Monday 11 August 2008

Dumplings Rock!

So, I did the reading at the Dumpling Cafe. It is, incidentally, on Reuter Strasse in Neukoln, and it is awesome. Vegan and veggie sweet and savoury dumplings that you could (and will) eat all day. If you're in Berlin, go. If you're in Europe, make a detour and go. You'll thank me later.
I felt kind of bad that I was reading in English. I wish my German was good enough that i could write poems in it. I tried to explain some of my poems in German, so as not to alienate people, but I think my crappy attempts were more, rather than less, confusing. Nonetheless, it went well, and I got free food and Bucks Fizz for my troubles!
I was encouraged to put more of my poems up on the blog. What I am going to do is showcase any new ones I might write up here, rather than dragging out the old stuff. I am trying to get enough decent poems together to make a good sized zine, which I'll be flogging/trading in due course.
Any poems that do go up on here, I could really use feedback on, positive and negative, so get commenting!
Off to New York in a couple of days, where I will hopefully get a chance to do more readings. being an International Woman of Mystery rocks. Almost as much as dumplings do.

Thursday 7 August 2008

Ich habe einen Gig!

Wooo! I'm (hopefully) doing a poetry reading in Berlin! One that I've actually been booked for as opposed to turning up and putting my name on a blackboard, as I will be on the openstage :D
It's at a dumpling cafe who are having a 'Ladies' Brunch' at the end of Ladyfest Berlin, or LaDIYfest as it's known this year - they're breaking down the binary gender barriers. This is all very cool Berlin is one onf the least genderbinary places I've ever been, but that probably has to do with the company I keep when I'm here. :)
I'll be reading in English, but i may try and get another poem written especially for the occaision, and not in an Elton John desperately filking something out of the vault in time for Di's funeral way, a PROPER new poem.
No pressure...

Monday 4 August 2008

Berlin here we come!

The wife and I are off to Berlin in a couple of days, doing some performances at Ladyfest - i'm hoping to read on the openstage, among other things, and then coming back, only to set off again on an in law visit. Better pack, really...

I always wonder about performing in a country where English is not the first language. My German's not bad, but not good enough to freely translate rhyming poems as I go along while retaining any degree of poetic merit.
So- which is ruder, gabbling away in imperialese and hoping they keep up, or murdering what vestige of talent I may have while at the same time butchering a noble and beautiful language? Plus, the ladyfest crowd is pretty international, and while I can enjoy the stylings of Grace et Volupte Van Van - the crazy tiny lesbian rappers - without necessarily understanding a word, I feel that maybe Grace et Volupte are going to get bored pretty quickly of a poetry recital in a language they have only a passing aquaintance with. Still, I'm a complete attention whore, so I'll be up there, jabbering about vegans and chihuahuas, for the benefit of anyone who understands me!