March 5, 2007

Local Event: The Short Line Reading Series

For those of you living close enough to Vancouver, you may be interested in heading downtown to The Railway Club on March 13th. Patrick Friesen and some other poets will be reading from their work(s) as part of The Short Line Reading Series, hosted by Memewar Magazine.

The event looks interesting, a collection of different styles and generations, as well as live music. From what I gather, this event's origins are inspired by Michael Turner's (Hard Core Logo) The Reading Railroad, which alternated between romantic poetry readings and aggressive punk band sets. It doesn't appear that The Short Line's format will be identical to The Reading Railroad, but I think this event will be a great experience. Everything starts at 6 pm, with readings first and live music to follow around 8. Click here for Maps and Directions.

I've known Patrick for a number of years now, first as a writing professor and now as a mentor/friend of sorts. His work is impressive, both in its variety and quality: poetry, translation, spoken word and music. But to hear him speak live is an experience unto itself. His voice is unique, impossible to duplicate, and he reads as though the poems are so crucial to him, so intrinsic, that it is an almost painful process to share them. I've heard him read on several occasions, all of which have been meaningful.
Those of you who attend, feel free to post your experiences (good or bad) here.

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