Poet Keith Armstrong in Prague back again! Thursday 3. 6. 2010 - 10 PM - The Globe Bookstore, Pštrossova 6, Prague 1 Friday 4. 6. 2010 - 8 PM - Klu

Below is a translation from the Polish sent to me by Dr. Keith Armstrong. Now whilst some might say that this has as much to do with jazz as Michael Bublé has I have included the item because a) Dr Armstrong is an enthusiastic jazzophile and b) he has written/is writing a series of jazz based poems including a long overdue Lestorian epic which is rapidly taking on the mysticism of the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Lindisfarne Gospels and the recipe for Betty's Hotpot combined. Plus with the Polish Jazz Focus @ The Sage imminent it seems the right time to think Polish.

Question for Dr Armstrong - will the reading be in Polish or English?

Lance.

Keith Armstrong, a well known poet from north-eastern English Newcastle, is not performing in Prague for the first time. His somewhat rebellious poetry is inspired by his hometown, which spreads itself where the river Tyne runs into sea. It is full of memories of his father, who worked in a local shipyard, and it is influenced by a nostalgic ambience of mariners’ pubs and industrial harbour corners. But at the same time his poetry doesn’t recalcitrates ticklish or controversial topics (Falklands, politics), reflects on long-time poets, erotic verses or profession to local football legends. Keith is also a poet-traveller. He periodically visits university at Tübingen, Holland and other countries and his ways lead him also to more exotic corners like Cuba or The Soviet Union. In his home town Keith also functions as an organizer of poetic events. He is wreathed by a title Honoris Causa Doctor of Durham University. His poetry is communicatory and his interpretation is easy to understand. The texts in a written form will be also at your disposal.

In the second half of the evening Keith’s friend Jakub Zahradník will play a cycle of songs called "The Melly-Belly Songs" where he especially for this occasion set Keith’s poems to music. Jakub repeatedly visited Newcastle, Durham and coastal district of Northumberland, which is bordering to Scotland and is full of romantic remains. He had an opportunity to perform there, meet local poets and taste all brands of ales. In a song cycle called Five Sea Songs he set to music poems of Northumbrian poetess Katrina Porteous and together with a filmmaker Oliver Malina Morgernstern he created a documentary about his journey called Inspiration Quest, which could be seen on the internet pages YouTube.