Take that, events!
August 14, 2010
I don’t do many events, and I often forget to publicize them here, but one thing I can tell you is to mark your calendars for NOV 5 — a Winnipeg co-launch of the Coach House Books publications CLOCKFIRE by Moi and INDEXICAL ELEGIES by Jon Paul Fiorentino.
rEmiX MACHINA
February 16, 2010
A neat event next week, here’s the scoop:
When Jonathan Ball published his first book, Ex Machina, he issued it under a Creative Commons license that allows for non-commercial, unauthorized derivations. On Feb. 24, 7:00 p.m., at Aqua Books, four artists will present their own creative work remixing or drawing inspiration from the book, in an event titled rEmiX MACHINA. The invited artists are GMB Chomichuk (writer/illustrator/publisher of Alchemical Press), John Toone (poet/children’s author), Colin Smith (poet), and Patrick Short (singer/songwriter for Softcops).
Ex Machina has been called a “very unique long poem . . . exploring the interface between man and machine” (Calgary’s FFWD) which “complicat[es] in a real and tangible way our relationship to the book” (Ryan Fitzpatrick, author of Fake Math). In an interview for Winnipeg’s Uptown (where he writes the “Haiku Horoscopes” humour column), Ball said that the book is about “how machines have changed what it means to be human.” Robert Kroetsch says “[Ball is] one of our most exciting young poets, and Ex Machina is a fresh, daring, original take on the us of us.”
Ex Machina is published by BookThug, a Toronto press known for innovative, unconventional books. The book was launched at McNally Robinson in January and spent two weeks as the only poetry book on the local bestseller list.
Since the book is published under a Creative Commons license, YOU can also remix the book yourself, and submit your remixes to a site launched for that purpose.
Snake River
February 13, 2010
The Short Story
Winnipeg Cinematheque is premiering the independent feature film Snake River, shot locally for a mini-budget of $5000. This film is directed by Joe Novak and based on a screenplay by Jonathan Ball (!) and David Navratil called Way of the Samurai. Snake River runs Feb. 19-21 and again Feb. 24. All shows are at 7 p.m.
Click here for an article about some guy who is apparently the film’s star.
Also, you can read….
The Long Story
Way, way back in “the day” (as it’s called by the hip young kids), I co-wrote, along with my friend David Navratil, a series of four feature film scripts for independent producer/director Joe Novak. Joe came to us with stories and we reworked the stories with him (often changing them almost completely) and then ducked away and developed the script. When we finished, Joe took the script away, and did whatever Joes do with scripts. We were never sure exactly what he was up to, but he was always up to something productive, which is why he was fun to write for—even if nothing was happening, it didn’t seem like the effort was wasted.
First, we wrote a screenplay called Son of the Storm, about an orphan and immigrant to Japan (at a point in history when immigrants were outlawed) who became a samurai. Joe managed somehow to interest the actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat, Memoirs of a Geisha, etc.) in the script, but there wasn’t a suitable role for Cary.
So, Joe went back to the drawing board. We developed a second story/script with him: Way of the Samurai. Cary signed up, in theory, and things started falling into place, but in the end Joe couldn’t raise the financing. Part of the problem was the fact that it’s expensive to shoot a historical film, due to the costumes, sets, etc. involved.
Again, Joe went back to the drawing board. We developed a third story/script with him: Yakuza. A star vehicle for Cary, set in the modern day, with a parallel storyline set in the past, which would probably be more expensive to shoot in the long run but less difficult to finance for esoteric reasons. Of course, it turned out to be too difficult to finance and (you guessed it)….
We wrote a fourth story/script with Joe: Samurai on 47th. This was set wholly in the present day and, without Cary on board anymore, we cranked up the darkness and grittiness and made it a very brutal, vicious script compared to the others.
At this point we’d pretty much had our fill of writing about samurai, at least for the immediate future. We didn’t hear from Joe for a while—apparently because he was busy rewriting/reworking Way of the Samurai as a western, retitled Snake River, and shooting said film.
So we were and weren’t involved in the making of this film. We didn’t really know it was happening, but it was based on our script, although it’s not entirely accurate to say we wrote it (we did, and we didn’t, since we didn’t write the script, but wrote the script that the script is based on, if you follow).
So I have no idea what to expect. I haven’t seen the film and although Dave saw an earlier version Joe’s been reworking it for about a year now, so who knows what it’s like? It was shot for $5000 apparently, which is amazing since judging by that article I linked to above, there is at least one horse on screen, and horses ain’t cheap. I’ve got a lot of respect for anyone who manages to make a feature film under any circumstances, especially with a micro-budget, and Joe is a good guy, so I’m looking forward to checking it out. At the very least, it will be cool to see a feature film kind-of based on something I wrote.
Because I haven’t seen the film, I can’t really say anything to recommend or condemn it, but the script that the script is based on turned out pretty good, if I remember right. You should go see it, more than once! If enough people see it, maybe I’ll get paid!
Ex Machina Book Launch at McNally-Robinson
January 11, 2010
This Thursday, January 14, 8:00 p.m. is the book launch for Ex Machina, my first book of poetry. The launch will take place in Winnipeg’s McNally-Robinson (Grant Park).
Ex Machina is a long poem at the fringes of the Canadian tradition, structured as a latticework of poetic and philosophical statements concerning the symbiosis of humans, books and machines. The book examines how machines have changed what it means to be human.
This isn’t your typical reading, and will feature a surprise sample of a secret mystery book, and some robot voices.
Come on out!
Writer’s Block on the Radio
July 16, 2009
I’ll b e appearing on the radio show Writer’s Block at 6 p.m. in Calgary tonight (July 16). You can listen online or tune in to CJSW at 90.9 FM.
(Calgary) Reading at Stuart Ross book launch
June 3, 2009
I will be reading fiction at the launch of Stuart Ross’s new collection of short stories, Buying Cigarettes for the Dog. I just finished reading this book, which is the most fun and unusual book of stories I’ve read for far too long. No wheat and sad animals here (although there is a shifty poodle). The press release from the event organizers, Freehand Books, is below, and the Facebook page for the event is here.
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We’re throwing a big ole’ Wednesday night party to celebrate the Calgary launch of Buying Cigarettes for the Dog, Stuart Ross’s latest collection of short fiction, with special guests Jonathan Ball and Helen Hajnoczky.
There will be good food, mind-blowing juggling, amazing readings, and a bar.
You should come.
STUART ROSS published his first literary pamphlet on the photocopier in his dad’s office one night in 1979. Through the 1980s, he stood on Toronto’s Yonge Street wearing signs like “Writer Going To Hell: Buy My Books,” selling over 7,000 poetry and fiction chapbooks. A tireless literary press activist, he is the co-founder of the Toronto Small Press Book Fair and now a founding member of the Meet the Presses collective, Poetry Editor at Mansfield Press, and Fiction & Poetry Editor at This Magazine. He is the author of two collaborative novels, a previous collection of stories, and six full-length poetry books. He has also published a collection of essays, Confessions of a Small Press Racketeer (Anvil Press), and edited the anthology Surreal Estate: 13 Canadian Poets Under the Influence (The Mercury Press). Stuart has taught writing workshops across Canada. He lives in Southern Ontario.
JONATHAN BALL is a writer, filmmaker, and scholar, currently completing his PhD at the University of Calgary. He studies Canadian literature and creative writing, and has taught classes on experimental fiction and 20th century horror. His first book of poetry, Ex Machina, will be released by BookThug in December 2009. BookThug will also release his second book, The Words of the Book (co-written by kevin mcpherson eckhoff), in 2010. His short film Spoony B has appeared on The Comedy Network, and his screenplay Way of the Samurai (co-written with David Navratil) was rewritten and directed by Joseph Novak as the feature film Snake River, to be released independently. He is the former Managing Editor of Dandelion magazine, the former film/video section editor at Filling Station, and the former short films programmer for the Gimli Film Festival.He also writes the humour column Haiku Horoscopes.
HELEN HAJNOCZKY is a Calgary poet and student at the University of Calgary.
Boredom Fighters
December 9, 2008
Launching Boredom Fighters in Calgary!
This past October Tightrope Books published an anthology of graphic poetry. They titled this collection Boredom Fighters. Some of the contributors live in Calgary. Others like to visit Calgary.
These graphic poets would like to invite any and everyone to join them in launching this anthology. The evening will begin with a DIY visual poetry make-fest with some materials provided, followed by spontaneous readings by spontaneous authors. The evening will conclude with short, and probably not-so-spontaneous, readings by derek beaulieu (the wonder-letter-muffin), Christian Bök (the sound virus), Jonathan Ball (the jerk), Jake Kennedy (the asshole) and kevin mcpherson eckhoff (the massive but brainless head).
Pages on Kensington
13th of December @ 7pm
Free words, foods & hurts
Reading with Jordan Scott
September 9, 2008
I’ll be opening for poet Jordan Scott on Sept. 16, at Pages Books on Kensington (1135 Kensington Rd. NW), at 7:30 p.m.
Jordan is performing from his new book blert and being interviewed by Elizabeth Haynes, and I will be reading from my novel-in-progress The Crow Murders.
Flywheel, July 31
July 10, 2008
I’ll be reading at Pages on Kensington in Calgary on July 31st, just before the Blow-Out festival. The press release with the relevant information is below.
The August* Flywheel Throwdown!
Usually, filling Station‘s Flywheel reading series happens on the first Thursday of the month. But the stars have aligned strangely this month, making the first Thursday of August actually the last Thursday in July, so that our beloved Flywheel might warm us up for filling Station‘s annual Blow Out! literary festival. In order to make up for the possible tearing of the space-time continuum on this one, we promise to harness the heat and power of the sun at its hottest and most powerful to deliver readings so hot and powerful that you will need some pretty epic sunscreen. Hot!
Our readers this month:
Christopher Blais
Emily Carr
Jocelyn Grossé
and Jonathan Ball
At the (new) usual place and slightly-altered time:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
7:30pm sharp
Pages Bookstore on Kensington (1135 Kensington Road NW)
The Flywheel reading series is free and open to the public
June Flywheel Experiment: Cross-Pollination
June 2, 2008
Please join filling Station magazine at McNally Robinson for its daringest, death-defyingest Flywheel Experiment to date: for your entertainment, they have paired up two fiction writers and two poets and asked them to collaborate. Featuring the talents of ryan fitzpatrick, Jonathan Ball, Angie Abdou and Joni Krats, the Cross-Pollination Experiment will surely be a night to remember. Don’t miss this epic generic battle-royale, taking place Thursday, June 5th at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Calgary (120 8th Avenue SW). Please note that this Flywheel will be taking place at a special, earlier time: 5pm. This event is free and open to the public.
