I can’t believe this is approximately 5 weeks away.

What: The Dan O’Connell Poetry featuring Tim Hamilton
Where: The Dan O’Connell Hotel. Cnr. Canning and Princes St., Carlton.
When: 2pm-5pm Saturday 8th September.
Why: I’ll have new stuff, there’s an open stage with some marvellous readers, they have Guinness, it’s easy to get to, it’s really rather a pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It all happens in the front bar, it’s a marvellous atmosphere, oh do say you’ll come dear reader.

Listening: “Fitter Happier” – Radiohead (off the “OK Computer” album)
Technorati Tags: poetry, events, announcements

A pleasant Friday night was spent at the Melbourne Poet’s Union. As well as appearances from Jennifer Compton and Paul Mitchell, the evening saw the launch of Carla de Goede’s “Those Hairy Letters”. This is the ninth chapbook to be released through the MPU’s Chapbook Series.

Kris Hemmensley’s speech about the importance of the chapbook in the world of poetry was stirring enough that I wound up writing another poem, I’ll post that here once it’s been polished a bit.

Technorati tags: events, poetry, melbourne poets union
Reading: “Those Hairy Letters” – Carla de Goede
Listening: “American Without Tears” – Elvis Costello (off the King Of America album)

This Friday (3rd August) sees the beginning of the 6th Overload Festival, it looks magnificent from here, there will be guests from Belfast (no less than the Belfast Poets) and a slew of local and interstate talent. The Overload Festival website has all the details, dates and destinations available. Go see something while it’s on!

In a rather nice touch, the opening event for the festival is the Overload pub crawl, which I believe will be threading its way around Fitzroy.

Listening: “The Scarlet Tide” – Elvis Costello (off the “The Delivery Man” album)
Technorati Tags: poetry, events, announcements, Overload Festival

A touch of bedlam in Law Like Blog-land as I attempt to get the theme working in concert with all the gadgets I’ve been adding. The look isn’t entirely how I want it, but I’ll tinker with that as time allows.

In other news, I think I’ll be attending the Melbourne Poet’s Union gathering this evening. As well as Jennifer Compton and Paul Mitchell putting in an appearance, Carla de Goede will be launching her book.

Also the Overload Festival kicks off next Friday with a Poet’s Pub Crawl. As John Garrett said last Tuesday night at Spinning Room, the Poet’s Season has begun and will continue through to December.

Listening: “Warnings Moving Clockwise” – Do Re Mi
Reading: “Break Blow Burn” – Camille Paglia
Technorati Tags: poetry, events, announcements

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Quoting from The Age article here : “Sekou Sundiata, the Harlem-born poet, performer, artist, activist and educator who inspired audiences at last year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival, passed away in New York yesterday from heart failure. He was 58.”.

I discovered a site several years ago where you could download mp3s of amazing poets reading their own work. The site is no longer there, but the first person I discovered on it was Sekou Sundiata. Brilliant poet, teller of stories. Lyrical, passionate, his work was spiritual, regardless of actual content. His use of rhythm and cadence was gorgeous.

Then I discovered he’d released an album “Longstoryshort”. The album is one of my favorite albums, musical or otherwise. I was very lucky to catch “51st Dream State”, one of the few performances of any media that I’ve wept from. I wish I’d seen “blessing the boats” (read the article for the story behind that performance).

If you are interested, listen to “The Sound Of Memory” to hear what I’m talking about.

Technorati Tags: poetry, obituary, personal, other poets

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Thanks to the fine folk who helped me out with Mokita. I’ll withhold posting it at this juncture as I’m submitting this one to a certain ‘zine.

In the meanwhile, I’ll be reading at the memorial gig for Ted Lord which will be held at Spinning Room (@ 8pm, ET’s Hotel, High St, Prahran) tonight.

Technorati Tags: gigs, poetry, news
Listening to: “Dreadbelly” – Billy Bragg (off the “England, Half English” album)

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Hello all,

It seems I have another gig coming up.

What : Tim Hamilton feat. @ The Dan Poets
Where : The Dan O’Connell Hotel, Princes St/Alexandra Pde, Carlton
When : September 8th, 2:00pm

The Dan Poets is an open stage gig that’s been running for approximately 14 years and is hosted by the inimitable Cam Black.

For those of you interested, the open stage gives you five minutes in front of the mic (the feature gets something like twenty, sometimes in two sets sometimes one, feature’s pick)