic space, providing the opportunity for anyone to be able to read the paper, check emails, conduct research, or engage in community programs. In a world of increasing social isolation, the library has become a community living room for people of all ages.

Fifty percent of Australians currently access the 1500 public libraries with more than 100 million people accessing these libraries annually (stats gathered in 2007-2008 by Matthew Allen).  And while 50% is satisfactory, this is a figure I am sure many would love to see increase. The revamp of how libraries look is something that I think will continue to grow this figure. Just check out some of these incredible library spaces…

Central Library, Vancouver

 

City Library of Stockholm

 

Royal Library, El Escorial, Spain

(images taken from the site Most Interesting Libraries of the World)

Who wouldn’t want to spend time in each of these spaces?

And while many of our local libraries are still in need of a face lift, the new(ish) Brisbane Square Library and State Library are stunning spaces. I for one, can’t wait for QLD Writers Centre to move into the State Library next year. I think the new location will completely reshape how they interact with the writing public.

So on this beautiful Sunday, if you are wondering what to do, join the growing number of enlightened citizens and head to your local library… you never know what might be happening!

Brisbane Square Library

 

State Library of QLD

More sounds from the New Folk

Well, morning has passed me by but as always the day has been soundtracked by some new folk sounds… Here’s a snapshot of what has been entering my ears of late. Plenty here to get those Saturday morning feet a stomping! Enjoy and don’t forget to drop your LitRock suggestions into my previous post… I plan to post some of your suggestions real soon.

 

Little Lion Man – Mumford and Sons

This a sweet slab of new British folk from four young men with names that were begging for them to come together and make music. Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane marry gutsy, old-time folk with their love of bluegrass and country. And on Little Lion Man, they capture the live fire that they are becoming renowned for. let’s hope they hit these shores soon… Their debut album Sigh No More is out now.

 

 

Soul of a Man – Rambling Jack Elliott

Rambling Jack Elliott is one of the final links to the old American folk tradition. As Johnny Cash once said, nobody has covered more ground and made more friends and sung more songs than Rambling Jack. And in the tradition of the folk troubadour, he has just released a new album of Depression Era blues songs to pay homage to a handful of the songs that have fed him over the years. This track, originally penned by Blind Willie Johnson, is a song that haunts me every time I hear it. The lyric, I’m going to ask the question, answer if you can/ If anybody here can tell me, what is the soul of a man?  cuts straight through me and Rambling Jack has the life-weary voice to deleiver it with conviction.

 

The Wrong Road – Steve Kilbey

Originally recorded for one of the tribute albums to the late great GW McLennan (although it sadly never made it on to the finished album), this is Kilbey at his stripped back best, capturing the elegance of McLennan’s lyric. This song is a major contender for the LitRock list that I was talking about recently too, with Grant superbly name-checking Dickens: 

Started out Oliver, ended up Fagin/ Don’t you worry, it’s my problem

It still hurts that there will be no new McLennan songs…

In Silence

A day when only images speak.

Hardly a word worth hearing except a swirl in the water and the hush of jellyfish dancing on the incoming tide. Belly up like blue bells.

Hardly a sibilant among the gulls or the black faced terns pickaxing the perfect blue for mullet.

Except for a stingray moving from the camouflage of sand.

Panic in a blink.

A Poet Is… what Bob Dylan has to say.

Dylan is one of the most quoted artists of our time, and rightfully so. Just check out these nuggets of wisdom if you need any convincing:

A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.

No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.

I accept chaos, I’m not sure whether it accepts me.

But there is one Dylan quote that has always niggled at me and that is, I think a poet is anyone who wouldn’t call themself a poet.

This niggles at me for many reasons… one, Dylan readily calls himself a poet, in fact has been quoted as saying he will die like one (although he also says he doesn’t like the word… prefers the term trapeze artist); the fact that the word poet is undeniably misunderstood in our society; and the fact that I struggled to come to terms with calling myself a poet for many years and am only now beginning to feel any sense of comfort with the term.

Personally, I struggled with the term because I value it… deeply. For the last decade the art of poetry has been the driving force in my life. I have high expectations of my work and only now feel that I am starting to produce the work of a poet.

So why is it that, the word poet is often uttered under one’s breath? Why has the title poet, become a thorny crown?

I would like to suggest that one of the main reasons is the lack of poetry in our national curriculum. I don’t want to harp on this, as I know I have said it before, but quality poetry is sadly missing in our schools today. I saw an example of the work that a visiting poet had done with students recently and it was in a word… uninspired. We are seriously missing the mark in schools and as a result, fewer and fewer people are being equipped with the skills to engage with poetry.

But this is just one of the reasons… I could also cite elitism as a significant reason as let’s face it, for too long prestige has been found by pleasing a small group of like minds, rather than reaching out to a wider audience.

Dylan has certainly redefined modern music through his lyrical brilliance. I just wonder what it will take (or who) to redefine poetry. 

Feel free to add your suggestions (or disagree with any of mine).  

 

Poetry Speaks

I came across this site over at Electric Alphabet today and it is well worth exploring. The site is called Poetry Speaks and as Kate says in her title, it may just be better than an iTunes for poetry. There is alot of poetry to explore already, including classic works from Rimbaud & Baudelaire, more contemporary works by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Derrick Brown and the founder of Slam, Marc Kelly Smith, who performed at QLD Poetry Festival in 2006.  And just as importantly, you can also get involved in the Poetry Speaks community by registering a free account and uploading your work. You can also sell your work via the Poetry Speaks site. Lots of potential here… I have already been over and had a play, uploading The Stillest Hour and Brisbane Love Poems. That said, I am off to spend some more time in the Poetry Speaks playground…

Cut Me Down: a night with Lloyd Cole

As the lights dimmed on the sellout crowd, a collective breath was taken. The anticipation was palpable. I was one of the many ‘first-timers’; too young to catch Lloyd Cole & The Commotions when they played Festival Hall in the late 80’s and for one reason or another missed his show a few years back at The Zoo, but tonight as Lloyd walked out of the side-of-stage darkness into the spotlight, centre stage, the 20 year wait came to a sweet end.

Cole, by his own admission, was never one for playing live, preferring to write and record music; but in recent years, this has all changed. Tonight he embodies the spirit of a folksinger. Standing on stage with nothing more than his two acoustic guitars, bottles of water and a bowl of ice, Cole draws the crowd into his world from the very first note. Most sets are studded with highlights, but Saturday night’s show was overflowing with them.

The second song of the night was a stunning cover of Leonard Cohen’s, Tower of Song. Cole, like Cohen blessed with the gift of a golden voice. Lloyd then informed us that the night would be broken up into two sets and in the tradition of the support band, he would play songs that no one would know. And then the first notes of Rattlesnakes echoed through the room… It wasn’t the jangly pop number that has featured on the soundtrack to so many lives all around the globe, no, tonight’s version was stripped back, soulful, showcasing the moody lyricism Cole is renowned for. Other tracks from the Commotions era to feature in the set were Perfect Skin, Cut Me Down, Brand New Friend, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?, 2cv, Lost Weekend and Why I Love Country Music.

Why I Love Country Music came at a time when one young lady, who to quote Hinemoana Baker, was a little over-refreshed, was making it known she wanted to hear 2cv or in her (rather slurred) words, some of the songs with good lyrics. To say the least, several members of the crowd at that stage wanted to lynch her, but Lloyd kept everyone cool, the irony of the lyric, We don’t talk, we don’t fight/ I’m just tired, she’s way past caring, might have been lost on said lady, but the crowd loved it (I should also add that she did not make it back in for the second half of the show, so missed hearing 2cv…).

He played songs from (almost) every album, Blue Skies and Undressed from his first solo album, Butterfly and Pay For It from Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe, Like Lovers Do and Unhappy Song from Love Story, Old Enough To Know Better from etc… Young Idealists and Woman in a Bar from Antidepressant and a swag of songs from his 2003 masterpiece Music in a Foreign Language, including my personal highlight, Late Night, Early Town, as well as a cover of the Kris Kristofferson song, Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends. And as Lloyd pointed out, he is now in peak physical condition, to perform… carrying an extra 5kg to cushion his guitar and give him the necessary self-loathing to perform some of the songs.

It was a setlist to ensure every fan went home smiling, dusting off their old vinyl, or reaching for a CD from the rack. And I have no doubt, many of them will be changed forever. That is the power of an artist at their peak; they take you somewhere and bring you back richer for the experience… Cole has that transformative power, and I am thankful to have felt its pull.

For those who want to check out what I am talking about, here’s a few links to recent live performances:

Butterfly
Cut Me Down
Rattlesnakes
Perfect Skin
Pay For It

LitRock Songs

Issa’s Untidy Hut has long been one of my favourite blogs, serving up some of the finest ‘little’ poems from the Lilliput Review, poetic explorations into the lives and art of poets and of course Issa’s Sunday Service. The Sunday Service features a song which bridges the gap between rock and literature in some fashion… it may be a reference, it may be the artist themselves or it may be that the words demand closer attention. However it happens, we all know music and literature are not as far removed as some would like to think.  And now, Issa’s Sunday Service has put the call out for submissions of your favourite LitRock Songs and to make it even sweeter, if yours is selected, you receive the two current issues of The Lilliput Review.

Now as you know, I am a huge believer in Ezra Pound’s famous words:

poetry begins to atrophy when it gets too far from music

so here’s a few of my LitRock recommendations for you to dip into…

And please, drop your suggestions to me as a comment, I am always up for some listening and don’t forget to email them to the Lilliput Review for consideration (be sure to check out the first 27 tracks before emailing).

 

Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? – Lloyd Cole & the Commotions

When it comes to Lloyd Cole, there are a number of tracks I could have selected – Rattlesnakes for it’s Simone de Beuvior reference; Perfect Skin for its lyric, Louise is the girl with the perfect skin/ she says turn on the light, otherwise it can’t be seen/ she’s got cheekbones like geometry and eyes like sin/ and she’s sexually enlightened by cosmopolitan; Weird On Me for using a line from Raymond Carver – but I have gone for the lesser known Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? Originally recorded as part of the Rattlesnakes sessions, I chose this song for it’s wonderful Norman Mailer reference and all round lyricism. And with Lloyd playing Brisbane’s Powerhouse tonight, his words have been circling my brain. Be sure to watch the clip above…

Here’s a snapshot of the lyrics:

Pumped up full of vitamins
On account of all the seriousness
You say you’re so happy now
you can hardly stand
Lean over on the bookcase
If you really want to get straight
Read Norman Mailer
Or get a new tailor

Are you ready to be heartbroken?

(read the complete lyrics here)

 

 

It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City – Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band

Let’s face it, any song from Springsteen’s first few albums could be included and then there are the tracks from Nebraska & his much overlooked album The Ghost of Tom Joad. The man has penned some of the greatest lyrics of his era. And before I go further into the lyrics of Saint in the City, if you don’t get goosebumps watching this live clip of a young, hungry E-Street Band, tearing up The Hammersmith Odeon on their first tour of Britain, then you need to check your pulse. The way Bruce conducts the whole band here is intense and the guitar duel between he and Little Stevie is white hot. But back to why I chose It’s Hard to be  Saint in the City. Well, it’s purely on the lyric. Springsteen’s early work had that wild, sprawling, carnival feel… all shifting perspectives, haunted visions, streetwise toughness & heady romanticism. Saint is a classic and for mine makes the list every time.

Check out these lyrics:

And the sages of the subway sit just like the living dead
As the tracks clack out the rhythm their eyes fixed straight ahead
They ride the line of balance and hold on by just a thread
But it’s too hot in these tunnels you can get hit up by the heat
You get up to get out at your next stop but they push you back down in your seat
Your heart starts beatin’ faster as you struggle to your feet
Then you’re outa that hole and back up on the street

And them South Side sisters sure look pretty
The cripple on the corner cries out “Nickels for your pity”
And them downtown boys sure talk gritty
It’s so hard to be a saint in the city

(read the complete lyrics here)

 

 

Swan Lake – The Church

Steve Kilbey, like Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan et al. is a poet in his own right. Having released three books – Earthed, Nineveh/The Ephemeron & Fruit Machine – plus the broadsheet, Eden alongside more than 20 albums with The Church (not to mention the myriad other side and solo projects), Kilbey has more than proved his literary credentials. 1992’s Priest=Aura album was a turning point in my own personal history. The albums dense textures and sublime lyricism turned me inside out and set me off in search of poetry. I could have chosen any one of the songs from this album but for now, I will settle with the fragile beauty of Swan Lake.

One night your shoulders will ache
But next day when you wake
You’ll sprout wild wings, and fly high
Just like in Swan Lake

(complete lyrics here)

And for everyone in Australia, don’t forget the band is touring nationally throughout November. Full tour dates are listed on the band’s website.

 

Free tickets to Motherlode launch at Avid Reader

 

Motherlode is the first major collection of Australian women’s poetry in over a decade. More than 120 poets share the telling of a very contemporary story of identity – how we see ourselves as and in relation to mothers, grandmothers and children. Past icons such as Judith Wright, Gwen Harwood, Dorothy Hewitt and Oodgeroo Noonuccal appear alongside established poets of today, including Judith Beveridge, Jennifer Maiden, Bronwyn Lea, Fay Zwicky and many more. Poems cover a wide range of themes from nature, iconography, pregnancy, birth, parenting, maternal and female roles, childlessness, loss, generational relationships and ageing and as Geoff Page says in his review for Radio National’s Book Show, the anthology transcends the gender divide.

We in Brisbane are fortunate enough to be able to celebrate the launchof Motherlode at Avid Reader on Friday November 13 and what is even better is all readers of Another Lost Shark have been offered free entry.

All you have to do is rock up on the night and give the name Another Lost Shark at the counter and a ticket will be yours free of charge.

All the details are below.

“Motherlode: Australian Women’s Poetry”
Join some of our finest female poets for a celebration of the craft
Venue: Avid Reader Bookshop 193 Boundary Street West End
Date: Friday 13th November
Time: 6pm for 6.30pm start
Tickets $5  or free for readers of Another Lost Shark

Hope to see many of you there…

 

Last Tricks

The vet was careful
to place the tip of her needle
right on the swirl of golden
hair, in the centre of his thigh.
In the silence after the syringe
had been plunged, his eyes widened
for a second. We watched
an audience expecting tricks
and eventually he obliged
with a straightening of his crooked
back legs and a comedic
sideways head-tilt that went
too far. His tongue out of order
escaping from the side of his jaw
and dipping to taste the earth
like a child, stealing a lick of the spoon
before the cookies have been baked.

Do the Deadnote!

“The Deadnotes are low key, low skill and lo-fi…” or so says Clive Bell of British indie music bible The Wire.

So if you are anywhere near Brisbane this Thursday night (November 5) and avant-art is your thing, look no further than The Deadnotes ‘Orange Trumpet’ LP launch party at the IMA.

The gig kicks off at 7pm, in the Screening Room of the Institute of Modern Art, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, 420 Brunswick Street , Fortitude Valley.

‘Orange Trumpet’, is a vinyl collection of The Deadnotes’ early pop haiku, recorded way-back-when in a fibro practice shed in Northgate.  Pressed and released in the U.S.A. (www.softabuse.com), Orange Trumpet has been lovingly issued in a numbered edition of 400.  Only 30 copies will be available locally, and they’ll have them exclusively available for purchase on the night at the discounted price of $20.  The band promise a set of old party favourites, on the spot newbies, squeaky pedals and leaky valves.

And if that doesn’t excite you maybe this will…

 ”Orange Trumpet is a great primitive art-punk rock LP from the Australian trio of Eugene Carchesio, Stuart Busby and Leighton Craig.  Heavily indebted to the sound of the ‘king of error’, Tori Kudo and Maher Shalal Hash Baz, The Deadnotes play guitar, drums, brass and recorder in a naïve style that crosses the early Rough Trade stumble punk style with ultra DIY non-musicianly smarts and echoes of folk and pop motifs that could almost be a punk rock extrapolation of the transformative powers of the Albert Ayler Orchestra or even Moondog, exploding simple melodic fragments via accidentals and re-birthing them as creative prima material. A bewitching record.” – David Keenan, Volcanic Tongue

Come along, support independent art… do the Deadnote!