To enter and exist into freddo Friday with a cliché : ‘it seems like yesterday’ ..
when the festival masses pushed their coats and pulled their shoes through wind on the Wharf, and passed the security guards, up the stairs and into the Occasional Poetry performance space.
Since that night, this body which houses these fingers that type, has taken part in an informal break, defined by walking, talking and lap-topping Less. Yet, the concerted effort to replenish the bones and imagination, through earlier beds and later get ups, has failed. It seems I’ve only pretended to reduce Red Room and poetry doings, but have instead increased them. What follows A teacup Chihuahua sized whinge of the days from June 3-June 14, 2007:
i. Each day features programs and badges (from Occasional Poetry) being distributed to the poetry hungry – such as when I handed a set to a verbose taxi driver who, in between rants (about Kevin- Mandarin-speaking-did anyone- mention-I-am-fluent-in-Mandarin Rudd) revealed his penchant for badges
ii. Dinner at an Italian restaurant in East Sydney to celebrate the making and broadcasting of the Occasional Claire Potter film made in collaboration with Andrew Garrick The menu included Garfish, chips and a beastly rat lurking in my direct line of sight and smirking at me as it darted about collecting wheat crumbs.
(iii) A squashed meeting in Sappho bookshop with Nic and Kelly-Lee to discuss Red Room’s participation in this year’s Newcastle Young Writers’ Festival. Over coffee and in the company of eavesdroppers we planned how to use Red room’s pre existing Audio & Text Index. Kelly & Nic looked and sounded like a comic country and western duo. The three of us debated the definition of sound artist to the point of me turning up late to meet with a friend who greeted me with the horror story of her being robbed on the Queen’s birthday
(iv) The Red Room has found and recorded in a new studio spacem based in Sydney’s Chippendale and run by composer and RRC board member, Elliott Wheeler. The Chippendal studio signifies the Return of our audio radio projects. You can listen to Claire Potter now.
Claire was recorded in between starts and stops of Sydney’s frightful storm. I collected Clairet at a pub, and both of us without umbrellas sprang down the terrace line streets to the recording booth. Claire peeled off her gingery brown overcoat to reveal a fashionable and funky Parisian ensemble, layers of autumnal colours, flowing skirts and elegant blouses. With her glasses and nibbled fringe Claire read her poem seamlessly and once we’d recorded the chat Claire ran all the way home, to France
(v)The restaurants of Sydney are currently being explored by myself and our board member, Jane. We’re seeking a small private room to host a secret meeting in. So far only the best location was a slightly dishevelled upstairs room in a quaint French restaurant that boasts ‘a shagpile of Oysters’ on its menu.
(v) Chief researcher for Red Room, Bonny Cassidy, and myself travelled to Croydon, and met with two twins just over 2 weeks old. Each head in the elbow of Mr Tony Britten, who is writing our papercuts education program. Tony made choc-chip muffins, poured tea and in between visits from his wife and eldest daughter a white blonde haired toddler called Violet, we have our first successful program draft which will be re worked in time for our four schools’ Term 3.
(vi) Now, following a brisk walk past the up turned rubbish bins, brown jacaranda heads littering the path and the purchasing of a Rosetta roll, I shall meet with Sandra, designer of oue Occasional Poetry mascot. Under the door I can see the cold and so I’m reaching for the sack of a duffle coat hanging on the stairs, its red buttons and furry hood the ideal armour for the 14th June and for hiding in and crying into when I think about the fact some audience members gave a pathetic 10 or 20 cent donation to experience our live event for ‘Occasional Poetry’.
