Perhaps Emanuella Amichai represents the ethos of the Maintenant series more succinctly than any of the other 78 poets that have gone before her. The question of what is poetic is akin to the question of what is European. Both are fluid, unanswerable, and all the more essential for that unresolvability. Working in the medium of moving image, of dance, theatre and film, she has taken groundbreaking strides towards what can only be called a video poetry, a form of visual poetry. Working in tandem with some of Europe’s finest writers, including Jan Wagner, she has shown her absolute control of both mediums, both poetry and film, utilising the grammar of motion to remarkable poetic effect. If this places her outside the poetic mainstream, what might be deemed The definition of a poet, then the fact she is the daughter of one of the 20th century’s greatest poets firmly roots her back into the tradition of European letters. For the 79th edition of Maintenant, Israel’s Emanuella Amichai.
A video poem of Emanuella's will soon follow on the 3am website, but for now can be viewed here, on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0e1GAqvk24
Holly Pester, one of the most exciting poets working in the UK right now, and Maintenant interviewee, has published her first collection with the remarkable If P then Q press, edited by James Davies. The book, called Hoofs, is a radical and original collection, really worth buying. It can be purchased here for 8 quid. - http://ifpthenq.co.uk/books/pester-holly-hoofs/
Also Maintenant interviewee Marcus Slease has just published a chapbook called Smashing Time, as part of the MIPOesias Chapbook Series. It is available for free digital download or print purchase of 9 quid. http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/299099 The artwork is by the Polish punk poet artist Grzegorz Wroblewski.
I am happy to say the Maintenant Camarade 2 event is now fixed for February Saturday 11th 2012 at the Rich mix centre, near Brick Lane, in London. This will be the first event of ours not themed with international poets but focusing primarily on the paired collaborations that were such a success at the last event. Pairs confirmed so far include:
Sean Bonney & Keston Sutherland
Maria Fusco & Andrea Brady
Jeff Hilson & Philip Terry
Colin Herd & Patrick Coyle
James Davies & Stephen Emmerson
Todd Swift & Matthew Gregory
Sam Riviere & Sophie Collins
Katerina Kashchavtseva & Lucy Harvest Clarke
Tom Jenks & Chris McCabe
Marcus Slease & Peter Jaeger