Openned Reminder

Openned night tonight at Corsica Studios. Details on the Upcoming page.

Comments

[Jim]

Hi
I went to the event at the corsica studios. thank you for putting it on. It was interesting, and clearly some good poets were showcasing. Unfortunately, the event really suffered, as the sound was poor, and the delivery very uneven. I've been to much better live literary events recently - I'd commend Liars League, where actors read new fiction. There, the delivery is great, the atmosphere respectful but entertaining and the quality of the pieces really comes through. Sadly at the Openned event last week there was too little presence from the poets, and too much muttering in the dark. And I shouldn't need to say this, but what works well written down doesn't always work when read out. Sorry, I don't mean to be so negative, as what you are doing is really to be appreciated. With a bit more thought it could be really great. so please keep it up! Jim

[Felicity]

Unfortunately I could only stay for the first portion, but I thought the sound was fairly good. (Was there a problem with the simultaneous reading?) I think a reading series like Openned will always need a little time to settle into new surroundings - and the event at Corsica was encouraging.

[Amy De'Ath]

This is kind of interesting because although Jim has clearly missed the point here in assuming that uneven delivery, muttering in the dark etc. is necessarily a bad thing (and this really makes the condescension implicit in his post quite cute and naive, to be condescending right back at him), I wonder if he inadvertently raises some valid issues about the poetry events we hold/attend, ie. shouldn't a poetry performance always be more than just reading some poems aloud, even if that does not necessarily mean theatrics? Which is not to say that the readings at Openned were lacking in that sense. But I think we should ask how often the effort put into 'innovation' etc. makes poets lazy and complacent in other ways.

[linus slug]

" I'd commend Liars League, where actors read new fiction" - yes, for me this really does miss the point. If I go to a poetry event I vey much want to see/hear the poets read their work - for me this is vital - it can define the relationship you have with that work and even if that is not always for the better, it certainly informs the development of my own writing at least.

I am interested though in the idea of 'reading' your work and how does this differ [does it differ?] from 'performing' your work? As Amy says this doesn't necessarily mean theatrics. And you're right Jim, work doesn't always translate well off the page. I could be wrong but it sounds as though you're not that interested in actively engaging with anything which isn't neatly packaged and easily consumed. [ha - sorry, sweeping statement there - feel free to respond... and please - do]. Are we looking for a passive audience? Is it really a one-way relationship? I like that Openned challenged this in the final segment where we literally had to get off our seats and actively make choices about which work we would engage with.

Jim - can you expand a little on what you mean by ' the delivery very uneven' and 'too little presence from the poets'? In what way could this be improved upon [other than having actors read the work]?

Finally, just to go back to Amys closing comment: I think we should ask how often the effort put into 'innovation' etc. makes poets lazy and complacent in other ways. I agree. I think we need to be contantly raising the bar and challenging ourselves. Personally, I have always found Openned to be a space in which this happens.

[Mick Weller]

Wot kinda club is this?

[Jeff Hilson]

it ain't s-club Mick!

[Linus Slug]

no Jeff - it's the Crystal Oasis Club!