Roger
Sorry for delay in reply as I've also been attending the Eastern Haze
Festival.
Latitude Festival's Poetry Tent did feature but a few female poets and the
post-post-post John Cooper Clarke syndrome which I mentioned is part of the
problem. Francesca Beard was good and Salena Godden was ok but this is the
programme blurb on Godden: "renowned for her uncensored poetry and her sexy,
sassy stage presence."
This kind of sexism is part and parcel of 'stand up poetry' in my opinion.
Yet the hugely growing manifestation of festivals in the UK provides an
opportunity to confront conventional 'stand up.' Festival Eye Magazine now
provides a year long calendar of tiny to large festivals in every part of
the country.
I'm not naive enough to think that these new festivals are a direct
alternative to established Literature and Poetry Festivals but they are
already providing platforms for younger/older 'alternative' voices.
To me 'edge' poetry, art and music is about finding the unpredictable
('Stand Up' can be so predictable). Ironically, away from the Poetry Tent at
the Latitude Festival I found the 'edge.' This makes it more important to
open up the Poetry Tent...
Rupert xx
www.mallin.blogspot.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Day" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:58 PM
Subject: Re: Latitude Festival 2007
> JCC was at Glastonbury last year ... not quite Grandfather age, but
> getting near. He seemed keener on seeing James Brown perform than
> entertaining the punters. Still gave a good performance, although, I
> don't know, he hasn't aged well. A bit long in the tooth, and punk
> long dead. Wasn't his hey-day in the 80s? We should be post-post-post
> JCC by now, possibly saying something that we're not.
>
> Preponderance of men listed by Rupert. Any women worthy of a mention?
>
> Roger
>
> On 7/19/07, Peter Cudmore <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Isn't John Cooper Clarke of about grandparent age by now?
>>
>> P
>>
>> Rupert wrote:
>>
>> > Organiser and lead poet Luke Wright (of Aisle 16) was a breath of fresh
>> air
>> > but what struck me was the number of post-John Cooper Clarke young
>> > poets
>> > performing and reading socially worthy but entirely predictable poetry.
>> > I
>> > don't know if this is the cosequence of British Slam or what, but I so
>> wanted
>> > Johnny Clarke in their place!
>> >
>>
>
>
> --
> My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/
> "In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons."
> Roman Proverb
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