You Must Write As If Your Life Depended On It

(1) SUNDAYS AT THE OTO

“poetry and music with the post-avant crowd for your Sunday afternoon pleasure”

Third Sunday of the month, 3-5 pm, Café Oto, 18-22 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London E8 3DL £4 entry.

January 18, 2009: Sue Ferrar, Sylvia Hallett & Stuart Jones + Frances Presley + Gavin Selerie

Sue Ferrar, Sylvia Hallett & Stuart Jones will provide a complex & skilled blend of improved musics, while Frances Presley (most recent book the wide-ranging, innovative and well-grounded Myne — New and Selected Poems & Prose 1975–2006 (Shearsman, 2006) + Gavin Selerie (most recent book: the erudite, gorgeous and inventive Lefanu's Ghost (Five Seasons Press, 2006) will read, separately, together, and with the music — just as it should be, yes?

Gavin Selerie performed his poems in the 1980s with improvising musicians, including Sue Ferrar, Stuart Jones and others, in the second performance of his text STRIP SIGNALS at the London Musicians Collective in 1986 – some of that text will be performed at this event. Gavin has published several major volumes of poetry, distinguished by their formal inventiveness and beauty, and their grounding in well-researched detail (eg of Anglo-Irish culture in Lefanu’s Ghost). Frances Presley’s poetry expands expertly too the resources of form and mode, with a particular attention in her writing to social and environmental contexts and consciousness. Despite their close association, these two poets rarely perform their poetry together, which will make this an interesting reading.

Stuart Jones has worked as part of Gentle Fire, Kahondo Style and British Summer Time Ends, and now works at Central St Martins, where his practice is mainly in installation or performative work, but also encompassing linear video and film, and often in collaboration with artists from other disciplines. Sylvia Hallett works both as a composer and as an improviser, and has had pieces performed in Britain and Europe. She has played in many international festivals since the late 1970s, working with several well-known and respected musicians, including Lol Coxhill, Maggie Nicols, Phil Minton, Evan Parker, and the groups Accordions Go Crazy, LaXula, British Summer Time Ends, The London Improvisers Orchestra, and the London Hardingfelelag. She also performs solo, (did a solo tour of Italy), and in duo with Clive Bell. She also works with dance and drama companies (including BBC Radio drama). Sue Ferrar plays violin in the London Improvisers Orchestra, and is also a member of London Contact Improvisation (with Guillermo Torres), and performs with Primal Fruitcake. She has worked with a wide range of musicians (eg on the CD A Boy Leaves Home Lol Coxhill , Sylvia Hallett, Evan Parker).


February 15: Sarah Jacobs + Richard Makin + Dawn Scarfe

March 15: Uru-Ana + Mike Weller + tba

April 19: Abi Oborne + Holly Pester + James Wilkes + tba

for further information: http://www.myspace.com/sundaysattheoto

(2)Serial Update

The most recent episode of Richard Makin's St Leonards is now online. I have alos taken the opportunity to repair some glitches & omissions (December wasn't a good month!)