true flowers by dYLAN kEMP is launching this week!

Our good mate dYLAN kEMP has arisen through the dust and rubble with a bunch of true flowers for everyone. Come and support him and check out the very much alive Christchurch poetry community this weekend. Media release follows:

Gap Filler is proud to support another literary event on a gap site - the launch of local poet dYLAN kEMP's third book, true flowers, featuring performance poetry by the author and other local poets. dYLAN has been writing and performing poetry for 20 years, all over New Zealand. A powerful and consummate performer, dYLAN's work is accessible, rich, and fun. He has been published in Takahe, Kokako and Catalyst magazines, and has featured in the Phantom Billstickers poetry on posters project.


The launch will feature performance poetry by dYLAN kEMP as well as Christchurch poets Tusiata Avia, James Norcliffe, Andy Coyle and Laura Tomlin – all accomplished performers and masterful craftspeople in their own right. An open mic session will follow for other poets out there who wish to present some of their work. dYLAN's book will be available for purchase on the day for $20.

Date: Saturday, 13 August (postponed in case of rain by one week – check gapfiller.org.nz or Gap Filler's Facebook page if unsure).

Time: 12pm sharp til approx. 2pm

Location: Former site of Herbal Dispensary and Williamson Picture Framing, cnr Kilmore and Barbadoes streets, the home of Gap Filler's Think Differently Book Exchange. If you haven't yet contributed a book that made you think differently to the fridge that is the book exchange, here's your chance!

Bring a plate of food to share and/or a chair if you like.

This event has been made possible by the generous support of Gap Filler, Creative Communities, and Phantom Billstickers.

Hope to see you there...

Poetry for Pudding returns!

The rumours of their demise having been very much exaggerated - Poetry for Pudding rides again!

Recommencing at UBS (University Bookshop) on Friday 12th August at lunchtime (12pm - 1.30pm) Poets of any age or stage are welcome - bring a poem to share - yours or someone else's.

Keep it alive Christchurch!

Poetry for Pudding

UBS bookshop

University of Canterbury

Friday 12th August

12pm to 1.30pm

Final Poetry for Pudding at Borders!

Could this be the end? Say it ain't so!

But come and show your support and celebrate a beautiful run at Borders Bookshop one last time.

Poetry for Pudding

Friday 15th July 7pm

Borders Bookshop

Rotheram St,

Riccarton

National Poetry Day in Christchurch

National Poetry Day is Friday 22nd July

Received from Canterbury Poets Collective (thanks Sean!):

Canterbury University Bookshop invites you to come and enjoy some literary life in our recovering city.

Friday 22nd July

12pm - 1.30pm

Canterbury University Bookshop

Patrick Evans will chair a session with poets James Norcliffe, Tusiata Avia and students from the Hagley Writers Institute and the School for Young Writers.

Also appearing will be singer/songwriter Adam McGrath of The Eastern.

FREE tea & coffee, bring your lunch and a poem to add to the Poetry Wall.

Catalyst on The Green Fuse radio show!

The Gate-Crashers Who Refused to Leave.

Typical poets, for the past month or so we have moved from occasional guest poets, crashin' on the sofa of the Green Fuse radio show (Volcano Radio 88.5 - streaming live to the world at http://www.volcanoradio.co.nz/) to taking over the helm of the good ship, drinking all the wine and monopolising the stereo while erstwhile poet-sojourner Ben Brown takes up his Maori writers residency at the Michael King Writers' Centre. Media release on that here.

You can tune in to the show via the miracle of the world wide interweb unless you're blessed to be living in Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupo. Click on the link above to Volcano's website and you click on the link to stream to your favoured player there.

Be sure to drop by here and let us know what you'd like to hear. We're planning some cool shows for the near future along with some special guests. And we'll do our best to keep the place tidy for Ben...

Redwood & Rhythm in CHCH!

Redwood returns to her roots! Aka Rebecca Reider is a previous winner of Catalyst's Poetry Idol and was a regular face at the open mic nights. See her perform works from her recently released album Poetree. More info below:

Poetry & music duo Redwood & Rhythm are coming to Lyttelton and Christchurch to culminate their tour of the South Island with a performance at The Loons in Lyttelton on Sat., April 30th and a community workshop/open mic/performance evening at Sand Dance Cafe in New Brighton on Sun., May 1st.
Redwood & Rhythm is the fusion of performance poet Redwood Reider and guitarist/mandolin player Rhythm Raniera.

Sat., April 30th, 8pm
The Loons, Lyttelton.
$10 donation requested,
but all welcome regardless of ability to pay

Optional poetry writing workshop with Redwood:
Sun, May 1st
Sandancer Cafe,
New Brighton Mall (formerly Space of Love; across from Paper Plus).
Bring notebook at 7pm, followed by open mic poetry night at 8pm,
with a shorter performance by Redwood & Rhythm.
$5-10 donation requested / all welcome

Redwood (aka Rebecca Reider) is a spoken word poet known for inspiring audiences with her energetic performances set to live music. Born of the California slam poetry scene, this is poetry for the stage, not the page, ranging from the intimate to the political (and sometimes both at the same time). Rhymes of inner & outer revolution, of the individual's quest to achieve peace in a sometimes maddening world. Redwood has performed at festivals and venues across Aotearoa and has just released her first studio album, Poetree, featuring collaborations with a dozen musicians from NZ and beyond, ranging from meditative compositions set to flute and string trio, to live rapping and electric guitar loops. (Hear the album on http://redwoodthepoet.bandcamp.com/) She also teaches poetic creation workshops.

The nimble-fingered traveling musician Rhythm Raniera creates musical landscapes using string instruments, voice, and a loop pedal, voyaging across the genres from folk to reggae grooves. Together Redwood & Rhythm cocreate lively flows and spontaneous improvisations -- the words riding on Rhythm's melodies -- aiming from the heart to the heart. Audiences have found themselves listening deeply, singing along and dancing in the rain; it's always a varied and dynamic show.

For more info: www.myspace.com/rebeccapoetry

Let us rise! Gap Filler #3

Ready....Steady....GO!
Good morning!

You are warmly invited to come to Gap Filler #3 at 276 Colombo Street, Beckenham from tomorrow (Friday)! I dare say it shall be rather far from warm, so rug up, bring a cushion/chair, an extra blanket and come and watch a film. There will also be live music from 5pm each night. The Eastern, Run Around Sue, Blues Professor, The Cracks in Everything, Darren Tatom, Lupis Luna, Plasticine Heroes, I Gave These Guys 5 Bucks, Sebastian Warren and Dr Sanchez confirmed thus far! Think of the site being a place to socialise, catch up and enjoy offerings from ChCh's creative community.

Films are free, but we would gratefully appreciate it if you drop a little something in our koha box on your way out to help us cover our costs. Here is what's on offer:

Friday, April 1, 8pm: Gordonia, (Tom Reilly, NZ, 2010, 80mins).

"One of the most extraordinary NZ documentaries in recent times, or perhaps ever" -Marcus Lush.
A community of wild West Auckland men fight for their right to live rough in a "designated scenic area" in the Waitakere Ranges. Gordonia featured in the 2010 International Film Festival. http://www.gordonia.info/

Saturday April 2, 8pm: Four Houses from Four Decades (Zoë Roland, NZ, 2008, 28mins).

Features abodes designed by Paul Pascoe, Don Donnithorne, Don Cowey and Warren and Mahoney. This screening will feature a talk by Dr Jessica Halliday, architectural historian and researcher for the film.

Sunday, April 3, 8pm: A programme of Len Lye's films followed by Roger Horrocks' Len Lye documentary Art That Moves

A celebration of the radically endearing work of New Zealand renaissance man Len Lye, famous for his kinetic sculptures and "direct film": films made by scratching, drawing and painting directly onto the celluloid film strip. We'll show a fair few of Lye's short films and a doco about him. Introduced by Len Lye Foundation director Evan Webb. http://www.pointofview.co.nz/Art_that_Moves.htm

More films will screen from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 10 from approximately 7pm (end of daylight savings). These will feature Gerard Smyth's film Barefoot Cinema about legendary NZ cinematographer Alun Bollinger; Candyman, a documentary by Costa Botes (NZ/USA) on the man who lost the Jelly Belly jelly bean empire; NZ short films by Taika Waititi (director of Boy and Eagle v Shark) and others; and classic heritage films of Christchurch and Canterbury in the early days accompanied by live music - Daughter of Christchurch (1928) and Cars to Carrington (1935-40). Plus much more.

Check our website for more information as we will update is regularly. gapfiller.org.nz

The site will open each night from 5pm with live music until dusk. Come early to get a good spot and bring a picnic. There is a Fish and Chip/Chinese take-away next door as well as businesses further along on Colombo Street where food can be purchased.

Location
Next door to Smiths Mitre 10
276 Colombo Street
Beckenham

Getting there
We encourage you to walk, ride or bus to the site or at least share a car with friends. Parking will be limited. There is some parking in the King St Mitre 10 car park. Please be thoughtful of local residents when you park in nearby streets.

Events will be canceled in the event of wet weather - check the website and Facebook page for notification. Please dress for chilly weather. You need to bring your own chairs and cushions as no seating will be provided this time. Site capacity is limited and Gap Filler will close the gate if it gets too full.

See you there!

x Gap Filler

PS: A very, very big thank you to land owner Murray Smith of Smith's Mitre 10, Beckenham for the use of the gap.

Catalyst endures

Tihei mauri ora.

To all our friends, family and acquaintances in Christchurch and surrounds, Arohanui ki a koutou.

Our deepest condolences to all those waiting to hear and to those whose waiting is over.

Doc and I are OK and have seen and/or been in touch with many of the friends of Catalyst. There are many others that I hope I will get to see in the coming weeks.

Obviously this curbs our regular activities and I'm sure many of us had already forgotten that Wednesday 2nd March is a scheduled Catalyst night. Needless to say this will not be proceeding, at least in the usual format - perhaps each of us can take a moment tonight to say or read a poem with those we've lost or are losing, in mind. And maybe spare a thought for each other as we endure the days, weeks, months ahead.

I have no word on the state of AL's Bar but Uncle Al is OK at least, I do not know how to reach Ash. My thoughts go out to him. The bar is within the cordon of the CBD so there is no access anyway. Maybe we can all have mini or satelite Catalyst nights in our own homes with friends and family - it's important to stay connected - leave us a comment here on the blog to let us know you're OK too and if you do have a little private reading, tell us what you read or post it in the comments - perhaps we can have a Catalyst via the web. We'd love to hear from you.

For now, we endure. Tomorrow, we prevail.

Kia kaha.

First POETRY FOR PUDDING of 2011

POETRY FOR PUDDING
Date: Friday 18th February 7 - 8.30 pm
Place: Borders Bookshop Rotherham St.Riccarton.
Poets of all ages and stages welcome.

Canterbury Poets Collective 2011 new season and venue to be announced soon

First Catalyst of the year last week and what a way to kick things off! Our big thanks to Randall $tephens for getting us underway in style. Stay tuned for some photos.

In the meantime, here's some news from our brothers and sisters over at the Canterbury Poets Collective...

Happy New Year everybody.

Planning for the 2011 Season is almost complete and we
have a superb line-up of local and national poets booked.
A full and detailed programme will be sent out as soon as
all the details have been finalised.

Our well loved Madras Café Bookshop is not available but
we will shortly announce an excellent alternative venue
where light meals and refreshment will be available.

The season will run for 8 weeks from Wednesday 16th
March to Wednesday 4th of May. Starting time will again
be 6:30 PM and we will aim to finish before 9 o'clock.

Which means that the season overlaps with two Catalyst nights giving people an opportunity to get a full 12-course serving of poetry in both April and May!

I Statements -by Randall $tephens

First Catalyst Open Mic + Special Guest from Melbourne

First open mic of the year and we've got a special treat for y'all. The night will be opened for us by a touring performance poet from Melbourne, Randall $tephens.


Come along and check it out and join us and Randall for a drink or 3 at Al's Bar.

Catalyst Poetry Open Mic
with special guest Randall $tephens
Wednesday 2nd February, 8pm
Al's Bar, 31 Dundas St
Christchurch

Click on Randall's name above to visit his blog and also check out:

Wordplay
and WordinHand


ABOUT RANDALL $TEPHENS

13.7 billion Years ago an infinitely dense singularity existing without time or space exploded for unknown reasons, creating the universe. Then for a while not much happened.

In 1980 “The Empire Strikes Back” came out, and Randall $tephens was born, in Westport New Zealand. Randall $tephens is the last angry man, he was the first one too. He doesn’t use phrase like ‘l-o-l” and doesn’t tell people all about his new kettle on facebook. He does not believe in fairies (plop!). He doesn’t suffer fools. He doesn’t play nice with the other poets.

After travelling around performing poetry in New York, London and India, he returned to Australia. Randall is currently living in Denial, while visiting other emotional states throughout Australia and New Zealand. He is blogging unhealthy amounts of new poetry at 'Tales Told By An Idiot' (www.randallstephens.blogspot.com) where you can read it. He is however, truly at home on stage. He has a delivery style putting emphasis on having emphasis, combining a strong stage presence with clear, direct and personal writing.
He performs. Well.
He is on his way to see you.

Re-Mind the Gap

I've been meaning to post about this for ages but well, you know Christmas and all that.


From 25th November to 5th December last year, these wonderful peeps pulled together a rag tag bunch of friends, artists, favours and sponsors to make something wonderful happen among the rubble of earthquake-rattled Christchurch.

Gap Filler was the resulting creation and like our own little urban 'field of dreams' - they built it and we came.


For more info on what the-? Gap Filler actually is, make the jump and for a page with more photos of some of the cool stuff that happened see here.

Poets took over the Gap for 3 afternoons on the weekends of this run, under the heading 'Poetry in the Gap' we came, we performed, we drank a lot of wine in the sun. A big thank you to Micah Timona Ferris for herding cats (poets) and making it all come together. A few poets even managed to sell a book or two. Here's some images of it all in action.

Happy New Year btw.

Barry Southam


Helen Back


Teoti Jardine


Ben Brown

And yet more poetry gigs... MER MADE

As if Gap Filler and the huge Xmas Catalyst party wasn't enough to slake your thirst for spoken word in performance, there's another poetry/music gig coming up next week... this time the sisters are doing it for themselves...

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

Mer Made

(because the earth is 80% water)

oceans, islands & merfolk

spin words & play music

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

Thu 16 Dec from 8pm

Beat St Cafe, cnr Barbadoes & Armagh Sts

The Cracks in Everything lap songs by Nikki BERRY onto the shores of poems by Tusiata AVIA Jania GALLETLY Helen LOWE Danielle O'HALLORAN

which, of course, leads to a whirlpool of

Tamara SMITH & Sum SURAWEERA ---

the Flutation and Percussion from Mundi, ripplin ,over^under_through~ lyrics by Marissa JOHNPILLAI --- the Buoy from Elsewhere

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

Just five bucks. Be there or be washed up

http://www.aproblemlikemarissa.net/mermade.htm

Postscript - Survivor: Poetry - helping the real survivors

A big thank you to our wonderful audience at the Grand Final of Survivor: Poetry 2010 for helping us raise $250 for the Canterbury Earthquake recovery effort. We'll be placing this donation with the Kiwibank/Red Cross Relief Fund.

Poetry Survived!

Survivors Ready!

Well the dust has settled over the stage at Al's Bar and the castaways have drifted back towards their respective homes. The world's first Survivor: Poetry was dropped on an only mildly prepared audience on November 3rd. The result was hilarity, drama, Leonard Cohen tributes, earthquake metaphors and believe it or not - poetry.

Amongst the fiendish challenges and heart-breaking Tribal Councils the poets managed to create some genuinely clever, funny and moving moments as one by one, they were eliminated or voted off by the tribe of castaways. There were team challenges and spontaneous haiku tie-breakers along with cameos from our wonderful judges and Ciaran's ham performance as the cruel MC himself.

Alas it came down to two as the cadre of previously eliminated castaways returned to pick the overall winner and inaugural Survivor: Poetry. In a satisfyingly dramatic and apt final act, the jury of eleven peers voted 6-5 for the eventual winner Sean Joyce. The runner-up was Micah Timona Ferris and the two faced the agonisingly slow reveal of the voting result (thanks, Ciaran) standing hand in hand.

Outstanding audience members had their reward and it was an exhausted but elated group of poets that left (or stayed at the bar) later that night, blessed by the spirit of Leonard Cohen I'm sure...

POETRY FOR PUDDING
Date: Friday 15th October, 7 - 8.30 pm

Borders Bookshop Rotherham St.Riccarton.
Poets of all ages and stages welcome.

SURVIVOR POETRY 3rd NOV 7.30pm

Next Catalyst Open Mic & TRUE STORIES Tour finale

True Stories tour finale
Sunday 3rd October 8pm koha entry
El Santo Porteno - Lyttelton
(cnr Norwich Quay and Oxford St - on the waterfront - see a review of the bar here)
featuring poetry, stories, music, laughter and possibly tears from:
Ben Brown
Andy Coyle
Helen Back
Kate Anastasiou (music) + Hannah Harding & Simon Gregory (music)

AND THEN LATER THAT WEEK...

Catalyst Poetry Open Mic
Wednesday 6th October 8pm
Al's Bar 31 Dundas St ChCh.
Koha welcome.

The Lyttelton true stories road trip.

Four well known entertainers from Lyttelton are hitting the road in a blue
bus this September to perform songs, poems and stories around the country.

• Sat 18th sept Kaikoura The Strawberry Tree
• Sun 19th sept wellington The Garden Club Terrace Bar, dixon St

• Thurs 23rd sept Oamaru - The Penguin Club with reggae band Hikoikoi
• Fri 24th sept Dunedin - Tangente Cafe Supper club
• sat 25th sept Oamaru - The Grainstore with local poets
• Sun 3rd 0ct Lyttelton El Santos at the old British Hotel

most shows $5 and 9pm start



Ben Brown is a multi published Lyttelton poet well known for his gripping
and gruelling spoken word performances. A poet of the old school he has
the capacity to grip the audience member by the throat and drag them
through a fascinating world full of vivid characters, black humour and
great damn lines.

Helenback is the original housewife from hell. She performs poetry so
unflinchingly real you will fall in love with her before the first pause,
just don’t invite her home to do the housework, or you might find a pitch
fork where it hurts.

Andy Coyle is a poet and storyteller with an eye for detail, and an ear
for regret. His deep patient delivery will inspire your imagination and
stir the muddy river bed of your subconscious.

Kate Anastasiou is a striking singer/songwriter who performs a compelling
blend of well written songs, improvisation, loops and story-telling, all
of this peppered with an instinctive feel for jazz and a love of being in
the presence of poetry and song.

Next Catalyst Open Mic

Kia ora koutou,

We'll be back to business as usual, getting down n' dirty with the poets at the next Catalyst Open Mic:

Wednesday 6th October, 8pm
Al's Bar, 31 Dundas St, Christchurch
Bring yer own Poetry! We'll provide the ambience...

Hopefully we'll have an announcement about rescheduling Survivor Poetry by then. Stay tuned!

Iggy Defies the Earthquake!

Iggy McGovern, Irish poet and academic, will give an impromptu poetry reading tomorrow,

Wednesday 15th at 6 pm, at Al's Bar, 31 Dundas Street.

Iggy is a regular visitor and is here at the invitation of the The Press Christchurch Writers’ Festival.

Biographical notes:
Iggy McGovern, Irish poet and academic - he is Associate Professor of Physics at Trinity College. Well known for his witty, playful, but emotionally engaged poems. The recipient of both the McCrae and Hennessy Literary Awards, his first collection The King of Suburbia (2005), is already reprinted. Read the review in The Listener here.

SURVIVORS READY!

The castaways have thrown their lot in to Poetry Island and been whittled down to 15. What an amazing night at AL's Bar last Wednesday. 23 people auditioned for the limited places and the right to call themselves Survivors! We followed the audition by an open mic in which many returned for some de ja vu action in what totalled around 30 performances for the night.

Our sincerest thanks to everyone who participated and made it such a fun and full-on night. Thanks to our judges for the evening - Marissa (Games Master) Johnpillai, Ben 'Poetry Idol' Brown and providing continuity with the final, Doc Drumheller. Thanks to Al and Ash at the bar and most of all thanks to our awesome audience for the night - no show without punch!

We're counting down to Friday 10th September 7.30pm where the surviving poets will be put to the ultimate test. Who will be found wanting? Who will SURVIVE?

Find out:

SURVIVOR: POETRY
FRIDAY 10th SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM
BOATERS @ CHRISTCHURCH TOWN HALL
$16 ($14 Press subscribers)

Countdown to Survivor Poetry!

Catalyst is proud to bring you the next evolutionary phase in live poetry:

SURVIVOR: POETRY

As part of The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2010, Catalyst is unveiling their latest creation - the unholy spawn of reality TV, live performance and seat of the pants poetry to the death. Be part of history! Become the legend! When the page meets the stage can you survive the white heat of Survivor Poetry?

To audition for a place in the historical first 'season' of Survivor Poetry come to:

Catalyst @ AL's Bar - 31 Dundas St
WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER, 8PM
Auditions will involve performing ONE of your original poems
OPEN MIC TO FOLLOW

Musicians! Be Part of Catalyst number 9 (number 9... number 9)

Dear New Zealand Musician (and if you arent one, perhaps you know one or two and can forward this on to them. Heck, musicians send this to your friends too!)

Once again producer Jody Lloyd has undertaken the foreboding task to compile music for and produce a spoken word cd with Christchurch poetry outfit Catalyst.

This is the 3rd full length poetry-based CD produced by Catalyst . The first time we asked a few musicians for completed pieces of music. The second one was a collection of lyrical songs with spoken poetry added to them later. And for this one Jody has devised a more interesting plan, we want willing NZ musicians to send (by email) musical parts so i can use them like samples to compile new pieces of music. It'll be like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle with no prior picture.

If you have any unfinished recordings, why not send us parts of them?
If you are a drummer or percussionist, send some beats or rhythms.
guitarists - send some long chords, strum out a rhythm or play a solo.
bass player - make a bass line... but keep it simple.
piano player, violinist, trumpet, flute, recorder, clarinet, triangle, dulcimer, marimba, traditional Maori instruments... anything!
send us something you have played - even if it's just one note!

Even if you aren't a musician but you want to record sounds from your backyard or neighbourhood - birds, cicada's, bees, trains, creek, animals, feel free to record something and send it.

ATTENTION POETS: please don't send any recordings of your poetry, submissions are being invited by the editors directly.

here are a few guidelines for musicians:

1. We would prefer good recordings if possible, but if you have something great that is badly recorded, I may still be able to use it.
2. keep in mind I am making backing tracks for poetry - so keep it mellow. i.e. no death metal guitar solos.
3. format: wav, aiff or 320 mp3 files please. a 20 second wav file can be easily emailed.
4. submissions can be of any length, but preferably they should be 1 minute or less.
5. clearly name your file - with your name, and/or the name of the band you would like to be credited.
6. email files to music@trillion.co.nz

Contract.
By submitting musical sounds for the Catalyst 9 CD (which is an accompaniment to a book), you understand that your sounds may be manipulated or time stretched to suit the producers direction and ear. You also understand that your sound(s) may not be used if deemed inappropriate. You will be credited for your contribution, but there will be no financial payment. And due to the awkward and complex nature of the project, no track titles will be submitted to APRA for royalties. So you understand that your involvement in this project is because it's gonna be awesome, and this has never been done before (in the world).

submissions close on Sept 1st 2010, so hurry!
please forward this to anyone you know who might like to be involved.

Survivor Poetry - Out Read. Out Write. Out Loud.

Catalyst

presents:

an exclusive new form of performance poetry competition - cut-throat reality style

Friday10th September 7.30pm

Boaters @ ChCh Town Hall

Christchurch Writers Festival 2010

Twenty castaways find themselves stranded on stage in front of a live audience with the hope of surviving three rounds of performance poetry. Each contestant will read one poem in the first round to determine the top ten and then the castaways will fight for immunity in a series of spontaneous writing challenges to compete for a one in five chance to become the world’s first Survivor Poet.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Survivor Poetry is entry by audition only. To be part of this event in the 2010 Christchurch Writers Festival you must attend and audition at:

Catalyst's Poetry Open Mic / Survivor Poetry Auditions

Al's Bar - 31 Dundas St

Wednesday 1st September 8pm. Entry is FREE.

It's good to learn how to let go...

Do not adjust your television... Catalyst's blog is 'changing'... standby for instructions...

Next Catalyst Open Mic

Greetings and salutations for what will be the last post on the blog in this form...

Yes, that's right, we're... transforming. Don't touch that mouse... Catalyst is, well, about to catalyze.

In the meantime - here's the reminder about this months open mic:

Catalyst Open Mic Night
Wednesday 7th July 8pm
Al's Bar - 31 Dundas St
(behind Pak n' Save Moorhouse Ave)

The Return of the Basement Poetic in Lyttelton

Basement Poetic and Socrates Session
7pm Sunday 27th June
$10 waged, $8 unwaged


The perfect end to the Festival of Lights, bring your mind, your wit and your taste for wine to the cozy environs of The Basement! Join local luminaries of the literary ether for a night of poetry and spoken word, and have a go yourself during the open mic. Then 'speak to the topic' in the Socrates Session - a chance to air your own well-shaped arguments on a topic given on the night.

A little birdie told me the topic is CREDIT for the Socrates Session - forewarned is forearmed!

But I could be wrong...

Funds raised go towards supporting Volcano Radio - Community radio as it should be - LOCAL & LIVE!

Poetry keeps you cosy

Wow. Just a quick note about two things. First, Catalyst in May was an absolute rip-snorter. The kinda night that keeps Doc and I excited and determined to keep the open mic running for all you poets out there. Big crowd, totally up for it and some great poetry too. I've got some pics coming soon - let's keep the momentum going for June! And keep in mind the ideas about a collaboration with Poetic Justice in Wanaka (we love those guys!)

Second: We're not the only game in town... if you're desperate for your poetry fix check out:

POETRY FOR PUDDING
Date: Friday 21 May, 7 - 8.30 pm

Place: Borders Bookshop Rotherham St.Riccarton.
Poets and listeners of all levels and ages welcome.

Bring a favourite poem...yours or another's. Come
and enjoy the friendly and relaxed atmosphere.


Now that's cosy.

Next Catalyst Poetry Open Mic...

Wednesday 5th May 8pm
Al's Bar - 31 Dundas St
BYO poetry

Also the same night - the final in this year's series of readings from the Canterbury Poets Collective over at Madras Cafe Bookshop. Featuring each of the winners from this series open mics there. Why not do both? Poetry is ruling the city this week!

Sandra Sarala - live at Al's Bar

Sandra Sarala, singing poet
Wednesday 24 March, 8.30pm
Al's Bar
with special guest, Maryrose Crook.

Coming up this week at Al's Bar is a visiting performance poet, or rather a long lost daughter of Aotearoa returning. We thought y'all should get along and check it out. It's not every week we have a touring poet of this calibre so come along and support!

More about Sandra:

Sandra Sarala. a.k.a. Sandra Dempster, left New Zealand 13 years ago for Seoul and ended up in Berlin, where she's been active in the city's vibrant international community as a singing poet with a sideline in archaic East European folk song for the last eight years.

Her poetic performances are lyrical, satiric, philosophic and story-telling: after studying history from 1989-91 at the University of Canterbury and theatre and film at Victoria University of Wellington in 1996 she was a member of Red Mole's Roadwork's company, she has devised and performed her own work in Wellington, South Korea, Poland and Germany, trained in Commedia dell'Arte in Italy, and developed open vocal technique with teachers from Ukraine, Russia, and Poland.

She's survived several economic meltdowns in various countries, including South Korea, Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, and has fallen back on farming, journalism, life-modelling and teaching skills in most of those places.

After spending a winter writing, alone on an isolated central Bohemian farm with wood-stove heating/cooking and no running water, she fell in love with the luxuries of Berlin in spring 2002 and moved there, later becoming a co-founding member of the ensemble Polynushka, whose 2008 limited release CD of Russian village song won the German Record Critic's prize for folklore in August of the same year.

Having been born and raised and Dunedin then steadily making her way north through Christchurch, Wellington, Paekakariki, Asia and Europe, she's touring her way back south during March 2010 before returning to Berlin after Easter.

Photos become memories...

Continuing our slightly drunken stagger down memory lane...




Ben - April 2008

Stefan - April 2008

Helen L. - April 2008

Helen Y. - April 2008

Nostalgia is a gateway drug

I realised that the blog has been a bit static and also a bit too wordy of late. Here's a trip down memory lane with some of the poets at open mics in recent years...

Bella - December 2008

David - December 2008

Sean - December 2008

Ricky - December 2008

Poetic Justice, Southern Style

We have a sister poetry open mic in Wanaka!

'The Poetic Poetesses', Laura Williamson and Liz Breslin run an open mic called Poetic Justice Wanaka at Pa Runga Wine Bar, upstairs from Kai Whaka Pai (cnr Ardmore and Helwick Streets, Wanaka)

Check out their blog via the link above or here.

Catalyst's March night was honoured to have Liz in attendance and over several drinks we started to cook up schemes to bring our two esteemed literary salon evenings together. Let us know what you think of that idea and what we could do together!

Next Catalyst Open Mic

Kia ora!

Let Catalyst take you by the hand and lead you into Autumn

Wednesday 3rd March, 8pm
Al's Bar - 31 Dundas St
BYO poetry or whatever

it's hot today...

Happy New Year!

Greetings and salutations for another year! This is just a quick wee post to notify y'all about our first open mic of the year and the special one-off date for it...

Catalyst's Poetry Open Mic Nights are returning in February 2010.

The first one is a little unusual with a slightly different date - for this month only we'll be on the first Thursday of the month. That means the date and details are as follows:

First Catalyst Open Mic for 2010
Thursday 4th February, 8pm entry is free
Al's Bar, 31 Dundas St Christchurch (behind Pak n' Save Moorhouse)

A Very Special Catalyst

Don't you just love Christmas-themed copy writing that starts with headings like that?

Sorry.


Anyway, it's time for our last open mic of the year when we have a HUGE party and then take a couple of months off (the open mics anyay - we'll be making a new Catalyst CD over summer so no rest for the wicked). So. We were mentioning a party...

Catalyst Christmas Party
Wednesday 2nd December, 8pm
Al's Bar 31 Dundas St (Ch.Ch.bro)

featuring a book launch:

Strange Totems
haiku by Doc Drumheller

and Catalyst's Crazy Christmas Sale!

Unbelievable bargains to be had on our back catalogue.
Complete your Catalyst collection or take care of that Christmas shopping in one fell swoop!
Yes, it's poetry for Christmas!!!!

More on STRANGE TOTEMS:

Strange Totems is the latest collection of haiku by Doc Drumheller. Translated and presented in 3 languages - Japanese, English and Te Reo Maori. Strange Totems plays with themes of power and resonance in nature and in cities. The disconnect between humanity and nature and the power of culture and new mythology. The book is published by Clerestory Press who also presented Drumheller's first haiku collection Snake Songs and features photographic montage by the dynamic duo of Johnsin & Fox.

Responses to Catalyst...

A nice mention over on The Creativity Room by the many-talented Ms Lucette Hindin...

Book launch: Songcatcher by Robynanne Milford

Poems for songcatchers by Robynanne Milford aka Bella Boyd

Our City O Tautahi (old provincial chambers)
(cnr Oxford Tce & Worchester Blvd)

December 1 st 5.30pm Tuesday 2009

With songs by the Cecilian Singers
And poems by James Norcliffe, Bernadette Hall, Frankie McMillan, HelenLowe, Jeffrey Paparoa Holman

RSVP for catering Nov 23
bellaboyd@xtra.co.nz Poems available Madras Café Books

Catalyst Volume 8

Poetry Takes Flight

Book Launch & Poetry Performance
with open mic and live music from Le Mot Café

Wednesday 4th November, 7.30pm
Al’s Bar - 31 Dundas St, Christchurch

Poets for Samoa

Poets for the Tsunami

Fiona Farrell

Bernadette Hall

Ben Brown

Jim Norcliffe

Danielle O’Halloran

Tusiata Avia

MC: Victor Rodger

Thursday 5 November, 5.30pm,

Madras Café Bookshop, 135 Madras St.

Fundraiser for the Samoan tsunami relief effort – if you haven’t contributed yet, (or even if you have) here is your chance.

Tickets at the door: $10 donation. Raffle. All proceeds to Samoa tsunami relief.

Catalyst 8 - launching!

Wednesday 4th November - time TBC
Al's Bar, 31 Dundas St
Christchurch

Just advance notice about the biggest party of our year! Please come along, celebrate the launch of the best Catalyst yet, maybe even buy a copy. Or three. We'll be selling subscriptions on the night also: get your Catalyst delivered!

Stay tuned for more information leading up to the launch. Thank you to everyone who's contributed and waited with us for so long!

Fantasy-Fiction Writing Workshop

Check out this great opportunity presented by our pal Helen:

Award-winning author Helen Lowe runs a workshop on writing fantastic fiction, focusing on Fantasy and Sci-Fi. The session includes discussions and exercises on the essential elements of 'fantastic world building', structure and keeping it real. Bring pen and paper.

Saturday 17th October, 10am – 12pm
Venue: Christchurch Central Library
Fee: Free
Bookings: Essential; phone 941 7923

Links:
http://www.helenlowe.info/
http://www.thornspell.info/
http://www.christchurchcitylibraries.com/Events/NZBookMonth/