| "I always thought Calgary would be rife with poetry," says sheri-D wilson, discussing this year’s third Calgary International Spoken Word Festival, running from April 25 to 30.
"People here are outspoken and open-minded. Spoken word poetry is enjoyable and written in the voice of the people. The doors were opened with the Olympics, One Yellow Rabbit, WordFest – people developing their ears to the work," says wilson, who started the festival and acts as its artistic director.
"When I was a youth, there was little here to grasp culturally – I had to move. Now there’s a large youth movement giving it longevity, with its roots in jazz, hip hop, politics and revolution. And it’s going more and more electronic all the time, with DVD, video and music."
Administrative assistant Mark Hopkins is looking forward to the community focus this year. "We have some events, like the open mic, that are open to the public. People are really enthusiastic – more than we expected."
As the festival grows, so does Calgary’s interest in the spoken word, with the slams and CBC sponsored face-off series growing in popularity.
The festival kicks off (in conjunction with WordFest and the Industrial Opera Company) with The Road to Paradise, a series of readings evoking Western archetypes. Artists reading include Christian Bok, Shane Koyczan, Robin Poitras and Donald Stein, with music from The Showers of Blessing Choir.
The festival continues its public involvement with recent Calgary newcomer Wakefield Brewster’s hip hop workshop. "Calgary hasn’t seen much of his hip hop esthetic before," says Hopkins.
One of this year’s most interesting events is Queer Conscience, a first at the festival, which expands the focus on voices not often heard in the arts. "It’s an experimental risk," says Hopkins. "We don’t know if Calgary will go for it, but we’ll try for a couple of years."
"It expands the possibility of urban culture," adds wilson. "I love intellectual controversy."
Artists at Queer Conscience include Shone Abet, bill bissett, Ivan E. Coyote, Dale Lee Kwong, Suzette Mayr, Billeh Nickerson and Gregory Scofield.
This year the festival also features a multimedia segment, with Bravo!FACT Video/Poems, a series with notable artists merging their readings with the electronic medium. Films will include contributions from George Bowering (Lost in the Library), Michael Ondaatje (Cinnamon Peeler), Al Purdy and Gord Downie (At the Quinte Hotel) and sheri-d wilson’s Spinsters Hanging in Trees. The screenings are on Saturday, April 29 at 11 a.m. at the Glenbow Museum.
The grandfathers and mothers of Canadian poetry gather for Oral Traditions and Exhibitions on Saturday, April 29 at 1 p.m. at the Glenbow Museum, in conjunction with the festival’s move to coincide with National Poetry Month. Featured poets include bissett, Coyote, Catherine Kidd and Robert Priest, as well as Canadian poet laureate Bowering, who famously slammed spoken word poetry in the Globe and Mail. "I love the controversy of artists sharing the same stage as someone who once denounced it," says wilson. "Spoken word is open, not elitist. I think he’s open to the different forms."
One of the ever-popular slams will be tied into the festival on Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. at the Auburn Saloon, with the winners going on to compete in October at the spoken word festival in Toronto.
And, as always, the festival ends with the Big Bang, a night of poetry and music that should guarantee an all-night party. Artists scheduled to read include Bowering, T. Crane, Kidd, Koyczan, Motion and Priest.
The festival wraps up with Champagne and Jalapenos, with mc Harry Vandervlist hosting a group of poets including Bok, Xstine Cook, Emily Elder, Sean McGarragle and Motion.
Additional events this year include the Coach House book launch on Wednesday, April 26, at 8 p.m. at the Beat Niq Jazz and Social Club, with artists Jason Christie (Canada Post), jon paul fiorentino (The Theory of the Loser Class) and Angela Rawlings (Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists).
For more information and tickets, visit www.calgaryspokenwordfestival.com, or call (403) 686-4292.
Other events this week: on Monday, April 24 at 7:30, Pages hosts House of Anansi Press owner and adventurer Scott Griffin, reading from his new book, My Heart is in Africa, chronicling his adventures transporting doctors throughout the continent. On Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30, Timothy Taylor (Stanley Park) returns with his new drama, Story House.
The launch of the University of Calgary created NoD magazine’s issue #3 is on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Carpenters’ Union Hall, with readings by derek beaulieu, Jason Christie, Rawlings, Judy Byrne and David C. Waddell, to name a few.
At McNally Robinson on Monday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m., editor Marjorie Anderson will be on hand to launch Dropped Threads 3: Beyond the Small Circle, the newest volume featuring essays and fiction from new and established female writers, including contributions from Margaret Atwood, Silken Laumann and Fast Forward writer C.B. Mackintosh.
And the finalists for this year’s W.O. Mitchell Book Award have been announced, with authors David Albahari (Snow Man), Gordon Cope (A Paris Moment) and Christopher Wiseman (In John Updike’s Room) all up for the prize, which will be announced in May. |
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