Fresh hot book!!! S., a novel in [xxx] dreams by Lee D. Thompson

S., a novel in [xxx] dreams
by Lee D. Thompson

79 pp, 6x9, perfect bound tpb
December 2007
ISBN 978-1-55391-064-0
$19

Lee D. Thompson sprinkles magic realism . . .
—Descant

[R]eminiscent of Borges, of Garcia Marquez, and of Hitchcock . . . beautifully disconcerting . . .
—Atlantic Books Today

Lee D. Thompson writes fiction that has appeared in literary journals such as The New Quarterly, The Dalhousie Review, Lichen, and The New Orphic Review, as well as in anthologies such as Victory Meat: New Fiction from Atlantic Canada and The Vagrant Revue of New Fiction. He has received grants from ArtsNB and the Canada Council for the Arts. He dreams all of the time. Sometimes he makes experimental music in his apartment, in Moncton, New Brunswick, where he edits the fiction journal Galleon, when he’s not too busy dreaming. S., a novel in [xxx] dreams is his first book.

Book launch: 10 Jan 2008, Thursday, 8 pm @ Attic Owl Books, 115 Queen St, Moncton, NB. Tel 506 855.4913.

Pssssst!!! Just Released!!! Special
$20 (incl. GST & shipping)
prepaid, directly from:

Broken Jaw Press Inc.
Box 596 Stn A
Fredericton NB E3B 5A6
Canada

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T-shirt: Raise a Reader
loc: Brokenreceiving
temp: -10 C
sound: Great Songs of Indifference: The Best of Bob Geldof & the Boomtown Rats

APB, 18 Dec 2007

Ashes, Paper & Beans started with "The Natural State of Man" poem by Fortner Anderson.

Special guest tonight: Richard Lemm from Charlottetown, PEI.
[I've known him as a poet for something over a score of years; since 1980ish through Leslie Choyce of Pottersfield Press.] In the first half of the show, we had a lively discussion on the arts; the Banff Centre; and on the writing and publishing community of Prince Edward Island.

In the second half, we promoted his new collection of short fiction, Shape of Things to Come(Charlottetown: Acorn Press) and he read excerpts from two short stories in the collection. Richard will also be promoting the book at 7 pm, Thursday, 20 Dec @ Westminster Books on King St, Fredericton.

Show ended with the "Emergency" poem by Hugh Hazelton followed by a recorded PSA for "Unsilent Night" happening at 7 PM, Friday.

[Last live show by me this year. I'll be back live on New Year's Day 2008.]

shirts: RCMP T-shirt; black Arrow dress shirt
loc: innforthenight
temp: -14 C
sound: NCIS

Unsilent Night, Fredericton

Motion Ensemble and Gallery Connexion are presenting a short FREE show Friday, Dec 21st at 7 pm with works by Michael Miller, Peter Sculthorpe and W.L. Altman followed by the cult mass-participation piece Unsilent Night by Phil Kline.

A beautiful, mobile piece of ambient public art, Unsilent Night can be compared to a holiday caroling party—except that participants don't sing. Instead, each carries an ordinary boom box playing a separate cassette or CD that becomes part of the piece.

In effect, the individual participants become single elements in a huge, moving sound system. Performed within the confines of city streets, Unsilent Night reverberates off the cars and buildings, resulting in a magnificent, drifting cloud of shimmering, echoing sound. The 43-minute piece includes sounds of chiming bells, choral voices and various electronic effects. (Kline cites Brian Eno and Charles Ives among his influences.) Kline has performed Unsilent Night in New York City every year since 1992. In San Francisco in 2006, some 400 people took part.

If you can't bring a portable music player, come along anyway and enjoy yourself!

CDs and cassettes will be provided; if you want to download an MP3 for free, go here: www.unsilentnight.com/download/

Let's see how many folks we can get in Fredericton!
Don't forget your batteries!
Kids are welcome!
Make sure to dress warmly!

The event will be held rain or shine 7 pm at Gallery Connexion, 453 Queen St–Justice Building Annex. Tel 454.1433.

For more information on Unsilent Night, see these fine sites:
www.myspace.com/unsilentnight
www.motionensemble.com
www.galleryconnexion.ca

T: CHSR Highland Radio 2002
loc: postwerkhétfõ
temp: -8, wind chill of 16
sound: Patti Smith Horses

joeblades.com

thought about it for years
but never acted upon it
even talked about it
and was urged by others
but i'm not on to fall
easily under peer pressure
but the desire was there
to separate self from broken
and that began years ago
before its incorporation
and now the web has hived
and I'm wandering a little
further afield solo alone
without "miss you" thoughts
and i've build nothing
fancy dancer or flashy
just a basic inukshuk
to mark the people's passage
from tangible through ether
to wherever I end up
and most all that i do
en route to that point

T: NSCAD, "I will not make boring art"—John Baldessari
loc: postbikewalkto334storage
temp: -5 C, chill like -12 C
sound: Killing Joke Pandemonium

Ashes, Paper & Beans, 11dec2007

Tonight's Ashes, Paper & Beans: Fredericton's Writing & Art Show episode on CHSR 97.9 FM featured a live-from-the-Fishbowl interview with performing songwriter Eric Gale of Fredericton—a BlackTop MotorCycle Gang member—live with guitar! Show started with the CD version of the song "Maybe Tomorrow". The interview included live renditions of "Home", "Close-up (The Tattoo Song)", "Little Man", "My Heartache, My Highway", a cover of "Oops! . . . I Did it Again", and "Sign". Show ended with Eric's CD version of "Close-up (The Tattoo Song)" followed by Drek Daa's poem "In In-Between".

T-shirt: International Terrorist Bush
loc: postwerkwork
temp: -6, light snow
sound: NCIS

Snowbots Last Night

T'was the night before another Friday
and all along George Street, Fredericton,
residents were pulled from their slumber
and some, myself included, lept from beds
to see the noise and lights in the night

A pack of yellow snowbots aflashing
and peebing as they bullied snowbanks
away from sidewalks and coffer-loving
parking meters stiffly standing guard
onto the road in front of the big grader

Later to arrive on the scene, the hungry,
rotating maw of a giant snowblower
and a waitstaff line of empty trucks
long as the street getting filled
and rushing the snow away from here

Fourth night in a row that I was disturbed from my sleep. Every night since diring the Monday-Tuesday snowstorm. Awoke at 2:40 AM this morning, bit it was after 4:30 before they were done. Wednesday night they were on York, @ the front of the building, capturing snowbanks there. Tuesday night they were pushing those same snowbanks back from the street and clearing sidewalks not done during Monday night or Tuesday day. I've no snap today. Woke feeling drugged like après surgery . . . but it's nothing serious—this night surgery—having my snowbanks removed. Yesterday morning was far more productive. Today I changed an image drum and am now told my toner is empty . . .

T-shirt: Mojo Club, Senta
loc: postsnowbots
temp: -12 C
sound: Canciones y Legendas: Songs and Legends for Bassoon and Guitar by Yvonne Kershaw, bassoon, and Steven Peacock, classical guitar

too . . . whatever!

Too busy, too tired, très occupié, too . . . whatever!

I've not been blogging near of late as I was earlier this year. Looks a little sad to mostly see reports on the weekly episodes of Ashes, Paper & Beans—not that I'm disapointed the the radio show. Far from it. I've been very, very happy with the quantity and quality of interview guests that I've had this autumn.

I've been busy with the ongoing Film & Television Certificate workshop series; with the Art Bank day job; with my own book projects (solo and anthologies) in the works; with a ficton mess I'm writing and hopefully wrangling them into linked short stories or possibly a novel. Ambitious, but eventually doable. Am also busy working to get a Broken Jaw Press book through the printing process before the holidays settle upon us like the snowstorm of early this week; with League tasks; with BlackTop MotorCycle Gang readings activities; with my various other arts interests and activities.

T-shirt: Guinness (under black Arrow dress shirt)
loc: postDJPurdy's
temp: -11 C
sound: Brian Eno Ambient 1: Music for Airports

APB, 4dec2007

Majority of tonight's Ashes, Paper & Beans: Fredericton's Writing & Art Show was part one of my recording of a roundtable on Endangered Languages at the 2007 Side by Side Festival of Literary Translation / Côte à Côte festival de traduction littéraire with festival coordinator Jo-Anne Elder, emcee Roger Moore and panelists Nela Rio, Mark Abley, Elizabet Rafos and Carlos Gomes. Also on the show was "Big Sky Alberta" by Sheri-D Wilson and Russell Broom, and "Exploding Head Man" by Ian Ferrier.

T: Quod nos non necate, etam maxime laedit
loc: humpdayweekend
temp: -6 C
sound: Counting Crows "Recovering the Satellites"

a haiku

three crabapple trees
two cedars against brick wall
enrobed in new snow

       

day without ART

APB, 27 Nov 2007

An FM-free broadcast tonight; internet only. Live guest Eric Gale postponed until CHSR is back on the airwaves.

Ashes, Paper & Beans show tonight started with "episode 3" of the WrimoRadio podcast project of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) even though we're in the fourth week and I've still not heard from the media liason for the 18 registered Fredericton participant writers: a 50,000 word novel to be written this month!

It was followed by John B. Lee's poem "Jimi Hendrix in the Company of Cows" (because today is/was Jimi's birthday); a 1997 reading by Toronto author Carol Malyon and "The Dogs" by Jean Smith. Mixed in was news on readings, craft sales and a play in Fredericton in the coming week.

shirt: Ethnic Blue "Henley"
loc: fredpostshow
temp: 2 C
sound: Jimi Hendrix Live at the Fillmore East (Disc 2)

Buy Nothing Day report

I failed, not miserably at all, but I did buy something on 23 Nov 2007. Buy Nothing Day is yet another USA tradition protest or consciousness-raising imported to places were it really means less. First Friday after their Thanksgiving Day. The big day for Macy's and now USA-wide Christmas excess shopping.

My only purchases were (1) three happy hour Timberhog Stout (Picaroon's) @ Wilsers while socializing with Beth and Phil and a few peeps they knew, (2) a slice of "works" pizza @ Luna, (3) a bottle of cheap red @ anbl.

No gift purchases.
No major electronics or entertainment systems.
No shop till I drop.
No thanks!

shirt: Harvest Jazz & Blues Fest 2007 volunteer
loc: Brokennumbersdesk
temp: -8 C (windchill: -14 C)
sound: Tatjana Simonović piano

APB, 20nov2007

Sheri-D Wilson & Russell Broom with "Snap Shot". Guest: author M. T. Dohaney discussed her latest novel, The Flannigans (Penneywell Books). Drek Daa with "Isles of Grass", "Omaha Poetry", "There and Then". WriMo Radio 2007, episode 1, from National Novel Writing Month. Sheri-D Wilson with "I am a Closet New Yorker".

T: Cerveza
loc: postlongwerkdaze
temp: 0 C
sound: The Beastie Boys Root Down

Connexion Exhibition & Fundraiser

Gallery Connexion presents

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT (2)

Expose your art, expose yourself, and help support Fredericton’s only artist-run center!

Gallery Connexion, as part of a fundraising event, is asking members of the art community to donate photographs to our “Give Us Your Best Shot” fundraising campaign.

We are asking all members of the community to donate photographs 8” x 10” or larger. Your choice of subject matter is welcome, framed to your liking (or we will display it in an 8" x 10" clip frame).

These photos will be displayed from December 11th through to the 13th with the silent auction held on December 13th.

Please mail or drop your donations off at Gallery Connexion anytime between now and December 8th.

PO Box 696
Fredericton NB E3B 5B4
Tel: (506) 4541433
email: connex@nbnet.nb.ca

APB, 13 Nov 2007

Had to SOCAN log tonight's show even though I thought that Ashes, Paper & Beans only rebroadcasts once during the next SOCAN monitoring @ CHSR: 21-24 November. Whatever.

First half of show was my recording of Elizabeth Hay reading from Late Nights on Air (Harper Canada)—last week's announced winner of the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Second half was part one from my recording of the Side by Side Festival of Literary Translation / Côte à Côte festival de traduction littéraire Roundtable / table rounde on /sur Endangered Languages. End piece was the short "The Green" by Dasez Scott from the Word Up spoken word CD (Virgin/EMI, 1995).

T: 100 Mile House, B.C.
loc: intoanotherdžoweekend
temp: 1 C, 94% humidity freezing on sidewalks and cold cars
sound: Steve Earl Guitar Town

Found Photo du Jour: 12 Nov 2007

Found 11:50 AM in the nave of the deconsecrated St John Anglican Church on Highway 105, Whites Cove, NB.

T: Steamworks Heroic Oatmeal Stout
loc: statutoryevening
temp: -3
sound Prison Break

Found Photo du Jour: 11 Nov 2007

More than just a found photo this time, I found a wallet with driver's licence, business cards, receipts, Blockbuster card and more . . . but no money.

Found on Rememberance Day, Sunday, 11 November 2007 at 11:50 AM under a bush, a shrubbery, outside the home of Ross Leckie at the intersection of St John Street with Churchill Row, Fredericton, NB while I on on my venue-confused walkabout route to the noon screening at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre of documentary films in the Silver Wave Film Festival.

En route to Silver Wave's 7 pm Gala Closing screening @ the Tilley Hall Auditorium, I went by the nearby Church Street address on the driver's licence and George was still living there (with his wife and children). He was very grateful. Had had the wallet stolen from his truck on Thursday night and, long weekend and all, hadn't yet started replacing his ID. Good timing on my part.

T: Che
loc: postfestivalmorningprelocreconroadtrip
temp: -3
sound: Don MacLean American Pie

Ashes, Paper & Beans, 6 Nov 2007

Ashes, Paper & Beans: Fredericton's Writing & Art Show with host Joe Blades. CHSR 97.9 FM, Fredericton, NB. Tonight's show started with "Martin Scorcese (PG-13)" by King Missile. The feature was a lively interview-discussion with two guests: NB filmmakers Bunthivy Nou and Dennis Poirier, both on the board of the New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Cooperative and involved in several film productions screening in the 2007 Silver Wave Film Festival that opens Thursday, 8 Nov at 7 pm at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre Auditorium. Show ended with "The X is Black (Spike Lie)" by Amiri Baraka.

shirt: brown
loc: postshowfogneoweekend
temp: 6 C
sound: Depeche Mode Playing the Angel

“day of the dead 2007” poem

day of the dead 2007
by Joe Blades © 2007

too right for the passing poet
the northeastern christian college
woman teacher or student showing
ankles between long skirt and shoes
who smiled a ripe late summer smile
at faded green man this morning

three deer earlier along the trail
the one on the right side visible
two on the left in the small wedge
of trees between trail and gibson
watch convenience store old man
pick up the halloween garbage

in mountain streams above
reka drina the plastic bottles
attract sand to their open mouths
their one use for beer juice water
long past and they were discarded
plentiful as the streambed rocks

neo decorations adorn trees bushes
and fence posts this day of the dead
not halloween treats abandoned
these plastic grocery bags reused
these hand outline instruction bags
—how to pick up your dog’s shit

deer and coyotes move to the city
despite the traffic and the people
walking dogs and whooping night
deer move in to avoid the hunters
in orange brighter than any leaf
coyotes have some crow in them

a coyote who writes poems of rural
and the farm life passed through town
poems of driving before dawn to be
there before sun kissed the river
bait and her lines at the ready
—no rock and tree nature poet

rather like a caddisfly in its
built home of twigs and sand
resting on the stream bottom
or the hermit crab moved in
to its new seashell home
after its builder passed on

shirt: OAKLEY, Hfx NS, Guaranteed to blow your socks off!
loc: prejobshadowwing
temp: -3 C
sound: Bombay Dub Orchestra

Post 600: Elizabeth Hay an(o)( au)th(e)(o)r reading

Alumni Lounge venue became East Gallery, UNB Art Centre, but upon arrival it was evident the the new "east" was West. I set up my mic and recording deck in semi-darkness afore Marie arrive to jig the lights. Late Nights On Air (Harper Canada) is essentially a story of the small crew-community within a small radio station in Yellowknife. One somewhat based upon some of the author's personal experience in the North and in radio and so much more. Read a great party scene against a backdrop of art by Fredericton painter Angel Gómes from his exhibition Andadura: New Work / Retrospective scheduled to open at 5 pm this coming Friday, 9 November.

T: CHSR 97.9 FM (2007 shirt: black cloud & lightning o're the tower)
loc: postreadingdesk
temp: 8 C
sound: Morphine