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…In which Tim posts live

Tim Hamilton — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:11:31 +0000

Currently enjoying the first leg of the journey that is Takin’ It To The Streets, the annual poetry pub crawl. Dante’s now, Southpaw and Blue Velvet later. For specifics, check out the Overload Poetry website page for this gig.

The launch was amazing, The Heart Chamber were fantastic.

Wordplay

Tim Hamilton — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:39:07 +0000

I had the good fortune to attend the kick off for 2009 of Wordplay, the monthly gig hosted by Geoff Lemon which has now moved to the more spacious surrounds of the Dan O’Connell in Carlton. Given recent sad events it was also turned into a fundraiser for a poet who had suffered and lost in the recent bushfires.

We were entertained by the spiritual and thoughtful Simon Cox, Joelistics (musician and rap artist with TZU) got us moving, we were blown away by the picturesque story telling of Eleanor Jackson and beguiled at the end by the work of Kevin Brophy.

Go check out their website, listen to the mp3s of previous gigs, download a copy of the Wordplay mag that they’ve just launched. It’s all worth your time.

Australians on the Indiefeed podcast!

Tim Hamilton — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:34:43 +0000

I was delighted to discover that the Indiefeed Performance Poetry podcast is interviewing and featuring work by three Melbourne poets currently in the US. Alicia Sometimes, Emily Zoe Baker and Sean Whelan have all just appeared on the list. If you don’t listen to Indiefeed, I highly recommend it to lovers of poetry. As a podcast it can be handled through programs like iTunes or you can download individual episodes from the Indiefeed website.

More about Alicia, Emily and Sean can be found by following their links here!

Reading: “District And Circle” – Seamus Heaney
Listening: “This Year’s Girl” – Elvis Costello

Tim Hamilton @ Passionate Tongues

Tim Hamilton — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:37:15 +0000

My first poetry feature of the year will be at Passionate Tongues!

What: Passionate Tongues! Hosted by Michael Reynolds.
Who: Me! I will be headlining with Ozlem Baro. This is her first feature (I believe). I have heard her read at Spinning Room, I suspect this won’t be her last.
Where: The Brunswick Hotel, 140 Sydney Rd, Brunswick (cnr. Weston Rd.)
When: 8pm, Monday, 2nd February
How: (…much?) Entry is free, but we do encourage the sale of raffle tickets as the proceeds get split between the features for the evening. Besides, the raffle prizes are good!
Why: Because I have new stuff! Because I have old stuff! Because Ozlem is really good! Because The Brunswick Hotel has bad album sleeves adorning their walls and good beer adorning their bar!

Reading: “Just Your Everyday Apocalypse” – Amelia Walker (which I got the last time I was at PT!!)
Listening: “Apparitions” – Matthew Good Band

Kevin Brophy in the Guardian

Tim Hamilton — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:31:22 +0000

I was thrilled to see Australian poet (and patron of the Melbourne Poet’s Union) Kevin Brophy is featured in the Guardian’s Poem of the Week. Link here.

Reading: “Penguin Modern Poets 17 – David Gascoyne, W.S. Graham, Kathleen Raine”
Listening: “Everybody Has To Eat” – The Triffids
Playing: GTA IV and 2 games of futsal this evening.

Rosanne Bersten @ The Spinning Room

Tim Hamilton — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:21:51 +0000

Another marvellous feature by Rosanne Bersten at the Spinning Room poetry gig last night. Her poems gave a preview of her upcoming California vignettes series and went through a series of works on people in her life. It also reminded me of how well she can switch between free and structured verse.

The night was also notable for the really rather impressive collection of new poets appearing in the open mic section. At least two new poets who I hope to see more of, one getting a callback.

For my part, I think I did OK, I’m more comfortable reading the revised version of Tomorrow’s Ghosts now, Ballard Days still feels a little unbalanced, though I’m not sure why. Either way, I think it needs a little more tweaking.

Reminder for Courthouse Reading

Tim Hamilton — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:15:28 +0000

Hosted by Helen Lucas, Alex Skovron and I will be featuring in the magnificent stone acoustics of the Eltham Courthouse.

When: Thursday, 21st February, 7:30 for an 8pm start.
Where: Eltham Courthouse, 728 Main Rd, Eltham (near the corner of Brougham St., about center in the map)
What: $5 entry, open mic, free tea, wine, coffee, biscuits and door prize.

Hope to see as many of you there as possible!

Reading: City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology (ed. Lawrence Ferlinghetti)
Listening: Ani Difranco – Wish I May

The Courthouse Readings

Tim Hamilton — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:58:06 +0000

Come join Alex Skovron and I at the Eltham Courthouse!

Hosted by Helen Lucas, Alex and I will be featuring in the magnificent stone acoustics of the Eltham Courthouse.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do the happy dance, then write frantically for approximately 5 weeks.

Listening: Matthew Good Band – Weapon

Reading: London Review of Books, January 3rd, 2008

yrteoP esreveR

Tim Hamilton — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 12:39:22 +0000

I attribute the following quote to Christine Hamm, English lecturer at Rutgers University and author of The Transparent Dinner.

“The reverse poem exercise consists of taking a poem, breaking it down line by line and trying to write the opposite of each image and word. After you’re done you can play with it anyway you want.”

Suffice to say I’ve had far too much fun doing this. Beneath the cut is one example I’ve been working on.

Below is an example I’ve been working on:

I have killed him!
by Charles van Lerberghe

Dr. Frankenstein
by Tim Hamilton

I have killed him!
I have killed him!
He is falling.
Listen. In the evening a voice has cried
over the dark sea: You have killed him!How have I created him, my god, with these white hands
which would not have wounded a dove
or killed a flower?

Ah! Nothing knew that he was alive,
and everything is ignorant of his being no more,
and the dawn still rises.
Nothing weeps for him.
Not a smile of the earth has disappeared;
not a flower, now a sunbeam,
not a star of my song.

Without my thinking of it,
he has faded into silence.

I have created him!
I have created him!
Watch him as he rises.
This morning a voice will cry over the land:
What have you created?How did I create him, this promethean?
With my calloused hands which were made to rend and tear.

Now you will all know!
By dusk you will all know!
Light the torches! There shall be celebration!
This night there will be joy, tears will be forbidden.

By the sweat of my brow
he has been born
and he is screaming.

Another Man Done Gone

Tim Hamilton — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 07:02:32 +0000

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.

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