"Can you guess what goes best with pasta and prosecco?" Diaspora Dialogues Dude, Aisling Riordan, asks a reasonable question. Already know the answer since DD's Blog contains the blow-by-blow on the Pasta, Prosecco and Poetry series held @ Toronto's Grano restaurant over the course of July.
Now gearing up for September's Word on the Street, Diaspora Dialogues plans to host a scavenger hunt when the annual event rolls into T-Town; but, in the interim, Aisling sent along a report on the final Grano celebration (which includes more details on the hunt):
For three weeks people were entertained with some fabulous food at Grano Restaurant and the words from celebrated poets Molly Peacock, Erin Mouré and Daniel David Moses.
The summer series concluded late last week with First Nations (Delaware) poet and playwright Daniel David Moses [pictured above with Moira MacDougall] reading from Sixteen Jesuses (Exile Editions). The poems explore family, friends, love and art. Daniel David Moses says, "Occasionally they rhyme, if that whets your appetite."
When queried by the audience concerning how he started to write poetry, he explained he was in Grade 11 and he bet his friend that he could write a poem with an a-b-a-b rhyme pattern. It sparked the poet within him. Here's an excerpt from one of the great poems he read during the evening moderated by Moira MacDougall:
PAPER ECLIPSE
Once upon a time
a story you read
foretold that old Moon
would black out the sun.
How young you were then,
looking to see it
coming true on high-
with book-opened eyes.
At the same time, though,
what that story told
made you grow old, closed
your mind in, warning . . .
And although that wraps up the summer events for Diaspora Dialogues, the team is busy with the Diaspora Dialogues Literary Scavenger Hunt at the Word on the Street Festival (Queen's Park, Sept. 26). It’s going to be a fun Sunday afternoon chase of literary clues, lines of poetry, personalized readings and all manner of bookish oddities with lots of prizes to be won. Featuring Anthony De Sa, Priscila Uppal, Farzana Doctor, Shawn Micallef, Marianne Apostolides, Kyle Greenwood and Dawn Promislow (among many fine others).
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KUDOS: Adebe D. A.'s first full-length work, ex nihilo, published by Calgary's Frontenac House, winds up on the long-list for the University of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize (£30,000). Fingers crossed.
KEEPING UP: Currently touring (*still*), Leonard Cohen's now making his way across Ireland. A couple of days ago, the universe's numero-uno maestro des tunos put in an appearance at Sligo's Lissadell House. Appropriately, our contemporary Shakespeare took a few moments to recollect his early MPQ days and to recite some lines from W. B. Yeats in a particularly touching moment now preserved @ YouTube.
COMING 'N' COHEN: For those among us patiently anticipating the release of LC's Songs From The Road, a 12-tune collection of recent performances recorded in High Definition 16:9 and 5.1 Surround Sound in three separate formats — CD/DVD in oversized 2-disc softpack; Blu-Ray in standard Amray case; and, 180gm vinyl LP in a gatefold cover — seems the DVD and Blu-Ray also feature a 20-minute backstage interview with the various band members conducted by his daughter, Lorca. Additionally, all sets contain album liner notes from The New Republic's Leon Wieseltier as well as track-by-track insider's commentary inked by Ed Sanders (who produced, edited and directed both the CD and DVD versions). Fairly firm release date? The 14th of next month. Worth the wait (for new versions of such as "Lover, Lover, Lover," "Bird On The Wire," "Chelsea Hotel," "Waiting For The Miracle," "Avalanche," et so forthia).
Sláinte Mhath!
Notable Quotable: "Be assured: Those will be Thy worst Enemies, Not to whom Thou hast done Evil; but, who Have done Evil to thee" (Tacitus).
(Hat tips, Dave Lull and Aisling Riordan.)
