It’s going to be a busy month!
On Friday, September 1st, I’ll be joining fellow spoken word poets as well as local improv legends Stephen Sim and Caity Curtis for a First Friday event at Little Brown Jug. There, us poets will be sharing written pieces that the 2 improv gurus will play off of, creating short scenes. In the past, I’ve had the pleasure of working with both Stephen and Caity in a similar format and I can say that it’s a lot of fun to be a part of – and watch!
This show is presented by THIN AIR: The Winnipeg International Writers Festival which kicks off later in September. We’ll be hosting Stephen and Caity there for the “Forewords” event on opening night, as well as a bevy of writers from across the globe! I say “we” because I’m a part of the staff helping to put the festival together (it’s my day job)!
Next, I’ll be performing alongside me fellow Winnipeg Poetry Slam teammates at the Anything Goes Slam – where the rules (except for the time-limit) are thrown out (oh, and the nudity rule as well)! I’ll be trying out material to be used for the national poetry slam competition at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in late October. I’m excited to dust off some old work, and try out some new stuff!
Finally, Thom Bargen is hosting a Winnipeg spoken word showcase at their downtown location as part of Nuit Blanche. The Winnipeg Poetry Slam will be well represented there by a fantastic lineup of voices that have comprised recent slam teams. Come see the best of the best before the slam season kicks off later this fall!
All that said, October will be a whole other story: a trip to The Pas to engage youth in public speaking through spoken word workshops, and of course, CFSW itself!
Steve Locke 