31 October 2008

Found photo du jour

Found 12:28 pm, Thursday, 30 October 2008, in the intersection of York and George streets in downtown Fredericton, NB, while I was biking on a short lunch break for Art Bank work first to Simm's then back to Old Government House on the Woodstock Road.

Buddy is from K'ville near the top of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, likely a uni stud here in F'ton . . .

T: Cerveza
loc: commdesk
sound: Gang of Four Return the Gift
temp: 4 C

28 October 2008

APB, 28 Oct 2008

After starting tonight's show with "Natural Resources" by Utah Phillips & ani difranco from the CD the past didn't go anywhere, we slid into an interview with live guests: Yolande House and Susan Douglas (Fredericton) on National Novel Writing Month. I think this unexpected version of the logo is a DJ Crisis Detector version, somehow, of the CMYK PDF online . . . let it go, let it go . . .

Second half of the show started with "longstoryshort" by Sekou Sundiata, followed by the Silver Wave Film Festival media launch of this past Thursday. "How to Remain" by Aural Heather.

shirt: burgundy dress shirt
loc: postradio
temp: 13 C
sound: BronweN Silent Victim

23 October 2008

Book Launch: The York County Jail: A Brief Illustrated History

“... a friendly combination of anecdote and academia. The writing is crisp and clean with plenty of visual elements—photos, illustrations and official documents. Intriguing scraps of human interest stories are peppered throughout.”
     —Mireille Eagan, [here] fredericton review, 23 Oct 2008

The York County Jail: A Brief Illustrated History, by George MacBeath and Emelie Hubert, will be launched by the authors on Thursday, 6 Nov. at Science Centre (in the former jail), 668 Brunswick St, Fredericton, NB. Starting at 7:30 pm people can have a tour of the building and dungeon museum. Books will be available for purchase.


The York County Jail
by George MacBeath & Emelie Hubert
Sept. 2008
6 x 9, tpb, 72 pg
40+ b&w ill. & photos
ISBN 978-1-55391-065-7
$18 CDN, $20 US


The book was published by Broken Jaw Press in Fredericton. More information on the book’s catalogue page.

25 Oct: International Artist Day

website: http://internationalartistday.com

blog: http://internationalartistday.blogspot.com

22 October 2008

APB 21oct2008

"Puerto Rican Literature on the Island and in the USA" by What's the Word? Radio Series (program 146) produced by the Modern Languages Association of America, NY, NY.
Governor General's Literary Awards 2008 finalists announcement.
"eating filet mignon" by bill bissett.
« À Moncton » par Gérald LeBlanc, Fayo.
WFNB Fall Fair and other arts event news.
"Oscar Wilde and Friends" by Monty Python.

T: black
loc: predawn
temp: 2 C
sound: Lhasa The Living Road

14 October 2008

APB, 14 oct 2008

Howlin' full moon Canadian election night . . . I wanted something grounded, local . . . something to hear, to listen to, and to think about. I dug out my recording of the 2007 Christina Sabat Memorial Lecture by New Brunswick artist-craftsperson Peter Powning.

After that I read a spew of arts and writing/reading notices:
● UNB Writer-in-Residence Gerard Beirne is available for student and general public writing consultations: Tues & Thurs, 11 am to 1 pm, Rm 242 Carleton Hall, UNB Fredericton, ph 452-6356, email gbeirne@unb.ca
● 16 Oct, Thursday, 8 pm reading from Asylum by novelist André Alexis, Memorial Hall, UNB Arts Centre, 9 Bailey Dr, Fredericton.
● 16 Oct, Thursday: noon Artist talk; 4:30 opening reception for BEYOND WORDS exhibition by 19 NB artists incl George Fry, Peter Powning, Suzanne Hill, Kathy & Sue Hooper, Peter Thomas, Brigitte Clavette, Linda Brine, et al, NBCCD Gallery, Queen St, Fredericton.
● 18 Oct, Saturday, 24 Hour Comics Day 2008. In F'ton, contact Jason or Derek @ Strange Adventures 450-3759.
● 18 Oct, Saturday, 5-7 pm: Exhibition openings at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, 703 Queen St, Fredericton.
● 18 Oct, Saturday, 8 pm: Reading by D.Y. Béchard and Mark Anthony Jarman, Alumni Memorial Lounge, UNB Fredericton, 13 Bailey Dr, Fredericton.
● 22 Oct, Wednesday, 6 pm: Gallery ConneXion AGM to be held @ Doodles Café, basement of Charlotte Street Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte St, Fredericton. Ph 454-1433.

"He Sings" by Fortner Anderson + tape/head.
"Rainbow Mewsik" by bill bissett.
"À Moncton" par Gérald LeBlanc, Fayo.

shirt: black & purple striped dress shirt
loc: postwerk-postradio
temp: 11 C
sound: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

13 October 2008

giving thanks . . .

local butternut squash and wild St Croix cranberries
tandoori turkey drumsticks
Picarons Timberhog Stout and Best Bitter
pesto deep sea scallops, tomatoes and farm fresh eggs
tour Eiffel pâte, smoked ham and pineapple
fresh farmed Atlantic salmon
Elke's foot-long buffalo sausage with sauerkraut and mustard
old world beer and Rumbo Sur Chilean wine
spicy hummus and Camembert Vaudreuil
pitas, flat bread wraps and sourdough
hot samosa delight stuffed triangles
harvest medley all-natural rice
fresh ground Breaking the Silence coffee
. . . yes, indeed, I am giving thanks this weekend

t-shirt: Sage Hill Writing Experience
loc: the revised desk
temp: 14 C
sound: Great Big Sea Play

10 October 2008

Career Development grant received

After the fact is still good news. A letter and first installment cheque arrived in today's mail. I hadn't waited for results of my grant application of early August before buying the Air Can tickets (in late July) for the WORDspinner Fall Literary Extravaganza last month in Grande Prairie, Alberta; Dawson Creek, BC; and points in between. My participation in the readings tour and related events wouldn't have happened if I had waited until now to receive word I'd been awarded a Career Development: Arts-by-Invitation grant. Thank you very much!

This activity / tour / event is supported by the New Brunswick Arts Board. Cette activité / tournée / performance est soutenue par le Conseil des arts du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Joe Blades reading at South Peace Secondary School, Dawson Creek, BC, on 19 Sept 2008. Photo by Dymphny Dronyk.

Joe Blades talking at Peace Country's First Small Press Fair. It was held in The Rabbit Hole Bookstore, Grande Prairie, Alberta, on 21 Sept 2008. Photo by Dymphny Dronyk.

Joe Blades reading poems of his, published in The Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature, at The Rabbit Hole Bookstore, on 21 Sept 2008. Photo by Dymphny Dronyk.

Joe Blades writing "Storefront Poetry" at The Rabbit Hole Bookstore, Grande Prairie, Alberta, on 24 Sept 2008. Photo by Dymphny Dronyk.

07 October 2008

APB, 7 octubre 2008

"Howl" & "Footnote to Howl" by Allen Ginsberg. Publishing in the Maritimes with Jo-Anne Elder (revue Ellipse mag); Joe Blades (Broken Jaw Press) & Biff Michell. "How to Remain" by Aural Heather.

shirt: "George" short-sleeved
loc postshow, presleep
temp: 7 C
sound: St Germain Tourist

03 October 2008

Fredericton Poet to Commit ‘Random Acts of Poetry’

Random Acts of Poetry, a celebration of poetry and literacy, begins its fifth year during the week of October 1st to 5th, 2008. Random Acts of Poetry is a project of the Victoria READ Society, a non-profit literacy organization, established in 1976. Random Acts of Poetry is funded by The Canada Council for the Arts.

During the week, 25 acclaimed poets across Canada, from Victoria to Newfoundland, will commit Random Acts of Poetry in their cities and adjacent small towns. On buses and subways, in donut shops and cafes, police stations, grocery stores, shelters, curling rinks, on city streets and country lanes, poets will read poems to strangers and give them their books. Poets will also read their poems in ESL and Adult Literacy classes and, as well, will present poetry in middle school classes, and give the students a book of poetry written by middle school students, We Can Say This, published with support from of the TD Bank Financial Group.

Fredericton poet Joe Blades will read for his second year with Random Acts. Blades has published four books of poetry, hosts the weekly Ashes, Paper & Beans on CHSR 97.9 FM, is Vice President of the League of Canadian Poets, and is a member of the BlackTop MotorCycle Gang writers group.

Patrick Lane, one of Canada’s premier poets, says of Random Acts of Poetry, “There are no accidents. Nothing is random. A poem sits in a poet’s pocket and jumps out when you least expect it. It can nestle in a mechanic’s ear, a politician’s hand, a waitress’s bright eye, somewhere, anywhere. You look up from work and there’s a poem. It reads itself to you. It asks you to take a break. It says: Right here. Right now.”

“Poetry,” says Wendy Morton, founder of Random Acts of Poetry, “is the shortest distance between two hearts. I have read poems to hundreds of people, many of whom hadn’t heard a poem in thirty years, and watched their eyes fill up with tears. Some burst into laughter or laid a hand on my shoulder, hugged me, took my hand. Poetry can connect us with each other as humans as no other art form I know. Poetry is a gift that we can create from whatever life has in store for us.”

Across Canada poets will commit random acts in: Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Pickering, Trenton, Ottawa, Port McNicoll, Windsor, Montreal, Laval, Fredericton, Edmundston, Charlottetown, Halifax, and St. John’s.

Contacts:
Joe Blades, T/F 506 454-5127, joe@joeblades.com, Fredericton, NB.
Wendy Morton, T 250-642-3542, email: wendymorton@shaw.ca, Otter Point, BC.
Claire Rettie, Victoria READ Society, T 250-388-7225, crettie@readsociety.bc.ca, Victoria, BC.