I don’t seem to have the time or energy to devote to blogging at the moment. Just finished the homework for tonight, well, finished all I’m going to get done… And I have no energy to do anything else. Like, for example, the dishes. Or the floors. But then, I’m not the only one who has dirtied them. *Sigh.* Life feels a bit relentless! But it’s all good. Well mostly.
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Random Plug
I’d like to take this opportunity to espouse the charms of “Flower of Nepal,” which has just opened in Newtown. Good food, good people, good principles. Good prices also. But no cake. We had to go across the road for that.
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So… feedback, huh? The institute should give out advice, on their website or in the course handouts. “Dealing with criticism,” or something. Not that anyone has been unnecessarily or unfairly critical. In fact, one of my assessments was really useful, and very encouraging. I did find myself wanting a right of reply though. The assessor questioned my use of a few words… and that was good, because it made me realise that the meaning wouldn’t be clear to most readers. I love playing with words that have multiple meanings and that resonate on different levels, but often some of the meanings are obscure, and so lost on most people. So I need to be aware of that. But I still wanted to explain my thoughts to the assessor because, as Lizzie would put it, “I can’t bear to think that he is alive in the world and thinking ill of me.” Only not nearly so dramatic. It’s just, the assessor is someone I really like and respect, and I don’t want him thinking I used words inappropriately!
The other assessment… well, part of it really upset me. But I think I’m probably overreacting. I guess it pushed a lot of my buttons. I could be misinterpreting what was being said. Or, the assessor might have been to involved to objectively critic the writing, or… I don’t know. I think I need to let it sit for a while.
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More Plugs
If you’re in Aotearoa, pick up the latest issue of JAAM, available from good bookstores, and featuring poetry, prose, reviews and interviews by various talented writers, including yours truly.
And if you're in this part of the country, make your way out to Paikakariki to catch Hinemoana Baker, Tyree Robertson and Charlotte Yates.
'In Concert, for Paekakariki', Friday 5 December,
One Eye Gallery, 1 Beach Road, Paekakariki
Starts 8pm Tickets $12 / $10 at the door, $10 pre-booked
PRE-BOOKING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED via email: shameless@clear.net.nz
MEDIA RELEASE
On the night in question, Tyree Robertson and Hinemoana Baker made a very lucky decision to follow their gut instinct - literally.
'We'd taken nearly three hours to get from town to the Fisherman's Table Restaurant,' says Tyree, 'which normally only takes us half an hour. The radio stations still didn't really know the extent of things. I looked at Hinemoana and she looked at me and being the bonnie lasses we are, we opted for a fish dinner. We'd just got in the door when we heard the road was block in both directions. If we'd carried on driving we could have been right in the middle of it.'
It was the night of October 3 and like many others, the two were forced to spend a sleepless night at the restaurant cut off from their Raumati South home by the flooding that hit Paekakariki. They hitched a lift the next day on a four-wheel drive belonging to another stranded local.
'The extent of the damage was devastating to see. We only just made it with all the debris still over the road, and the water was still high. We're fortunate we were untouched where we live.'
Charlotte Yates was also on the road that night - on her way to an overnight stay in Waitarere Beach.
'We made a lucky choice too,' she says, 'which was to leave Wellington at 4 o'clock.'
The three all have close friends in Paekakariki who have suffered. They say they'd like to contribute something towards the re-building.
'A portion of every ticket sold will be given to those affected by the flooding,' says Hinemoana. 'Plus the local cafe are doing special dinner deals for the night. They'd only been open three weeks when the flood hit.'
All three singer-songwriters will give solo sets on the night. This is the first time the three have shared a gig, though they've all performed on similar circuits for many years.
Yates has just released her fourth album, 'plainsong', and has recently toured extensively with Mahinarangi Tocker. She's the brains behind the 'Baxter' CD, compiling James K Baxter's poetry set to music by 12 New Zealand recording artists. her second album, 'The Desire and the Contempt', won the Singer-Songwriter category at the 1997 Wellington Music Awards. She is a regular columnist for NZ Musician and NZ Books.
Baker has toured nationally for the last six years, and has shared stages with many well-known artists such as Hinewehi Mohi, Karen Hunter, Paul Ubana Jones, even Hayley Westenra. She is wel-known in literary circles as well as musical ones - she completed Bill Manhire's Masters in Creative Writing at Victoria university last year. She's a playwright and a fiction-writer as well as a songwriter and poet, and currently produces 'Waiata', a weekly showcase of Maori music, for National Radio.
Robertson - whose previous stage-name 'Henrietta Ford' perhaps evokes some of the blues-folk raunch she produces on stage - began as a busker on the streets of New Plymouth. A stint opening for Annie Crummer 10 years ago saw the start of a career that's seen her produce, engineer and set stages alight from Auckland to Otago. As well as recording her second album, she currently works as a schools mentor for the New Zealand Music Commission.
'What we went through having to stay out that night was nothing compared to the town. Our only regret,' says Baker, 'was that we didn't have the guitars in the car...'
Posted by Fionnaigh at November 26, 2003 10:10 PM