The Itinerant Poetry Library

Since May 2006, The Itinerant Poetry Librarian has been travelling the world with a library of ‘Lost & Forgotten’ poetry, installing the library & librarian and archiving the sounds, poems and poetry of the cities, peoples and countries she meets. Welcome to the project's blog . . . Our Itinerant Poetry Librarian lives wherever her library is - come join the cause!

FAQs: • Yes we carry our entire life and the library with us as we go • Yes, it is quite heavy • No, we're not mad. As Charles Simic said, 'But what if poets are not crazy?' That's the spirit boyo!

We exist to: remind people of the importance of free public libraries...subvert mainstream channels of distribution...remind people that access to knowledge should be free and not dependent upon economic wealth hierarchies... show people that poetry/art can provide answers to questions we ask of life...experiment in existing outside of 'the market' – thereby, instead, investing in social capital, social innovation and community.

We aim to make life taste better. Word.

Where have we been . . . ?

(2006) Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Munich, Paris, Barcelona, London, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Norwich, York, Antwerp, (2007-2008) San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Leipzig, (2009) Ulm, Chemnitz, Rotterdam, Huntingdon, Callander, (2010) Cork, St. Andrews . . . Where'd you like us to go? Can you help? Get in touch!

What We Are Up To Right Now . . .

Archive

Sunday, 9 September 2007

San Francisco . . . We Back in Business Baby!

So we have landed back in SF.



After a delightful, debonair departure of 2 months, from the ole SF base, and crikey, it looks like you missed us San Francisco, as even though 1 in every 4000 of you good citizens is already a carded-up member of our library, we've already had people bangin' on the door to get the poor Librarian outta the bed she just got in to (and which aint even hers) to kick start the SF Library programme all over again. Sheesh. Give the girl a break! Or not. Not to worry, as we are already on the case, and sorting out our latest SF installation venues, so you can look forward to another session at the library very soon. It is looking more than likely that we will be able to reprise our highly irregularly regular weekly installation slot at The Marsh Theatre cafe, and we also hope to start up a new similarly styled slot at Frankenart mart, as well as our habitual mix of off-the-cuff up-outta-nowhere Library By Stealthp™ versions which you'll need to check back here to find out about, as per The Way We Work!

We do, however, already have one first date for your library diary, which is:

The 2nd Annual Gandhi Birthday Poems & Performances For Peace hosted by Diamond Dave Whitaker and Arnie Passman. The event also features poetry, music, and dance, and you can come sign up for the open mic. It's all at the Gandhi statue, east of the Ferry Building (Embarcadero at Market). It is also all free. As we are too. Sunday 30th September, 1-6pm.

Come Join Before We Travel Onp™!

In the meantime, while you whittle down the hours until we launch into San Francisco Library mayhem, here are some visual treats . . .


The statue commemorating Canadian soldiers in past conflicts at the old Canadian Pacific Railway station in Gastown, Vancouver BC


The Vancouver BC water and skyline



Time-lapsed while we waited for a BC bus late one early Canadian morn


Graffiti & Mural art: Vancouver BC style




Our Library - minus Librarian - installed at The Gaff Gallery


While the San Francisco Center For the Book [sic American spelling pah!] . . .


. . . this weekend held a Steamroller lino cut and print party


which produced these cool . . .


. . . lino prints!

Sweet! We ♥ SF!

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