Creative Original Music Adelaide presents Max_Mo at the Wheatsheaf.

If you’re in Adelaide – or at least closer to it than I am – do yourself a favour and get along to the Max_Mo Fringe event on Feb 27^th at 8 pm (yes, it’s a Monday night, but that’s what we do during the Fringe!)

The legendary C.O.M.A Sessions have been a fixture at The Wheaty since 2005, showcasing original music by local, interstate and international musicians in genres such as Jazz, Electronica and Contemporary Classical. With its unique combination of jazz, surprising beats and out-there spoken word grooves, Max_Mo fits this brief to a T.

Max_Mo’s rhythm section now includes Fleur Elise on vibes and there’ll be a special poet guest: Jude Aquilina, (debuting a live version of The Fat Aftermath) plus the usual poets Mike Ladd & Amelia Walker and musos Steve Matters, Andy Mills and Derek Pascoe.

Why would you sit at home watching boring TV when for only ten bucks you get to see Max_Mo live PLUS high-energy jazz trio Pen Island from Sydney?

I’ve been Fingered. And I didn’t even realize. Back in November when we were in Vietnam or Cambodia, Adelaide’s Finger Magazine went digital and published two of my poems The Down’s ballet dancer in the bus station and meeting Self Doubt. The first one, written four years ago (the first time we lived in Himeji) was about a boy I used to watch at the Shinki bus station. I couldn’t believe it -when I return four years later he’s still here, slimmer, taller, longer hair. The onlookers have become more tolerant and he’s moved out onto the street. The second poem was written about the same time as two faces have i at a time when I was doubting my abilities to teach and write. Both poems are HERE. Thanks for publishing, Finger. I hope the new online version is successful and reaches a global audience.

I am absolutely loving it in Japan BUT one of the things I’ll miss in Adelaide is the final Literary Salon at the Tin Cat Café in Adelaide. The lovely Stephanie Hester will have both Amelia Walker and Heather Taylor-Johnson on the interview couch to launch their new collections and edify the audience about the psyches and works of these two wonderful Adelaide poets. Amelia’s collection Sound and Bundy is represented as an anthology of four fictional poets. Heather’s Letters to my lover from a small mountain town (it’s “mostly about the vibrancy and transforming power of love”) will also be launched on the same night.

This is the final Salon and it’s FREE.
If I were not in Himeji I’d be there myself. (And I’d get to say g’day to Bel Schenk again or possibly schmooze up to David Reiter & ask him to get Interactive Press to publish a poetry collection for me.)
If you’re in Adelaide you should definitely book and take my place.
Poetry, scintillating company and beer, wine and nibbles provided? Sounds too good to be true…

Details:
Thursday 23rd February, 2012, 7pm til late
Tin Cat Café, 107 Rundle St, Kent Town.
Dinner available beforehand, bookings essential: 83624748

TCR Feb 2012 cover design: Perkus Tooth by Tom Sanford

We lost both of our very ancient Siamese cats during the last year. I wrote this one about Narla who went blind before we made the difficult decision to have her euthanased. The poem’s been picked up by The Cortland Review (US.) This is an excellent, beautifully-designed e-journal which includes an audio button so that you can hear the poets read in their own voices as you see the text on the page. My poem is HERE.

Sorry – yet another poem about death and decrepitude! Perhaps it’s time I lightened up…

Thanks to TCR for publishing my work.

I’m very excited that my next poetry collection entitled Tropeland has made the shortlist for this prestigious award in the “Unpublished manuscript” section. Good luck to fellow Friendly Street poets Rachael Mead and Belinda Broughton too. It’s great to see so many poetry collections nominated. Congratulations to Carol LeFevre for her inclusion in the Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship shortlist and Jennifer Compton for her John Bray Poetry Award nomination.

The winners will be announced Saturday 3 March, by South Australian Premier, the Hon Jay Weatherill, in a presentation at the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden in Adelaide during Adelaide Writers’ Week which is held as part of the Adelaide Festival.