Stephen
> This transparency and dialog between past and present I find quite rich -
> perhaps influenced but different than the Olson take.
I doubt if Olson is a particular influence. It's hard not to notice the past
here: from where I sit now, in a not especially historical provincial
English city, Richard tthe IIIrd's bones lie buried unmarked within a
quarter-mile's walk, while Chaucer was married to a daughter of John of
Gaunt in the local church. And the forbiding faced social housing tower
block I live is named after a mediaeval baron.
>Maybe because English
> history is so much longer and with more depth than chez here - these folks
> (tho their English neighbors might ignore their works) are genuinely
infused
I'm lost among the pronouns here.
Yes, btw, Geraldine +does+ read exceedingly well.
Best
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Vincent" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 7:53 PM
Subject: A Berkeley Reading - Geraldine Monk & A Halsey
> Geraldine Halsey and Alan Halsey's reading last at Moe's Bookstore in
> Berkeley (CA) did not disappoint. Geraldine has a great
> reading voice - particularly in reviving the body & voice behind the Ghost
> of Mary Queen of Scots (imprisoned in Escafeld/Sheffield for 14 years - a
> fact apparently ignored these days by the locals). Geraldine really
'rolls'
> with it with lots of curious, inflected surprises along the way.
> Alan is equally, but different, in his historical 'made present
> 'investigations, including a rather wonderful account of Guttenberg's
ghost,
> the printed book confronting the digital virtal mode - using Google to
> search, and an automatic translation device to get at G's history, mostly
in
> German. Guttenberg's original name apparently translates into English as
> "Goose Flesh", and Guttenberg translates into "Good Mountain." Alan
combines
> a wonderful sense of serious, research, intellection and imaginative
passion
> to make the work quite present, compelling.
> This transparency and dialog between past and present I find quite rich -
> perhaps influenced but different than the Olson take. Maybe because
English
> history is so much longer and with more depth than chez here - these folks
> (tho their English neighbors might ignore their works) are genuinely
infused
> - tho not at all oblivious to contemporary ironies, borderline flarfy
> (Blair, Google et al).
>
> - SPD carries their West House Books imprint - quite beautifully
produced.
>
> They will be coming to NY/St. Marks sometime soon
>
> Stephen Vincent
> http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
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