Outro

Okay I'll admit it. I skipped a lot of the festival this year. There were events I had planned to go to, like the Family Business mainstage and Amy Jo Ehman's Big Ideas reading to name only two. But sometimes, life gets in the way, or you just get tired.

But I did catch a few of the nooners, an afternoon bookchat, a big ideas session, but only one-and-a-half mainstages. All of these events I enjoyed, some just more than others.

The Tuesday's mainstage (which I had to leave halfway through) was well worth going to for Ken Finkleman's performance alone. A slightly self-deprecating, slightly off-colour reading from and critique of his first novel, Noah's Turn, which is "minor stuff," he said casually as he held up the book and shrugged. At least compared to great poetry. Poetry is the great art.

Here is a photo from that night of hunter-turned-conservationist David Carpenter, author/photographer AJ Somerset, and former Winnipegger Ken Finkleman perusing his book with sunglasses on. He took the glasses off when he took to the podium because, he said, "the speaker's gotta see the fuckin' audience."

I also quite enjoyed David Carpenter's reading that night, and then again the next day at the Big Ideas series. David's reading from his latest work of fiction in addition to his non-fiction went on a little too long and took away from the discussion that was supposed to happen. And that's what the Big Ideas are supposed to be about. Still, the reading was good, and David's a nice man.

Here's a picture of him:

And then there were the little things. Beers with Toronto poet Michael Lista and Hot Air blogger-in-chief Ariel, and the brief time spent in the hospitality suite getting a glimpse of what it's like to be one of the authors at a festival like Thin Air. It's things like these that are worth the most.

And there's always the wine and there's always the cheese.

Served up by fine folks like these ones:

I don't know quite what else to say. It was a different festival experience than last year. I think that has to do in part with not being at the opening on Sunday night. Because of that it was like the festival didn't start. There were just all of a sudden all these things to go to. I should have planned better.

But let's end this thing on a good note. The festival was good, and I enjoyed it. There's no poison, psychotropic drugs, or brainwashing. It's just good people having a good time talking about good books. And there isn't any harm in that. See you next year?

****

Brandon James Bertram is a perpetual student. When he's not at the university you might find him going casually about his business in his West Broadway apartment or spending his leftover student loans on beer at Cousins. He sometimes reviews music for the Uniter and his poetry has been published in Rhubarb magazine. He might graduate with a bachelor's degree next year.

The Nooner: Sandra Birdsell

I missed mainstage last night so I made sure to catch Sandra Birdsell today when she read for the largest nooner crowd I've seen yet.

She read from Waiting for Joe, her new novel that was sparked by an infuriating comment about the right religious beliefs being the key to financial abundance.

Waiting for Joe is about a couple who has gone bust and the spiritual journey that Joe embarks upon alone. (From what I gather, although I haven't read it yet.)

Sandra said the novel took six months to write, but really it took over four years. Writers are a bunch of liars.

*****

Brandon James Bertram is a perpetual student. When he's not at the university you might find him going casually about his business in his West Broadway apartment or spending his leftover student loans on beer at Cousins. He sometimes reviews music for the Uniter and his poetry has been published in Rhubarb magazine. He might graduate with a bachelor's degree next year.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Literary Lunch

lunch break crowd waiting for Uma Parameswaran's nooner

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

The Matter With Men

Ken Finkleman engages the mainstage audience

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Research Methods

Last night's Mainstage was entitled Re: Writing History. I have long admired and been frightened by the tremendous amount of research it must take to write historical fiction, or historical poetry.

Joan Thomas said she read about Mary Anning and the events of her life for an entire year before even beginning the writing process of Curiosity.

After stumbling upon Louis Slotin's wikipedia page and becoming fascinated by the story there, Michael Lista must have done a ton of research in order to write his fascinating first collection of poems, Bloom.

Eva Wiseman went back into her childhood to a name her mother used to mention. She underwent the research it took to find out about young Jewish traitor, Morris Scharf, and she wrote Puppetbased around the real life trial of which he was a part.

I think what it is is finding that itch that you have to scratch.

A story that you happen upon or someone tells you about or is somehow connected to your own history that you just can not ignore. It gets under your skin and you have to scratch and pick at it, peel away layers of skin, undergo whatever pain it may cause you for the sake of the story. Whether you like it or not, no matter how hard you try to escape, it's something that must be done...a story that must be told.

But it's probably research that you enjoy doing, and that's the reason you do it.

Joan Thomas talked about Curiosity being almost a 'found novel,' the way that poets talk about found poems. The research fell together in such a perfect way.

Still, writing is hard work. Re-writing history is probably even harder, no matter how well the research fits together.

But sometimes you get an itch

* * *
Brandon James Bertram is a perpetual student. When he's not at the university you might find him going casually about his business in his West Broadway apartment or spending his leftover student loans on beer at Cousins. He sometimes reviews music for the Uniter and his poetry has been published in Rhubarb magazine. He might graduate with a bachelor's degree next year.

Surroundings #1

I met 62 year-old Beau Daniels outside the library before Joan Thomas' nooner. He writes songs and plays guitar. He kindly spoke with me for a few minutes and gave me some valuable advice about the future. About not putting all my eggs in one basket, and not missing the boat. He likes to read mystery and crime fiction. He may have read something about Thin Air but has never attended the festival. I hope to meet more interesting people in the places surrounding the festival as the week goes by.

*****

Brandon James Bertram is a perpetual student. When he's not at the university you might find him going casually about his business in his West Broadway apartment or spending his leftover student loans on beer at Cousins. He sometimes reviews music for the Uniter and his poetry has been published in Rhubarb magazine. He might graduate with a bachelor's degree next year.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

It's not that bad

Maybe it was the cigarette I smoked with Gregory Scofield, or the proposition I received from Jon Paul Fiorentino, or the time I met George Elliot Clarke, but I rather liked my first Thin Air experience. Maybe it's the cheese. Or maybe I am brainwashed. But for whatever reason, here I am again.

Psychotropic drugs or no psychotropic drugs, I'll be there. Watching, listening, wondering, photographing, drifting, blogging. And ignoring my (formal) education for a few days.

So you may see me at the library for the nooners, or you may see me in the audience at the mainstage or more likely lurking in the shadows by the wine and cheese bar, or you may see me downtown at the university taking in the events there, but you won't see me at opening night. I'll leave that one for Jason to battle on his own.

And you know, he could be right, I may very well be brainwashed, or better yet drugged. But who knows? He is, after all, only the second best poet to come out of Hastings Junior High.

****

Brandon James Bertram is a perpetual student. When he's not at the university you might find him going casually about his business in his West Broadway apartment or spending his leftover student loans on beer at Cousins. He sometimes reviews music for the Uniter and his poetry has been published in Rhubarb magazine. He might graduate with a bachelor's degree next year.

Hands on: Brandon Bertram

This is Brandon's second year blogging.

Here's last year's bio: Brandon James Bertram is an English/Creative Writing student at the University of Winnipeg. He reads, writes, rides bikes, and drinks coffee.