Roarhouse

People Tree (myself on poetry vocals, Robbie Hendry on drums and Kate Hendry on vocals and percussion) will be performing today at 12.25 at the Port Melbourne Community Carnival as part of a Roarhouse Showcase:

Port Melbourne Community Carnival is an outdoor mini-festival in the heart of Port Melbourne.

A highlight of this year’s event is a series of creative workshops and a parade of wearable art based on scarves. The art workshops will be facilitated by well known local artist Elizabeth Milsom. The Scarf Parade will involve categories for children, open age, and ‘the Port Melbourne Scarf’ with a major prize of $150 where participants create their vision of their neighbourhood.

Other free attractions will include art and craft workshops, live music, clown, face painting, jumping castle, animal nursery, exercise and tai chi workshops. Low cost and delicious Dig-In sausage sizzle and coffee van will also be available. Local organisations will also have information and products for sale.

When: Today (Saturday February 27)

Time: 12pm – 4pm
Cost: $0 entry
Event Type: Festival Event
Organiser: Port Melbourne Neighbourhood House
Phone: 0396451476

Where: Port Melbourne Address: Liardet Street, between Lalor and Nott Streets

Death Row Eulogy

john allen muhummed wz a man
(by all accounts not a good one)
dehumanised
& dehumanising
who killed
(& in the last years lived
& sure as hell died)
like an animal

bt still a man
a father
& a son

who fought
for the country which killed him

once

Gil Scott Heron is on Parole: Book Launch Review

Melbourne writer Koraly Dimitriades has reviewed my book launch over at her blog.

A good job too, as I'm so exhausted I couldn't think of doing a write-up at the moment! Thankyou to everybody who helped make this night happen, particularly to Jeff Sparrow and Pi.O, whose extraordinary speeches were the highlight of my literary life to date.

Busy Week

This week you can catch me:

Monday 15th February
On 3CR’s Hip Sista Hop talking about Gil Scott Heron is on Parole with hosts Bec Smith and Pheobe Barton at 1pm

Wednesday 17th February
On RRR’s Aural Text talking up Gil Scott Heron is on Parole with host Jeff Sparrow at 1pm

Thursday 18th February
At the launch of my book Gil Scott Heron is on Parole at Readings, Carlton, 6.30pm.

Listen up, phone in or drop by.

Death of The Book

Anti-Blurb

Blurb

Noun
S: (n) endorsement, indorsement, blurb (a promotional statement, as found on the dust jackets of books)

But I'm not into blurbs. Blurbs are passe`. Blurbs are egotistical (& we all know how much I resent ego), and so blah blah blah. So instead, there will be an anti-blurb sticker on the cover of my book Gil Scott Heron is on Parole.

I was kindly given permission to use a quote from the comment stream over at Oz Conservative, where an Australian blogger's criticism of my poem Earthquake in Haiti several weeks ago secured no less than 93 comments (though arguably of dubious merit and origin).

So the shiny gold sticker on my book cover will say:

'Clarke's views are the more dangerous ones...unappealing'
- Oz Conservative

Special thanks to Mark Richardson for his permission to use the quote. And in case you're giggling, I do mean that in all sincerity. I'm all for strenuous debate, especially when it comes to poetry.

Press Release: Gil Scott Heron is on Parole

'
gil scott heron is on parole
hz sorted out his shit
& all last night wz in his studio
glory be / all our sons & daughters
cn now swing low / hold on tight
little pickneys / cz here comes brother gil
to carry y’all home

On 18 February 2010, Melbourne poet TT.O and writer and Overland editor Jeff Sparrow will launch Caribbean‐Australian writer and multiple poetry slam champion Maxine Beneba Clarke’s first major poetry collection Gil Scott Heron is on Parole at Readings bookstore, Carlton.

Maxine Beneba Clarke’s poetry has been broadcast on stages and airways across Australia, including at the Northcote Social Club as part of Overload Poetry Festival, at The Edge Theatre at Federation Square as part of the Emerging Writers Festival, and at the 2008 Melbourne Writers Festival. Maxine is the title holder of the 2006 Gleebooks/NSW Writers Centre poetry sprint and the 2008 Northern Notes Poetry Slam, and the only Australian poet ever to have performed at the Melbourne Arts Centre (Hamer Hall, 2009). Her poetry collection Original Skin was published by Picaro Press in 2008.

Published by Picaro Press and including hip‐hop inspired and Jamaican patois poems, Gil Scott Heron is on Parole charts new linguistic and cultural territory for Australian poetry and introduces a brave new voice in Australian writing. Including new works as well as poems previously published in journals such as Unusual Work, Going Down Swinging, Cordite Poetry Review, Peril, Voiceworks and Kunapipi, Gil Scott Heron is on Parole is an angry, aggressive, awakening and long-awaited comment on the trials and tribulations of African descendents in the 'new world.'

Date: 18 February 2010
Program: Speeches by TT.O & Jeff Sparrow, poems performed by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Venue: Readings Bookstore, 309 Lygon Street, Carlton (free, no need to book)

For more information about Maxine’s poetry, visit maxineclarke.com.au. For all media inquiries, to contact the author, or to request a review copy of Gil Scott Heron is on Parole, please contact gilscottheron@hotmail.com.