Twelve + one

Description

Twelve + one contains interviews with 13 poets from Johannesburg who span a wide range with respect to age, gender, colour and class. Mike Alfred, who has contributed to journals for many years and has published several individual collections of his own work, provides an intimate opportunity for poets to tell both their biographical stories, describe their artistic aims and processes as well compiling a selection of poems which best represent their themes and styles. The result grants the reader a fascinating insight into a key cross-section of South African poets.

Informations

• Publié par: Botsotso Publishing
• Date de parution: 29 décembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781990922138
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

TWELVE + ONE

Some Jo’burg poets: theîr artîstîc lîves and poetry

ïnervîewed by Mîke Alfred

Pubîsed by

Bososo Box 30952 Braamoneîn 2017

bososo@arsînk.co.za www.bososo.org.za

© în e ex: e poes emseves 2014

ïSBN 978-0-9814205-3-0

We woud îke o ank e Naîona Ars Councî o Sou Arîca or îs assîsance în pubîsîng îs book.

Edîor: Aan Koskî Horwîz

Cover, ayou, desîgn and grapîcs: Vîvîenne Preson

Contents

ïnroducîon – Mîke Ared

ïnervîews by Mîke Ared

Jane Fox Frank Meînjîes Pîîppa Yaa de Vîîers ïke Mbonenî Muîa Gaî Dendy Amed Pae eboang Nova Masango îone Murco Makosazana Xaba Sîpîwe ka Ngwenya Aan Koskî Horwîz

ïnervîews by Aan Koskî Horwîz

Mandî PoeIcen Vunda Mîke Ared

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7 17 35 47 59 73 81 99 113 127 137

153 169

ïnervîews by Mîke Ared

Introductîon

I con mos poes îvîng around e co ceîved îs work because rner în Joannesburg, as îs eîr poery, are argey îgnored. Academe, înen upon e ‘cassîcs,’ îgnores conemporary Sou Arîcan poery. Pubîsers won’ ouc î because e inancîa rewards are sparse; ose ew coecîons pubîsed by courageous sma journas are sedom revîewed by e maînsream press. Dîferen poe groupîngs, înerîors o e Sou Arîcan poîîca scene, remaîn aoo, even unknown o one anoer. Our îeraure-îgnoran popuaîon îs no în any way, enîced o read poery. Bu despîe e paucîy o recognîîon and reward, poes are never sî, ey creae, ey persevere, ey reuse ew învîaîons o dance wî e muse, ey ig a never endîng bae o perorm and o ge pubîsed; poery îs a rue ar orm. My înenîon en, was o gîve our oca, negeced poes, a ‘ouder’ voîce. My approac was o înervîew eeven Joburg poes o a descrîpîons, en ranscrîbe ose îneracîons îno word pîcures o e poeîc îe. As î urned ou, îreen poes are ere presened, ï beîng e îreen, because Aan Koskî Horwîz [e pubîser], as we were puîng e book ogeer, însîsed on înervîewîng me [“so you înk you can say aoo?”]. Addîîonay, e waned o încude a young woman poe wo gîves a o o însîg îno e burgeonîng Spoken Word scene. ïn exensîon o e ranscrîbed înervîews, we asked our so cooperaîve respondens o provîde us wî our or ive poems ogeer wî an expanaîon o wy and ow ey came o be wrîen. As suc, îs îs a book abou poes, eîr arîsîc îves and eîr poery. he poes were no cosen a random; severa are known o me and severa were known o e pubîser. Severa are recognîzed în varîous poeîc undergrounds. Severa more were recommended by our eary înervîewees. ïn erms o coour and gender, îs îs a broady represenaîve ‘quoa.’ A e poes ave someîng o say, a are ine cratspeope, bu îs sma book îs no o be seen as a merîocraîc and excusîve coecîon. ï coud ave ied e pages wî e equay ascînaîng sorîes and work o many oer arîss. ï suppose ï soudn’ ind î srange a mos peope don’ read or enjoy poery. Scoo, an anedîuvîan însîuîon so enîrey useess a moîvaîng young peope, îs e wors pace o încucae a ove o poery. Ater beîng drîven o mîndessy roe-earn e poery o bygone ages wîou e benei o eîer îsorîca or bîograpîca conex, adoescens emerge no ony îndîferen, bu wî compee deermînaîon o never approac a poem agaîn. Someow e ceebrîy sruck word beîeves a î a wrîer îs no o e îme-enrenced, popuar saure o Tennyson, Keas, Wîman, ec., en ey’re no wor consîderîng. he îdos are worsîpped and good conemporary poery îs needessy dîsmîssed. ï seems o me a presen day poery, wrîen by peope caed Sîpîwe or Gaî or Amed, raer an Sakespeare or Eîo, îs jus e îng or our

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word: conemporary poery îs sor, î’s sarp, sad, unny, poîîcay rencan, socîoogîcay and îsorîcay reevan. ï pînes or os ove, mourns dead parens, descrîbes e andscape, expresses a wonder or cîdood, expores e meanîng o îe, a în magîca anguage. ï’s so convenîen; ow ese mîg you read a nove în ree verses, a woe bîograpy spread over jus wo-and-a-a pages. Were ese are you îkey o be subjeced o îry dîferen voîces în a sînge pubîcaîon. Poery îs perec or our reneîc word, bu no one’s dîscovered or acknowedged î ye. A sma, sîp-îno-your–pocke journa îs a Gauraîn or axî journey’s eneraînmen or a augîng, quîey earu, oug provokîng Lîg companîon. Transcrîbîng e recorded înervîews was ard bu rewardîng work. ï e very cose o e poes. Wî e macîne, ï coud sop em and sar em akîng. ï coud conempae eîr messages, bu very sedom dîd ï aer eîr words and never eîr înen. A e respondens edîed eîr own înervîews wî e reques a ey modîy ony acua înaccuracîes and încorrec namîng. îsenîng, ï coud ear eîr înonaîons, eîr esîaîons and srong asserîons. ï regreed a î was dîIcu o deine eîr emoîons upon e page. On ape ey came aîve, ey were akîng ony o me and eîr sory was unîque. ï sugges a you read eîr words wî a conscîousness o e eeîngs beînd e experîences. One generaîzaîon a emerged rom eîr îves în poery, îs a neary a were capîvaed by e word rom an eary age. Severa were eped o read beore e age o ive, beore goîng o scoo. Many oved e cîdren’s Cassîcs read a bedîme by parens. Some were denîed rue îeraure wen young bu someow were sîmuaed by cowboy and deecîve pup icîon read by amîy members. Some ad o waî or a good Engîs eacer o se em aLame. ha seemed o be suIcîen or a îeong creaîon o good, expressîve wrîîng. So ere îs a sma book abou poery, spoken and wrîen by your Joannesburg cîy neîgbours. O course, arîss are îvîng and creaîng în oer cenres oo. Woud you beîeve a we îve în an undîscovered, reasure veîn, eaurîng conemporary s îe în e 21 Cenury. A you need o do îs spend a ew rand, open a sîm book and read wî an open mînd. Peraps you aso need o embarrass your oca bookseer îno sockîng some ere-and-now poery books. Mîon îs a very we, bu e won’ expîre î you don’ read îm and îs repuaîon îs anyway assured. he îerary power mongers ave been wîodîng our poeîc rîces ar oo ong. Here’s a message: poery îs readîy avaîabe, demand î. Enjoy îs eneraînmen and educaîon, know ow earnesy oca poes are aempîng o communîcae wî you.

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Mîke Ared Joannesburg

Jane Fox

F rom e moorway, ï ake e of ramp o arrîve a ew mînues aer a JF’s compac dweîng în arge grounds, par o an orîgîna arm ouse în a once bucoîc Rîvonîa. ï’m greeed by a rîm, srong srîdîng, eîsy, seveny-someîng Jane, and Sîrîus, er one-year od German Seperd wo sîcks îs nose were e mîg no î e were uman. We’ve known eac oer or some years bu no we. Jane îs îone Abraams’ wîdow. îone eped me enormousy wen ï irs sared wrîîng poery. ï wroe a bîograpîca essay abou îm în myJoannesburg Porraîs.Excangîng peasanrîes we pass roug e amîîar and wecomîng ouse o sî on e quîe paîo were our conversaîon and Jane’s sory unods. ï kîd Jane abou e aacrîy wî wîc se agreed o be înervîewed or îs serîes. Jane responds. ‘ï suppose a any vaîdaîon a ï am a poe, îs wonderu. ï’ve aways oug a poery îs someîng ï do on e sîde. Serîous wrîîng or me îs prose, so î ï can be oug o as a poe oo, a’s wonderu. ha’s wa ï’ve been doîng ese as ree years, ony poery, bu ï’ve receny sared wrîîng anoer pay.’ Knowîng a îs îs a poweru and very rea îssue wî many poes, ï pursue, ‘Wy do you need vaîdaîon?’ Jane [cuckîng], ‘ï suppose ï ave a deep seaed înerîorîy compex urkîng în e corner somewere.’ ‘Pardon me î ï brus a asîde,’ ï say, knowîng ew women so ed ogeer, srong and coniden. We pass on o one o Jane’s parîcuar poems. ï say, ‘ï ove, above a your oer poems, a wonderu sonne; e sonne abou îone, your ove and your mournîng. ï anyîng woud say o me a you are a poe a woud say î.’

ON SEEING DAWN OVER THE VLEI AT WAYLANDS FARM

As wen a swaow dars across e ake dîppîng o cac mîd-Lîg a Loaîng Ly, e bîrd and îs reLecîon move as one: wo paîrs o wîngs, wo Lîgs, one paern make. he bîrd above îves, breaes, wî one day dîe; îs copy waîs beow, îe a î none. So ï, ear-sacked, în suspensîon be î ou, my ear, dîp earward în y Lîg and kîss y mîrrored îmage on my ace. hus îne on mîne împrîned wî ou see, and as ou rîses up roug eaven’s îg wî sronger wîngs o draw me oo o grace, aoug a irs î seemed a ou dîds dîe – în cearer îg ou ar more rea an ï.

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