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!
We're delighted to announce that we recently struck another voluble agreement in the highly irregularly regular library installation stakes, with the ravishingly redolent Redhill Books on Cortland Avenue.
This means that every Monday until we blow this joint, all you Valued Patrons of the Library [VPLs] -as well as you lovely Valued Non Patrons we've yet to meet- can come and get some weekly library love if this is your area.
Redhill you say, aint that a cool bookshop kinda like Dogeared and Phoenix? Yup. And not only that, but founder of all three bookshops, Kate, just happens to be a VPL who signed up back in 2007 on over at Dogeared Books, during our library installation at their regular reading series Babble On...here's what Redhill has to say for its self: "Named after Bernal's communist past, Red Hill has been experiencing a growth spurt to accommodate the store's big ideas. The small space nearly tripled in size and is poised to become not only a hub for great books but for community events like art openings, book clubs and writing groups." Or, indeed, a free travelling library of "lost & forgotten' poetry we dare say.
Don't forget Mission VPLs have Fridays, 4-10pm at The Marsh on Valencia, and Inner Richmondites gotsa Sundays, 1-6pm at the fruity Frankenart Mart at 515 Balboa...
...Hang on a ssssec, we feel some library stats coming on...what with Redhill Books in the bag, that means, you wonderful, whimsical "27,414" winning "San Franciscans" -are you a winner?- have officially got 15 hours a week of free travelling library experience in tha house. Word.
So come on down, and especially down, to our newest kid on the block:
Every Monday from 3 - 7pm! The Itinerant Poetry Librarian at Redhill Books!
Saturday 19th April from 6.30pm onwards we're giving an introductory Library talk and installing the Library at Redhill Books ready to rock on into our coming up Monday session . . . Come Join B4 We Travel On Yo!
****
Meanwhile, Library-life has rioted. We've got words, pictures, video, audio, tales of renegading the Naughty Librarians Convention and much, much more. We shall meet again soon! Here's a sneak preview:
Oops. We forgot to write. It's because we've moved. Which required relocation and location, of: beddage, badinage, blocks of wood, bolstering devices, and other assorted abandoned warehouse paraphernalia. As of what appears to be right now, we have caught up. Time to catch up with us then chaps?
As always, our sumptuous feast of a fine every Friday sees us at The Marsh, noon until 8pm ...Friday October 12... unless we run a little bit morning late, which is likely right now so keep that in mind, followed by . . .
[:] p l u g 3 [:]
in participation with le placard x the tenth annual paris-based self-organized international headphone festival that migrates from city to city around the world streaming non-stop interaural experimentation to listening - rooms and live audiences worldwide.
[b.y.o headphones] 10.13-14.2007 sat & sun 1pm-1am Library only available Saturday 8.30pm - midnight THE LAB 2948 16TH STEET @ CAPP SAN FRANCISCO The Lab
Listeners for us equal readers. These bodies at rest are also more likely to remain still than other humans on seats, so it seems like we might just have the perfect match in whipping out our Poem Repository for this special audience. Ladies and gentlemen, menus at the ready, prepare to select your juicy daily dose from the sheet and read a poem, at your seated leisure of course.
Oh yes. We aim to dip into The 5th San Francisco International Poetry Festival's litcrawl offering from 7-8.30pm at New College (Room 4) also on Saturday 13th October and, as the nature of litcrawl suggests, this time, instead of people following the Library we're going to follow some Valued Patrons instead, when they move on to the next joint's offerings on Valencia Street. See the Other Words site for more details or LitQuake.
Followed, not inconspicuously, by the frankly fruity Frankenart Mart, where we keep arriving late because the bus does. It will be the start of their new show!
Fall 2007 - Children's Books
Sunday every Sunday! which means this Sunday is the 14th October...
1-6pm boys and girls! Library in that house. What.
Don't forget the rules of Frankenart, hey, that means when the Library is inside there are rules within rules. Wooopeeee! Or do we mean woops?
"Rules...Glad you asked. There's no drinking or druggin at the store. Cell phone overuse is severely punished. Arterrarium artists are allowed no more than three friends in their entourage. The cats decide on the music selection. This is a family restaurant, so keep it clean and friendly. No attitude allowed."
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
. . . but not quite in enough numbers to overtake our current reigning champs Norwich and Budapest yet.
No fear! We're out and about ALL this week. So, not only can you catch up with us in our usual Marsh spot (every Friday, 7 - 10pm in the Marsh Theatre cafe at 1062 Valencia Street, near 22nd street in the Mission) but also this week come on down to . . .
The Babble On reading series at DogEared Books on Thursday, March 29th. Featured readers for this event are: Daniel Handleraka Lemony Snicket, Alvin Orloff, Chantal Okeeffe, and Adam Balbo.
Our Itinerant Poetry Librarian and library will be installed from 7pm onwards for your every poetry object borrowing need.
It's all at: Dog Eared Books, 900 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. Call 'em: (415) 282-1901, fax 'em: (415) 282-0213, they be open 'em: M-Sa: 10am-10pm; Su: 10am-8pm. And here's a map.
San Francisco membership current total = 33 members Current Top-of-the-Pops-Library-Chart-Winners = Budapest & Norwich (joint first) = 34 members
Oh my god it's so close. Our Librarian is practically falling off her chair with an-tic-i-pation. The next SF library member to sign up should make sure there's a suitable distance between her/himself and the librarian in situ in case a poetry object landslide occurs. You've been warned.
In the meantime, in our ongoing 'what's been left on the street outside the librarian's house this week?' series:
So. Apart from sitting inside for about 24 consecutive hours in order to access/edit/upload our digital audio files from the last 2 weeks, as only a good librarian should, we've also been out and about with the library with highly irregular regularity. We are officially it seems the resident Itinerant Poetry Librarian at The Marsh Theatre cafe, every Friday from 7 - 10pm*. We heart The Marsh. Except on March 9th 2007 when this occurred...
However, March 16th saw . . .
. . . which brings San Francisco membership to a current total of 29 library members and counting. Ooh. So near Budapest and Norwich, currently topping the library membership chart with 34 a piece. See you next Friday then for a potential free library membership showdown . . . we have no idea what happens when I mean if you win. Er, since you'll already have free library membership, how about the 34th member gets a free poem, and blimey, the 35th member, which would make San Francisco fully top-of-the-library-pops, gets a, er, free library stamp on the forehead? This would mean you are really library hardcore and really want San Francisco to come top. Any takers? I didn't think so. Well, we'll see . . .
Don't forget the address! Or sign up to follow the library with Twitter and we'll send you an SMS or web/IM reminder nearer the time! Yeah! It's that easy to track us down. The Marsh Theatre cafe, 1062 Valencia Street (between 21st & 22nd), San Francisco. Here's a map.
So. Audio. First up was a delightful invitation to attend the San Francisco Browning Society meeting and annual Dramatic Monologue Poetry Awards ceremony. This took place at a retirement home. As is the usual we often tend to get maps drawn for us, or a one sentence directional spiel. We got lucky. We got a drawn map, comme ca:
What with a map and the promise of old ladies, we could not resist, since poetry + old ladies + tea = our librarian's dream. No, really. Just ask Age Concern, Norwich, which has given us the privilege of visiting several old ladies for several years (when we were decidedly less itinerant, it has to be said). We used to get a new one every now and then because as tends to happen with old ladies (and we bracket our good librarian herself who will one day enter this realm) they er, decline in health . . . er. Where were we . . . oh yes. The San Francisco Browning Society . . . . . . . which, incidentally, is in rude health, and currently celebrating its 105th year of existence. Excellent. We'd write you a wonderful introduction to the group and its beginnings right here, as it's a fascinating story, involving the year 1900, a stroll in Golden Gate park, two ladies named Mrs B. F. Norris and Mrs J. M. Goeway, and a small volume of Poems by one Robert Browning, but their current President, and the first ever dude to land the job, gives a very good rendition himself, so we'll let the society speak for themselves. Here you go:
powered by Browning Motion An introduction to the San Francisco Browning Society, including a reading of the winning poem in their annual Dramatic Monologue Awards 2007
From one world, to another, 16th & Mission is probably slightly less salubrious environs than your average Browning Society meeting, but these guys are consistently pulling punches in the world of poetry, street corners, and giving it yer all. We've been befriended by the 16th & Mission crew, so here's a round-up of their latest talent in action:
And made a video just for you guys. Aww. Shucks. Amazing what crap you can do with a camera phone eh?
Which reminds us. While couchsurfing in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne back in ooh, October or possibly September last year, we came across the following awesome live sound/fire art performance by an Australian duo, one of whom was definitely called Paul, although this is obviously not Paul in action (in the film we captured). They were accompanied by a dude called Stuart, who seemed to have helped set up the sound activation part of the project, but basically, this film does it no justice whatsoever as it was amazing to see the fire, the dance, and hear the sound being 'tripped' by the fire movements. It all took place at the Buddle Art Centre, in Wallsend.
And finally finally. To continue our 'weird things left outside our house' theme. Last time it was a large rolled up carpet. Now this. Gotta love the Mission.
*unless we A. get a social life or B. someone offers to feed us, preferably not in that order please note
We have lived here a total of seventeen days. Library installations currently number 5 and rising, with a total San Francisco library membership in the right here and right now of 26 satisfied and satiated poetry souls. Right on! Or off! Or whatever your bag(gage) is! Since we've been strolling the streets, with our librarian head screwed really tight on, our poetry head has had a chance to sneak out from under our elbow and observe the lowdown on the actual down and dirty street. In the area of The Mathematics of Poetry, we think we've found a new equation, which we're going to call Seven more everything: San Francisco to the power of Norwich. It's a way to work out the capacity of anything in either San Francisco or Norwich based on knowledge of only one quantifiable variable in either city. Thus:
Total San Francisco Population
equals
Population of Norwich x 7
Total no. of Norwich musicians who feature at HowlBackHum music nights at Norwich Arts Centre and know, at least in terms of his supposed existence, a man called Shane
equals
Total no. of San Francisco musicians who play keyboards as main instrument but do not front a band ÷ 7
In some exceptional instances, i.e. just like the English language, there are irregular rules to this equation. When quantifying specifically the availability of vegan cheese; the number of self-identifying lesbians with potentially offensive haircuts; how often someone is likely to be sleeping outside your home in a cardboard box; and, in particular, the level of ego being over and above the categorisable apparent availability of skill and talent; the following equation needs to be put into practise:
Real live statistics: San Francisco has a total population of 776733, of which 23.23% of people exist in the 25-34 age bracket - also the age bracket with the greatest overall percentage in terms of the total population. Males make up a total of 50.83% and females a total of 49.17% of the overall population, with those in the 85 years and over bracket comprising 1.83% of the population total - also the age bracket with the lowest overall percentage in terms of total population.
Norwich has a total population of 121550, of which 9.918552 % of people exist in the 20-24 age bracket - also the age bracket with the greatest overall percentage in terms of the total population. Males make up a total of 48.39984 % and females a total of 51.60016 % of the overall population, with those in the 90 years and over bracket comprising 0.6359523 % of the population total - also the age bracket with the lowest overall percentage in terms of total population.
Damn. Did we just unprove our equation?
Anyway. Based on Seven more everything: San Francisco to the power of Norwich™, we are going to go for broke and speculate on future total San Francisco library membership. We predict the final total for San Francisco library members will be 238 on the basis of our equation. Now if only we could start up a library membership speculation and trading market our Itinerant Librarian wouldn't need to worry about food and living arrangements for a while . . . now there's a thought. Where did we put that bag of cous cous?
Business statistics. Damn! We're all about the stats tonight baby! Yeah! New members signed up on Friday 2nd March @ The Marsh = 6
Live at The Marsh
Where we had fun stamping
New members signed up on Sunday 4nd March @ Abandoned Planet Bookstore = 5
Librarian in situ at Abandoned Planet
With our library selection for the day
So while we're at it, based on the law of averages, we're going to predict new membership totals of 6, at our up and coming Marsh Theatre cafe installation on Friday March 9th from 7 - 10pm (here's a map). Come join us and prove us statistically wrong! Or right! Or bring us some food that isn't granular! Rock!
Marsh-tastic
In the meantime, when our librarian isn't itineranting, mainlining library science books & theory, or working out how to get free food, we also spend our time recording the sounds of the city and people we've found. So, San Francisco, you're it. This is what we've got so far:
powered by POETRY Someone we think is called Guinevere, performing (spoken word) on the corner of 16th & Mission Street, on Thursday March 1st 2007
powered by FROG POETRY Frogs croaking in the rain, in San Juan Bautista in February 2007
powered by POETRY Someone we think is called Scratch Baker Thatcher, performing (trumpet) on the corner of 16th & Mission Street, on Thursday March 1st 2007
Inbetween being given instructions from you San Francisco people trying to help us out - like: "go to the corner of 16th & Mission on a Thursday from about 9pm onwards and ask for Charlie", which is how our librarian found and recorded the 16th & Mission sounds (those are the kind of instructions we like, and in fact, often live on) and got in touch with the awesome spoken word / performing posse who turn up here every week come wind rain shine crazy people with knives - we also walk the city . . . (although we're currently in need of a BICYCLE so we can start our free poetry library courier service: can you help us out? Email librarian@thepoetrycubicle.org.uk)
And so discover . . . where the buses sleep at night
And leave messages everywhere we go . . .
No really. Where did we put that bag of cous cous?
Tuesday afternoon-slash-evening at The Marsh was initially discouraging. It was raining. Our Librarian, being the trooper she is, strode through the downpour, cape flying yet still intact if rather damp, and installed the library bang on time, well, 17:02 by our clock anyways, to the plethora of people hanging out in their cafe. This plethora was singular, initially declined our first invite to sign up, but then relented and told us we'd sold her on the concept but she wanted to finish her paperwork first. Fair enough. We left a membership card with her and went back to our desk. And waited. The only other constituent of the cafe, apart from said individual and our librarian, was Nicole, manning the cafe desk. It did seem she required some reading material so we signed her up, recommended a title, then . . . waited some more. Time passed. Our librarian designated herself and the immediate surrounding area silent (see Byebyelaws for details) and contemplated cheese while staring out the window. More time passed. She looked up. Suddenly there were people. It was the 6.30pm magic half hour. At one point we even had a queue: there was one person standing behind another! That's a whole two people! For us! Our librarian was so excited she nearly forgot to give one of the new members a free haiku. Oh the mayhem. Anyway, the upshot of our 2 hour installation at The Marsh (truly a breeding ground we might add) is . . .
Six new members! Love it.
And one of those fine signatories to our library even knew about Twitter and so is now able to track us by text! Yee-friggin-hah is what we say boys and girls.
In the meantime, if you missed us, or indeed, if you've signed up and need your next poetry dose, here's where to catch us next . . .
Friday March 2, 7 - 10pm we'll be back at marvellous The Marsh (see map and address previous post)
then
Sunday March 4th, from 1pm until we get bored and go home we'll be at Abandoned Planet Bookstore, which is at 518 Valencia Street (map).
Then
Friday March 16th, 7 - 10pm, yes you guessed it, we'll be back at The Marsh. We are thinking that The Marsh may well be our first, official, regular venue. So we hope to keep popping up here time and again. In as much as we get 'regular' that is. This is all down to the wonderfulness of Nicole and Nicky. Thanks wonderfuls!
So people-yet-to-become-library-members, and those of you who've already joined the cause, we hope to see you soon!
In celebration of our current membership drive, here's a taster of what the library looks like in all the different cities it's so far made it to . . .
Our Vienna installation at Cafe Leopold in the Museumplatz
How we advertised at Cafe Metropole in Prague
Our library and librarian installed at Shakespeare & Sons, Paris
Our Barcelona installation
Our Berlin installation at The British Council Library, a library within a library - rock on!
Our librarian bagging your free membership haikus in Budapest
Michael Palin endorses our product in Budapest
Our Dresden installation where no-one tried to join at all, until we had closed. Typical.
The Top 5 Cities who got with the Library Programme!
Twitter? Tweet!
Total Library Members
Current Worldwide Signed Up Total Yeah!
How You Can Help
Our library is free. Our Itinerant Poetry Librarian eats cous cous A LOT and on the whole couchsurfs in order to bring her library to the people.
Good ole Paypal. Yes, if you're feeling financially flippant feel free to throw a few our way. Try saying that again too. We guarantee your financial investment in us will either be spent on: food, paying for a home for the Librarian & Library, paying for the Librarian & Library to get to their next Library installation point, or poetry. Every Little Helps™ (thanks Tesco!) and you too can Make Her Life Taste Better™ (gee thanks Sainsburys!) We also appreciate actual food and temporary homes too, as well as poetry books to add to the library [please no hardbacks though - the librarian has to carry it all and she's not that big]. Just get in touch:
librarian
(at)
thepoetrycubicle.com
