Two of the poems I wrote in Seoul, namely “Hoju Bihang-gi” and “imaginary cities: saga” have just been published in the second issue of Peril, the Asian-Australia literary magazine. It’s a pretty nifty site, actually, and you can even rate the poems out of ten! Other writers featured in this issue include Michael Farrell, Christopher Kelen and Adam Aitken, plus a tribute to Lisa Bellear. It’s also exciting for me that another imaginary city has found a home – this makes five so far this year!
Tag: PC Bangs (page 2 of 12)
Issue 22 of Stylus Poetry Journal is out now, featuring some kewl haiku plus poetry by Frances Raven, Justin Lowe, Barbara Archer, Julie Beveridge, Caroline Gilbo, Leanne Hills, Graham Nunn, Ynes Sanza, Jena Woodhouse, Caleb Puckett, Mandy Beaumont, Alison Eastley and me! Read imaiginary cities: heli today! This is the fifth city to have found a home in an online journal this year, following Softblow and Snorkel. Now I just need to find some more webzines starting with an S. Two previous cities were also published in Going Down Swinging in 2003: read cities of pau, velo and the special bonus city, vera. The architecture of these cities was, however, inspired by Darwin, as opposed to Seoul.
Last night’s Going Down Swinging launch, held at Yelza in Fitzroy, was great fun. So much fun in fact that I’m only now on the verge of consciousness, my detox plans having been shredded, thrown out and then reassembled by the mysterious power of Guru Josh, whose track “Infinity” is only slightly overshadowed by its b-side, the “Spacey Saxophone Mix”.
Words cannot begin to express the effect that this song, this man, this ouevre have had on me over the past fifteen years. Suffice it to say, the guy is completely untold.
Also untold and slightly bulk ace, the Singapore-based webzine Softblow features one new poem (“Back To the Tourist III”) and two of my imaginary cities, namely “Coni” and “Cubi”. Read them at Softblow today!
But if there was an award for bulk ace, it’d surely have to go to outgoing GDS editor and owner of her own rollerskates, alicia sometimes. Last night, I believe, marked her sixteen thousandth public appearance, and for that reason alone, I salute her. Bulk ace and fully untold!
Last year Australian poet Cath Vidler set up a new online magazine called Snorkel, the aim of which is to showcase the best in Australian and New Zealand poets (plus I guess anyone else who’s good). I submitted a couple of poems for the first issue (read them here) and I’ve now managed to sneak one into the third issue. Excitingly, the poem is one of my PC Bangs pieces, entitled Dupli. While I love all of my imaginary cities as if they were my own children once, I do have a special fondness for this one, as it concerns my friendships with men in South Korea and the unique way in which men relate to each other in that country. I’ve also had news that two more cities will be published online soon – I’ll be sure to post details as soon as they become available. In the meantime: Mokochukcha!
If anyone is in any doubt that Melbourne is the cultural capital of the known world, then the website of the St Kilda Writers’ Festival 2006 should set them straight. While only in its second year, the festival boasts a pretty impressive guest list: Tony Birch, Henry Reynolds, Tara Moss, Inga Clendinnen and (ahem) Mystic Medusa will all be there, along with yours truly. I’ll be reading selections from my PC Bang project as part of the “Reading Asia” event to be held at Dogs Bar, just across the road from the St Kilda Library, on Saturday 29 April from 4.30 to 5.30pm. Entry is free! Come along if you’re interested in “writings from Asialink Kiterature residents who lived, worked and travelled in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore”. Other readers include Sophie Cunningham, Paddy O’Reilly, Andy Fuller and the wunderkind of ac-po (actors who write poems) Terry Jaensch. Annyeung haseyo!