Book for Hideo Furuta, sculptor of Adamson Square, Creetown, to be launched in Dumfries

Do leave your firesides for a special celebration on Monday 6 December of the famous sculptor Hideo Furuta. dgArts has published a beautiful book of photographs and the story behind the work, which is being launched in Dumfries. Christmas presents solved on the spot!

All receipts from the sale of ‘In Context: Hideo Furuta and Adamson Square’ will go to the Hideo Furuta Creative Arts Fund which will support the commissioning of young creative professionals to develop new projects for Dumfries and Galloway, with particular emphasis on the Creetown area.

Come along to the Midsteeple next Monday at 7pm to enjoy a glass of wine, a slide show and a talk, all welcome.

What a welcome from A' The Airts

I don't often find time to write an 'afterwards' blog, but the world should know what a great new venue Sanquhar's got in its spanking new, shiny white A' The Airts. And what a great night the final Poetry Doubles of 2010 delivered there.

A minibus load of poets disembarked onto frosty pavements and tottered in under the weight of banners and booze (well, and orange juice) to a fantastic welcome from Sanquhar. There is a beautiful cafe, with big windows and little tables. Shelves of attractive hand-crafted goods warm up one side of the room. Dennis O' Driscoll and JoAnne McKay performed in a great space upstairs where the tall 19th century ceiling has been retained above the new raked seating. It all felt very clean and white and new, but has been made warm and local by lots of vibrant framed paintings (I'm guessing from the schools).

Dennis O'Driscoll mentioned that he was known for his gloomy poetry, then read us a set which frequently had the audience in giggles. Then he said he'd better ensure his reputation stood, and read us 'someone is dressing up for death today'. It was read on radio after 9/11, though written 20 years earlier. It's about all of us really. Sanquhar loved him. Dennis's 4am start in Ireland and transport by Ryanair prevented there being any books to buy, but get online everyone, and buy one.

JoAnne's set was really well judged for both humour and her own kind of unsparing honesty. As she admitted, the ones about the Old Bill do go down well. Impossible to listen without picturing a feisty younger JoAnne pinning down machete-wielding villians... And Venti is a very good (and amazingly beautifully crafted) pamphlet.

Well, that's Poetry Doubles for 2010. I'm looking forward to next year's already...

Dennis O'Driscoll and JoAnne McKay read in Sanquhar on Tuesday

A reading to leave your fireside for, the final Poetry Doubles of 2010 is set to go out with real flourish as acclaimed Irish poet Dennis O'Driscoll reads alongside the sparkling JoAnne McKay in a brand new venue for Sanquhar 'A' The Airts'. The event takes place on Tuesday 23 November, 7pm, £7/£5 on the door or ring us on 01387 253383 to reserve your tickets. Carolyn is investigating shared transport from Dumfries to Sanquhar for this event - do call her on 01387 253383 if interested.

Dennis O'Driscoll's crisp, musical poetry has, says the Guardian, 'made him an international poet who you can commend unequivocally to anyone with a heart and a mind'. He is much in demand as a reader (so much so that Carolyn has to drive him to Lumb Bank in Yorkshire tomorrow so he could fit us in!)

JoAnne's poetry is by turns funny, mysterious and wrenching, and she is an excellent performer of her work.

I leave you with a wintry little taste of Dennis O'Driscoll:

…you contemplate winter
with something close to tenderness, the sprint
from fuel shed to back door, the leisurely
ascent of peat smoke, even the suburban haze
of boiler flues when thermostats are set.

Beth Fouracre to guest at next week's Open Stage

It's a real pleasure to welcome massively talented singer songwriter Beth Fouracre back to Open Stage. I thought she was great - she did these amazing sounds through the amplifier, recording her own voice and singing over it - gorgeous to listen to. Now she's working on the alphabeth sessions...

She'll be back for next Wednesday's Open Stage (the 24th), at So You Cafe on Castle Street. The evening starts at 7pm when you're warmly invited to come along and book a space to perform in. The show starts at 7.30pm, and Nicola Black will be our compere. £3 on the door.

Find out more about Beth, and get a listen to help you make the decision to go out into this fine weather we're having at http://www.myspace.com/bethfouracre

Kenneth Steven and Jean Atkin in Poetry Doubles on Monday 15 November

Poetry Doubles is back on Monday 15th November, with a chance to enjoy the poetry of Kenneth Steven and Jean Atkin.

The evening starts at 7pm at the Rutherford McCowan Building on the Crichton Campus in Dumfries. Kenneth is much published, writing sensitive poetry about the natural world, very much rooted in the Highlands of Scotland.
My work is much less published - but I've had an exciting year or so culminating in the publication of my first pamphlet from Ravenglass Poetry Press. Hear poems from 'The Treeless Region', a taste of Shetland from my forthcoming pamphlet with Roncadora, and some new stuff.

Hope to see you there! If you need help finding it try this link: http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_75482_en.pdf

Literary Lunch at Casa Mia - tickets available now!

Grab your tickets for the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust fund-raising Literary Lunch at 12 noon on Friday 12^th November 2010 At Casa Mia . Owen Dudley Edwards is giving the talk: Peter Pan and Us, plus 2-course Lunch with wine. Tickets £20. contact Sheri Blackett sheri@arbigland.com

Liz Niven, Margaret Elphinstone and Tom Pow in support of PEN

Liz Niven has arranged the 1st meeting of PEN South West Scotland branch. 17TH NOVEMBER 2010 COACH & HORSES, Whitesands, Dumfries 7pm

PEN campaigns for writers and freedom of expression around the world. Membership of PEN is open to all involved in Scottish literature, including publishers, editors and students, as well as writers, poets and playwrights.

New members and friends welcome.

Liz Niven, Margaret Elphinstone and Tom Pow will be reading from the work in translation of imprisoned writers such as Liu Xiaobo, recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and currently in jail.

Further information: ln@lizniven.com or info@scottishpen.org

Jen Hadfield comes to Crichton Campus!

Come along next week to hear Jen Hadfield read her poetry and talk about it at The Crichton Campus in Dumfries. Wed 10 Nov at 2pm, Rutherford McCowan Building.

Jen's work has been described by Andrew Motion as 'jaunty, energetic and iconoclastic'.

Come because it'll be a joy. Free, too.


http://www.dgarts.co.uk/1223/events/jen-hadfield-at-the-crichton/