Eight venerable poetesses

Lucienne Stassaert here performing 'Leben-Leven-Life' with friend and great improvising musician Jean Demey. She opened the evening which turned out to be very enjoyable. She got a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine signed by all present as a memento of her 75th birthday. Not slowing down in her creativity, an example for all of us.

Hungarian born Adriana Kobor, the youngest of the bunch, closed the evening with some disquieting poetry. She leaves an impression of daring and honesty.

The eight poets reading that night: Vera Alexander Beerten; Patrica De Landtsheer; Adriana Kobor; Xinte Mässer; Annmarie Sauer; Lucienne Stassaert; Hilde Van Cauteren; Yerna Van Den Driesche. Intermission music on the piano Marc Clement.
organizer: Frank De Vos: the guy on the left side.

It is a bit hard to get eight poets coordinated, but the mildly wild bunch is seen here. The third and fourth of the left chose some slightly naughty poetry which lend a light air to the evening.

The public as always at that specific literary café was attentive and generous with applause.
For a sample of 'Leben-Leven-Life' click here

The making of TIJ (Tide)

First of all Tij is the second chapter of Sounds of Harbour (Hafenklänge, Havenklanken), a poem written by six authors: Wilfried Bienek, Job Degenaar, Peter Holvoet Hanssen - the male voice on the sound track -, Roger Nupie, Annmarie Sauer- the female voice- and Fred Schywek. It was the latter who conceived the plan for the poem, wrote the story board on how to proceed the mixing of poetry and sound and got permission of the German composer Frank Niehusmann to use his electronic music 'Fragrance'. ( Well, they had worked together before).
A young Audio man Gorik De Smet did the cutting and the fine tuning.

Here you see how sound looks on screen while fiddling with fading in and out and tiny issues of timing.

You can download it here.

Double rainbow

Yesterday this what what I saw from the window early in the morning. Two rainbows, well that is a sign of luck in my book...

I wish all of you good luck.

Colmar and Christmas atmosphere

 Colmar in Weinachtsmarkt festive mood and unseasonably cold. The pretty and quiet town sports the typical Alsatian Fachwerk Houses and with the Christmas lights on in town it is quaint and sweet.  Good food and even a bookfair.

 

The first snow prettified  and made it all look even more romantic.

The book fair showed useless mechanical objects. Quiet pretty. A whole section was dedicated to children, where they could actually do something. And at some stands the authors sat next to one another waiting for recognition.

A lot of cook books and the chefs were there all dressed up...
France will be France.

And yes, we had  e few nice meals with the local fare.

Albert

Albert was a friend. He taught me to look at things and see, analyze and then feel it it too. My daughter said: 'Thank you for choosing your friends well. It gave me a happy childhood also because of them.' Here you see one of his paintings... Always fascinating. An other friend and gentle soul gone, too soon. 

Friends and family and those who are for freedom of expression.

Some friends and family try to keep 'posted' on my whereabouts and what I am up to. For the time being I am in the low countries where it has been raining old wives, cats and dogs and all the other expressions you can come up with. Parts of Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany are flooded. Meadows, forests,gardens are waterlogged. Saturated. Canals and streams overflow or break dams. And still at least one more day of rain has been predicted for Western Europe.
For the rest I have been following my passion:poetry and the translation thereof. Being a member of PEN's Writers in Prison committee,  we keep an empty chair for the colleagues who are in jail at all activities we organize. I must say that we live in interesting times. A writer we have defended Chinese Liu Xiaobo has received the Nobel prize for peace. The other great news is that Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar after 15 years of house arrest and imprisonment has been freed. Her first speech dealt with the most important right a person has and which according to her is Freedom of Speech. Both facts are good news, now another writer in prison should be freed. Monday evening from 7 to 8 PM, November 15, Bart Stouten will - on the classical radio Klara in Belgium - also deal with the subject of freedom of expression and speak about an story written by Uighur author Nurmuhemmet Yasin, Wild Pigeon. This short story was published in a literary magazine and let to the imprisonment of the author in 2004. May he and others opposing dictatorial regimes be free at last.

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Saint Martin in Orsoy: Rabimmel rabammel rabumbumbum

When dark and stormy November shows the darkness of the days to come what better to do than have a parade with children carrying lighted lampoons and lanterns. Happy music and Saint Marin(a) in red coat on a horse will give you happy feelings even in pouring rain and a cold dark evening along the Rhine in Orsoy.  Of course you will be held warm also by a nice grog or Glühwein spiced up with some Cointreau. After the parade sweets are passed out to the local children or those young at heart. The Weckmann is it, some fruit and a selection of sweets and chocolate. Of Course kids make their own lanterns and the town is decorated. It is all about being together and sharing. A nice feeling.

At the end there is a fire to warm all the marchers and onlookers up and of course it is professionally doused by the local fire brigade.
So we warmed our hands and heart at the fire, thought about the good days children can still experience, we all smile notwithstanding rain and wind.

Tradition can be stifling but in this case tradition makes sense, brings joy and brings a community and families together.  And the next 11.11 at 11 minutes past 11 The fifth season begins.

All pictures by:

© sms:foto duisburg/rhein 2010