This discussion is really interesting. Straight from the diary of an
organiser:
Tonight, in Cambridge, Barry MacSweeney, Bill Griffiths and Nicholas
Johnson will be reading for the rempress reading series which Lucy and I
organise.
Tonight's reading is also advertised as being part the "Barry MacSweeney
& Nicholas Johnson with Special Guests" reading tour, organised, as a
tour, by Nicholas Johnson (soon to hit a city near you) and according to
the publicity leaflet I have just received from Johnson this morning, it
is funded by Southern Arts, the Lottery and the Arts Council.
Notwithstanding this funding, Rempress is paying full travelling and
accommodation expenses for all three poets, and fees; and staff
overtime expenses at the venue. As far as rempress is concerned,
Johnson's only input was inviting the poets (including himself) on our
behalf. His tour publicity leaflets arrived too late (today) to be of any
use to us here. Moreover, Rempress's (venue and financial and labour)
involvement with the Cambridge part of the tour is NOT acknowledged on
Johnson's publicity material. It mentions our Cambridge venue, but
aggrandises that venue as 'the Arts Theatre' when it is in fact 'The Roof
Garden' (a more modest space) in the Arts Theatre. For whom and why is
this publicity material written, one wonders?
I am sure Griffiths and MacSweeney will give excellent readings tonight,
but Johnson has lost a lot of cred with me.
I write this also because I know someone is following this discussion list
on Johnson's behalf, who may care to reply.
Karlien
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|