Kubrick Poetry

2010/5/2

Kubrick Poetry‧ May‧ In Conversation with the River

時間 Time：2010/5/30 (Sun) 5:00pm-6:00pm

地點 Venue：油麻地 Kubrick(next to Broadway Cinemathèque, 3 Public Square St.)

主持 Moderators：Florence Ng、Polly Ho、Wong Wai Yim

詩人來賓 Guest Poet：Kit Kelen

In Conversation with the River is Christopher (Kit) Kelen's homage to the Chinese traditions in poetry. It is a philosophical as well as a chronological journey; its persistent backdrop is the daziran (great nature) of the Chinese tradition; its persistent concern is with the future of human relationships with an environment under ever greater strain.

Having lived in China for the last twelve years, Kelen has worked collaboratively on the translation of a range of classical poets, including Tao Yuanming, Meng Jiao, Xin Qiji, Li Yu, Nalan Xingde and many of the women poets of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Kelen has collaborated in the translation of a number of contemporary Chinese poets, including Yao Feng and Leung Ping Kwan. He has also - as a teacher of Creative Writing - mentored younger Chinese poets in the production of their first volumes of poetry, published usually as parallel text in Chinese and in English.

This is the second time for Kit Kelen to read at Kubrick. The reading is in English. You are welcome to bring your own poem to read or your favourite poem to share.

The Owl

(Polly Ho)

Having lived in Hong Kong since 1970, Gillian Bickley has recently concluded her more than 30 years of teaching in university as a teacher of English Literature. Currently, she dedicates her time on the independent press “Proverse Hong Kong” which she co-founded with her husband Verner Bickley. The name “Proverse” is a combination of “prose” and “verse”. In 2008, they set up the Proverse Prize for unpublished writing that is non-fiction, fiction or poetry. To allow more people to have the opportunity to publish their works, there is no nationality or residence restriction. Translation work are acceptable as long as there is English version.

How can Gillian manage to write poems among the tight schedule every day? She is a observant person with sharp eye and is able to see poetry at different corner. The trick is making note whenever she came across something interesting and put it in a folder called “poem to be written”. When she is away for summer holidays, she will take the whole folder with her and finish the poems in the holidays. So far she published four collections of poetry and they are the honest record of her life.

One of the interesting discussions is on the poem “Funeral Owl”. It is a poem written based on the experience crawling inside a Neolithic cairn in North-East Scotland in which she feels “nothing”. The feeling of “nothingness” surprises her as she expects some conscious communication from the people living thousands years ago when the cairn are constructed. Further, Florence asked why she choose a concrete name for a poem that is conveying the message of nothingness. Gillian responds that concrete image is easier to provoke imagination. Another participant enjoys Gillian’s reading simply listening to it for its sake.

Literature is an inseparable part of her life and career, yet, she has a very clear standpoint in viewing literature and life. To her, life experience is more important than literature. Can you not agree she has sharp eyes and clear mind?

(photos by Paul Wan)

To view Gillian’s writing of the reading, please visit: http://proversepublishing.com/gillian_bickley_reads_at_kubrick

2010/5/1

A Melancholy Voice

(Polly Ho)

Do you believe there is a voice that always sings its melody to the world, a voice of truth and certainty? Rainer Maria Rilke heard this voice and wrote for three days “in a single breathless obedience”.

Wolfgang Kubin is a German Sinologist, poet and translator. He came to Hong Kong to teach at the Lingnan University for one semester in 2010. Being a widely-known Sinologist, he confesses that he doesn’t recognize himself as much as a Sinologist than a poet or translator or simply a scholar for the reason that most Sinologists don’t really “think”. How does he see China in the 21st century? To him, China is getting the attention only because of its economical strength but not of its culture influence and history.

Kubin is trying to understand the world by learning as many languages as possible, at least those countries he has visited. He is fluent in three languages: German, Mandarin and English. Fluency by definition is read and spoken comfortably and effectively. He taught himself other languages, including some ancient language like Greek, Hebrew, Latin and ancient Chinese. Ancient Chinese is one of the most difficult language to learn for him. Why it is important to learn a foreign language? “It’s a total different thinking pattern from one language system to another. When I am speaking German, my logical thinking is not the same when I am speaking Mandarin.”

Poetry doesn’t sell. It is not only true in Hong Kong but also true in Germany. Kubin said frankly that even his publisher urge him to write more essay than poetry. However, he insists on writing poem every morning as early as 5am. Strange enough, if he doesn’t write, he will fall ill that day. “I cannot write poem at night. I spend the whole day preparing for a poem in the next morning to write it down.” Kubin read his poetry in three languages: German, English and Mandarin. A poem speaks different melody in three different languages but his German reading is the most striking. It is the source voice, the melancholy voice. To him, poetry is the expression of melancholy. What is melancholy? It is not pure sorrow or sadness, but a deep understanding and consciousness of the sorrow of life.

(photos by Paul Wan)

2010/3/26

Kubrick Poetry‧ 四月之二‧ poetry in everyday life

時間 Time：2010/４/25 (Sun) 5:00pm-6:00pm

地點 Venue：油麻地 Kubrick (next to Broadway Cinemathèque, 3 Public Square St.)

主持 Moderators：Florence Ng、Polly Ho、Wong Wai Yim

詩人來賓 Guest Poet：Gillian Bickley

Gillian Bickley was born and educated in the United Kingdom and has lived mostly in Hong Kong since 1970. Her poetry has been anthologised in different countries and has been translated into several languages. Bickley has held academic university positions in Hong Kong, Nigeria and New Zealand. She has recently concluded a career as a University teacher of English Literature. With her husband, Verner Bickley, she is co-founder of The Proverse Literary Prize for unpublished writing.

“China Suite and other Poems” is her fourth collection of poems in which she responds to people, art and life, creating a record of her particular space in time such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Sukhothai, Honolulu, Mexico City and northernmost Scotland. Gillian finds poetry in everyday life.

The reading is in English.

Kubrick Poetry‧ 四月之一‧ 顧彬談詩

時間 Time：2010/４/４ (Sun) 5:00pm-6:00pm

地點 Venue：油麻地 Kubrick(next to Broadway Cinemathèque, 3 Public Square St.)

主持 Moderators：Florence Ng、Polly Ho、Wong Wai Yim

詩人來賓 Guest Poet：沃爾夫岡·顧彬(Wolfgang Kubin)

沃爾夫岡·顧彬(Wolfgang Kubin)，是德國漢學家、詩人和翻譯家，是中國以外最重要的漢學家之一。顧彬擔任波恩大學的漢學系主任教授，亦同時擔任《袖珍漢學》和《東方‧方向》兩份重要德文漢學和亞洲文化雜誌的主編。研究領域以中國古典文學､現當代文學及中國思想史為主，他以翻譯現代中國散文和中國詩歌而在漢學界為人所知。他的《二十世紀中國文學史》（華東師范大學出版社）是他重要的中文著作之一。

是次詩會以德語､中文和英語朗誦，顧彬與我們簡單地讀詩談詩。

Wolfgang Kubin is a German sinologist, poet and translator, one of the most important sinologists living outside China. He is the director of the University of Bonn’s for Institute of Chinese Studies, also the editor for both the influential Sinologist journal “Minima Sinica” and periodical journal “ Orientations”. His research areas includes classical Chinese literature, contemporary and modern literature and Chinese philosophy/ His translations of prose and poetry earn him a wider reputation among sinologists worldwide. “The History of Chinese Literature in 20th Century” published by Huadong Shifan Daxue in Shanghai is one of his major Chinese work.

Kubin will read his poems and talk about poetry with us. The readings will be in German, Chinese and English.

2010/3/17

Some words for kubrick poetry

祝賀Kubrick Poetry邁進第五個年頭，

願詩歌精神更多進入我們的生活，

願更多人詩歌人生。

--- Carrie Yu

As I have only attended your reading sessions twice, I am not in a position to give constructive comments. However, I think it would be nice if you could give a short introduction of the poet, say, for three or four minutes in the beginning, so that people will know more about him / her. Also, would it be more effective if the interview follows the reading, so that we can get more familiar with the poet and his work first and thus appreciate better the questions and answers.

--- Joseph Lee

I started going to kubrick poetry two years ago. It was because at that time I started to be interested in poetry, and was delighted to know that there's a poetry grouping Hong Kong. Kubrick poetry gave me a warm, and welcomed environment to enjoy poetry. Polly is a nice and friendly organiser who very much enjoyed poetry. In overall sense, kubrick poetry is well-organised with invitation of special guests from different walks of life, which broaden the horizons of audiences. Here, I have met several friends who also enjoy poetry and we would gather together to attend poetry gatherings,talks, etc.

Kubrick poetry uses the guest-audience approach to meet readers. I believe it is somehow an effective approach which can easily control the flow of the whole gathering. However, it would be monotone if we just gather and listen. Luckily, kubrick poetry has been organising some outdoor actitivies, so that we can experience poetry outside the "box".

Kubrick poetry gave me support and nutured me how to make life better with poetry. If there's no Kubrick poetry, it would not have We-er. (We-er is a self-formed poetry group which aims to lead audiences to enjoy and experience poetry)

--- Siufung

I’ve been to Kubrick Poetry twice, the first one was in Joseph’s Galerie Klee, a delicate art gallery; the other one was my professor and friend Steve’s reading from his new book. I had a great time reading poems by Joseph and Steve, listening to the background stories about the poems, and meeting with the “masters” and other poetry lovers. Happy Birthday to Kubrick Poetry! I hope it will last forever! And I wish I could have my own poetry reading in Kubrick one day!

---Dena (He Lurong)

雷聲與蟬鳴

(Polly Ho)

《雷聲與蟬鳴》是梁秉鈞的第一本詩集，此書細分七個部份：未昇、突發性演出、香港、澳門、廣州／肇慶、臺灣、浮苔。細心一看，你可以從這本詩集看到梁秉鈞後期的發展脈絡，包括城市研究﹑文化研究﹑食物詩的延伸。

復刻版於二零零九年由文化工房出版，袁兆昌找來詩集同齡人一起重新創造，江康泉（江記）和智海是書本的幀裝設計師，智海又是繪圖師。復刻版選用較為昂貴的瑞典紙，江記直言喜歡這紙前後不一的觸感，半透明的瑞典紙可以看到背面未完的詩句，柔軟的瑞典紙正好適合習慣一手捲起書皮閱讀的讀者，江記說：「薄薄的紙有點像蟬翼呢。」智海的一幅手描畫被切割成六份，成為此書的插圖，他認為雷聲是來自天上的雷神，後來他在畫上加添了一個可以呼風喚兩雨的雷神。從紙張選取到繪圖，當中的心思是顯而易見。袁兆昌坦言特種紙張加上亮麗的黑色書邊令成本提高了不少，他笑說有朋友說這是文化工房出版以來最漂亮的一本書。