Hi Chris,
PS - in regards to the music, I'll likely do a bit of acoustic instrumental, Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Fairport Convention type stuff...maybe Patti Smith...
This live clip here is with my old band, about 10 years ago, and hardly, hardly resembles me now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANtGn9lPUgw
This was one that has been used lots in film/TV, that horrible re-make of "La Femme Nikita" used it quite a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUaGbXkeJg
Let me know if you need anything else...
Peace,
Sue
On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 2:28 PM, Sue Hutton wrote:
Hi Chris,
I read further into your blog while I was just waiting for a doctor's appt - great stories. Amazing adventures.
Also - Kent (Carolyn's son, and my partner) read your email - and said "Wow. I think this might be that amazing librarian who was fired - for ...bringing in good books....!! Kent mentioned his mom thought very highly of you. I reconnected with Kent shortly his mom died, so sadly, did not ever get to meet her. Always felt sad I didn't get a chance.
Yes, we will be staying at her old place on Beaver Creek - I'll check with Kent about the scheduling stuff that works best - but sure - as far as the music, 3PM -ish sounds just fine. Is your friend crazy enough to want to sit in on my set too? (Ie. play a few chords along with me....I could pass on to him what I'm doing, chords etc. ) All pretty simple stuff. Shall I bring a microphone and mic stand? Do you know if there is a little amp there?
Back to the grind here.. so glad to have connected.
Peace,
Sue
On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 11:04 AM, Chris Faiers <zenriver@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Hi Sue,
Carolyn helped me return to meditating about a decade ago ... small world : ) She led weekly sessions in a local church basement, and somewhat surprisingly, there were at least two or three of us in the group who had some experience with meditation. She was a very beautiful person, I think of her often, and I've looked for her gravestone a number of times, without success. So this is a bit of a full circle for all of us.
Yes, the Celebrate Marmora events are very kid friendly, with things like face painting, balloon animals, etc., so Kai should have a great time as well as the adults. Of course some of the Dam poetry reading can be 'adult', but if the readers see a child sitting there, I'm sure they'll take this into consideration.
So what I'm thinking is this ... I'm not sure how interested you and your family are in the other PurdyFest events. It would be great if you could attend our potluck supper at ZenRiver Gardens on the late Friday afternoon (July 29). Then on Saturday we have the Symposium on Toronto poet Raymond Souster from noon to 2 pm. And you're most welcome to camp at ZRG - it's rough camping, but very beautiful, even idyllic.
Then there's a fairly large time gap between the Symp. and the start of the dam reading. My friend, Morley, will kick off the dam reading location with a song or two, and then Ottawa poet Jim Larwill will do a set from his new CD, which we're launching. Then I'm planning to have Morley play a longer set (guitar & singing - he does everything from Beatles to Dylan to country - Dwight - etc etc - even punk!).
So perhaps you could lead off the dam events much earlier. I like the long break, as I scurry home after the Symp. and eat and try and nap before the rest of the day's excitement. But many of the poets have driven in from ZRG, and quite a few have driven from TO for the day. So Jim Larwill has been encouraging me to tighten up the events on Saturday, and your proposal fits perfectly. Perhaps you could start a set around 3 or 3:30, so there would be just an hour break between the Symp and the start of events on the dam.
Starting performances earlier would help us draw a crowd from the many visitors wandering round the park where Celebrate Marmora is focused. We're a few hundred yards further north along the Crowe River. And having you perform a half hour+ set would fit in perfectly with everything - give our poets an enjoyable performance, bring in CM people, give you some 'rehearsal' time, and ultimately lay the groundwork for the another Dam Poetry Reading.
Will you be staying at Carolyn's place, or are you interested in camping at ZRG? Also there are two great B&Bs in Marmora now, but you prob. already know this.
re Buddhism, I don't follow any particular school. In reading thru some literature, I learned I have a 'private Buddha'. I tell a bit of my early experiences in Eel Pie Dharma, which you've read online. To relax myself, and to focus on the right course of action re the Vietnam War, I taught myself yoga and meditation from a little paperback in 1968. I could sit in full lotus for hours, and I found that by measuring my breathing while doing asanas, meditation followed naturally. I'm basically self-taught in just about everything - including poetry. I like to read the master poets, but I can't imagine taking a creative writing course!
A good friend here in Marmora, Dr. John, is far more knowledgeable about the different schools and practices in Buddhism. In a way, we're playfully evolving a Canadian, or northern Turtle Island, form of Buddhism at ZenRiver. A bit of Zen, a touch of First Nations wisdom and shamanism, some Tibetan prayer flags - lots of haiku and other poetry forms. We even have our own teaching rockface, with a powerful cleft joining physical and spiritual worlds.
Thay, the head monk at Zen Forest, visited ZRG two summers ago, and he very much enjoyed the experience and pronounced strong feng shui at ZRG. If you are planning a longer stay, you may want to visit Thay at ZF, or Lama Jigme at the Tibetan monastery. Also the Petroglyphs Prov. Park is less than an hour's drive from here - very powerful place.
better go walk my dog, Chase
Thanks again for making the connection : )
Namaste,
peace & poetry power & music!
Chris
p.s. my home phone # is 613-472-6186, but I'm usu hard to reach by phone - a bit of a phonophobe
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