Poetry Month…goin’ out to get it!

April is pretty big for me this year. I’m honored to be invited to perform at some pretty big shows and teach some pretty fantastic workshops. I’ve been on the hustle, things are paying off and I’m mega excited for the next few weeks to come. Here’s a run down of my schedule. Earliest to latest.

March 24th, 2011 – 11:30am
Interview and feature spot on Bay Area radio show
* Prison Focus Radio channel KPOO 89.5 FM
hosted by Charles Carbone.

April 1st, 2011
* Whidbey Island Writers Conference, Coupeville, WA
Featured Poet and Workshop Facilitator
“Internal Rhythm and Word Percussion – Poet/Lyricist Matt Gano guides participants through the use of sound in poetry to elicit internal rhythms and create ‘flow.’ This workshop will primarily focus on the musicality of language and techniques that help to enhance a writer’s conscious and unconscious use of rhyme and rhythm in poetry.”
http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/

April 5th, 2011 – 8:30pm
* Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle WA
Featured Poet!!
NEW POEMS YO!! (and some old ones too)
http://www.seattlepoetryslam.org/ext/?page_id=2

April 11th, 2011 – 8pm
* LouderARTS Bar 13, New York, NY
Featured Poet for the Team Semi-Final Slam
http://www.louderarts.com/

April 12th, 2011
Performance Workshop
Personel Monologue and Pinpointing Intention
* The Julliard School, New York, NY

April 15th, 2011
Featured Poet
* Daddy’s Basement Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
http://daddysbasement.com/

April 20th, 2011 8pm
Co-Feature with John Murillo, http://www.johnmurillo.com/
“Page Meets Stage”
* The Bowery Poetry Club, New York, NY
(SO FREAKIN’ STOKED FOR THIS!)
http://pagemeetsstageseries.wordpress.com/

April 21st, 2011 – 8pm
Featured Poet
* LoserSlam @ Inkwell Coffee House
Long Branch, New Jersey

That’s it for now! Many thanks and gratitude to the folks who’ve invited me to teach/perform at these amazing places and who allow me to keep living for a living (buddy) and loving it!

Go do it!

-Matt Gano

School of Thought Poetry Workshop

WHAT: School of Thought Poetry Workshop w Matt Gano
WHO: Teens aged 13-19
WHERE: Youth Theatre Northwest, Mercer Island WA, call to register
(206) 232-4145
WHEN: Every Wednesday 4pm – 5:30pm, March 2nd – 30th, 2011
HOW MUCH: $95 per student

“School of Thought” – is a poetry writing and performance workshop for teens, lead by international teaching artist and Slam champion Matt Gano. This short series focuses on crafting inventive poetry and effectively performing it on stage. Participants will have the opportunity to create new work and further develop poems they have already written. “School of Thought” emphasizes social development, creativity, and community. These aspects combine to create a strong learning environment where teens are free to speak their minds and explore the power of their voices. All skill levels are welcome.

Providence…

Tuesday night I was back in Providence for the Got Poetry! Live reading at Blue State Coffee house with Ryk McIntyre, Tony Brown and Nataly Garcia as hosts.

Nataly was really looking out for me my entire stay in Providence, very welcoming and hospitable. She was so excited I washed her dishes that she came runnin in the living room HELLA early in the morning screaming with joy. She scared me out a deep sleep so bad I almost had a heart attack for real. I hyperventilated and screamed back at her in these deep pulsing bursts of ah! ah! ah! aaaaaah! All I remember is this giant orange afro bouncing around screaming, scared the living hell out of me. haha…no worries though Nats we’re still buds…you the goods…: )

The feature at Blue State was really great. A small crowd and bright coffee shop, which sometimes can be intimidating to compete with, but everyone was so welcoming and wanting. The vibe was really great, we rolled through the set seamlessly, folks bought some books and had really nice things to say. Thanks Prov. for the warm reception.

After the show I was chattin with this dude Jay who films a local show to promote the art happenings around Prov. he took me down the street to a joint called Bring Your Own Improv where there were several bands playing and people jamming. He talked to his boy Josh, who runs the sets and got me on rockin with the house band for a couple tracks! Ha…it was good times, I kicked a couple verses and spit a poem as the band funked it out behind me, they were fun to play with, it wasn’t too serious, but the stage was really legit and people were paying attention. A lovely opportunity for sure. These first couple nights were really great, setting a wonderful tone to the week…On to Boston for the next stop! – mg

Worcester…

I arrived in Providence on Monday, met by the ever delightful ms. Nataly Garcia. Nataly and I had never met but i spotted some photos of her on her FB page so i knew I’d be looking for a blonde/red afro puff. Ha. We cruised down to Worcester for the Dirty Gerund reading at Ralph’s diner. I was promptly introduced to Nick Davis and Jared a local at the diner, who like Worcester itself, was straight-up gruff and blunt. The burger was the goods, I was informed only after I ate, that I could have ordered the “McGee” (properly named after Mike McGee, ’cause he’s the only one who orders them) which consists of a fat bowl of chili with a burger patty on top, melted cheese, and maybe more chili on top of that? Mike came through spot to hang, always fun to kick it with McGee. It was a great first show to step off the plane into. Ralph’s is an ecclectic mix of old things dead things…and that’s just the regulahs!! (Buh dum bum) But for real, a Worcester institution. The house band Ticklebomb Orchestra plays backup for all the mic goers even the feature. It was a bit of a challenge at first but by the third poem we hit a solid stride and vibed out really well. I had an amazing time, felt very welcomed and certainly recommend paying a visit if you’re ever out this way. – mg

Get To Know a Local Poet: Interview series with Richard Hugo House

Hello lovelies, I recently did an interview with Brian McGuigan at the Richard Hugo House for their series “Get To Know a Local Poet”. You can find my answers and remarks at the linked here.

Whoa, EAST COAST TOUR and in town SHOWS!

Well well well, its been quite a minute since I stepped back into the blog realm. Much apologies for anyone attempting to follow this, ha. MY BAD. Its been a bit of a whirlwind getting my feet back under me in Seattle, for the last month or so I feel like i got the groove back and all is good.

Soooo, I am gearing up for EAST COAST in May. This will be my first official tour and I’m super excited!! I am featuring in Providence on the 11th, then at the Cantab, in Cambridge MA on the 12th, theeeeen, I travel to Brooklyn where I have a couple bookstore features, and Nuyorican Poets Cafe on May 21st!! Then on to DC for a few days. This is a bit monumental for me, and hoping it snowballs into something bigger. I have to quit my day job for this little jaunt, bit of a gamble, but its worth it. Got a new LP of spoken word and extras on the way as well….muwahaha.

In other news, this last Sunday I had the privilege of participating in a benefit for a close friend. The show consisted of some of my good friends and very talented artists. My close bro Jacob K. Clifford did most of the ground work and really put together something beautiful. He launched a series of photos he’s titled Seattle Impressions to introduce his photo company PotentVision.com. There was a film release, sculptures and glass work as well. I read a couple poems. The people came, the beautiful people, it was really a success and a great happening.

I have a show coming up downtown for an event called “Free Form” on March 27th (check the link) should be good. Would love to see you all there.

That’s about all for now. Keep in touch Yo!

-MG

HK, Bye Bye for now…

I don’t really know how to start this blog other than to just say thanks thanks thank you…to everyone. I have been so honored and truly blessed to meet so many great people here in Hong Kong, and as I type this on the eve of my departure I can honestly say I am not quite ready to leave. I have many things to look forward to in Seattle though and I can’t wait to see all my friends and family back home. I feel very fortunate, and can say with confidence that I am at home here now as well. I am leaving Hong Kong on good terms, in good sprits and there are several irons in the fire for a return trip next year.

This has been a life changing experience and I have made connections with people here that I feel will last a life time. It is also amazing to me to feel so familiar with a place that is on the other side of the planet to where I’m from. My cantonese is coming along and I plan to continue to learn as much as I can when i get back to Seattle. I realize this is a bit of a ramble but I feel almost at a loss to describe the level of joy that I’m experiencing. I feel very loved by this city and by my friends and of course my students. It is more than I could have ever asked for and I am truly truly grateful. – with love Matt g.

Hong Kong Hallows’ Eve…

This last weekend was certainly one to remember. I was invited to perform for the Street Music series that is running here as part of the Hong Kong Arts Center. I didn’t really know what to expect but the event turned out to be quite amazing. I would say there were 100 or more people all gathered and others stopping to witness. It was a very eclectic mix, a brazilian band, a group who plays traditional chinese instruments but jams improv jazz style (they were my favorite, so dope) Bangladesh folk music, and then a jam up of musicians and Peter Stuart with “The Box” (who I played with) playing free form jazz while i spit poems. Biggity bam.

I met some really great people, organizers, musicians etc. Booked another gig in Dec. and met a woman who is a freelance journalist interested in writing a piece about me. I also connected with a new friend named Rob Lamont, he is an amazing guitar player/vocalist from the UK, actually won the UK guitar championship (or something fancy like that) at the age of 12. There will hopefully be some footage on YouTube very soon of the event…I’ll post it ASAP

So the next night was Halloween. Rob and I ventured out into the madness. We went walking and found a beer in Wanchai, then decided to head to Central where the action was. We got to Central and there were literally a million people in the streets. It was really intense…so many good costumes and people being silly…Halloween is definitely a wild scene here. It was so crowded the streets were dead-locked with people…it wasn’t even worth trying to navigate. So we hopped the train and headed to a small bar one stop down in Sheung Wan called the 7/1 club for some drinks and to chill out. We ended up meeting our friend Kung by chance (the organizer of the Street Music Series, and all around bad ass dude) chilled there and had some good conversation. He really loves Hong Kong and is so invested in creating a fruitful music scene. His passion is really contagious. He talked to us about the creative environment here. He’s very enthusiastic and a visionary. He gave me some really nice compliments and seemed truly excited about what I’m doing, even mentioned the prospect of having me come back and do some further workshops on lyricism and spoken word.

After we left 7/1 we ventured back to the fray to see if the party had died down at all to scope the scene. This is the cool part…so were walking through Lan Kwai Fong in crowd of about 200,000 people, (it died down a bit) AND WE GET RECOGNIZED — by a group of girls who were at the show the night before. Haha…they turned out to be the girlfriend and friends of one of the musicians I had met, totally awesome. So our adventure turned another corner and we hung with them for while. We met up with Jing (boyfriend of girl/musician i met) and went for food at Hong Kong’s most famous late night/all around eatery Tsui Wah.

As we walk up to Tsui Wah, there is a small group taking photos in front. Turns out to be MC Jin and his crew dressed as janitors (sorry….custodians). This is really funny because people have been telling me how he’s a big deal and such and such, personally I think he’s really whack, he used to drop some hot battle verses back in the day, but he couldn’t make it in the states so he’s come here. He tries to rap in cantonese and i’ve been repeatedly told his accent and pronunciation are shit. He’s really only popular due to lack of choice and lack of knowledge in regards to what’s available for hip hop. Smart career move for him…seems a little exploitive if you ask me…but I don’t judge…merely observation. : )

Schools been good, I seriously love Hong Kong…doing what i can to try and manifest a return trip in the near future, there are some irons in fire. I’m finding three months is not gonna be long enough.
til next time.

-MG

Note: A quick detour from HK – “Follow the Path”

So reflecting back to this summer I have to comment that Brave New Voices ’09 in Chicago was awe inspiring as always. My dear friend Iyeoka Okoawo captured the event culminated in some dope clips and juxtaposed it here with her song “Yellow Brick Road”. Her energy and belief in what we do is so inspiring, I believe in her and I believe in this creative art movement we are a part of. This song really highlights the power we all have to expand the art of spoken word, the art of communal dialogue and the collective ability of our voices to make positive change in our world. Do yourself a favor and check the video. power up!

Boats travel like flash photos…

Growling Halcyon

pillows of smog
on its throat, spoken
heavy like broken meteors
landing in the harbor

the lights
high accessory, aurora
bling future, garment
space suits
on buildings

star ferry, rocking
charted
ancient long, beams
hold buoyant
history

flute slung down
sub-tropic mountain side
a typhoon,
whistle in bamboo

beast rattle, trolley
car thunder
growling Halcyon
pronouncing
the city

So I been adventuring since I last inked here. An acquaintance of mine, a friend named Jim, dropped in on his way from Shanghai back to Seattle this last weekend. We ventured to an area called Lan Kwai Fong which is near Central in HK. LKF on a Friday night is a freaking zoo. It is essentially the party area for expats, foreigners and locals to co-mingle and get crazy. There are literally thousands of people partying the streets and bar hopping – every weekend.

The drinks in the bars are pretty pricy, but its legal to drink in the street so this is how it works: You go to 7/11 and buy a beer, the cashier pops your bottle top and you basically kick it in front of 7/11 drinking your beer and watching the mad scene unfold. Needless to say Jim and I had a fun time, we behaved ourselves for the most part and were responsible within the realm of having fun (<—mom). The thing that baffles me is that people party like this all the time, its cracking till the sun comes up for real. It is definitely a scene, and you have the same people kicking it in the 7/11 crowds as there are in "members only" clubs.

Since last writing I have learned how to order a few things at restaurants on my own, learned a bit more cantonese and learned that it would be possible for me to spend all my money on clothes here. Ima be sooo fitted when I get back to Seattle, ya not ready. haha.

I have a pretty solid list of bomb eats spots around Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. BBQ pork is off the chains, the won ton noodles at Mak's are quickly becoming a staple in my diet. (ACTUALLY just made friends with one of the servers there today, Calvin, and he offered to take me to some more spots in Causeway Bay this Friday afternoon on his day off!!! ahhh jeeeah.)

I got to play “local” this week a bit too (while dude Jim was here, and again yesterday and today while my friends Jenny and Myra were here for a wedding for their friends). I have to admit it feels pretty good to introduce HK to other people, I haven’t been here too long but these couple visits have been a good measuring stick for how much I’ve really learned about the city and how comfortable I am traveling around it.

School has been going great still, students are having epiphanous moments this week in terms of using imagery and simile to describe things. We are writing “Where I’m From” poems and learning to detail our surroundings and our experience in our local environment by making comparisons using the 5 senses. Some really great stuff today, one student’s opening lines (Gordon) stuck in my mind he said:

Boats travel like flash photos
the harbor smells like diesel
and rotting fish

I am really proud of the work they have been doing. It has been really challenging for them to conceptualize some of these ideas, as well as its been a challenge for me to communicate them but they are all very intuitive and creative and willing to try. Overall, by the sound of it, it looks and feels like they’re gon have some tasty poems when were done, in a sense you could say they are following their noses. : )

Well on to the next next for now. Going to Vietnam next weekend with my friends Carmen and Joanne, staying in Ho Chi Minh city for 3 days over the holiday. Really excited, they’re really fun -should be a great trip. Keep ya posted.

peace – mg