Sunday January 11th 2009
7PM
Reading/Performance by
82W. Third Street
(between Thompson & Sullivan)
New York, New York
Altars of Light, a Poem by Pierre Joris, Voice & Video Nicole Peyrafitte, Guitar George Muscatello
As planned, Pierre Joris, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and I spent January 1st at the St Mark’s Poetry Project‘s 35th Annual New Year’s Day Poetry Marathon. We got there at about 1:30 p.m. to set up my “Crêpes station” in the Parish Hall. I flipped crêpes until I run out of batter at about 6 p.m. That gave me time to catch some poetry. Ron Padgett had kicked off the event at around 2:30 p.m. I left my set up to listen to Pierre, he read two poems from “Turbulence” (Saint Lazaire Press, 1991). Shortly after, Miles accompanied me on “Things Fall Where they Lie” a piece (recorded on La Garbure Transcontinentale/The Bi-Continental Chowder CD) dedicated to the Venus of Lespugue, and written as a companion piece to a series of paintings on the Venus de Lespugue.
Performing with Miles was certainly my highlight of the day, and we made it on to the radio the next day! Lisa Chow, a reporter from WNYC –and excellent French speaker– had stopped by the crêpes station, and interviewed me. You can read the short printed interview here. Although we didn’t hear the broadcast of the snippet of our performance on early Friday morning, it was great to hear from friends who did and for you there is the full live recording (by Pierre Joris) below:
When I finally ran out of batter, I could sit down, listen to and watch some great performances. I’ll just report “en vrac” some of the impressions as my memory runs them:
I laughed at the witty and hilarious Swallow’s family band
I keep thinking of Erica Hunt’s pigs’ knuckles poem
I need to talk to Anne Tardos about her idea of Spinoza
I still feel Sally Silver’s dance on Bruce Andrews’ words in my body
I look up to John Giorno’s elegance and performing style
I thought Patty’s Smith performance was better than last year’s
Avram Fefer’s solo was soulful
Anne Waldman’s performance with Devin Waldman on saxophone electrified and inspired me
I was looking forward to Douglas’ outfit and was not disappointed
Ismael, Sylvie, Lucas watched their parental poets, thinking : we are next!
Stacy Szymaszek, and the Poetry Project crew of volunteers energized me.
& throughout the event everybody was thinking of Susan, Charles, Felix and Emma:
Emma Bernstein’s recent passing permeated the atmosphere, and several readers dedicated their performance to her memory. Emma’s beautiful and soulful funeral service was held on January 31st. She was the daughter of our friends, poet Charles Bernstein & painter Susan Bee & the sister of young singer Felix Bernstein. She was a very accomplished photographer and writer who at her young age leaves a significant body of work (click here for links for Emma). There will be an memorial event on February 17th when Emma had been scheduled to host one of the Belladonna* Celebrates the Elders events. I will announce the details as we get closer to the date.
An announcement from the Poetry Project:
Is there a better place to be on New Year’s Day in New York City? Please join the Poetry Project for our benefit, the 35th Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Reading! Ron Padgett will kick us off at 2pm and about 140 performances will lead us into the euphoric early morning. Other things to look forward to: Nicole Peyrafitte making crepes in the Parish Hall, pierogis from Veselka, an abundance of newly donated small press poetry books, and of course, charming and well-dressed hosts.
Note that our office will be closed the week of the 22nd. See below for complete information:
January 1, 2 PM
The 35th Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Reading
Poets and performers include Bruce Andrews & Sally Silvers, Arthur’s Landing (Ernie Brooks, Steven Hall, Yvette Perez & Peter Zummo), Vyt Bakaitis, Jim Behrle, Martine Bellen, Anselm Berrigan, Edmund Berrigan, Barbara Blatner, Justin Bond, Donna Brook, Franklin Bruno, Tisa Bryant, Peter Bushyeager, Reuben Butchart (w/ John Carroll), Steve Cannon, Yoshiko Chuma, Todd Colby, John Coletti, CAConrad, Corina Copp, Brenda Coultas, Geoffrey Cruickshank-Hagenbuckle, Mónica de la Torre, Katie Degenetesh, Barry Denny, Maggie Dubris, Douglas Dunn, Marcella Durand, Steve Earle, Will Edmiston, Marty Ehrlich, Joe Eliot, Laura Elrick, Avram Fefer, Bonny Finberg, Jess Fiorini, Corrine Fitzpatrick, Foamola, Merry Fortune, Tonya Foster, David Freeman, Ed Friedman, Joanna Fuhrman, Cliff Fyman, Drew Gardner, John Giorno, John Godfrey, Abraham Gomez-Delgado, Sylvia Gorelick, Stephanie Gray, Ted Greenwald, John S. Hall, Janet Hamill, Diana Hamilton, David Henderson, Bob Hershon, Mitch Highfill, Bob Holman, Erica Hunt, Brenda Iijima, Lisa Jarnot, Hettie Jones, Patricia Spears Jones, Pierre Joris, Erica Kaufman, Lenny Kaye, Evan Kennedy, Aaron Kiely, Paul Killebrew, David Kirschenbaum, Bill Kushner, Paul La Farge, Susan Landers, Denize Lauture, Joseph Legaspi, Joel Lewis, Rachel Levitsky, Brendan Lorber, Filip Marinovic, Susan Maurer, Gillian McCain, Tracy McTague, Taylor Mead, Jonas Mekas, Jennifer Monson, Rebecca Moore, Tracie Morris, Gina Myers, Eileen Myles, Marc Nasdor, Murat Nemet-Nejat, Jim Neu, Richard O’Russa, Akilah Oliver, Geoffrey Olsen, Dael Orlandersmith, Yuko Otomo, Ron Padgett, Julie Patton, Nicole Peyrafitte, Wanda Phipps, Kristin Prevallet, Arlo Quint, Chris Rael, Lee Ranaldo, Citizen Reno, Frances Richard, Renato Rosaldo, Bob Rosenthal, Douglas Rothschild, Thaddeus Rutkowski, Tom Savage, Michael Scharf, Harris Schiff, David Shapiro, Elliott Sharpe, Frank Sherlock, Nathaniel Siegel, Samita Sinha, Hal Sirowitz, Patti Smith, Christopher Stackhouse, Stacy Szymaszek, Anne Tardos, Cecil Taylor, Steven Taylor (w/ Debra Salvo), Susie Timmons, Rodrigo Toscano, David Vogen, Anne Waldman, Nicole Wallace, Jo Ann Wasserman, Phyllis Wat, Karen Weiser, Dustin Williamson, Max Winter, Don Yorty, Emily XYZ and more.
Become a Poetry Project Member! http://poetryproject.com/membership.php
Calendar: http://www.poetryproject.com/calendar.php
The Poetry Project is located at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery
131 East 10th Street at Second Avenue
New York City 10003
Trains: 6, F, N, R, and L.
info@poetryproject.com
www.poetryproject.com
Admission is $8, $7 for students/seniors and $5 for members (though now
those who take out a membership at $95 or higher will get in FREE to all
regular readings).
We are wheelchair accessible with assistance and advance
notice. For more info call 212-674-0910.
Pour John & Wayne
The sun has set too fast today.
Can a water lily show me the way?
An impression by Claude Monet
Let Giverny bridge Albany.
Wet paint into wet paint
Emphasizes your qualities.
The perception of your movements
Belongs to les effets de soir.
Your blue shadow is a landscape
Your reflection a guide.
Like a painting by Claude Monet
“Impression, Sunrise”
Impression, soleil levant
N.P
Bay Ridge -Sunday, October 26, 2008
Bass: Michael Bisio
Photo/Voice/Text: Nicole Peyrafitte
Recorded Live at Justin’s in Albany N.Y by Sten Isachsen -Bender Studio-November 20, 2008
Wow! my last post was over a week ago and I didn’t get a chance to write anything since then. So let’s go back in time a little bit:
The gig with Mike Bisio at Justin’s in Albany N.Y was a lot of fun and we couldn’t have had a better audience. If you were there: thank you so much for your undivided attention. Pierre Joris produced a live recording of the concert and and it looks like we might have enough material to cut a live album; Sten Isachen from Bender Studio in Delmar, NY did a great job recording us.
If you wish you had been there or want to listen to our very first song of the night, you can! Click to hear arrivé ici (though be aware that this is a very rough and not yet “mastered” mix). Arrivé ici or Come here is a poem by Pierre Joris from “hjr” published by OtherWind Press. Do not hesitate to let me know what you think.
Monday I rushed back from Albany to make sure to get an organic turkey from the Park Slope Food Coop and get all the my Thanksgiving food shopping done as Tuesday and Wednesday were going to be taken up by work. Below you can see the photo reportage —mostly photographed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte— of the preparation, but first let me give you our collaborative family menu:
Pumpkin & Passilla Chili Potage topped w/ crema, cilantro & chopped fresh jalapeño
Served with Marge’s Corn Bread
Stuffed Turkey *My Way*
This stuffing is closer to the one for French Dinde de Noêl or X-mas Turkey. Ingredients are ground pork, shitake mushrooms, onions, celery & carrot (very little), garlic, parsley, brandy, lots of freshly ground pepper, salt — and finish with eggs to bind. The turkey was in a brine for 48 hours.
Mashed Potatoes
Haricots Verts (Joseph Mastantuono & YK)
Oyster Dressing (Joseph Mastantuono & YK)
Roasted Celeriac, Carrots & Shallots with bits of Bacon
Simple Cranberry Sauce
Orange & Shallot Gravy
Plum Tort (Dawn Clements)
Mousse au Chocolat (Joseph Mastantuono & YK)
Sweet Potato Pie
Cranberry & Orange & Peanut Butter Pie
Also, I wanted to forward an interesting op-ed New York Times ( I swear it was in the *real* New York Times!) article that has us thinking of a totally different menu for next year. Cocorico!
read on:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/opinion/26davis.html?_r=1&em
