To get my take on 12 spec fic (SFF) stocking fillers that will get the spec fic lovers in your life through the 12 days of Christmas, check out my list on The Realm, here!

And have fun reading!

Just a reminder that it’s Mer-Made magic & maybe  a little mayhem, too, on the morrow, Thursday 16 December, from 8 pm, with Marissa Johnpillai and the muse-inspired  ‘mob’ she’s put together at Beat Street Cafe (on the cnr of Barbadoes and Armagh Streets, central Christchurch)—$5 entry.

And I’ll even be there—taking an evening out from the novel writing!—in the guest poet line up. 😉

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

Mer Made
(because the earth is 80% water)

oceans, islands & merfolk

spin words & play music

`’~,.,~’`’~,.,~’`’~,.,~’`’~,.,~’

The Cracks in Everything lap songs by Nikki BERRY

onto the shores of poems by

Tusiata AVIA

Jania GALLETLY

Helen LOWE

Danielle O’HALLORAN

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

which, of course, leads to a whirlpool of

Tamara SMITH & Sum SURAWEERA —

the Flutation and Percussion from Mundi,

ripplin ,over^under_through~ lyrics by Marissa JOHNPILLAI —

the Buoy from Elsewhere

Fey

your door
stands open still
at dusk, your light
a moth’s antenna
across
shadowed lawn

bare feet rustle
in last year’s
leaf drift, a wind
sways
through naked trees

you say
you will hang
a cricket cage
above your lintel,
burn apple wood
in the grate –
dance, the circle
of your skirt
reflecting
the moon’s dark face

I ride
a rocking horse
with patchwork eyes,
steal
through your door
to the cold-stone hearth –
dream
of dervish footsteps
hurdy-gurdy trees

(c) Helen Lowe

Highly Commended, Takahe National Poetry Competition 2008
Published in Takahe 68, December 2009

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Yesterday, Helen Rickerby was my guest here on “… Anything, Really”, posting on the evolution of the recently published JAAM 28: Dance Dance Dance.  Fey was not eligible for submission to JAAM because it had already been published in Takahe—but it remains one of my favourite “dance” poems, which I would like to share with you today in honour of Dance Dance Dance.

As part of the Tuesday Poem Blog’s celebration of Christmas, Tuesday poets are pairing up to feature poems by their “partner poet” for next Tuesday, 21 December. I am really pleased to be paired with Helen Rickerby and look forward to bringing you her poem next week.

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To read today’s featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Blog—and link to other Tuesday Poets posting around NZ and the world—either click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.

I have mentioned JAAM 28 Dance Dance Dance briefly on two occasions recently, here and here. Today I am delighted to have one of JAAM 28’s two editors (and fellow Tuesday Poem Blog poet), Helen Rickerby, as my guest on “… Anything, Really” to discuss the evolution of Dance Dance Dance.

Welcome Helen!

—

From Helen Rickerby:

The idea for JAAM 28: dance dance dance came from my co-editor, Clare Needham. Among many other things, Clare has worked as a dance producer. The idea came when she was producing a show Sleep/Wake, itself a blend of dance, theatre and science. She says, ‘Many dancers I know also write, or paint, or compose music. Many of the dance shows I’ve worked on blend different genres and disciplines to create new and exciting art. I was thinking about how exciting it would be to get writers thinking about dance and dancers thinking about writing, then see what happened.’

Clare and I took over the management of JAAM a few years ago (after being involved in JAAM since its beginnings back in 1995), and had jointly edited JAAM 24 – Clare selected the prose and I chose the poetry. We decided to take a similar approach with this issue.

When Clare first mentioned the idea to me, I thought it sounded exciting – I enjoy genre-bending and experimentation – but I certainly didn’t have the same relationship to dance as Clare did. I confess the few performances of modern dance I’ve been to have sometimes left me cold – it seemed very abstract. What sold me on the idea at first was dance as a metaphor for life and living, which, curiously, is how dance is often used in the writing that ended up in JAAM 28.

But as we kept on talking about it, I made more and more connections between literature and dance – especially poetry. Like dance, poetry can be formal, with set steps, or free-form. But even a free-form dance or poem is made up of steps and rhythms – even if uneven. The way words are placed on a page is like a dance, and dance is such a powerful metaphor.

As the submissions came in (flooded really, we had around 450 individual pieces submitted by about 170 people) I was fascinated by the diversity of work related to one topic, and excited to see the connections they made with each other.

We were delighted at how contributors interpreted the theme laterally as well as literally. Some work is about dance or features dance – such as the poem below, ‘Siegfried’ by Hera Bird, which is one of a series of poems inspired by the ballet Swan Lake. Other work dances on the page, or sets up dance rhythms. In many pieces dance is metaphorical – people dancing gingerly in their relationships with other people, or dancing with death, for example.

We didn’t get as many non-fiction submissions as we hoped, so we decided to fill that space with a few mini interviews with dancer/writer/choreographers Michele Powles, Linda Ashley, Lyne Pringle and Sam Trubridge. They are just a quick turn around the floor, rather than being long and in-depth, but we get some lovely insights into the place of dancing and writing in the interviewees lives, and how those different art forms interact.

The more visual art includes artefacts – drawings and poems – from dance projects, and a series of photographs that capture the vibrancy and movement of dance in South America. We’ve used one of those photos – a swirling image of a night parade in Bolivia – on the cover, which I think is really striking.

In the end, reading through the finished issue, I’m amazed and delighted at the variety and the vibrancy. It’s definitely worth a read.

— Helen Rickerby

—

Siegfried

Thigh white birds stitch themselves
muscle deep into the night.
Plaster trees crack themselves open, hollow as globes.
Their roots split the varnished forest floor.
They are growing.

Their leaves are cut from paper but they still fall
black into my mouth, narrowed as eyes.

I was afraid the night
my mother gave me a weapon
and told me to find a wife.
I held my crossbow like a compass.
in the dark throat of the woods.

(c) Hera Bird

—

About the Editors:

Helen Rickerby is the author of two collections of poetry: Abstract Internal Furniture (Headworx, 2001) and My Iron Spine (Headworx, 2008), and recently had a sequence of poems, Heading North, published in a hand-bound edition by Kilmog Press. As well as being co-managing editor of JAAM literary magazine, she runs Seraph Press, a boutique poetry publisher. She lives in Wellington, in a cliff-top tower, and works as a web editor.

Clare Needham is a writer, policy analyst and former lawyer. She has worked as in-house legal counsel at Penguin Books UK, production manager for the stage show spectacular Maui: One Man Against the Gods, and a theatre and dance producer.

Dr Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese literary critic, writer, professor, and former President of the Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC), has  been awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. I would like to congratulate Dr Liu Xiaobo on the award.

Liu is currently serving an 11 year prison sentence in China for “inciting subversion of state power” and is regarded internationally as a political prisoner.  Liu’s absence from the ceremony was marked with an Empty Chair.

The awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo is both a cause for celebration and a reminder that he and more than 40 other writers remain in prison in China; three of them, like Liu, are also members of international PEN.

To celebrate Liu Xiaobo receiving the award  and also raise awareness of his situation and that of his fellow writers, PEN is asking members, writers and people everywhere to “spread the word” by listening to, reading and disseminating Liu’s work as comprised in the following links:

• “Words a Cell Can’t Hold,” translated by Jeffrey Yang in The New York Times

• Liu Xia (Dr Liu Xiaobo’s wife) telling the story of Chinese authorities confiscating Liu Xiaobo’s work, recorded in Beijing, March 2010

• A reading of “Greed’s Prisoner,” recorded in Beijing, March 2010

• Liu Xiaobo on freedom of expression in China, 2006

For more multimedia, Liu’s poetry, and continued updates on his case please visit: www.pen.org/nobel

If you are in the USA, there will be a Writers’ Rally for Liu Xiaobo in New York on December 31.

—

If you wish to do more, you could:

1. SEND A CARD OF CONGRATULATIONS TO LIU XIAOBO IN PRISON:

Liu Xiaobo
Jinzhou Prison
Nanshan Road 86
Taihe District, 121013
Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province
P.R. China

2. SEND A LETTER OF APPEAL TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES:

Please write to the Chinese authorities respectfully requesting the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Liu Xiaobo and all those detained in China in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which China is a signatory. Letters should be sent to the Chinese authorities in Beijing—see below—with a copy to the Chinese embassy in your home country.

His Excellency Hu Jintao
President of the People’s Republic of China
State Council
Beijing 100032
P.R. China

My standing-at-the-kitchen-bench, lunch time reading this week has been William Gibson’s Spook Country—and I’m loving it. I am a long time William Gibson fan, ever since I read Mona Lisa Overdrive way back when, couldn’t put it down, and then went back and read Neuromancer—which effectively started the Cyberpunk scifi subgenre—and Count Zero. I loved the Virtual Light trilogy as well.

I was disappointed with Pattern Recognition when it came out, because I was expecting cyberpunk and it wasn’t that. In fact, it wasn’t even scifi at all and I was not quite sure exactly what I was reading … so as you may imagine, there was a little resistance to picking up Spook Country. It’s described on the back as a “thriller” and I suppose it is, although I feel there are decided “caper” elements as well–but there are also classic William Gibson elements around technology, popular culture, and alternate culture so—with different expectations this time around—I am enjoying it a lot.

I’ll almost certainly go on and read his latest, Zero History, as well.

By the way, for all you “punk” lovers out there, it’s arguable that William Gibson started not just cyberpunk but also steampunk, given he co-authored The Difference Engine with Bruce Sterling in 1990.

I haven’t shared a recipe for a while, but GiadaM invited me to participate in a recipe exchange (so I am hoping to get 36 new recipes to try out—when I’ve finished Wall2, of course!) and I thought, why not share my recipe choice here as well.

(Remembering that Christmas-New Year in the southern hemisphere is summer solstice, not winter) I find these rosewater macaroon cakes go down a treat as Christmas fare—and are really easy to prepare as well.

One way I like to serve the macaroons is on a plate that has been dusted with dried rose petals, but a  little bit of decoration with pansies or lavender works really well, too. Try using a coloured plate for styling effect—blue is great, although clear glass is very effective as well.

Rosewater Macaroon Cakes

from---Jo Wilcox, 'Take the Cake', NZ House & Garden, August 2005

These light coconut-ty cakes are lovely with crème fraiche.

Ingredients:-
½ cup flour
180 g icing sugar
100g dessicated coconut
5 egg whites
180 g butter, melted
1 tsp rosewater
extra icing sugar for dusting

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170 OC.  Lightly grease 10-12 leaf or friend moulds.
2. Sift flour and icing sugar into a large bowl and mix in coconut
3. Beat egg whites to soft peaks.
4. Fold into dry ingredients with the melted butter and rosewater
5. Three quarter fill the moulds and bake 10-15 minutes or until pale golden and set
6. Cool 2-3 minutes then remove from moulds (or tin)
7. Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

I saw a sign today: “Only 3 weeks left until Christmas!”

My first thought was: panic!

My second was: I wonder how many people out there are in exactly the same boat as me, i.e. no prep, no presents bought and wrapped, going down to the wire on Christmas as on everything else. Sigh.

And then I thought—hey, here’s an opportunity for some shameless self-promotion (by and for me!) which may even help others who are in the same pre-Christmas boat. So here goes—cool publications either written by me exclusively, or which include my work, that you could consider giving as gifts for Christmas: (I did mention the whole “shameless” bit, right?)

USA Cover

AU/NZ Cover

The Heir of Night— for adults and or teens who like classic epic fantasy, adventurous tales, and character-driven storytelling where there’s complexity to the plot. Available from all mainstream book retailers in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and internationally via Amazon (et al).

—

Thornspell—for tweens and young teens (and readers of all other ages) who like fantasy generally and fairytale retellings in particular, especially where they come with sword fights and hunts, mysterious magic and a dash of romance. Available from booksellers in the USA, Canada and New Zealand, although you may have to “order” in Australia; otherwise internationally via Amazon et al again.

—

JAAM 28: Dance Dance Dance (ed. Clare Needham; Helen Rickerby)—The recently released 2010 edition of NZ literary journal JAAM (Just Another Art Movement) contains two of my poems, Giacometti and Oral History as a (very small!) part of  a wonderful selection of both poetry, short fiction, photo essays and non-fiction prose by contemporary NZ writers. JAAM is available from a range of book retailers throughout New Zealand or direct from the magazine: click here for details. Another great gift idea for the person in your life who loves NZ short fiction and poetry, or literature in general, would be to give a subscription.

—

across the fingerboards: the 2010 NZ Poetry Society Anthology (ed. Barbara Strang)—the perfect gift for the poetry lover in your life. The NZ Poetry Society anthology contains both the winners and placegetters in this year’s international poetry and haiku competitons (both adult and junior sections.) A further selection of both haiku and poems drawn from entries into the competition—including my haiku winter buddha—have been selected by editor Barbara Strang for the anthology.

—

But Wait—There’s More!

(Even more shameless? I hope, not quite …)  Seriously, if you do wish to give a copy of either The Heir of Night or Thornspell as a gift this Christmas and would like to include a personal dedication for the recipient, if you email me your postal details through my website, plus the details you want included in the dedication, I will send you a signed bookplate by the next day’s post—up until 24 December, of course! These plates have been personally designed for me by Peter Fitzpatrick, the artist who designed The Heir of Night map so they are quite special.

But you will have to let me know whether you are giving the “blue” US edition or “red” AUS/NZ edition as the bookplates—like the books!—come in a different size.

I am delighted to have been invited by Marissa Johnpillai to read as a guest poet at the event Mer Made, to be held at Christchurch’s Beat Street Cafe, on the cnr of Barbadoes and Armagh Streets, on Thursday December 16 at 8 pm.

Here’s the “gen”—but I think this may just be a “be there or be square” event!

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

Mer Made
(because the earth is 80% water)

oceans, islands & merfolk

spin words & play music

`’~,.,~’`’~,.,~’`’~,.,~’`’~,.,~’

The Cracks in Everything lap songs by Nikki BERRY

onto the shores of poems by

Tusiata AVIA

Jania GALLETLY

Helen LOWE

Danielle O’HALLORAN

`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'

which, of course, leads to a whirlpool of

Tamara SMITH & Sum SURAWEERA —

the Flutation and Percussion from Mundi,

ripplin ,over^under_through~ lyrics by Marissa JOHNPILLAI —

the Buoy from Elsewhere

Blue

on Capri the gondola
rides far above the sea
hangs in green between blue and blue

below at the azure grotto
the boatman grasps the chain
we ride the surge
into glowing pale blue
our small flotilla circles
crosses the pool
(to bathe in this!)

and in Mainz
there’s an overflow of blue as
Chagal’s windows
light St Stephen’s
a triptych of swirling leaves
tumble of angels
Jacob Moses Elias
the holy family
the Christ
the ancient ark adrift on blue

and generations of high water marks
on the walls of villages
along the Rhein and Main

and the grey Danube

acqua alta – ma quanto alta?

(c) Barbara McCartney

Published in Flap: The Chook Book 2, (The Hen House) 2010

* "acqua alta - ma quanto alta?" translates as "high water - but how high?"
As seen  on a safety leaflet from Venice.

—

About the Poem:

This is the fourth and final Tuesday Poem selection from the recently released Flap: The Chook Book 2 by Christchurch poets Victoria Broome, Catherine Fitchett, Barbara McCartney and Christina Stachurski. Blue is from Barbara’s section of the anthology: the distance from here to there. I love the transition of “blues” through waterscapes in the poem, and also the way this work complements Catherine’s Blue last week—with Barbara’s poem making the return journey to Europe, again by water, while nonetheless remaining an odyssey recorded in shades of blue.

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About Barbara:

Barbara wrote poetry as a child and started again about ten years ago, and has since been published in Poetry NZ, North and South Magazine, The Press (Christchurch), and Takahe magazine.  Barbara is one of the Poetry Chooks who have just published their second anthology, Flap: the Chook Book 2.  She likes poems to have more than one level of meaning/interpretation, and is usually pretty severe in editing her own and others’ work.  She think a poem needs to be polished (as a jewel is), so that its essence is untrammelled by extraneous matter. Barbara also like hiding secrets within the language.

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To read the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Blog—and link to other Tuesday Poets posting around NZ and the world—either click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.