what a MAINSTAGE looks like

The point of this blog is to give people a sense of THIN AIR, and, sometimes, a behind-the-scenes glimpse that even festival attendees with their cash on the barrelhead don't get to see...

I think this video does a bit of both. But then, I'm biased.



Just for the record, this is the very end of the Saturday night Mainstage, namely the Poetry Bash, namely the last Mainstage of 2008.

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Ariel Gordon is a Winnipeg-based writer and editor. Her poetry has recently appeared in PRISM International, The Fieldstone Review, and Prairie Fire. In addition to being Events Coordinator at Aqua Books, Ariel also contributes to the Winnipeg Free Press' Books Section and Prairie books NOW.

A hand-made, limited-edition chapbook of Ariel's poetry, entitled The navel gaze (with Kingsville, ON's Palimpsest Press), was launched Oct. 1 at Aqua Books.

Video: JonArno Lawson

Here's the first of the last of HOT AIR material I collected over the course of the festival.

I know, I know, it's a bit late. But I had to launch a book this week!

As you can tell from the tittering, people were quite delighted with Lawson, who seemed surprised, muttering about how "no one ever had him read."



He proceeded to give a rapid-fire career retrospective of his five books of poetry for children and adults.

Good stuff, even a week or so later.

More to come, dear HOT AIR devotees...

* * *

Ariel Gordon is a Winnipeg-based writer and editor. Her poetry has recently appeared in PRISM International, The Fieldstone Review, and Prairie Fire. In addition to being Events Coordinator at Aqua Books, Ariel also contributes to the Winnipeg Free Press' Books Section and Prairie books NOW.

A hand-made, limited-edition chapbook of Ariel's poetry, entitled The navel gaze (with Kingsville, ON's Palimpsest Press), was launched Oct. 1 at Aqua Books.

Video: Roo Borson

Since most of my bloggers have commented on Roo Borson's Big Ideas lecture on creativity, I'm not going to try to find some angle not covered, some thought not aired.



So, here is a short reading by Borson from her new book Personal History.

Video: After Words #1

Here's a video that introduces you to After Words, the post-Mainstage spoken word series, hosted by Aqua Books.

(A disclaimer: I happen to work at Aqua Books as Events Coordinator, which is why I'm frightfully familiar with Kelly Hughes, proprieTOR, in the video.)

(A disclaimer: I'm frightfully familiar with most everyone. Which has nothing to do with my virtue. I just say outrageous things to people I hardly know and expect them to take it.)

As luck would have it, the video also serves as an introduction to Aqua Books' second floor space, which also includes three (unseen in this video) writers' studios.



There are two more nights of After Words, one with Shane Koyczan and one with the Winnipeg Slam Poetry Team.

There is also an afternoon mystery event on Saturday afternoon with (Aqua Books' new Writer in Residence) Michael Van Rooy and Phyllis Smallman.

(The tally: Michael's second book, Phyllis' first.)

So, if you make an appearance, I'll be there, taking pics and selling books and making wise.

Also, speaking from the bookseller side of my mouth, I should let you know that Aqua is selling Paul's new Giller-longlisted The Ravine for $25, several bucks below its listed sticker price.

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Ariel Gordon is a Winnipeg-based writer and editor. Her poetry has recently appeared in PRISM International, The Fieldstone Review, and Prairie Fire. In addition to being Events Coordinator at Aqua Books, Ariel also contributes to the Winnipeg Free Press' Books Section and Prairie books NOW.

A hand-made, limited-edition chapbook of Ariel's poetry, entitled The navel gaze (with Kingsville, ON's Palimpsest Press), will be launched Oct. 1 at Aqua Books.

Reading: Rebecca Rosenblum

Rebecca Rosenblum is one of those tricky women. Shy-looking, self-deprecating-ish, but clever and confident underneath.

Her book is only a week old. She's only ever done five or six readings in her live-long life.



But with the exception of a couple of errant throat clearings - or, perhaps, the microphone up her nose - you couldn't tell.

That's what's wonderful and terrible about writing/writers.

Thankfully, given my bugaboo about writers doing the SAME reading at afternoon and evening events, she read something different that night, appearing before Pasha Malla and David Bergen in the second half of the evening.

She wore a pink dress, I think...

I don't hold that against her.

* * *

Ariel Gordon is a Winnipeg-based writer and editor. Her poetry has recently appeared in PRISM International, The Fieldstone Review, and Prairie Fire. In addition to being Events Coordinator at Aqua Books, Ariel also contributes to the Winnipeg Free Press' Books Section and Prairie books NOW.

A hand-made, limited-edition chapbook of Ariel's poetry, entitled The navel gaze (with Kingsville, ON's Palimpsest Press), will be launched Oct. 1 at Aqua Books.

Reading: Joan Thomas

This was my second time seeing Joan Thomas read. Having added her book, Reading by Lightning, to my ever-growing pile of new books but not having had the chance to dip into it, I was re-intrigued by her reading.



I also wanted to note how very gracious and intelligent her introductions are.

It makes me hate her a bit, actually. I'm not good at thanking people in private, never mind in public, and sounding intelligent? Well...

In any event, I'm happy to share a longish chunk of today's reading...

I take full responsibility for the crappy sound and none whatsoever for the literary goodness on offer.

(It was a longer longish chunk, which I edited down...you missed camera shake and also a rather loud giggle.)

Video: Voices from Oodena

Tonight was opening night of THIN AIR 2008.

Unlike last year, and, according to Tanya, spouse of Perry, the year before, this year's Voices from Oodena actually was IN the Oodena.

I'm not sure precisely what an Oodena is, but I like saying it. Oodena. Oodena.

The night was lovely.



My favorite things about the evening, aside from the readings (amply covered by Courtney and, I think, Jay) were the swarms.

The children who moved over the stony bony ribs and shoulders that surrounded the amphitheatre. The late summer mosquitoes immediately over our heads, interspersed with midges, and the gulls in the airspace over that.

The children who rolled bony bonelessly down the hill while Marc Prescott talked about a kiss that would sum up a lifetime of kisses, one lover to another. The rabbit that quivered in the orange light while Chandra Mayor read of Ms. Purdy's and gin and then started nosing the late summer grass immediately next to Opening Night spectators.

The air, both warm and cool. The words, rising from the grass, from the centre of the amphitheatre.

THIN AIR.