Drive Denizen: Ruth Kozak

Veteran Driver Ruth Kozak has lived here with her family since 1947. She works as a writer for http://thevancouverguide.planeteye.com/ and has done several stories on our neighbourhood. She is also writes travel articles and historical fiction.
She teaches the writing craft to people of all ages. Her travel exploits can be found at http://travelthroughhistory.blogspot.com/

Special Event: Night of the Indies

For the April 15 event, Night at the Indies will be presenting RC Weslowski, a veteran performer and organizer of the Vancouver Slam Poetry scene. RC hosts the Vancouver Poetry Slam at the Café Deux Soleils. He can also be heard on Wednesday afternoons as a host of "Wax Poetic" on CFRO 102.7.
Also featuring will be Janet Panic as the music act this month. Janet is a local singer/song writer and will be coming after her highly successful appearance at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba in March. She has released the CD "The Girl Who Passed For Normal" and will be releasing "You Look Good Naked" sometime this summer.
The Short Film Slam will be continuing, where aspiring filmmakers can screen their short films with the audience choosing their favourite which will then screen at next month's Night at the Indies in Toronto. Veteran local independent artist John Pippus and his trio will bring their eclectic mix of musical styles to our stage. "I am really thrilled by the quality of acts that are joining us", local producer David Maidman expressed, "I am also excited to see how the Short Film Slam is playing out." Filmmakers are welcome to bring their short films (under 10 minute) on the third Wednesday with registration beginning at 8:00 p.m. Participation will be on a first come basis.
Night at the Indies was started over two years ago by Gurbeen Bhasin of Meow Films in Toronto, Ontario as a way of bringing together independent artists from various art forms in order to promote their talents and create a supportive community. After Night at the Indies' incredible success in Toronto she joined with David Maidman of Pumpkinhead Productions to bring this concept to the independent arts community in Vancouver.
The event consists of a spoken word act, a film screening and a musical act. "It is really great to see the audiences for the various art forms come together and support one another's efforts", said Gurbeen. "I became involved with Gurbeen when she decided to screen my film "Think Peace: Portrait of a 21st Century Movement" at one of her events and I was excited to see if Night at the Indies would fly in Vancouver", stated David Maidman.Held on the third Wednesday of every month at the Café Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Drive, Night at the Indies has featured such diverse talents as poets Stephen Lytton and Leigh Harris from the Downtown Eastside, author Betty Krawczyk, and musical acts such as Maria in the Shower, Mr. M and the Allnighters and Fuzzcat, as well as screening a variety of films. Admission is $5.00 to $10.00 sliding scale at the door and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Night at the Indies invites anyone who wants to become part of a growing, vibrant community and support the independent arts and artists to come on out.
Contact Information: Dave Maidman
Office: (604) 515-1947
Cell: (778) 996-1944
Email: indiesvancouver@gmail.com
http://www.nightattheindies.com/vancouver.asp

Literary: Atticus Thenn @ The End Cafe

Due to last minute renovations at Cafe Deux Soleils this event is now being moved to the End Cafe at 2360 Commercial Drive. Hope to see you all there.

Sean and Lisa (your friendly slammasters)

The Vancouver Poetry Slam is very proud to present 2009 Semi Finals Part #1
including in no particular order...
Steve Miller, Vitamin F, Spillious The Ridiculous One, Nora Smithhisler, R.C. Weslowski, Clint "Father Goose" Wilson, Ed Word and Zaccheus Jackson

And Featuring Atticus Thenn...

Atticus Thenn is a shadow poet. He moves between form and sinister dissipation. He wears Apollo's wingtips on his cowboy boots and soars with the heart of Icarus into, through and beyond every star and super nova in the universe. He flosses with silly string theory and burns rubber in the desert with Las Vegas minstrel whores. Atticus Thenn promises a trip down memory lane into a lifetime you never knew you had forgotten. He also gives a good massage.

You have never experiences anything like Atticus Thenn

www.myspace.com/atticusthenn

This show will sell out. Come early and unfortunately we will not be able to reserve or save seats for this show.

Doors at 7:30 PM
Open Mic at 8:30 PM
Slam at 9:00 PM

$5-10

And this is one of the last chances to buy advance Van Slam Finals Night at the Rio tickets. $10 in advance, $15 at the door as the slam welcomes back 4 time Van Slam Champ Shane Koyczan. Please talk to Lisa Slater or Sean McGarragle for tickets.

Special Event: Wax Poetic/Co-op Radio Fundraiser

Nestled mid-week between an alternative health program and a hiphop show, Wax Poetic has been holding its own since the early nineties, bringing some of the best and often most underappreciated spoken word artists from the local and international scenes, to CFRO radio listeners in a half hour “appointment with the muse”!

On Tuesday, April 7^th, the poetry staple celebrates 16 years of broadcasting by inviting their guests and listening audience together for a special “real world” hook up on Commercial Drive, the undisputed cradle of spoken word in the lower mainland.

Wax Poetic is the longest running radio program dedicated to the spoken word in Vancouver (and internationally), heard every Wednesday afternoon from 2-2:30 pm on Co Op Radio 102.7 FM with hosts Diane Laloge, SR Duncan and RC Weslowski.

To keep in the spirit of live radio, the broadcasters will also be turning Café Deux Soleils into an on-air studio, recording a 30 minute show in front of a live audience for future broadcast. The “studio” audience is in for quite the treat, as none other than Vancouver’s first poet-laureate George McWhirter takes the hot seat, reading his work and fielding questions from the hosts and the crowd.

This will mark one of the last readings for the poet in his position as laureate. His two-year term ends soon.

Founded in ’93 by poet Diane Laloge and performance poet Justin McGrail, Wax Poetic has been airing almost every week since then.

Engineering and programming duties are shared by the two “rookies” on the team, Steven R. Duncan (9 years) and RC Weslowski (6 years). Weslowski (AKA Randy Jacobs) is a familiar voice on local commercial radio, while Duncan worked on a similar program at Simon Fraser’s CJSF prior to coming on board Wax Poetic.

Other feature performances at the fundraiser will come from veteran artists Tanya Evanson, Susan Cormier, Rowan Lipkovits, Duncan Shields. Laloge will be reading from her recently released book of poems “I Am A War”, and Duncan and Weslowski also be performing.

”The Candyman” - Daniel Mark Patterson is scheduled to take the stage as well.

“We’re thrilled by this line-up,” comments Laloge.

“It’s just like our show – very diverse, thought-provoking and yet just plain fun at the same time. It’s also nice to get out and meet the people who tune in and listen to us from time to time face to face.”

There will also be an open mic, a raffle and a meat draw. Yes a meat draw - just in time for Easter. Actually, co-producer Duncan admits that it’s really a Tofu Turkey Draw.

“Weslowski and I had to compromise on this one. I wanted a full on meat draw for a big chunk of meat, because I think it’s so kitch, and I’d love to win a piece of meat, But he was dead – excuse the pun – set against it, being a vegetarian.

“So I said I’d spring for the tofu turkey and he said he’d bring a rubber chicken.”

The show starts at 7:30pm at Cafe Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial Drive)

. All the money raised on April 7^th will go to support Co Op Radio and keep Wax Poetic on the air. Memberships will be available.

You can sign up to attend on their Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/event.php?eid=59853480876&ref=ts

Or you can get more info by calling 604-788-8340 or emailing srduncan@shaw.ca

Theatre: The Map To Zochrot

Staged Reading
March 22nd, 2009
7:00 pm

Havana Theatre
1212 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territory

$10.00 - $20.00 sliding scale.
Tickets can be reserved by email and will be sold at the door. Seating is limited so to ensure that you'll have seats do RSVP. Partial proceeds to Shiraa, Labourer's Association for Studies & Development, Bethlehem, Palestine.

Question-answer and discussion to follow performance.

The Map To Zochrot is an intensely personal exploration of the themes of loyalty, betrayal, "nation," identity, history, military occupation, colonization, and resistance as they have marked Palestine/Israel. Explored through the eyes one Israeli-born, Vancouver-based community organizer, this interdisciplinary play seeks to speak difficult silences on Palestine/Israel. The piece incorporates spoken word, storytelling, journalistic reporting, visuals and music.

Written by mia amir
Direction and dramaturgy by Carmen Aguirre
Featuring mia amir, Angelo Moroni, Sindy Angel

For more information or to reserve tickets contact maptozochrot@gmail.com / 604.780.8463

Poster design by C Carr: thesamebeat@gmail.com