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April 25th - May 1st, 2005
April 29th, 2005
Diner Poetry Club

Nothing like a good poetry reading to make you feel better after sitting and staring at the walls of unsold books and wondering why the fuck anyone in their right mind would spend years of their lives writing and trying to promote poems.

One of those nights, where everything just seemed to flow. The folks came out to their first Mingus Tourette poetry reading, and looked like they had a good time. Got a wink and a hug. So that was a bit of a relief. The other readers were good - the Thomas Wharton made me laugh. One of the non-fiction readers thought I was either the devil or a drunken twat who should be consigned to the meatwagon. But what did I care - I sold two books.

And then, after the reading, met a couple of young poets, and a playwrite and a couple of raving poets and a fellow book poet, and we all sat down for nachos and hummous and the gin and tonic and coffee and laughed and talked loudly, even though we were new to each other, it was all easy, because shit, we were all writers, in some form. So we giggled about reading shocking poems and performing on stage and television and told nasty stories and laughed about Appleby's '77 Monte Carlo with the white vinyl seats -which is just a thing of majestic beauty.

And I'm really fucking tired from staying up too late too many nights in a row, and I'm having a hard time saying anything cohesive, but it was just really fucking good to be able to sit at a table with six other writers like that and talk without any pretension, knowing we all face down the same things sometimes. Not something I could have done last year at this time, or the ten years before that. Sitting, sipping limes, learning new things about new poets and their old lives and laughing, just laughing into the night. Have to value that.

And so, that ends poetry month, just about.



April 28th, 2005
The Unclean - Official Press Release Day, Good Lord the Excitement

My publisher wanted me to post this, in the misguided belief that there is anything in this world that could encourage poetry book sales. Like that library reading tonight. Or being arrested in Hanover with a handgun and Neil Bush's ankle in my overnight bag.

As it is, this show should be fucking amazing. A whole pile of Shelley's new paintings, and like fifty new poems. Published on a wall. We install this weekend - I thinks the arm will be sore. I'll take some photos once it's done.

--- --- ---

Iconoclastic Art / Poetry Fusion Exhibit Takes on the Streets

For Immediate Release
April 28th, 2005
Edmonton, Alberta

Beginning May 3, the highbrow traditions of art and poetry take a seat in the gutter at Shelley Rothenburger and Mingus Tourette’s exhibit, The Unclean. This multimedia fusion of painting and verse, located in the basement of the Fringe Gallery, takes a hard look at the urban subculture of the street.

“I’ve crafted paintings of people who live hard lives,” says Rothenburger. “To do this, I’ve reversed the tradition of portraiture. Instead of having subjects who are revered in high standing, I’ve captured those who are usually reviled.”

For Rothenburger, the most stimulating aspect of the project was collaborating with a poet, and integrating their art forms along a common theme. The MFA graduate, known for her oft-brutal and satirical work, plans to mix her visuals with the words of the hard-nosed Edmonton poet, Mingus Tourette.

“We’ll be writing the poems directly onto the walls, between the paintings,” says Tourette. It should be quite powerful to see her canvasses up there beside my words, telling the stories of these people we’ve effectively detached from our society.”

The Unclean’s experimental mixture of portraits and poetry is on display from May 3rd to May 31st at the Fringe Gallery, located at 10516 Whyte Avenue.

Shelley Rothenburger was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and now resides in Edmonton. She graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in 2000 and has had multiple solo, juried and group exhibitions nation wide. Her work can be viewed online at www.mbradica.com/shelley/.

Mingus Tourette was born and raised in Western Canada and now resides in Edmonton. He is the author of the controversial nunt, recently short-listed for the Stephansson Award for Poetry. He was the ringmaster behind the Write The Nation Tour, a national poetry tour set in a pink ambulance. His work can be found, um, right here.





April 27th, 2005
Il Duce, Laureate

A couple of months ago, Marvin threatened to write something about the lack of an Alberta poet laureate.

As National Poetry Month rolls to a halt, rumours abound that a poet laureate post may soon be announced. Or not.

Personally, I like what DM reader Clay had to say about the matter last month:

"As an Alberta ex-pat I would like to throw my vote behind a fist-fight for poet laureate. I reckon that while no one in Alberta will care to have a poet laureate, a whole lot of people would love to see poets fight for the title.

I can see Mingus covered in blood, on the shoulders of his training team, pouring gin from a half-shattered bottle down his throat. Hopefully that's the picture that makes it into the school books."

For certain! The truth is, the fistfighting would go over far better than any sort of civilized reading. Imagine the public salivation if they locked myself, Hildebrandt and Bowling in a steel cage with only one key that could only be used ONCE.

The drama.

As such, I would like to read you this masterpiece of modern poetry which I read to an audience last night. The only sound was the gentle beat of the drums and the faint cacophony of women coming with restraint in their jean pants.

---

With rolls of hundred euro bills
stuffed in his pockets

He struts down the red lit lane
wearing his seal-fur cape

sweeping past the warm greetings
with a turquoise blunt
hanging from his lips
as the whores whisper his name

Il Duce, they cry
make love to us

and he smiles and obliges them
at home in the canals



April 26th, 2005
Evening with the Authors

Besides developments with Morrie and Sierra, I've been chatting with Marvin, Vic and my publisher about future projects. We've been talking about t-shirts, and talking about writing out the story of the ambulance using this strange four man approach. Sounds a bit cracked, but it could entirely fuck with the notion of 'a book', so I'm all for it.

As such, I was gently reminded that I should crack open Tento Yuriko's notes again and start looking for material that might fit the bill. Found this short poem in something he called his 'avian series'. Seemed fitting this evening.

---

the day the spring buds burst
a magpie and a robin twitter
who cares about poetry!

---

And now, for an announcement you can't ignore:

Evening with the Authors
(Edmonton) Looking for an evening of hot stories? This Thursday, drop in at the Whitemud Edmonton Public Library for an hour of FREE readings from award nominated authors. Readings will cover the seamy tales of Alberta politics, a child’s fascination with the moon, and poems about killing cows with a grenade!

Authors shortlisted for the 2005 Alberta Book Awards (Writing Section) will present a sampling of their work at a special “Evening With the Authors” this Thursday, April 28. Finalists in the categories of Novel, Short Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction and Children’s Literature will read from their shortlisted books, and speak about the inspiration and origins behind the works.

The public is invited to attend this free event at the Edmonton Public Library, Whitemud Crossing Branch (Whitemud Crossing Shopping Centre, 4211 - 106 Street) on Thursday, April 28, 7 pm. Authors will be available during intermission and after the program for questions and book signings. Mingus Tourette will bring his clippers and will be offering free hair cuts.

Authors confirmed for the evening are:
Joan Marie Galat (Children’s Literature)
David Hollingshead (reading for Greg Hollingshead) (Fiction)
Marc Lisac (Non-Fiction)
Mingus Tourette (Poetry)
Paul Voisey (Non-Fiction)
Thomas Wharton (Short Fiction)

“Evening With the Authors” is presented by the Writers Guild of Alberta, in partnership with the Edmonton Public Library.

Admission is FREE. Light refreshments will be served. Shorn choda is available.




April 25th, 2005
Fuck the Blogosphere

Most blogs are retarded.

Imagine this publication, run through the retard filter on a daily basis. I'm sure it would be a hundred times more popular.

red arm blues
file under: dumb shit

this weekend, i was totally out working on my ambulance and DAMN, did I totally fuck up and give myself a sunburn.

DUDE, summer's here!

Worse, no get this, i was working in this short-sleeved shirt, and screwing in this headlight that i been thinking about installing for like SIX months, and worse, I gave myself a farmers tan. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO........

And it gets worse!

Somehow, it's only my right arm!!! Everything else is normal, but my right arm is completely red from the middle of my (totally bulging lol) bicep. So screwed!

Besides that, the weekend was pretty mellow. Completely fell asleep on Friday night (lame, i know) and had to do some work on Saturday, but Saturday morning, I totally got up and fucked ass on some new poems for this new art show that's coming up this weekend. so that's what it's like to be sober????

btw, didja notice i said 'fucked ass', instead of 'kicked ass'. that's my new phrase - neologizing all over!

So yeah, then went out to Mom's house, and she's doing good and shit - looking good. Good to get some good homecooking and just read and talked, spring cleaned the ride. Watched some cider house rules which is a john irving book, but a movie too, which rocks. And then, Saturday night, had this totally strange dream about Sierra and she was older and heavier but I still completely dug her, but there was this other chick, i can't remember who, and she was trying to keep us apart.

So confused!!! What does it mean?

Anyways, completely slacking today on the poetry, which sucks cause i only have like three days to finish all the poems and i'm like freaking out, even though K said he could read them this week, which is super-rad. ok. ok. check this one! hope you like it. ROCKS. (and thanks to all the dudes and dudettes who're posting last week - like twenty posts a day, even hippy day, so keep it up and soon I'll be the number one blog in the universe and can totally put out a book and CASH INNNN. Roxorzz1!!!

PS. Check this poem! It's totally emotional and stuff.


---

the devil’s talking
and he’s making a lot of sense

as we share a box of wine
in the bus station

hoping the alcohol
will kill all the diseases
between us

---






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