D[i]mentia 5: multimedia adventure

How do I describe what went down thursday night?

Picture this: you walk into a restaurant. Everything seems normal. People are drinking beers, eating late dinners. There's even a swing band setting up. You walk towards the back of the restaurant into a small dark room. You can hear the sound of old friends introducing themselves to new friends, laughter, glasses clinking on tables. Ambient music plays in the background. Abstract independent films flash up on the wall infront of you, as you sit at a table full of friendly faces. A small stage stares back at you, blank with 3 microphones, a speaker and a drum set. Suddenly, a man with a hat and a girl, both with heavy dark sunglasses, get on stage and perform the coolest intro piece, backed up by a drummer wearing some kind of monster mask. Time speeds up. An indie film about a rubrick's cube. A poet speaking softly beautifully about a music box, her father, a chess board. More music, laughter. Another poet about pacifism, another haiku. More music. An open mic. Poets reading, poets performing. You get up and perform. You're introduced as an American. Audience talking back to you mid-poem. Laughter. Shouting. Clapping. More poets, more poetry, more shouting and clapping. Laughter and more laughter.

Who says poetry isn't interactive?

I've met so many interesting poets so far. Poets- People. So many interesting people. Journalists, writers, waitresses, actors, bartenders, teachers, musicians, professors, DJs, editors, businessmen, students by day, poets by night. It gives me hope- perhaps one can do what one loves without starving to death. To be a poet, first and foremost, and then something more. Everyone with their interesting stories about why spoken word, why performance poetry. Everyone talking about how it came to them, who they idolize, what they do to prepare. It's only been a week, and I feel like i've dove into a great big pool of like-minded individuals. individual because they're all so different, but connected by this really strange love of poetry and performance.

Last night I took the night off from poetry and got some really great sushi with David Silverberg (my main contact here). Afterwards we went to a ska show in a college-y neighborhood. Sometimes, you need to see things other than poetry. :)

So after a week of living here, I'd say I could probably see myself living here permanently. Although I have the distinct feeling I'm going to be saying that a lot this year!

Sunday is the Toronto International Poetry Slam. Oh I can't wait!