The Melbourne Poetry Map. WTF?
Yep. That's right - A Map. In Poetry. Of Melbourne. Consider it the most inefficient, but beautiful, way to get around the CBD. See you later City Circle Tram - there's a new slow game in town.
Seriously... a poetry map? You’ve got to be joking: the Melways is hard enough to read in plain English...
Like the website says - these are maps for getting lost as well as found. Hopefully, most people will be able to navigate around the town (we're using hand-drawn maps so fingers crossed), but somehow I love the idea that, if you get a little bit lost, you might actually have to stop some Melbourne local (that's the person hurrying past you in black) saying, "um, sorry I'm looking for this poem, can you help me?"
Map was reviewed by the Age last year. Poetry in the paper! How’d you swing that?
I didn't have to swing anything, they managed to hook up with one of the poets, Nathan Curnow, and get themselves a grand tour! So, pretty lucky...
No, how did you really swing that?
Okay, I had to perform a lot of sexual favours. I read nothing but smoking Urdu ghazals for a week, then I tried to enact them on some poor journalist.
No, I mean REALLY.
Fine. You're right. No one is convinced by my sexy poetry. I paid them.
What’s been the most surprising thing about producing the Melbourne Poetry Map?
That people don't laugh. Can you imagine how silly I felt trying to explain to people that I wanted to map the city in poetry? Surprisingly enough, most people get it and don't think - um, isn't that going to be a bit unhelpful? So far, I've found that people love the idea of orienteering with stories rather than directions!
Are poets easy to co-ordinate?
No. But in a good way.
Are you just saying that so the map poets don't slap you down?
Heheh. Nope. They're all really nice to work with, so I hope that they won't be slapping me at all!
And you’re back this year for Overload with ten new commissions. Will the map keep expanding as Melbourne grows?
I don't think we can keep up exactly with population growth seeing as it feels like half of Sydney moved here recently, but we can add a couple more walks as time goes on and then build it slowly! Poetry's not in a hurry as an art form, that's what I love about it. The city just keeps layering its stories on, as people live and engage with it, so does the map. This year Overload has commissioned 10 new poems so we're adding two new walks, which have a range of voices. This year we're taking Melbourne by its spine - starting with the river and then heading right up the guts through Swanston St.
When will Map storm the Overload stage, and which poets are gonna be giving us the directions?
We are launching these new works at the Overload Poetry Festival, Thursday 15 September, 6.00pm at Loop Bar (23 Meyers Place) in the City! And it's free... We have an amazing line up of poets at the launch, strong fierce women and men like: Alia Gabres, Amy Bodossion, Betsy Turcot, Bronwyn Lovell, Jessica Alice, Joel McKerrow, Luka Lesson, Tariro Mavondo and we'll have some audio appearances from Geoff Lemon and Omar Musa who can't be with us on the night. So a pretty hot mix.
If you love Melbourne enough to map it out in poetry, why’d you move to Brisbane?
The weather sucks.
That’s no f*cking excuse. You basically ABANDONED us. Are Melbourne poets better than Brisbane poets?
BUT I MISS YOU!!! Nah, Melbourne poets aren't better than Brisbane poets, but the cities do have distinct cultures - I like both, and I'm super stimulated by all the fresh voices that I've encountered in Brisbane. Come visit! The water's warm...
Fuck diplomacy. Say we’re better. We’re better than them. We are, aren’t we? Just quietly...
In this era of wikileaks and freedom of information requests, I can only say that you were my first love.
Will you ever poetry map Brisbane?
Yes. I have started by leaving one word haiku everywhere I go in the city, but someone from the council keeps removing my stickers saying "tundra". Look out Brisbane.
Break it down I've been working on another show with the amazing Betsy Turcot from Brisbane, a two woman poetic dialogue of love called A Mills & Boon Swoon. It's 38 poems coming at you in 35 mins so it's been a roller coaster! Check it out on http://www.mbswoon.com/ We're doing two shows at Long Play in Fitzroy on Wednesday 14 September (that's your Valentines in September). Come and fall in love. Then go drown your heartbreak with the city, knowing Melbourne will always have you, even if your crushes won't!
Shopgirl
She stole my every rock and roll, my hymns,
In that she took the ipod when she left,
So I untied my ropes – let sirens sing.
So empty now of jazz or evening swing
I let the house hum silent and bereft -
She stole my every rock and roll, my hymns.
Eventually the winter tuned to spring
I forgot the violation of the theft
So I untied my ropes – let sirens sing
And stalked that record store, “the king of spin”
A shopgirl so deluxe that I forget
She stole my every rock and roll, my hymns
Each week another momentary fling
Transactional, yet sending me to sweat,
So I untied my ropes – let sirens sing
Dancing like a boxer in the ring
I swung out wildly for the hot brunette
She stole my every rock and roll, my hymns
So I untied my ropes, let sirens sing.
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