<![CDATA[Poets Corner @ Pages Cafe]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU en-us Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:54:00 GMT <![CDATA[VOICEBOX - Human Rights Day]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=322 voicebox  poetry performance event



Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on the 10th of  December. It commemorates the day in 1948, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.


voicebox  poetry performance event will be dedicating the December reading to the commemoration of Human Rights Day. Please join us to hear the work of activist poets:


Hassan Al-nawab (Iraq)

Afeif Ismail (Sudan)

Alf Taylor (Noongar Country)



Thursday Dec 4th 7.30pm

   @ La Tropicana Cafe

177 High Street Fremantle


$5.00/$3.00 conc



voiceboxfreo@yahoo.com.au or 9331 1703


]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:54:00 GMT <![CDATA[Christmas WOW last one for a while]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=321

Email received from Jane Cornes:


Friday, 14 November, 2008 10:26 PM




 


mud map wow.pdf (10KB)



You are invited to join Flora Smith, Janet Jackson and I at the WOW

Christmas Bash. For this month only, there will be no entry fee and we will

be providing drinks and nibbles.



After much deliberation, I have decided to cease running WOW for the next

six months and see how I feel after that.  Janet and Flora support me in

this decision and I am, as ever, indebted to them for their hard work and

commitment. If anyone else feels like taking over the reigns, please let me

know.



In the meantime, please do come along, bring a plate if you feel like it and

imbibe in a glass or two of wine ­ which we'll provide ­ and toast one of

Perth's most vibrant gatherings of writers of prose, poetry and song.



It has become traditional at WOW to celebrate the end of the year with an

evening of five-minute readings, so please feel free to bring along a

favourite piece, of your own or someone else's, to share.



Details are as follows. Note earlier starting time, cunningly designed to

allow us to drink more.



WOW Christmas Bash

7.00-9.00pm, Monday 1st December

The Laneway, Perth City (mud map attached)

No entry free

Bring a plate of nibbles

Wine and soft drinks will be provided.



jane cornes

Ph 0414 862 306

Doris.com.au





]]> Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:36:14 GMT <![CDATA[Response from Maureen Sexton re Goodbye Poets Corner]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=319 QUOTED FROM THE LINE MINE BULLETIN BOARD:




I'm devastated that Poet's Corner is ending! Even though I haven't been there for a long time (I haven't been to any poetry reading events for a long time for personal reasons), it is the one venue where I felt the most comfortable, and I know many other poets feel the same. Busking is not for everyone, definitely not for me. I don't feel comfortable in pubs and they're too noisy. A lot of poets will have nowhere to go now. I don't like to go out at night much, and I know a lot of other poets feel the same. WOW's no good to me because of the stairs and because it's on at night. I'm not speaking just for myself. I think this is one of the biggest losses the poetry community could face. I applaud Frances for the work and time she has put into Poet's Corner and thank her sincerely. Frances has been such a driving force for WA poetry, for the work she put in to WA Poets Inc, the WA Spring Poetry Festival and Poets' Corner. Thank you so much Frances.

Maureen

 

Maureen Sexton

0435 024 616

sajwriter06@...



 

]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:08:51 GMT <![CDATA[Response from Donna Ward re Goodbye Poets Corner]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=318

Hi Frances,


Just thought I’d drop you a note and say how wonderful you’ve been at working away at Poet’s Corner. It has met the need of many poets and you have done a sterling job over the years.


I hope this decision gives you the time you need to fulfil your own desires and needs.


Bestest Best


Donna


]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:54:03 GMT <![CDATA[My response to Janet Jackson's questions re 'Goodbye Poets Corner'.]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=317 Hi Janet,


Thanks again for these comments but I need to clarify things for you because you seem to have totally got the wrong impression:


I am very proud of Poets Corner and all it's been and want to keep its good reputation in tact.  I'm 'closing the curtains' on a high, not a low. 


Poets Corner is, was, and always will be my 'baby'.  I have nurtured and nursed it over three years. 


It was always my concept, I ran it on my own - although the festivals literally ran around Poets Corner, no-one else had anything to do with organizing my events - they always came first.  


Successive committees recognized it was a good base to 'hang' their celebrations around and I was fine with that. After all, I'm all about supporting and encouraging poetry in Perth.


But I always decided who did what at Poets Corner, I kept strict control and it was imbued with my personality and reputation. Even when guest hosts were invited, although they picked their readers, it was always my 'gig'.


I never, never intended handing 'my baby' over to anyone!


At one time I did think of getting a permanent host in with me still pulling the strings in the background, but in the end I don't even have the inclination for that!


Nothing has 'gone amiss' in my life - quite the opposite - I've been offered lots of paid work writing (my first love) which I now need to concentrate on or lose amazing opportunities.  Opportunities, I have waited a long time for.


I hope someone does start something next year! Something fresh & new! 


From all the wonderful responses I've received, some of which I have shared on my blog, Perth needs an 'un-cool' daytime event which caters for those who need one.  Especially in the library which is so central to transport.


But whoever does it will have to start from the ground up - like I did and build their own reputation with a new name.


…Something hip and refreshing, not staid and conservative...  something trendy to appeal to the young crowd.


Good luck with all you do.


Frances.


 


Hopefully my intentions and reasons for closing POETS CORNER @ PAGES CAFE are now abundantly clear. 


I'll keep the website open for a while longer and upload all the photos I have so people can copy those they want.


Best wishes,


Frances.


 

]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:36:36 GMT <![CDATA[Response Meg McKinlay - Goodbye Poets Corner]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=315
I'm very sad to hear that Poets Corner is no more, all the more so for not having been able to make it along myself for the last couple of months (the Little Athletics season knocks out most of our Saturday for a good five months over spring/summer, and much of Sunday is spent in recovery!). Thanks so much for all your work in getting it going and keeping it that way. I really liked the venue - central and bookish and public - and the vibe - casual and friendly and not at all rarefied - and the way people would wander past, then pause, then stop and hang in the doorway for a while before moving on, or, sometimes, sitting down for a listen. Poetry in the middle of everything. It's where it should be, I think, and not so much tucked away in cozy, hard-to-find corners. Anyway. Enough of what I know you already know, having hosted such a marvellous event for so long. But I'm sure you won't be moving on from poetry and that I'll see you and your work around the various traps.

Again, many thanks and all best wishes for whatever is next for you, even if it's simply a well-earned rest!

Meg
]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:38:18 GMT <![CDATA[Response from Deanne Leber - Goodbye Poets Corner]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=314 Dear Frances,
 

I read your email before I went to work this morning, and was in tears. 

 

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You made Poet's Corner an incredible space for people to perform - in understanding and comfort, as well as inspiration. 

 

As a poet, I appreciated the opportunity to perform at such a wonderful venue, with such welcoming arms... like a lot of writers, I sometimes find it difficult to perform in front of people - but no matter how shaky my voice (or how shaky my hands as i held my poems) i always felt protected... this was an environment free from judging - just the urge to share and listen and appreciate writers and their words... i always felt warm and welcomed the minute I stepped into the cafe...

 

The time that I spent hosting Poet's Corner was absolutely an inspiration!  Although I'm a bit doubtful about my hosting abilities (I tended to say "wow that was wonderful" a lot - but when it's all wonderful what else could I say!) Thank you for giving me that amazing opportunity!

 

I'm sorry that I haven't been to many readings in the past year...  Life has just become hectic... especially the past few months... but it was a comfort to know that Poet's Corner was there...

 

Thank you Frances, for everything!  I'm sure that whatever you do in the future will be sparkling with your amazing energy.  If you ever need a hand at anything, I'm here.

 

Best Wishes,



Deanne xx  

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:27:00 GMT <![CDATA[Response from Liana Christensen - Goodbye Poets Corner]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=313
Dear Frances,

 

I'm really sad to hear of the demise of this fine institution.  Although I have not been able to be a regular attendee at Poets' Corner, I've always thought it wonderful.  And your points about the value of a daytime event at a central venue are most apt.  I so enjoyed the time I brought my mum along to enjoy the fun.  And I know that she did, too.

 

I recognise that an enormous amount of personal energy and dedication is required to keep these things running, and I'm grateful to you for doing this for so long.  Nandi Chinna, who has done something similar with Voicebox in Freo, recently invited three others to help out with running the event, so that the strain is not so much on one individual.  I guess, however, that all options have been explored before taking the decision to bring down the curtain on Poets' Corner?

 

Thank you for the opportunities you gave me to read and share my work, as well as to hear such a diverse and stimulating range of other poets.  It will be great if your retirement from this organisational contribution frees up space for your to pursue more of your own creative work,

 

All the best,



Liana                     
]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:25:27 GMT <![CDATA[Goodbye Poets Corner response from al boyd]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=312 Hey Frances,



Sad days indeed, but massive thanks for all the hard work you've put

into Pages and everything else over the years - you seriously ROCK!



cheers,

al


antipoet


al boyd 


http://antipoet.blogspot.com/

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:11:08 GMT <![CDATA[Frances responds to John on Linemine]]> http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QEozNQwhdKMbrY6g8WhusPkJD6gU?p=311 Re: Goodby Poets Corner

Thanks John, I have always appreciated your support and one day, will

apply for some help to the library or ArtWA to use all that amazing

footage you have - it's a fabulous resource which needs to be

available to the public.

Not to mention, your time and expenditure needs to be repaid and

acknowledged in a practical way. One of the things I hope to have

more time for is video production, so I'll be in touch later.

I've told Janet I hope something new and fresh is initiated next year

but Poets Corner has run it's course and is now defunct.

I do not want to 'pass it on' or reinvent it - it worked extremely

well as it was: an opportunity for all poets to share their words.

I would be very pleased if Poets Corner is remembered for just that.

Regards,

Frances

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:04:08 GMT