bits to joanna and douglas,
for the most part, i prefer a poet reading her works.
joanna boulter's the most gifted reader I've heard. It is as if one is hearing music, deep meaningful sensual music, when she's reading. same when she's speaking, i'm pleased to report. of course, some of that can be grasped and practiced-imitated by another reader, but oh my so much of the skill's inborn, i feel. no accident that joanna's significant studies and pleasure's in music.
when joanna's shostakovich sonnet was read recently by a professional actor on radio3, 'twas lovely---but i'd have preferred joanna's reading most definitely! at the point I heard the radio reading, i'd not yet met joanna, tho we'd been emailing for months. when at last last month i met and heard her, i became a fan, a devotee, a magnetized listener. enchanting voice, brilliance, powerful poetry-creating---these she possesses, these profound life-changing-to-others things.
chirfullest chirs,
judy joodles
> From: Joanna Boulter <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2005/12/12 Mon PM 12:18:26 EST
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Poem/Play (was Re: Pinter on Blair et al.)
>
> You say 'embody'. I'm assuming (hoping!) you aren't simply referring to
> gesture? I've seen poets whose gestures amount to mannerisms or even tics,
> and it can be at best distracting and at worst embarrassing. How far can,
> should, this be done, I wonder, through pitch and pace of voice?
>
> joanna
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Douglas Barbour" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 4:17 PM
> Subject: Re: Poem/Play (was Re: Pinter on Blair et al.)
>
>
> > Fascinating point, Joanna, & I agree. To all points, but I think it's also
> > to do with differentiating the genres, drama & poetry, so that holding
> > that book or page while you 'read' a poem signals precisely that what is
> > happening has to do with poetry not drama. Which is not to say that there
> > are good & poor readings, & that a good one does involve learning how to
> > pitch the poem, how to 'embody' it, etc....
> >
> > Doug
> > On 10-Dec-05, at 2:46 PM, Joanna Boulter wrote:
> >
> >> A few times, I've heard memorised poetry performed. I must say, this
> >> usually makes me somewhat uneasy -- it tends to lead performance towards
> >> declamation if it's not very carefully handled.
> >>
> >> This is not the same, I would stress, as giving a reading and finding
> >> part way through that you've been doing occasional bits from memory.
> >>
> >> Didn't we have a thread somewhat along these lines, some time ago? It's
> >> still interesting.
> >>
> >> joanna
> > Douglas Barbour
> > 11655 - 72 Avenue NW
> > Edmonton Ab T6G 0B9
> > (780) 436 3320
> >
> > My roof was once firm
> > yet now it cannot even
> >
> > keep the stars out.
> >
> > Christopher Dewdney
>
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