READING BITE AT ARKANSAS LITERARY FESTIVAL
19 Apr
Here’s the “Shake”-y video of my reading of Bite at the Arkansas Literary Festival – it’s what you get when you use a cheap digital camera – but still, I’m glad to have a memento of my public poetic debut. In addition to Bite, I read Of My Science and Her Poetics and Spammed.
I arrived at the event complete with entourage – 17 people came to support me and the overall turnout was good at roughly 100 or so. I was the curtain jerker, going on first, but I that allowed me to enjoy the rest of the evening. It was exhilarating, exciting, wonderful, terrifying, fun, and, in a way, life-altering. Thanks to everyone who came out!
Here was the official lineup of the event, with four local open mic-ers (including me) reading alongside six established writers.
PUB OR PERISH 2009
OPEN MIC: BRYAN BORLAND
SCOTT STANDRIDGE: Scott Standridge is a poet, short story writer, and the former editor of City Slab magazine, From 2006 to 2007 he wrote a new original sonnet every day for a year. His poem “Noir, #28″ was a finalist for the 2008 Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award. His poetry has also appeared in The Hypertexts, Dreams and Nightmares, and Modern Drunkard Magazine. He lives in Little Rock.
DOROTHY ALLISON: A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Dorothy Allison is one of the best writers working today. Her books of poetry and fiction include Trash, The Women Who Hate Me, Cavedweller, Two or Three Things I Know for Sure and Bastard out of Carolina, which was a finalist for the National Book Award.
OPEN MIC: DONALD STREIT (Very cool political-tinted poetry)
MAUREEN SMITH MCGOVERN – Maureen McGovern is a painter, poet and actress. A former newspaper journalist and magazine writer, she appeared in the films “The Pigman” and “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.” She lives in Fairfield Bay with her husband, Don
OPEN MIC: LENNON SIMPSON (A Slam poet – one “traditionalist” poet had called his style “The McDonalds of poetry” earlier in the day – and he preceded his performance by telling her to fuck herself because he likes Big Macs. I was very happy Lennon participated because he brought a burst of energy to the event.)
RANDI ROMO: Randi Romo is an old friend of Pub or Perish, A resident of Little Rock, Randi is very passionate about the struggle for equal rights for our gay and lesbian neighbors and other oppressed people in Arkansas: or, as she put it: a Passionate Queer Chicana Word-Spitting Art-Making Warrior-Woman Activist who is trying hard to be the change she wants to see in the world. Randi is the co-founder and the current director of the Center for Artistic Revolution, a Little Rock arts and culture action group.
CHRISTINA HENRIQUEZ: Cristina Henríquez is a graduate of Northwestern University and the famous Iowa Writer’s Workshop. A resident of Chicago, her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Glimmer Train, Ploughshares, and TriQuarterly. She is the author of the novel The World In Half and the short story collection Come Together, Fall Apart.
OPEN MIC: BRE SCHRADER (Bre brought STD awareness to Pub or Perish and I think we’re all better for it.)
PAUL LAKE: A native of Baltimore, poet and novelist Paul Lake is a professor of English at Arkansas Tech University. His poetry and essays have appeared in Southern Review, Paris Review, Sewanee Review, Poetry and many others. He is the author of the poetry collection Another Kind of Travel, and the novel Among the Immortals, a literary thriller about poets and vampires. In June of 2008, he published his second novel, Cry Wolf, a political fable about a farm called Green Pastures.
Here’s a couple of photos – one of my co-workers who came out to cheer me on – complete with signs (The one here says “Bryan’s BFF’s” – that’s Best Friends Forever – and then there’s the obligatory photo of me with a beer beforehand, because, really, poetry and alcohol go together like poetry contests and expensive entry fees.
For serious – thank you to all my friends and especially to my love Christopher, who endured me reading my poetry endlessly in the days leading up to Pub or Perish.
Tags: Arkansas, Arkansas Literary Festival, Arkansas Times, Bffs, Bite, Bryan, Bryan Borland, Poem, Poetics, Poetry, Pub or Perish, Reading, Readings, Science, Writing
Shakey my ass. You try holding the camera up that long! You did great! I will never be a camera man obviously.
Chris – You can hold my camera anytime!
Aw, Bryan, I’m not even your mother and I felt all proud! You did wonderfully! I admire your grit and balls, getting up there and expressing your art.
Thank you Val! Your encouragement means a lot.
Thanks for posting, Bryan, I loved it, The way you read it (or, even better, performed it) really made me appreciate it in a new way. Loved your delivery. It felt like reading it for the first time all over again.
Thanks QL! You were part of the entourage in spirit!
Yeah! Fantastic. You are a superstar, Bryan. And an entourage for your first gig! Perfect.
Paul, your comments and feedback have helped me build the courage to put myself out there – tremendous gratitude going your way!
Loved your animated enthusiasm. Now aren’t you glad that’s over? Think how easy it will be next time.
It was awesome, people. Bryan was kind enough to make me a star by introducing the subject of Spammed to the audience. It was very cool.
Also, feet of woe
I liked our little alcove
Great job! Can’t tell you were nervous at all
Great lift off Bryan. You looked and sounded super and it looks like you handled the nerves incredibly well. Congrats!
Nice…hehehe I was gonna say something about accents, but ya know…In truth, it was awesome.
I love the identity being “husband”… now how can be we sure it’s yours and not mine
??
wow! i would never have guessed that was your debut! did you feel shaky? (my knees knocked. I mean, they actually knocked!)
1writegirl – Oh yeah, and oh yeah!
M’Lady – you know it’s always been our tradition for me to use you as an icebreaker. Why not take it public?
Jessie – Thanks for the back-pat!
Brad – we sort of experienced the same thing at the same time, worlds apart, didn’t we? No going back now.
Bindo – thank you! You should hear me pronounce the word “on.” When it leaves my mouth, it rhymes with bone.
Shelley – look, I wasn’t going to say anything about the man following me around with a camera, but, since you mentioned it…
Judy – Let’s just say the name of my website was the perfect description of my hands that night!
Way to go, Bryan!
I’ve been thinking about doing something like that. Any pointers?
Wayne, not sure I’m in any position to give advice, but my new mantra is just take a deep breath and jump in!
Bryan, you are amazing. You made everyone so proud!!
Fabulous Miss Brown: I will forever remember you saying “DAMN” with attitude after I read Bite. Thanks for the signs!
socratesoul – I say you and me put on a reading sometime. You and me – headliners, right?
Bryan! I just a fabulous clip at Maekitso’s Cafe of a young bloke performing his poetry. Absolutely brilliant. And it made me think of you straight away.
Paul – I’m headed there now to check it out. Brad posts such
entertaining stuff!
Awesome! Where are vids of the other poems? Would love to hear Of My Science and Her Politics.
ht – the other vids were way shaky. Not to fear. I’ve been mastering the art of recording my poetry and so there will be mp3′s soon. I’m recording a few for wordsalad.wordpress.com & I’ll be sure to let you know when they are up.
Very cool. Most definitely keep me posted.
Hey Chris~ Your video functioned well for its purpose. I think it was great that you were able to capture Bryan doing his reading.
Hey Bryan~ I’m so proud of you for standing up in front of such a large crowd of people and working your magic. You did well my friend.
You guys have a great night.
Fully clothed in this one, Bryan. Maybe next time? They all thought I was joking in my blog, hahahahahaa