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Antares read from an unpublished manuscript (extracts of which you can find on his blog) Art Thou a Goddam Fundamentalist?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 He says that he has two unpublished novel manuscripts in his drawer, and he read from one of them - very good stuff I'd love to see on the page.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!