Bury the Ironing

Sign up for April 2013 POEM-A-DAY (Knopf Poetry)

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:42:00 +1100

The Borzoi Reader April 2013 POEM-A-DAY
sign up at http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2013/03/05/

Dear Readers,

Since last April, we’ve gathered up some wonderful new poetry titles to share with you this spring, including Vladimir Nabokov’s Selected Poems, with an introduction by the Nabokov scholar Thomas Karshan and some works never before seen in English, translated from Russian by Dmitri Nabokov, the son of the writer.

We offer below Nabokov’s reflection on the arrival of poetic inspiration—a poem composed by him in English and first published in The New Yorker in 1944. In the spirit of Nabokov’s “leopards of words,” we’ll see you on April 1st.

The Knopf Poetry Team - http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2013/03/05/

**************************************
The Poem by Vladimir Nabokov 1944

Not the sunset poem you make when you think
aloud,
with its linden tree in India ink
and the telegraph wires across its pink
cloud;

not the mirror in you and her delicate bare
shoulder still glimmering there;
not the lyrical click of a pocket rhyme—
the tiny music that tells the time;

and not the pennies and weights on those
evening papers piled up in the rain;
not the cacodemons of carnal pain;
not the things you can say so much better in plain prose—

but the poem that hurtles from heights unknown
—when you wait for the splash of the stone
deep below, and grope for your pen,
and then comes the shiver, and then—

in the tangle of sounds, the leopards of words,
the leaflike insects, the eye-spotted birds
fuse and form a silent, intense,
mimetic pattern of perfect sense.

**************************************

(not that) Liquid Amber* by Cathy Bray 2008

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:24:42 +1100

Not the brown cooling ale
That flushes out the dust
From your old man’s throat.

Not the viscous-pulling
Treacle-flowing drool
Of insect-folding gum.

Not the swishing pony-tail
Of your sister’s swaying mane
Unfurling bareback down her spine.

Not our marriage tree?
Accused of breaking up the concrete
Cornered by my parents’ sandstone flagging.

Not the greatest summer leaves that blocked the western sun
Reduced despite our next door neighbour’s plea
To an eight inch stump.
No please, not that Liquidambar.

**************************************
* I got married under that tree, by the way, in one of those Khalil Gibran ‘two-cedars- together- but-separate’ kind of ceremonies of the 1970s, in my parents’ backyard at Collaroy. Eight years later, getting the house ready for sale, my dad decided that that Liquidambar was eventually going to uproot the concrete of Bob Markup’s driveway next door and nothing that man could say to reassure him, could dissuade my father from getting it sorted.
I get scared now when blokes tell me they’re going to lop a few branches and get things cleaned up next week-end – you never know where it’s going to end.

** first performed at The Sound Lounge of the Seymour Centre, Sydney University as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival

*** first published in ‘Poet Tree’ by Cathy Bray - Picaro Press 2011.

**************************************

when someone asks why I write poetry

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:27:10 +1100

whatshouldwecallpoets:

Valparaiso - Open Air Museum: walking back from Pablo...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:58:04 +1100

Valparaiso - Open Air Museum: walking back from Pablo Neruda’s house, La Sebastiana.

Matching outfits at Gleebooks - Judith Lucy and fan.

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:02:08 +1100

Matching outfits at Gleebooks - Judith Lucy and fan.

'Drink, Smoke, Pass Out' at Gleebooks

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:58:00 +1100

Just made an unsolicited guest appearance at Judith Lucy’s book launch ‘Drink, Smoke, Pass Out’ at Gleebooks. We were sitting in the front row at the side and because Judith had decided to sit down for the interview we could not see a thing. The talk ended and the first question was a 5 minute academic tract from some professor of Comparative Religion. So I put my hand up next and directed my question to the interviewer… “I was wondering if Judith Lucy could tell me why God punished me tonight by sitting me behind this lectern so I couldn’t see her face for the whole night!?” She screamed, the interviewer dragged the lectern out of the way and Judith came off the stage with her arms out and gave me a great big hug, went back, got some more red wine and said ‘Great question, by the way!’ Made my day! After, lined up for autographed copy of her book ‘Drink Smoke Pass Out’ for Edie for Christmas. Doesn’t get much better than that!

p.s. to get the full benefit, you have to read ‘The Lucy Family Alphabet’ first.

inappropriate (on so many levels) - 12 scenes + 14 poems. (HOLD...

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:35:00 +1000

inappropriate (on so many levels) - 12 scenes + 14 poems. (HOLD YOUR BREATH - book and DVD of the show out very soon!)

Cathy Bray has a lot of people to thank...

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:20:00 +1000

Cathy Bray has a lot of people to thank for 2 sell-out shows of inappropriate …

THANK YOU TO:

Badde Manors Writers’ group (months of script editing & advice from Alicia Gilmore, Adrienne Jerram, Julianne Wargren, Ralph Bergman & Luci Temple)
David Barnes of currency ideas (poster design, original sketch)
Geoff Moss (complex understanding, love and Luddite-support)
Adrienne Jerram & Julianne Wargren (slideshow driving + content)
Chris Hutch (costume)
Jennifer Nixon (voice-over and dramaturge)
Henry Moss (dramaturge)
Kylie & Claire (1952 Helsinki Olympics Hockey Stick)
John and staff at Madame Fling Flong (Nick, Jemma, Emily et.al.)
Madeline Winch (venues coordinator at the Sydney Fringe)
Norm Neil, Danny Gardner (poets, support and publicity)
Peri Watkinson and Aaron Matthews (filming and recording)
Strawberry Hills Poets, Surry Hills (encouragement and support)
Mischa, Badde Manors Café, Glebe (weekly hosting of BM Writers’ Group)
Jason and staff, Charlotte’s Café, Birchgrove (allowing ‘inappropriate’ postcards on his tables)

inappropriate behaviour from Fringe Triple Offender, Cathy Bray....

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:53:00 +1000

inappropriate behaviour from Fringe Triple Offender, Cathy Bray. Last show this Sunday 16th September - only 6 tickets left! Please buy them online www.sydneyfringe.com to avoid tears before bedtime. Upstairs, at Madame Fling Flong - Sydney’s premier literary salon.

inappropriate - Poet, Cathy Bray with 1952 Helsinki Olympics...

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:26:00 +1000

inappropriate - Poet, Cathy Bray with 1952 Helsinki Olympics hockey stick ready for her final show at the Sydney Fringe, this Sunday at Madame Fling Flong. Please book online NOW to avoid tears before bedtime! This Sunday16th September - at 7 pm.

www.2012sydneyfringe.com

Only 3 more sleeps & 6 tickets left to 'inappropriate' Sun.16th Sept 7pm

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:07:00 +1000

Fringe Triple Offender, Cathy Bray returned for her 3rd solo of poetry and merriment last Sunday at the Sydney Fringe festival. And she didn’t disappoint - lowering standards across the board and laughing at her own jokes. It was wonderful to be back at Madame Fling Flong the pre-eminent salon for literary carryings on, in Sydney.

Sunday 9th September was a complete sell out - thank you to all those blood relatives, neighbours, friends and innocents who read the Fringe program.

Only 3 more sleeps to the final show this Sunday 16th September and tickets to the armchairs and chaise longue at Madame Fling Flong are selling like hot (cakes) seats with only 6 tickets left.

Please book online at 2012sydneyfringe.com and avoid tears before bedtime!

http://2012.sydneyfringe.com/event/theatre/inappropriate-so-many-levels

cathybraythepoet: You know that squashed fig and coconut smell?...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 21:33:41 +1000

cathybraythepoet:

You know that squashed fig and coconut smell? (above the pool, Elkington Park, Balmain). And now Spring is coming and the kookaburras are going berserk, pissing themselves laughing (or defending their territory - whatever!) around Birchgrove Oval

inappropriate (on so many levels)

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 21:40:00 +1000

Inappropriate

Cathy Bray returns for her third Sydney Fringe solo of poetry and merriment and finds, yet again, her work appears nowhere in the list of Event Categories.

Luckily the Event Themes: ‘Australian Comedy Political Revue Solo Spoof Satire’ pretty much describes Inappropriate, her 3rd show for the Sydney Fringe.

Come to Madam Fling Flong (a salon in Newtown) and expect un-categorizable poetry and barely concealed hilarity!

Two shows only: on Sunday 9 Sept. and Sunday 16 Sept. at 7 pm

at Madam Fling Flong, Upstairs, 169 King Street, Newtown

Tickets: $20 full, $16 concession

http://2012.sydneyfringe.com/

http://2012.sydneyfringe.com/venue/madame-fling-flong

Photo

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 21:35:00 +1000

TRIPLE OFFENDER RETURNS to Madame Fling Flong… for 2 shows...

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 21:29:00 +1000

TRIPLE OFFENDER RETURNS to Madame Fling Flong… for 2 shows only at the Sydney Fringe - Sundays 9 & 16 September, 7 pm

Sydney: Suburban Swell rocks Bangarra Mezzanine - Sydney...

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:02:47 +1000

Sydney: Suburban Swell rocks Bangarra Mezzanine

- Sydney Writers’ Festival, Thurs. 17th May 2012

Sydney: Suburban Swell - superb poetry at Sydney Writers' Festival

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:59:00 +1000

Harbour City Poets: Margaret Bradstock, John Carey, David Musgrave, Louise Wakeling and Les Wicks (plus guest appearance from Sheryl Persson) produced one of the wittiest readings ever witnessed in the Bangarra Mezzanine.

Titled Sydney:Suburban Swell, their pitch was “there’s more to Sydney than Darlinghurst or Bondi, those icons of inner-city and coastal living.” The poems ranged far and wide from Telopea to Castle Hill, from Stanmore to Coogee and back - loved it. Track down the individual poets’ collections - all available from Gleebooks.

Sunday 13th May in Cathedral Cave, Jenolan Caves - Poetry...

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:08:00 +1000

Sunday 13th May in Cathedral Cave, Jenolan Caves - Poetry Reading with Judith Beveridge, David Brooks, David Malouf, Brenda Saunders and Mark Tredinnick as part of the Varuna Sydney Writers’ Festival. The bats flitting behind the readers’ heads were a highlight.

Poetry in Jenolan Caves - Varuna Sydney Writers' Festival

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:56:23 +1000

Varuna and Sydney Writers’ Festival held a poetry reading in Cathedral Cave (part of Jenolan Caves) last Sunday night, 13th May. It was a wonderful, intense, chokker-bloc reading of around 2 hours with poets Judith Beveridge, David Brooks, David Malouf, Brenda Saunders and Mark Tredinnick keeping us spell-bound for the entire time. Real live bats added to the atmosphere, flitting past the poets’ heads and easily mistaken for swallows! Cathedral Cave is quite small but incredibly tall (see photo) and easily seated the 75 present. We then all strolled back to Caves House for cheese and wine and books signings with the poets. Lovely night. Thanks to Lis Bastian, CEO at Varuna for all her hard work and organisation and to David Brooks (who came up with this brilliant idea) .

The Sydney Poetry Prize - winners

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:06:00 +1100

The Sydney Poetry Prize - winners:

Winner:

Skye Loneragan – I Can’t Decide (or Rushcutters Bay)

Highly Commended:

Brent Clough – Dawn over Diamond Head

Adam Aitken – Love Poem