NEW YEAR SPOKEN WORD CHECK-IN

2008 looks very good from this end. Here are a few of the things I'm looking forward to in the next month, not so much in order of significance as of chronology:

ARTISTIKA

January 11, Artistika takes place. This is to say a benefit show at Babylon, featuring the Oneness collective, whose birth late last year could be witnessed at Free Will's CD release in December. The emerging collective is a loose and fluid joint project including One, Free Will, Nathanaël Larochette and others in permutations divers and configurations fresh of music and text. But that's just my ambiguous descriptive stab at it. For a sharper idea, witness them yourself! It's a fundraiser for the Mayan Alternative, and features other multi-disciplinary performances.

ANOTHER FRIENDLY OPEN MIC!

There's a new open-mic at the Laff Tuesday nights. Knowing organizers/cohosts Tiah Ase and John Carrol, expect it to be warm and full of surprises, and a nice place to fire-harden your verbal palisades. Or balustrades. Or what have you. Situated in the Chateau Laffayette, you know it will be full of brilliant minds and experimental work, along with the hardcore cast of Akse/Carroll invitees. Familial conviviality and quart bottles all around! Show up anytime after 8, I'm told.

ALMONTE!

Danielle Gregoire, as usual, is up to something. It's called the Spoken Word Plot, and it's launched at the Ironworks Pub in Almonte on January 29. How can anyone resist? The first program includes a too-rare performance by local slam veteran Matt Peake, and debut performances by participants in Danielle's currently-running spoken word performance workshop! If you want to get in on Danielle's three-week February workshop, please email Danielle.

PHOTOS AND TEXT

Poetic Intentions this month is called Photogenic Memories, and should appeal to many local poets as strongly as it does to me. For Monday January 28's show, Tiah has asked for pieces inspired by or related to photos. If you submit the images ahead of time, she will arrange projection of your photos during the performance/reading, and all poets are asked to have hard copy of both text and photos for display at the event. Put on your multimedia caps! More info by email.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SLAM

Capital Slam on Saturday February 2, feature Doretta Charles, is presented in partnership with STAND (students taking action now on Darfur). The show raises funds for STAND's work, and will be graced by Doretta's first feature set in quite a while, which many of us have been greatly looking forward to. It's always good to see people in the slam who haven't done so before, too! (hint hint why dontcha it's fun)

OUT OF TOWN AND NOTABLE

Throw Slam in Montreal featuring Common Unity collective: Jan 29 [info on "the Facebook"]

Story Slam in Toronto: Jan 12 [info on FB]
$100 Slam in Toronto: Jan 27 [info on FB]

One other mention: watch out for a [tentatively untitled, if that makes sense] performance poetry tour through Ontario and Montreal in April, as we observe National Poetry month. Details will materialize incrementally, as is their way.