Penn’s Muse News
Celebrating December 2009
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EnChanting: Transformation through Poetry, Sound & Song
Workshop, Saturday, December 5, 10:00-5:00 pm.
With Devotional Chant Artist Brenda McMorrow & Penn Kemp
A workshop for those who think they can't sing or write but always wanted to; for those who can sing/write and wanted more; for those wanting to sound out, sing out, write out loud. Sounding and chanting are freely joyous ways to release creativity and open the heart's song. Drop the blocks! Write and raise your voice with us! Invoking Sarasvati, the goddess of creativity, music and poetry, we will create and share chants, poems and songs to, from and for our Mother World. 525 Canterbury Road, London N6G2N5.
Bring a lunch to share potluck. Herbal tea on the house. $60 ($50 if you bring
a friend).
To confirm your spot, contact: ameyamusic@gmail.com and/or penn@pennkemp.ca. See
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3992303404#/event.php?eid=159742124825&index=1.
Thursday, January 21, 7:30 pm, 2010, “Luminous Entrance”. Brescia Auditorium, Brescia University College, London ON. We invite you to join us in a participatory performance of our Sound Opera, Luminous Entrance. Penn’s Ecco Poetry has been set to the folk-inspired melodies of musician/composer Brenda McMorrow; with dancer Ruth Douthwright and percussionist Jocelyn Drainie. In paeans of praise or rant, dance, drumming & sound, together we celebrate our dear MotherWorld’s enChantments! Sponsored by The Circle. Contact: kimyoung@uwo.ca
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Upcoming Events
Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 6:30-7:00 am, 2009. Show #7 (R). Interview with London ON novelist Joan Barfoot. Radio Western, CHRW 94.9 FM. To be archived on www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
Saturday, December
5, 10:00-5:00 pm. With Devotional Chant Artist Brenda McMorrow & Penn Kemp.
EnChanting: Transformation through Poetry, Sound and Song: A workshop
for those who think they can't sing or write! See www.brendamcmorrow.com and
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3992303404#/event.php?eid=159742124825&index=1.
Saturday December 5, 3-5 pm, Urban Space Gallery, 401 Richmond St West, Suite 111, Toronto. Poems From a Love Triangle and Memory Vision : these multi-media pieces feature Bill Gilliam’s music and sounds with poems by Penn Kemp. Visuals and images by Arnold Wytenburg, Gera Dillon and Luke Gilliam. Contact: <bgilliam@sympatico.ca>
Wednesday,
December 9, 6-6:30 pm. Gathering Voices, Show #8. Interview
with Stratford poet Charles Mountford, Radio Western, CHRW 94.9 FM. To be
archived on www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 6:30-7:00 am (R). Photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/gavinstairs/Interview20091021#.
Wednesday, December 23, 6-6:30 pm. Gathering Voices, Show #9.
Interview with London ON novelist Kane X. Faucher. Radio Western, CHRW
94.9 FM. To be archived on www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices. Wednesday, December 30, 6:30-7:00 am
(R).
Wednesday, January 6, 6-6:30 pm. Gathering Voices, Show #10.
Interview with activist author Judy Rebick, Radio Western, CHRW 94.9 FM.
Photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/gavinstairs/Interviews20091019#.
To be archived on www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
Wednesday, January 7, 6:30-7:00 am (R).
Wednesday, January 13, 6-6:30 pm. Gathering Voices, Show
#11. Interview with activist filmmaker Velcrow Ripper, Radio Western,
CHRW 94.9 FM. Photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/gavinstairs/Interviews20091019#.
To be archived on www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
Wednesday, January 20, 6:30-7:00 am (R).
Thursday, January 21, 7:30 pm, 2010, “Luminous Entrance”. Brescia Auditorium, Brescia University College, London ON. We invite you to join us in a participatory performance of our Sound Opera, Luminous Entrance. Penn’s Ecco Poetry has been set to the folk-inspired melodies of musician/composer Brenda McMorrow; with dancer Ruth Douthwright and percussionist Jocelyn Drainie. In paeans of praise or rant, dance, drumming & sound, together we celebrate our dear MotherWorld’s enChantments! Sponsored by The Circle. Contact: kimyoung@uwo.ca
March, 2010. London Reads Celebrity Reader for Gil Adamson’sThe Outlander with Bob Smith, Rogers Channel 13, http://www.londonreads.uwo.ca/index.html#panelists
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Recent Publications
“Celebrating Trees in Souwesto”, www.reforestlondon.ca/celebrating-tree-souwesto. “what a lovely celebration for trees! I can be with this as a meditation. We really do need to slow down.. You have a really nice voice, Penn... you are an event!” Paulette Turcotte
“Crowning”, “Recurring Dream Doctrine”, http://www.sugarmule.com/33frame.htm
“Couplet du commedia, Re:Verse”, Danse Macabre XXIX Commedia. November, 2009. Paired with John CleeseJ http://dansemacabre.art.officelive.com/padronidicommedia.aspx
Couplet du commedia
Re:Verse
Purr verse
In verse
Dis course
Tra verse la la
Die verse
Diversión
Is a lute dissolute?
Only when it doesn't play.
"Man Date", on the site and in the podcast, http://qarrtsiluni.com/2009/11/12/man-date/ “Penn, I listened to your recitation several times. Besides being a great poet with a distinctive voice; You are a great narrator with a touch of mystic story teller!” Rabi Akbik“Nifty wordplay - I like how, from the very start to the end, the poem forces me to really consider each word not only by itself but in tandem with its neighbors. And "returning to a house to run" has personal resonance as well...” Peg Duthie
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Forthcoming Publications
"Humping the Big One", Dinosaur Porn, December, 2009. Contact: <pornsaurus@gmail.com>.
“Magdalene Rising” by Katerina Fretwell and Penn Kemp in Joan Norton’s blog,
http://blog.MaryMagdaleneWithin.com
"December 21, 2012", Volume One, Number Three: special issue of “Winter Solstice” Emerald Tales magazine, December 21, 2009.
Lori A. May, “Q & A”, Scarlet, Department of Creative Writing, University of Western Ontario. Contact: lori@loriamay.com
“In Celebration of Suzanne”, Age/ series Zocaloo Press Chapbooks, http:// zocalopress.com, 2009. Editor, Darran Biles writing@zocalopress.com
"Dream Sequins (i)" and "Dream Sequins (ii)", Volume Three, Reconfigurations. Editor, W. Scott Howard, http://mysite.du.edu/~showard/
"Jamming in the Bardo", http://lanternmagazine.blogspot.com/
Viva la Vida de Frida, Twelfth Key 15, ABECAN. Brazil/London ON. www.mytown.ca/vivalavida
Viva la Vida. Poetry DVD. Videographer: Daniela Sneppova. Poets / performers: Gloria Alvernaz Mulcahy and Penn Kemp. Pendas Poets Series #19.
Mrtvolka (little corpse – working title), a short (anticipating 12 min.) audio-visual project shot on film and video (finished on video unless other resources become available.) Daniela Sneppova and Penn Kemp. The Poetry Projection jury for the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) selected this as one of 10 projects to be part of Poetry Projections III: On Correspondence, to be screened in Fall of 2010. http://www.lift.on.ca/mt/community.html
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Writer-in-Residence
Contact Vivian Foglton (519-661-3403 or vlavers@uwo.ca) for an appointment to discuss your works of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and/or drama with Penn. It's free!
Send submissions (up to ten pages, double-spaced, submitted one week prior to scheduled appointment) to Vivian Foglton, Secretary, Department of English, University College, Room 173, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7.
Office hours: Wednesdays, 12:30 pm –3:30 pm. Thursdays, 12:30 pm- 3:30 pm., UC 171.
Wednesday, January 13 through Thursday, March 25. Openings are filling fast.
See http://www.uwo.ca/english/WhatsNew/Kemp2009-10Intro.pdf.
As part of the
residency, Penn is hosting Gathering Voices, an eclectic literary show
of readings and interviews on Radio Western, CHRW 94.9 FM. Gathering Voices
airs every second Wednesday starting September 2 from 6-6:30 pm and on
alternate Wednesdays, from 6:30-7 am. The show is streamed live on www.chrwradio.com/listen, and
archived for each week on http://chrwradio.com/archive/#wednesday. Archives of
past interviews, writing exercises and Penn’s sound operas are up on
chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
Interviews, sound operas, writing exercises, poems in translation... Sound
Opera is a new form Penn developed in performance and recording with
collaborators in a desire to lift poetry off the page to the stage. Sound
Opera is based on text but it expands poetic possibilities to include voice,
music and computer manipulation to express narrative when emotions burst the
seams of print. Poetry as performance on radio works because it is primarily
aural, true to its origins around a Neolithic fire.
Penn’s own project for the residency is Ecco poetry, a genre-bending compilation of poems devoted to our MotherWorld that will culminate in a book, a CD and a DVD.
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Please join our Facebook groups:
Gathering Voices www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3992303404
Supoort and Promote Canadian Arts and
Culture
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27449691026
Profile pages: http://www.facebook.com/pennkemp
(filled: facebook allows no more that 5,000 friends)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penn-Kemp/126450531030?created
and http://www.twitter.com/pennkemp
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Recent Events
October 29, 8:00 pm, Daphne Marlatt, Robert Minden and Carla Hallet: poetry, performance, and collaboration. UC 224a. Conron Hall, Like Light Off Water (cd, LostSound.com) (introduced by Penn).
November 4, 2009, 6:30 am, 2009. Show #5 (R). See www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
November 5, 2009, 1:30-3:30 pm. WRIT 2299, the Professional Writing Portfolio, Writing, Rhetoric and Professional Communication Program in Arts. Contact: Kathryn Alexander kalexa7@uwo.ca
November 11, 2:30-3:30 pm. Penn, “Writing from the inside out, and exploring form and structure”. Rm 2042, the Faculty of Education, Althouse College 1137 Western Rd. Contact: Kathy Hibbert (519) 661-2111, x. 88557, khibbert@uwo.ca
November 11, 2009, 6-6:30 pm, 2009. Show #6. When The Heart Parts: a Sound Opera by Penn Kemp, performed with Anne Anglin, John Blackwood, John Magyar. CD, Pendas Productions.
November 12, 12 pm, The London Reads Literary Lunch, Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth Community Gallery, Museum London. 2009/10 London Reads introduces the six celebrity readers including Penn, Gitta Kulczycki (VP, Resources and Operations), Jonathan Vance (History) and the three shortlisted books. Contact: Carolyn Young, Communications Manager, (519) 661-3520 ext. 88251, ccyoung@uwo.ca. http://www.londonreads.uwo.ca/kemp.html http://communications.uwo.ca/com/western_news/stories/london_reads_releases_2010_candidates_20091113445215/
November 18, 2009, 6:30-7:00 am, 2009. Show #6 (R). When The Heart Parts: a Sound Opera. CD, Pendas Productions.
November 18, 2009, 4:00-5:30 pm, 2009. UC 274. Penn in discussion, Canadianist Reading Group at Western. Contact: Nadine Fladd nfladd@uwo.ca, Kostantina Northrup <knorthru@uwo.ca>
November 19, 2009, 8 pm PST. Two Videopoems, Altar Ego and From an Upstairs Window, done by Bill Gilliam are in SEE THE VOICE: Visible Verse, Pacific Cinematheque, 1131 Howe St., Vancouver BC. Contact: Heather Haley, hshaley@emspace.com. http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/see-voice-visible-verse-2009.
November 25,
2009, 10:30 am -12:30 pm. Penn: On performance poetry and performing poetry,
Writing Program, Middlesex College Room 105, U. of Western Ontario, London ON. Contact: Kathryn Mockler kmockle3@uwo.ca.
November 25, 2009, 6:30 am -7:00 pm. Gathering Voices. Penn's
interview with novelist Joan Barfoot, Radio Western, CHRW 94.9 FM. Wednesday,
December 2, 2009, 6:30-7:00 am (R). Archived on www.chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices.
November 25, 7:30 pm, 2009. Poetry London, Landon Library, 167 Wortley Road, London. Jacob Scheier and John B. Lee (introduced by Penn).
November 27, 1-2:30 pm. Penn on "Feminist Theory and Practice in the
Arts and Humanities", Women’s Studies class. Contact: Kimberly
J Verwaayen kjverwaa@uwo.ca
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Comments
“Thank you so much for the wonderful Sound Evening you choreographed at the McIntosh Gallery on October. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I have used its description to intrigue visitors further in Robert Kelly’s installation… Once again, thank you for a stimulating evening.” Catherine Elliot Shaw, Curator
“...we deeply appreciated your presence in our classroom. I heard from my students that they were moved by your passion, your deep sense of calmness and commitment to your art and life work... again thank you for the creative, honest and authentic gifts you brought for us. Can we book you for next semester as well?” Kathryn Alexander, Assistant Professor, Department of Creative Writing, Rhetoric and Professional Communication, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Western Ontario
“The students found your workshop inspiring.” Kathryn Mockler, Department of Creative Writing, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Western Ontario
“Checked out Part 3... what fun......you are a MASTER! I've seen you perform your sound poems before but it is still a hoot to see you in action.” Aliyana Ruekberg
"I had such a wonderful time at our first meeting! Your schedule suggestion is working really well." “Once again it was wonderful working with you. I now have plenty of directions to pursue in my writing about Africa. It’s been very helpful to discuss efficient ways to organize my writing, and the ‘tricks’ you employ. Thank you so much for sharing them.” Mary McDonald
“With an electrifying and undeniably eclectic persona Kemp manages to captivate and entice her audience with every word she utters” Denardo Hepburn
“I really appreciate that you are so free and creative in bringing your language, and music, and voice to us. Truly a beautiful expression of your essence... Great reading and turnout last night.” Michelle Doege
"Penn read my novel and made many sensitive, penetrating and creative comments which were very helpful to me. She was in tune with what I was trying to do and very much on my wavelength. Her editorial contribution was much appreciated. She is a professional, astute, committed and careful editor." Edeet Ravel
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NEW! from Pendas Poets Series, 2009
The Thing on the Comb by
Charles Mountford. Book. He writes:
"1.. I am a narrative poet rather than a lyric
poet.
2.. I quite often write prose poems.
3.. Some of my seminal influences are Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Stephen
Leacock, W.O. Mitchell and Woody Allen. Not that I am in any way comparing
myself to them.
4.. I agree totally with the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh who said,
"Tragedy is underdeveloped comedy."
5.. I will, by this year, have three books of poetry out, all published
by Pendas Productions of London, Ontario. Pendas has been very kind and
supportive to me and has done a wonderful job with my books. The books are
called: The Harvestman, The Night the Ducks Got Loose and The
Thing On The Comb.
6.. Look for me reading this year in Quebec City (400th Anniversary
Year), Thunder Bay, Victoria B.C. and Ingersoll, ON. Google me under
Charles Mountford, Canadian Poet.”
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Poetry News from Pendas Poets and Pals
Our little publishing company in London ON has found its niche in hand-bound poetry book/cd combos for Pendas Poets Series:
Folhas Mortas by Miguel Neneve $20 book
(Brazilian Portuguese)
Slipped Out by Daniel Kolos $20
book, $15 CD, $34 both
Grass of Green Moment by Emily
Hearn $22 book, $15 CD, $36 both
Shaking Hands with the Night by
Katerina Fretwell $25 book, $15 CD, $39 both
The Harvestman by Charles
Mountford $17.60 book
Bouquet of St. Mary by Di Brandt $9
book, $15 CD, $23 both
The Astrologer's Daughter by Patience Wheatley
$25 book
Until the Light Blends by GEODE Music
and Poetry $18.95 book, $15 CD,
$33 both (book of poems by Susan McMaster, published by Black Moss
ISBN 0-887533-97-3)
Gathering Voices by Penn Kemp &
Gloria Alvernaz Mulcahy $20 book, $15
CD, $34 both
Vocal Braiding by Penn Kemp &
Patricia Keeney $15 book, $15 CD, $39
Sarasvati Scapes by Penn Kemp and
Angela Hryniuk $20 book, $15 CD,
$34 both
Persiflage by Gregor Loud $25
book
Such Green by Terry Anne Carter
$20 book (schools and libraries),
$25 book (collectors)
The Night The Ducks Got Loose by
Charles Mountford $17.60 book
Cantos North by Henry Beissel $20 CD
Focus by Douglas Valleau $20 book
Samsara by Katerina Fretwell $25 book
Viva la Vida. Videographer: Daniela Sneppova. Poets / performers: Gloria Alvernaz Mulcahy and Penn Kemp. Poetry DVD. Pendas Poets Series #19.
For more information and to order these books and/or cds, please contact Pendas tel.: (519) 434-8555 e-mail: pendas@pennkemp.ca
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Sound poet Penn Kemp performs in arts festivals world-wide. Among her publications are 25 books of poetry and drama, ten CDs and six videopoems as well as Canada's first CD-ROM: sample www.myspace.com/pennkemp, http://www.mytown.ca/pennkemp/ and www.ditchpoetry.com/pennkemp.htm. In happy collaboration, Penn presents her Sound Operas live and archived on chrwradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices. Her latest CDs are "Helwa!", from Suite Ancient Egypt and Darkness Visible. Forthcoming is a DVD, Viva la Vida (de Frida Kahlo). Penn's fascination with Egypt led her to visit twice, once with other metaphysical teachers, and again as tour leader. An intrigue with ancient mythology has taken her on many such journeys, in search especially of Black Madonnas. The Association of Canadian Studies sponsored Penn's reading tours throughout India and Brazil. http://mytown.ca/poemforpeace/ includes the video of Penn's "poem for peace in many voices" and, in audio, many of 125 translations.Through Pendas Productions, she edits and publishes poetry book/CD combinations: see http://mytown.ca/twelfth/ and www.mytown.ca/vivalavida. The League of Poets proclaimed Penn one of the foremothers of Canadian poetry.
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Celebrating Tree in Souwesto
Mother trees
surround us, the very
few left over from original forest we
long paved over, old rotten stumps
that settlers burnt to clear their land.
The Oak above
Pond Mills hidden
on a hillside of younger upstarts.
The Beech behind Attawandaron
where October puffball might pop.
The Black Spruce
and Tamarack
that whisk us into clearer northern
air as we walk through Sifton Bog
like winds that wind along each limb.
The Hickory I climbed as a girl
on Medway Farm, lying astride
one long branch intertwined by
all those saplings vying for light.
The three Birch
in our front lawn,
planted when we moved here some
sixty years ago, growing old along-
side, dropping fireplace kindling.
Trees we have
known are trees we
can meet by species. Once connected,
always familiar, old friends to greet
on any city street or in deep woods
if we can slow
down long enough to
salute the Tree of Life in each. Light
candelabra of Catalpa, Horse Chestnut,
Pine, Balsam Fir, Juniper or Cedar cone.
Sing a litany of
names that belong here.
Alder, Balm of Gilead, Willow galore.
Glorious Maple, Butternut, sad slips of
Elm, even intrusive Buckthorn now.
Celebrate those
graceful interlopers,
the Carolinians (Redbud, Tulip Tree,
magnificent Magnolia) sheltering here
at comfort’s edge in Snowbelt country.
Here’s to lacy
Walnut, Honey Locust,
whose canopies carry us off to African
plains: Acacia giraffes might browse
or Le Douanier paint above his lion.
Sycamore is our
memory tree, shedding
its bark like arbutus, its winter silhouette
a ghostly skeleton, reminiscent of that
other London’s Plane-shaded streets.
Trees know their
season, their reason for
being. How each tree reaches out to be-
come World Tree. We have so much to
learn from not living on but with our place.
We who live in
this Forest City must ensure
a name never replaces the reality of canopy.
Long may our trees flourish for we can only
prosper with our elder brothers, our mothers.
Penn Kemp