ART ENT GULF ISLANDS DRIFlWOOD .o. WEDNESDAY, AU(jUST 11, 2004 .o. PAGE 81 Unassuming and candid poet laureate charms audience ' . By JENNIFER MCFEE He also wrote a rhythmic such as writing spy fiction Staff Writer poem entitled Lost in the and a young person's novel. Peals of laughter and Library for Freedom to Read "What often happens is appreciative applause filled Week. The witty rhymes and you mess up. Most experi­ ArtSpring's theatre Satur­ steady beats of the poem ments don't work. Some­ day night as first-ever Cana­ provided a great closing times they fail and some­ dian Poet Laureate George piece that sounded similar to body publishes them any­ Bowering shared his words a spoken song. way. Sometimes they fail at Festival ArtSpring's only Following the reading, the and nobody publishes them literary event. author candidly answered and you're glad." Brian Brett of Theatre several questions from He said he doesn't under­ Alive introduced Bowering inquisitive audience mem­ stand when people talk about as one of the country's most bers. taking risks with their writ­ celebrated and controversial "I was probably 14 when ing. authors who has amassed a I started because I was writ­ "Writing is only a risk remarkable variety and vol­ ing poems in high schoot, if you are in a dictatorship ume of published works, and luckily none of them country and you are insulting including over 80 books, survived. But when I was - the army. It's not a risk if you Bowering began his read­ in high school, my ambition just open yourself up and tell ing with a short poem called was to be a sports writer," embarrassing things. Composition. said Bowering, whose first "You could get into a lot ''I'll read it twice so that publication was a 26-verse of serious trouble in some the people who don't get poem in Hockey Picto­ parts of the world fot being it the first time, including rial called The ABCs of the a writer. I think Canadians me, can have a chance. It's NHL. sometimes get a little jeal­ about putting things side by He explained to the audi­ ous of that because no matter side, which is what poets and ence how he gets his varied what we say, we won't get in composers do," said the two­ ideas and inspirations. trouble." time winner of the Governor "This haunting rhythmic Bowering believes that General's Literary Award. thing would often happen in Quebecois writer Nicole Bowering continued with Montreal when I was walk­ Brossard is the ideal candi­ a poem called She Carries, ing towards the subway. And date for the next poet laure­ about the help he received the lyric poems usually just ate. from his "dear darling sweet­ WAXING POETIC: Poet Laureate George Bowering takes the stage at ArtSpring, come as a surprise. Some­ After an hour and a h~lf heart Jean" after an accident delighting the crowd that gathered to hear him Saturday night. Photo by Derrick Lundy times you just have to open of entertaining the audi­ last fall that left him tempo­ yourself up completely. What ence with punchy poems rarily confined to a wheel­ I do is always try to write and amusing anecdotes, the chair. the traffic works, how the under many different genres write anti-logging poems, a cars go. Nobody uses turn and even reviewed in the · something that I've never unassuming author stepped Next, the retired Simon New Year's poem for the Van­ done before or maybe build signals. Everybody knows automotive section of one down from the stage, leaned Fraser University profes­ couver Sun and a poem for the on something I have done back and chatted with indi­ where everybody else is newspaper. sor read a two-stanza poem Canadian Junior and Senior before," said Bowering, who viduals as they filed out of going to drive to," he said. "That was the most pleas­ called A Small Hand. Little League Tournament. has undertake.n..new ventures the-theatre. "I wrote this poem three or Using his local observa­ ing of all," said Bowering. four years· ago. I've been try­ tions as a segue, the writer "I was told once when I was ing to figure out what's going moved into his next set of young to try to do writing PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PEGASUS GALLERY OF CANADIAN ART on with it ever since. There's readings from Cars, a book on a high social and behav­ something there which I he co-wrote with poet Ryan ioural scale," he said, lead­ hope to live long enough to Knighton through e-mail ing into comical readings get," Bowering revealed to exchanges. about excessive vomiting the crowd. "These are all true stories, and sweaty rides on station­ Visiting Salt Spring for the by the way. I guess they'r~ ary bikes. third time, Bowering said he poems. I don't know what to Bowering said that the was intrigued by the island's call them. We just call them governor general once asked traffic situation. panels." him to write a poem and he "It's interesting to see how The book was categorized didn't do it. He did, however, Starlight Cinema retufllS INSIDE: Island Star Video's support 9f the Salt Spring Food Bank continues with its annual summertime Starlight Cinema in Driftwood Centennial Park on Saturday, August 21. A PORTRAIT Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will be shown on Classified "the big screen" set up in the park beginning at dusk. IN JAzz: People should bring chairs and blankets to sit on, along with a donation for the food bank. Ads on Indoor pool society Ssplash will be handling the conces­ sion, with proceeds benefitting that group. PageB16 Wednesday, August II 8 PM The Guy St-Onge Trio pays tribute ~o one of the towering, most ~~ . ·_" ~ · .<' . <••<•:; ...- . • ·· · ~~VJ.&q\ut~ influential figures in all of jazz history, pianist Bill Evans. llllfi'.FMII .. W'~ ""--- Direct from Louisiana OaoFuu,O.I ~ A musical gumbo of authentic Cajun music. THE KillER B's Two Evenings of Chamber Music Saturday, August 14 (8 pm) (FAExtra: pre-concert chats at 6:50pm) Friday, August 20 (8 pm) (FAExtra: pre-concert chats at 6:50pm) Two programs over two evenings of evocative and unforgettable musical picture-painting highlighting the music of Brahms, Britten, Bax, Boccherini and Mozart. Featuring James Mason, oboe (August 14) and Alexander Dunn (August 20), plus festival favourites David Visentin, Hiroko Kagawa, Kai 'tleusteen, Catherine Ordronneau and Paula Kiffner. "BAR SIDE" ACTION STARTS AT 82 • WEDNESDAY, A UGUST 11, 2004 _ARTS .& ENTERTAINMENT GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD Did you know? Retail sales in BC grew Minimal detail speaks volumes at the second highest Visual artists see the world differently than you and I. rate in the country in Positive and negative space May compared with May defines shapes so that form becomes all. 2003. BC's 7.4% increase When I look at a group­ was well ahead of the ing of vegetables lying on a blue tablecloth, I think sup­ 4.6% national average. per. Not that artists don't eat, (Statistics Canada, July 26, 2004) but their eye is trained to see the shape the vegetables dis­ Phone: 250-655-5711 place. The blue tablecloth is Toll-free: 1-866-655-5711 as important as the objects E-mail: [email protected] that are placed on them. For Stefanie Denz, the www.murr aycoellmla.bc.ca owner of August Gallery at 111 Morningside Road in Fulford, her interest lies in "the form and the colour - ARTIST'S EYE: Artist Stefanie Denz is interested in form and colour "and not so not so much in the details." much the det ails" as seen in her work here. See us for afast Not unlike Monet, who painted his That's a true gift on Denz's wavy fencing. quote on all your water lil­ part: with little detail, we On Friday, August 13 from ies in an ART BEATON understand · the emotion ito 9 p.m. there will be an impression­ and the time and place of opening at August Gallery building requirements! istic blur THE ROCK the people in the painting. also featuring Nancy Van because he WITH ANDREA Their lives are recognizable, Patten's sculpture, Rani was losing RABINOVITCH affirming our own humanity. Worotny's specialty hats, tl' Concrete v Siding his eyesight Much of Denz's work Barbara D. Clarke's leather and that's further by using bright plas­ includes painting on found jackets, Beate Denz's clay v Insulation v Decking what ne saw, Denz tends to tic to "integrate the paint surfaces. "Swing," an figures and Laura Keil 's see the world in terms of with the surface." image of a woman swinging pots. v Flooring v Fencing shape. Her "In the Kitchen" through the air with aban­ While shaking it up at the Not surprisingly, architec­ painting includes a man's don, is oil on fibreglass fenc­ opening, nip around the back v Painting t/ Lumber ture interests her. Her present intensely yellow shirt cut ing and wood. to the new gallery next door: Roofing t/ Tools show includes architectural out of plastic, making one of The surfaces dictate Copperwood Gallery where v paintings, buildings painted the few distinct lines in the the texture and suggest a Luke Weller, Jeremiah and t/ Windows tl' Electrical on rough-hewn wood, and painting. metaphor for the object of Josh Hart are joined by sis­ most of her work uses piec­ He's listening to the the painting.