Monday, April 30, 2007

Teapots, Fundamentalists, Pipes and Convivial Company

Saturday's "Readings" at Seksan's ...

Is this a party or a serious literary event?

Catching up with friends over a glass of wine.

The very supportive audience .

Brave Kenny went first, and it was his first reading. He read a piece he'd blogged for International Women's Day, called I am Woman, then 5 Pieces, and a quirky fairytale with alternative endings.

Jerome Kugan making us all stretch before he began! Jerome read some beautiful poems which he has compiled into a chapbook Imaginary Poems. (You can buy it from Jerome at just RM5)

I don't have to list them for you because you can just glance at the notes on Jerome's hand! My favourite was the Teapot Poem which he read last. Between the poems he sang acapella ... he has a magical voice and I hope it won't be too long before his album is completed.

Antares read from an unpublished manuscript (extracts of which you can find on his blog) Art Thou a Goddam Fundamentalist? which promoted most enjoyable engagement of the grey matter. One line that made me chuckle was about how religion provides a safe route from confusion to fusion with the one force of the universe. Antares is such an interesting thinker you just want to sit and listen to him expound at length. I intend to blog about his new book Tanah Tujuh as soon as I finish it ... and who knows but one of these days we might take "Readings" over to Magick River!

Chuck Kramer is a native of Chicago, now living in KL. He's an experience poetry slammer and last month we heard some of his poetry when he warmed the audience up for the slam with Chris Mooney-Singh. You can find a piece of his flash fiction published online here. He says that he has two unpublished novel manuscripts in his drawer, and he read from one of them - very good stuff I'd love to see on the page. (Write a novel set here Chuck, we need more good local fiction!)

Han was in last month's slam and came back to give us more of his work. Most of his poems are very short and he says he creates them like "found poetry" crafting them from phrases he likes the sound of and brings together. You can find more of his work on his blog and he has one of his poems in the present issue of KLue Magazine.

Sharanya insisted Kakiseni editor Zedeck Siew wear her rose and shawl. He's already getting called "pretty boy" and this won't do his reputation any good at all, I'm afraid! He read part of a short story "in progress" - I think it was called The Great Straights. Look forward to seeing the finished piece in the not-too-distant-future.

Thanks all who came and took part or supported. Sorry the timings went a bit out and we didn't have very long for a break. If you guys read next time stick to the 15 minute allocation, okay??

Thanks to Seksan for the space, filled with intriguing pipe sculptures this time, and to La Bodega for the lovely wine.

Thanks to the friends who cleared up, to Kenny for the poster and to Reza who is an absolute whiz at switching the amplifier on and off on command.

See you next month. We're aiming for May 26th and we have a great line up ... including poet Wong Phui Nam!

29 comments:

The Angry Medic said...

Good Lord, Sharon! I was just here a couple of hours ago and a new post's popped up in the meantime! And it's 9am, woman, 9AM!

You're a MACHINE! :)

bibliobibuli said...

i know dear, i wake very early and have a pm nap to make up

i actually put my photos up last night so just added the text this morning

there always seems much more that i want to blog about than i have time to put up esp. my book reviews!

Anonymous said...

I thought everyone read (and sang) really well, especially Mr. Kramer; and I loved Han's nonchalance too. By the end of it I was left feeling bilious and green with envy :-P.
Good job everybody!

bibliobibuli said...

green with envy? would love you to have a slot too. think about it.

you could just come along and draw if you wanted to y'know ... some different kinds of things happening might be nice

Anonymous said...

Its a shame that I have to work on Sats =/ Here's hoping that I'll get to go to atleast one before I go off to Miri.

G said...

I enjoyed myself tremendously.

The camaderie was warm (as was the humid weather), and the company delightful!

Thank you for having me!

I look forward to brave myself some time in the future for a reading. Perhaps some scribblings of mine will finally be heard beyond the written word and released into the air.

Yea!

(gary)

Azmi said...

(Sigh)...looks like I missed a very interesting line-up. I have met Antares and he does have a very interesting perspective on things that make you go"...yeah, why didn't I think of that before?"
His Tanah Tujoh certainly makes me wonder if the powers that be are all that ignorant on what's been happening?(another sigh...)

bibliobibuli said...

anon - you'll catch us, i'm sure 9and then you can take the concept to miri!!)

aikuchi - yes, we want you!

azmi - yes it's a powerful book and i'm so glad he's written it ...

Anonymous said...

OH MY GOD! WONG PHUI NAM! LOVE! LOVE!

It was a lovely session, and I really loved the location! It was my first time at Seksan's. I'm looking forward to the next!

-
Catalina / Karcy

Anonymous said...

awww. i couldnt make it! Assignments piling up by the day. Hmmph! however, I'll be dragging myself down to Seksan's the next time around, hopefully without the guilt of pending assignments. And oh, Sharon, will you be coming to RED at No Black Tie?

Syar said...

Hey, that's a picture of me and my friend Farah! cool, my 5 seconds of fame on bibliobuli. That was my first time attending Readings and it was great. Loved all the readers, especially Jerome, Han and Antares. And Zedeck's wiggly hands. :-)

Next time I'll say hi.

Anonymous said...

I already missed 3 readings.

And i miss you sharon. :P

I'm definately try to come next month.

Been busy like neraka lately.

Hikhik

bibliobibuli said...

kG - what's RED at no black tie??

vovin - i bought your book from roy! we should have some of you guys read too

syar - welcome!

hadn't realised that was you! sorry for being blur and it is a great picture as you both look so attentive

catalina - yes, do hope you come next time

Anonymous said...

I was kidnapped by Ruhayat X and Amir across the road when this started. I think they joined you guys later, but I wasn't sure whether my amazingly patient 3 year old could survive ANOTHER reading.

Chet said...

Animah - see you on Friday for Kam's reading at Kino, yah?

bibliobibuli said...

ahah animah - wasn't sure where you'd got too. sarah would have liked the pipe sculptures though

Kenny Mah said...

Thanks, Sharon, yet again for fostering this great event and gathering of friends and strangers, and once more for having me read.

We need more reading events --- once a month is simply not enough! :)

P.S. The 5 Pieces is called "Is This Missing You?" and the quirky fairytale with alternate endings is titled "Only The Greatest Gets to Go", both collected in Broken Mornings, available for free download here! :D

Anonymous said...

aiyohhhhhhhhhhhhhh. next round i'll be at seksan at 1pm. no family events etc! looked like a good session!

Chet said...

lil ms d - you come so early, you have to wait outside long time, wor.

dreameridiot said...

What good buzz at the readings... too bad I had to run off, without enough time to chat more with so many people there.

Starmandala said...

Sharon, I dub thee Angel of The Word for blogging at the crack of dawn and documenting so merrily an event I thoroughly enjoyed. What a relief to lose my virginity - AGAIN (the last time I did a public reading was so long ago my hymen regenerated itself)! Don;t be surprised if I start turning up almost every month ;-) Heaps of virtual hugs for the fantastic energy and enthusiasm you orchestrate around the love of language xXx

Anonymous said...

Sharon,

I've got a few pictures of the reading here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sufian_abas/

bibliobibuli said...

sufian - those photos are really great!

antares - so glad you came and we would love it if you turned up every month

kenny - thanks, will add that info to the post

dreamer idiot - now you will be down in kl so we will see you more often!

ms d - there's always next time and the next and ...

enar arshad said...

so sad i am not there

bibliobibuli said...

next time do drop by!

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

I loved it! Will definitely be there for the next one. You're doing a great job. :-)

msiagirl said...

Hi Sharon! I am so excited I get to attend the next one! Can't wait to meet folks and enjoy the readings. :)

bibliobibuli said...

good good! msia girl - your cousin wrote me that you'd like to read. might be possible with some reshuffling.

msiagirl said...

Well that would be great! but i know you have limits and I am simply so happy to have the experience of attending. Email me if you need to, I am leaving for Malaysia in about two weeks, thanks for the possibility, Sharon :)