Monday, September 20, 2010

Poetry @ IngenuityFest 2010

Ingenuity, Cleveland’s Festival of Art and Technology

ingenuity The Ingenuity Festival returns with a weekend-long celebration of art and technology, designed for audiences of any age and experience, staged in the center of Downtown Cleveland. Prominent international masters present original works alongside the finest of Northeast Ohio’s performing and visual artists. High technology firms and major colleges and universities are presented alongside acclaimed artists to create a dazzling display of exciting and immersive new work! Ingenuity pushes boundaries, creating a unique festival experience that draws and celebrates diversity, and involves the audience as both spectator and participant!

This Year’s Poetry centered events include:

Malikee Ikiru
September 24, 2010 11:45PM - September 25, 2010 12:00AM@ Span Stage - West Concourse - West Side of Bridge
Malikee Ikiru has been active in the urban poetry scene in Cleveland since the early 90s. He combines the hard revolutionary stance of the late 60s with futuristic images military science fiction. Mixing politics, romanticism, spirituality, and a computer generated world to give his art a matrixesque feeling.  He has done hundreds of shows and opened for such acts as Sonia Sanchez, burning spear and krs1. Are you ready for the revolution? The matrix has you!

Midnight Poetry with Dr. McMahon
September 24, 2010 11:45PM - September 25, 2010 12:45AM@ Span Stage - West Concourse - West Side of Bridge
Hosted by Claire McMahon readers will include: Poetry by Eric Alleman,  Eric Anderson, Diane Borsenik,  Miles Budimir, John Burroughs,  Charlotte Mann, Claire McMahon,  Robert Miltner, Michael Salinger,  Theresa (T.M. Gottl), Russ Vidrick.

Poetry Workshop and Performance with Michael Salinger
September 25, 2010 4:00PM - 5:00PM@ West Courtyard Stage
Student workshops led by poet/educator Michael Salinger. Students will write, edit, rehearse and perform their own original works.

Ray McNiece - Haiku Slam
September 25, 2010 5:00PM - 6:00PM@ Span Stage - West Concourse - West Side of Bridge
Whether you participate or observe you will enjoy the fast paced action of Head to Head haiku – a poetry competition based on the rules of Sumo wrestling. Also, add your thoughts to the endless scroll that will be a Cleveland Rengku. Hosted by local haiku master Ray McNiece.

The festival will be held on the subway level of the Veterans Memorial (Detroit Superior) Bridge in Downtown Cleveland.  It can be accessed from the East and West sides of the river and is protected from the weather.

12 comments:

John B. Burroughs said...

Thanks, Michael! I was gonna post something about this today if I could find the time. Glad you beat me to it!

michael salinger said...

And Mr. McNiece sent me some more info back channel as well:

Bring Cleveland haiku of 5-7-5 for our elimination Haiku Deathmatch!
Each poet will go head to head with another poet.

The person who wins the round ( best 3 out of 5 ) proceeds to the next round!

If you lose your round, you're out!
The last two poets standing will go head to head ( possibly into extra rounds ) until there is only one poet standing!

Also Add your own Cleveland Themed Haiku to the Rengku (linked haiku) Scroll hung near the center span stage, west concourse...

a selection of these will be read before the Haiku Slam...

and watch WVIZ's Applause this week for Ray McNiece's poem, The Bridge, featuring the Detroit Superior Veterans Memorial Bridge

michael salinger said...

And from Doc McMahon:

HEY FOLKS!!! COME ON OUT THIS FRIDAY!!!

POETS/Spoken Word @ INGENUITY FEST. 'ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT!!!!

Sept. 24th, Friday night 11:30- 1 am. That's right, it's kind of like a night club under the bridge with a literary pulse. Stay up late!! Explore the festival full of music, art, and theatre all set in the amazing space below the Bridge.

Located @ SPAN Stage, under the Detroit/Superior Bridge (western side of the bridge.)
You can get down and join the fun through Massimo da Milano's, the restarant on W. 25th and Detroit.
Go in and follow signs DOWN to the old tracks that will lead you to the festival!!

Ingenuity Festival this year is FREE, but donations of $5 are suggested, so help James Levin keep this fest. going if you can. The following poets will be performing short, dynamic pieces late into the night!


Malikee Ikuru
Michael Salinger
Ray McNiece
Claire McMahon
Eric Anderson (recent Lit Center "Lantern" award winner)
Miles Budimir
Eric Alleman
Diane Borsenik
John Burroughs
Theresa (T.M.) Gottl

Claire McMahon said...

Malikee actually goes on at 11:30, so it starts a wee bit earlier-

Claire

Anonymous said...

The list of Friday nite poets in the blog itself is different from the list in your comment.

michael salinger said...

I think the discrepancy of lineups can be attributed to basic poetic attrition. The list in the post comes from Ingenuity's schedule and the one from Claire is most likely more accurate and newer.

Seems to be a pretty fluid event - midnight reading and all. That said - the two lists aren't all that different.

Claire McMahon said...

The list in my comment is the most current list. A few folks had to cancel out due to other obligations, etc. that came up.

All those poets (above) are confirmed and will be reading.

Thanks & come on out!

Claire

Anonymous said...

Can we keep a tally of all the poems that mention Obama and war, Obama and torture, Obama and poverty, Obama and Gay rights, Obama and DADT, Obama and his pals on Wall Street...

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, you're on a real roll! Keep up the good, brave work you're doing!

I can't recall if anybody mentioned Obama or not; I was too busy scrolling and unscrolling my MFA. But here's the other tallies you asked for:

War: impossible to say, really, without a clearer definition of war itself.

Poverty: again, hard to say. Spiritual poverty seemed to be well-represented (as usual!) but economic poverty only made one or two appearances. There were some actual poor people in attendance; however, I blame this on the low admission price. Maybe we can work on James Levin about this for next year. I prefer my poetry in elite packaging.

Gay rights: sadly, I can't provide an actual count here, as I left briefly in the middle of the performance to apply for a couple of doctorate programs. Please don't judge me too harshly.

DADT: Hang on, I have to google this to find out what the heck you're talking about. Be right back.

Sorry, I googled "academic poetry jobs" instead. Every time I see the google banner, I can't resist. It's like a reflex!

Pals on Wall Street: zero mentions. Can you believe this? But if you break the phrase up, the numbers are better. Pals (or its synonyms) were mentioned 14 times, walls 23 times, and streets won the might with a staggering 44 mentions in total. Maybe this is because the event was actually taking place under a street?

Anyway, I look forward to meeting you in person some day; I'll be the other guy wearing a mask.

Anon.

Geoffrey A. Landis said...

No Obama poems at the Haiku slam either, I'm afraid. Sorry!

Since a haiku has to include a season word, and the theme for this was "Cleveland," and you only get 17 syllables, there weren't a lot of opportunities for Obama poems, I guess. I'll work on a Cleveland/Obama haiku, though, and get back to you, OK?

Shelley Chernin said...

Early September
Obama visits Cleveland.
Leaves fall. Still no jobs.

John B. Burroughs said...

Love it, Shelley!

Cited...

The poet doesn't invent. He listens. ~Jean Cocteau