Steven R. Duncan's Vancouver Events

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Book Launch


Slam Poetry Pioneer
ALEXANDRA OLIVER
Returns to Lauch her New Book

with special guest
RC Weslowski


Date: Friday, May 11, 2007
Time: 6pm
Location: Forufera Centre
Mezz Level, 505 Hamilton Street (map)http://www.forufera.com/rental.html


The London, England-based Tin Press is up and running with a witty new collection, Where the English Housewife Shines, by performance poet Alexandra Oliver. “We are pleased to present Alexandra because her work is right up our alley,” says Tin Press co-founder Justine Brown.
“On the page, she is as playful and entertaining as she is in performance.” With her dramatic bearing, perfect enunciation and distinctive literary style, Oliver has been a strong presence in the spoken-word scene since its birth in the 1990s, often appearing in “slams” (live poetry competitions). In 1996 she won a place on Vancouver’s slam team, representing the city at the US National Poetry Slam. She is featured in the 1998 documentary Slam Nation.
She moved to Seattle in 2006, and has appeared at spoken-word venues there regularly. “I am an unrepentant neo-classicist,” laughs Oliver. Her work rhymes and has meter—qualities rare enough in the contemporary poetry world to be controversial. But audiences love Oliver’s highly crafted black-comical poems. Like other members of the artist-run Tin Press, Oliver wants to do more than provide the text. She is interested in other aspects of book production, specifically how books look and feel. Oliver has contributed pen-and-ink drawings to Where the English Housewife Shines, and worked closely with the London designer. “Artist-run presses are ideal for writers who care deeply about the physical aspects of the book. New technologies like print-on-demand allow us maximum control,” says Brown. “It’s a whole new model for publishing in the arts.”

Alexandra Oliver will read from Where the English Housewife Shines at Forufera on Friday night following a performance by local slam legend, RC Weslowski.
For more information, please contact Steven R. Duncan 604-788-8340 srduncan@shaw.ca

Alexandra Oliver Basekic was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1970. Since emerging onto the Vancouver poetry scene in 1992 and being named the following year as one of the Top Ten Young Artists of the year by The Vancouver Sun, she has gone on to perform her work at places as diverse as Lollapalooza, The 1996 National Poetry Slam and the 2004 CBC National Poetry Face-Off. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and publications worldwide, including Orbis Rhyme International, Nexus, In Hells Belly and The Vancouver Sun, as well as About.Com's Poems After The Attack anthology, a collection discussing and reflecting upon the aftermath of 9/11. She has taught poetry and led workshops in high schools, colleges and prisons and was one of the Directors of the Edgewise Electrolit Centre, an organization created to promote poetry and new poets through the use of new media. She lives in Seattle with her husband and son.
Tin Press Background
The Tin Press, founded in London in 2006, is an artist-run enterprise. Members join through invitation. It is composed of writers, visual artists, and designers, people who are interested in many aspects of book production. Members either author books or contribute to them, e.g. through illustration or layout. They work co-operatively to make beautiful books. Many members want to create works that defy ordinary expectations: the average reader thinks pop-up books are for children, for example, but one "tin worker" is making them for adults. The Tin Press will make use of new technologies like print-on-demand publishing; in some cases, special editions will be handmade.

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Saturday, March 03, 2007

Celtic Kink Limerick Challenge








Thursday, March 15th
9 pm – 11 pm

Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant - 2nd Floor
670 Smithe @ Granville
$10 or $5 with admission to A Whiskey Kiss*
Advanced tickets available online at http://www.celticfestvancouver.com/

Words, women and sexy accordion shenanigans!

Think writing limericks is easy? Try doing it with scantily-clad lasses shaking their shamrocks in front of you! Teams of limerists from the audience go up against the Vancouver Limerick All-stars in an all-out battle to write the best and kinkiest limericks while being distracted by a variety of live performances – including appearances by the Sweet Soul Burlesque troupe, and the sultry accordion stylings of Rowan “The Leprechaun of Love” Lipkovits! Hosted by “Ravishing Rhonda” and adjudicated by a panel of celebrity judges including 24Hrs' Guts McTavish and CFUN's Jennifer Thomson and Catherine Barr!

Is that a sheleighly in your pants, or…?
Presented in partnership with Ceili’s Irish Pub.

For more information call 604-788-8340, email srduncan@shaw.ca or visit our website at http://www.celticfestvancouver.com/

*Whiskey tasting event presented by Diageo and featuring Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey, Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Bushmills Irish Whiskey.
$20 Admission price includes five samples! 5:30pm – 9pm 3rd Floor Ceili’s Irish Pub and Restaurant.

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Dylan Thomas: A Profile of His Brief, Bright and Mecurial Life



Sunday, March, 18th
4:00 - 6:00pm
Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
1033 Granville Street
$5 at the Door


Celebrate the spirit of Wales's greatest poet over three stages of his life with hosts Neville Thomas and David Webb of the Vancouver Dylan Thomas Circle. This event features the 1962 Oscar-winning documentary Dylan Thomas and stories and poetry from his brilliant adult career. Damon Calderwood*, Alexis Kellum-Greer and Rebecca Coleman will give staged reading of excerpts from the theatrical production Dylan, which focuses on his visits to North America in the year before his death at age 39. (This picture of the poet was taken on a visit to Vancouver, shortly before his death)
Produced by Steve R. Duncan in partnership with Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
For more information about this event call 604-788-8340, email srduncan@shaw.ca, or visit our website at http://www.celticfestvancouver.com/.

*Damon is also holding his first ever gallery display of bird photographs and is also launching his first book, Flights of Fantasy: Photographing North American Birds (http://www.globalbirdphotos.com/book/).
Opening reception is Thursday, March 1st, from 6 to 8 pm at the Blackberry Gallery in the Port Moody Arts Centre (www.pomoartscentre.ca) 2425 St. Johns Street, Port Moody (at St. Johns and Kyle. Phone: 604 931-2008.
The display will be on from March 1st to April 8th, 2007, and includes pictures of a variety of beautiful birds from trips to the Arctic, Oregon, and all over British Columbia.

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