2011/12/30

Kubrick Poetry •一月• 同學們的都市詩

時間 Time:2012/1/7 (Saturday) 3:00pm-4:00pm

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

主持 Moderators:Polly Ho, Adam Cheung, Florence Ng

來賓 Guests:Esther Cheung and students from Dept of Com. Lit in HKU


香港大學比較文學系今年開辦了“現代詩”一課。除了介紹理論外,該課程亦鼓勵同學嘗試把堂上學到的知識實踐於創作。是次讀詩會中分享的詩作,正是比較文學系同學的學期創作習作,其中大部分作品皆為有關香港的都市詩(urban poetry)。通過詩歌創作,同學們表達了在香港這一特定的文化、歷史語境中, 自己的個人經驗、對外間的觀 察、對社會的反思,並進而探討現代社會與城市空間,日常生活與詩意,以至知識、語言與情感之間的關係。


2011/12/24

Kubrick Poetry 2011

Among the thirteen tales





(Adam Cheung)

We were very grateful to have Xu Xi drop by, amidst her busy schedule, to talk with us in our December session of Kubrick Poetry. It was a meeting that we had long been looking forward to. Xu Xi started by talking about how she was able to keep writing, early in her career, while holding key positions in the corporate business world. She acknowledges the challenge of being a writer in a very commercialized and business-oriented Hong Kong, and so to overcome these challenges and to completely focus on her writing, she moved away. She shared about her experience doing writing retreats in places like Florida and Norway. She also shared her insights in writing about the Chinese experience using the English language, while praising the works of Maxine Hong Kingston as her source of inspiration.

Then we came to discuss her new book. Xu Xi read excerpts from the stories “Space” and “Lady Day”. We agreed that the stories in this collection have a tendency to allow readers a lot of space to imagine and to fill in the untold stories implied in the narratives. We were also treated to some very vivid accounts of the anecdotes that Xu Xi’s aunt had told her when she was a child, and we learned how those stories have inspired her to write the stories that she writes today.

Throughout our conversation, Xu Xi gave us the impression that the writing of this newest book had been a very enjoyable process for her. The audience was also delighted by her ability to narrate her personal experience so animatedly. This kind of liveliness and attention to details are qualities that really shine in her short story collection.





(photos by Paul Wan)

2011/11/29

Poets from Turkey and Taiwan





(English by Adam Cheung, Chinese by Polly Ho)

Bejan Matur shared about her experience as a poet living in Istanbul. She talked about how she evolved as a poet, from keeping notebooks of emotional and random musings to shaping the many lines of words into presentable works of poetry in a process that was like making a sculpture. She also talked about the time she spent in prison when she was a teenager and how that transformed her as a poet and as an acute observer of the world. Bejan encouraged us to think about why we care about poetry. Then she recited “Winds Howl through the Mansions” in Turkish. Even though this was the poet’s first visit to Hong Kong, she demonstrated a genuine respect for the vibrant literary landscape of the city.





羅智成擔任過不同的職位,擁有過不少的名銜,曾任總編輯、電台台長、發行人等,他坦誠其第一身份是詩人,可見作為一個詩人是他自我認同的基本位置。 他是少數既了解台灣及香港情況的台灣人,他認為香港人對於「美好生活」的定義被媒體塑造,認為住大屋、開名車就是美好生活的典範,事實上不一定。他擔任過香港光華中心主任,在香港工作一年多的時間,並花了一段時間了解香港,以他的理解,香港是一個直向發展的城市,什麼都向上發展,高樓大廈,而台灣則是橫向發展。過度的直向發展令人看不到高樓以外的藍天白雲,不能不說有點惋惜。





(photos by Paul Wan)

2011/11/28

Kubrick Poetry •December• ACCESS: Thirteen Tales

時間 Time:2011/12/18 (Sunday) 5:00pm-6:00pm
地點 Venue:油麻地 Kubrick (next to Broadway Cinemathèque, 3 Public Square St.)
主持 Moderators:Polly Ho, Florence Ng & Adam Cheung
嘉賓 Guest:Xu Xi

What do we think we desire? What do we truly desire? Xu Xi explores these questions in her latest fiction collection, ACCESS: Thirteen Tales, recently published by Signal 8 Press. On December 18th, Xu Xi joins us at Kubrick Poetry to talk about her newest work and about matters concerning Hong Kong and Asian literature. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the writer whom The New York Times once named “a pioneer writer from Asia in English.”

Xu Xi is the author of nine books of fiction and essays, and editor of three anthologies of Hong Kong literature in English.She is also the Writer-in-Residence and Programme Leader of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing programme at City University. www.xuxiwriter.com

2011/11/19

Philosopher King




(By Adam Cheung)

Kubrick Poetry’s October session was held at Book Attic in Central, where we sat down with Ronnie Lee, the philosopher/writer/poet.

Ronnie narrated his literary journey from a scholarly, philosophical perspective. He talked about how he had to go through an extensive period of reading, studying, and just immersing himself in the many philosophical theories before he could clearly express his ideas on topics like the making of the universe, religion, human behavior, and love. He discussed the challenges he has experienced in self-publishing, and he talked about the lack of response to the ideas he has articulated at the philosophical debates he has attended in Hong Kong. Ronnie gave a detailed explanation for the silent responses.




Ronnie shared a poem about the notion of “free will” and his perspective of it. We then went on to explore Ronnie’s religious convictions regarding his idea of God’s Will, and the heavy responsibilities that he has taken on as he sees his life as a mission to speak the Truth. He talked about how this mission motivates him to contemplate many social issues and to keep on writing.

Ronnie also shared what could be called a love poem, which he wrote many years ago, a piece of work precedes his many philosophical books. The audience was deeply taken by Ronnie’s uncompromising approach in exploring the depths of life and matters beyond life.

2011/10/29

Kubrick Poetry •November• Taiwan and Turkey

時間 Time2011/11/12 (Saturday) 3:00pm-4:00pm

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

主持 ModeratorsPolly Ho, Florence Ng, Wong Wai Yim & Adam Cheung

語言 Language: English & Mandarin

詩人 Poet Lo Chih Chen/ 羅智成 (Taiwan), Bejan Matur/ 白江馬突爾 (Turkey)


羅智成 (台灣)


Born in Taipei, Lo Chih Cheng (Luo Zhicheng) graduated from the Department of Philosophy of National Taiwan University and later completed course work in the doctoral program. Active in the media, including television and broadcasting, he also served some official positions such as Commissioner of the Department of Information of Taipei city government and Director of Kwang Hua Information and Cultural Center (Hong Kong).


Lo published his first book of poems, which he not only self-financed but also designed and illustrated, in 1975. Since then he has published more than ten books of poetry. Lo’s literary works are famous for their philosophical profoundness, imaginative imagery, lyrical syntax and original insight. Already an established poet in the 1970s, he has continued to influence poets of a younger generation.


羅智成1955年生於台北。台灣大學哲學系畢業。美國威斯康辛大學東亞所碩士、博士班肄業。 曾任報社副總編輯、電台台長、雜誌及出版社發行人,也擔任過台北市政府新聞處處長、香港光華中心主任。作品以詩、散文和遊記為主;風格強烈,知性、感性兼具,以精確、細膩的語法著稱,以觀察力和想像力見長,對新一代詩人有極大的影響力。主要出版作品有:詩集《畫冊》、《光之書》、《傾斜之書》等。


Bejan Matur(Turkey)


Bejan Matur was born of an Alevi Kurdish family on 14 September 1968 in the ancient Hittite

city of Marash in Southeast Turkey. She studied Law at Ankara University, but has never

practiced. In her university years, her poetry was published in several literary periodicals.

Reviewers found her poetry ‘dark and mystic’.


Her first book, Rüzgar Dolu Konaklar (Winds Howl Through the Mansions) published in 1996 won several literary prizes. Her following books, Tanrı Görmesin Harflerimi (God Must Not See The Letter of My Script) in 1999. Her poetry has been translated up to 17 languages. Her book İbrahim’in Beni Terketmesi (Leaving of Abraham), published in March 2008, was considered by the critics to be her best book ever, creating a personal ontology and a personal mythology inspired by thousands of years of Sufi Tradition.



白江馬突爾,1968914日生於位於土耳其東南西臺古城馬拉什的一個阿勒維庫爾德族家庭。曾在安哥 拉大學修讀法律,但從未執業。求學期間曾在多本文學期刊發表詩作。她的詩歌被評為『黑暗和神秘』。1996年出版的第一本專輯《嘯嘯風聲響徹大宅》曾獲得多個文學獎。她的詩歌曾被翻譯成十七種語言。2008年三月出版的《阿伯拉罕的告別》被評論家喻為是馬突爾最優秀的作品,靈感來自數千年來的Sufi傳統,並成功地創造出自我的本體和個人的神話。


It is part of the International Poetry Nights 2011

此乃國際詩歌之夜2011的活動之一


2011/10/25

Kubrick Poetry •October• Philosopher King

時間 Time:2011/10/29 (Saturday) 6:00pm-7:00pm

地點 Venue: Book Attic, 2 Elgin Street, Central

主持 Moderators:Polly Ho & Adam Cheung

詩人 Poet:Ronnie Lee Ka Ching


Ronnie was born in Hong Kong. He is a Chinese poet and philosopher who is achieving his enlightenment through truth, knowledge, and reason. From his Western education, he has developed his style of poetry to incorporate modern philosophy into a foundation for universal understanding.

He tries to see the justice, meaning, and wisdom that are at the core of each of his experiences in this world, sharing his observations with others through his unique poetic words and images. Lee has been writing poetry and philosophy for over nine years. He has self-published 9 books at Outskirts Press: The Book of Life, the Meaning of Life, the Philosopher of Life, Poems of Life, the Genius of the Metropolis, the Philosopher King, etc. He is currently working on his 11th book.

*You are welcome to bring your own creation and share with us.

2011/9/19

Kubrick Poetry •September• Strolling

時間 Time:2011/9/23 (Friday) 7:00pm-8:00pm

地點 Venue: Book Attic, 2 Elgin Street, Central

主持 Moderators:Polly Ho & Adam Cheung

詩人 Poet:宋子江 Chris Song Zijiang


宋子江,廣東人,完成澳門大學文學碩士學位, 曾出版兩本詩集《拭擦暗黲的天空》和《千行》。詩歌曾發表在國內,港澳,美國,澳洲,菲律賓和瑞典。現為澳門故事協會執行會長,於嶺南大學工作。


Chris Song Zijiang, a native of Guangdong Province, completed a MA degree in Literature at the University of Macau. Published two poetry collections “wiping the dim sky” and “Strolling”. His works has been seen in China, Macau, Hong Kong, America, Australia, the Philippines and Sweden. He is now the acting director of ASM and working in Lingnan University.


* You are welcome to bring your work to read and share, in any languages.

2011/8/12

Voices of America




(By Adam Cheung)



It was another cozy and intellectually-stimulating gathering at Kubrick Poetry thanks to our guest writers Mitch Berman and Susanne Lee, who not only shared their works but also provided us with plenty of insights on what it means to be a writer.


Mitch started by sharing his poem “Turning”. It was a very moving piece even though Mitch himself, a fiction writer, very humbly, made no claim to be a poet. He also read the story “The Poorest Boy in Chicago” which, he mentioned, was inspired by the experiences of his grandfather.


Susanne shared her work “Vol De Nuit” which is featured in Pow Wow. She read with such a raw and spunky narrative voice that the story felt like a kind of breakthrough from the traditional Asian-American tales.




Both Mitch and Susanne provided vivid anecdotes when introducing Ishmael Reed, the editor of Pow Wow. The new anthology features a wide range of voices from various cultures that have all made a mark on American history.



2011/7/16

Kubrick Poetry •July• Pow Wow from America

時間 Time:2011/7/31 (Sun) 5:00pm-6:00pm

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

主持 Moderators:Polly Ho, Adam Cheung, Florence Ng, Wong Wai Yim

作家 Writers:Mitch Berman and Susanne Lee


Mitch Berman and Susanne Lee, featured in the new fiction anthology Pow Wow, edited by Ishmael Reed with Carla Blank. A comprehensive collection of American short fiction from such authors as Zora Neale Hurston, Chester Himes, Robert Coover, Bharati Mukherjee, Benjamin Franklin, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Ntozake Shange, Mark Twain, Grace Paley, Russell Banks, Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein and James Alan McPherson.


Mitch Berman’s short fiction has been nominated for seven Pushcart Prizes, receiving special mentions from the Pushcarts and Best American Short Stories. He has taught creative writing at the University of Texas and San Jose State University, and his fiction has appeared in TriQuarterly, Antioch Review, Witness, Agni, Southwest Review, Boulevard and Gettsyburg Review. His novel Time Capsule was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.


Susanne Lee has been a film curator, adjunct professor and international business girl who worked in the World Trade Center and was spared by wanderlust. She has published in Giant Robot, the Village Voice, the Nation, the L.A. Times and Asiaweek. Another part of her story in Pow Wow also appeared in the Guardian UK's Orange Openings Contest. 


* You are welcome to bring your work to read and share, in any languages.

2011/6/12

Kubrick Poetry •June • Tightrope! — A Bohemian Tale (novel)

時間 Time:2011/6/26 (Sunday) 6:00pm-7:00pm
地點 Venue: 油麻地 Kubrick (next to Broadway Cinemathèque, 3 Public Square St.)
主持 Moderators:Polly Ho, Adam Cheung, Florence Ng, Wong Wai Yim
詩人來賓 Guest Poet and Writer:Olga Walló

A film-maker father. Mother an actress who didn’t want to act – her finest scene a real-life act: dressed to die defying a Nazi officer seeking the paper-less man concealed in the house.

The Narrator of Tightrope! ─ A Bohemian Tale, an extraordinary, curiously intellectual small girl, undertakes the demanding and costly burden of comprehending the world.

Olga Walló lived for many years in Prague, Czech Republic and now lives in the country-side nearby, She worked for Czech TV for 35 years as a translator and dubbing director and taught dubbing at the Academy of Art. She has translated plays (including 12 by William Shakespeare) and novels.
"I believe that all readers, whatever their different cultural experiences, will find in this novel something to identify with, and I hope that, through the personal accounts of the author, they will be able to trace the complex path which our nation travelled not so long ago."— Václav Havel

You are welcome to bring your work to read and share, in any languages.

2011/5/16

Kubrick Poetry • May • Midsummer Enchanted English Poetry Sharing

時間 Time2011/5/18 (Wed) 3:50pm-4:40pm

地點 VenueYan Chai Hospital No. 2 Secondary School.

主持 ModeratorPolly Ho

詩人來賓 Guest PoetArthur Leung and Akin Jeje


Arthur Leung was born and raised in Hong Kong. He regularly presents reading of his poetry and has had his poems published in anthologies such as Hong Kong U Writing and Fifty-Fifty, as well as in numerous magazines and journals including Smartish Pace, Yale Anglers’ Journal, Loch Raven Review, Existere, Paper Wasp, Bravado,Taj Mahal Review‏, Poetry Kanto, QLRS, Crannog Literary Magazine, Pulsar Poetry Magazine, Words-Myth, Magma Poetry and elsewhere. Leung has served as external editor for Yuan Yang and as guest poetry editor for Cha. He was a finalist for the 2007 Erskine J. Poetry Prize and a winner of the 2008 Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition.


Akin Jeje was born in the United States of Nigerian and Kenyan parents in the early 1970s. Akin Jeje now lives and works in Hong Kong. Educated in Canada, he is the graduate of four universities: The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada (BA Sociology 1994); The University of Calgary (BA English 1996); The University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario (MA 2001) and York University in Toronto (B. Ed. Primary/Junior, 2005). An active poet and spoken-word performer – in Canada since the early 1990s, and in Hong Kong since 2006 – Jeje's works have been published and featured in both Canada and Hong Kong. His poetry collection, Smoked Pearl: Poems of Hong Kong and Beyond was published on 23 November 2010.

The 'Midsummer Enchanted English Poetry Sharing' will be held in the school hall of Yan Chai No. 2 Secondary School. The time will start at 3:50 p.m. to 4: 40 p.m. All are welcomed. If you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact the programme coordinator, Ms. Polly Ho from Kubrick Poetry and Ms. Caroline Fung, from Yan Chai Hospital No. 2 Secondary School.


http://www.ych2ss.edu.hk/





2011/4/6

refrain




By Adam Cheung

As a way of letting his poetry tell the story, our guest poet, Jason Polley, began right away, without any formal self introduction, by reading his poem “textbooks yelltell truth”, the first poem featured in his collection refrain. This first reading gave the audience a sense of Jason’s poetic style, stringing words and similar sounds to create a moving and continuous picture of India as though one is passing through the streets looking through the window of a moving vehicle. The audience responded to his reading by asking about his experience in India. Jason went on to read “distrust friendly gentleman,” a poem that tells of how he almost had his backpack stolen during his travels. The story triggered all kinds of curiosity from the audience, and this prompted Jason to speak a little bit about the spiritual insights he got from his journey. He described India as a place that takes him out of his comfort zone, and by having to be on your toes constantly, he was able to keep focus on the present. “If you are comfortable, you’re not in the present,” he said. When asked about why he left this writing project incomplete for so many years before picking it up again recently and having it published, Jason talked about the challenge of capturing and preserving that sense of innocence from his first visit to India, especially as he had made subsequent visits to the country. As well, Jason shared his insights on how to strike a balance between creative and academic writing.


In the sharing session, Adam presented a collection of prose pieces inspired by the pictures taken from his visit to Kolkata last month. Milan shared a poem on the topic of marriage, Polly read a solemn poem about a funeral she attended recently, and Timothy shared a poem dedicated to Choi Yuen Village. Such is the variety of our poets.

The evening concluded with Jason copies of refrain. He also revealed that he has a book of fiction coming out in November.

(Photos by Paul Wan)

2011/3/31

Kubrick Poetry •April • Flash Story

時間 Time2011/4/22 (Fri) 7:00pm-8:00pm

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

主持 ModeratorsPolly Ho, Adam Cheung, Florence Ng, Wong Wai Yim

詩人來賓 Guest PoetThaddeus Rutkowski


Thaddeus Rutkowski grew up in central Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Cornell University and The Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of three novels, Haywire, Tetched and Roughhouse. Both Tetched and Roughhouse were finalists for an Asian American Literary Award. He teaches literature at City University of New York and fiction writing at the Writer’s Voice of the West Side YMCA and serves as fiction editor for the literary magazine Many Mountains Moving.


A master of both flash fiction and slam poetry, Rutkowski is a two-time winner of the Poetry Versus Comedy slam at the Bowery Poetry Club and a one-time winner of the Syracuse Poetry Slam and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Friday slam.


You are welcome to bring your work to read and share, in any languages.

* The reading is part of Plug-In-Yourself on Friday night.



2011/3/25

無意識的意識



吳耀宗


2011年1月23日傍晚,Kubrick詩會為我在油麻地的書店舉辦了一場讀詩會。在朗誦《半存在》過後的交流時段裏,有人问詩歌於我有何意義。我説:「它是我生命的一部份。」


這樣的回答或許過於平淡,缺乏驚喜,無法令人滿意,但我以爲貼切地描述了當時脈搏起伏血液流動的姿態。儘管身在室內,在照明燈與麥克風之間,我卻感受到層層的春風吹開綠到不能再綠的樹葉,瞅見展露出來枝幹上變幻莫定的陽光。


這「一部份」,用英文說就是part and parcel - 重要的、主要的 - 不能恣意捐棄。即如學術研究一樣,不能從我的生命中抽走。飯後我買了杯咖啡,沿著小徑回返桃園樓的研究室,途中遇見同事,微笑寒暄,步履如常,這也是生命的一部份。


這「一部份」,在時間如沙粒從手指間漏失的存在中悠悠呼吸,呼出去不必要的誇飾,吸進來舒坦的自在。用矛盾語來說,是「無意識的意識」(unconscious consciousness) ,可以細如檐滴,可以闊如江海。


夜裡小貓輕巧一躍,在我膝上盘曲而卧。我嘀噠嘀噠敲打鍵盤,寫下這樣的字句: 「我是詩歌的一部份。」











Unconscious consciousness


By Gabriel Wu


Following a sunset poetry reading organised by a local literary group called the Kubrick Poetry Club, a member of the audience asked me what poetry meant to me. I had been reading from my recent collection Ban Cun Zai (A Half-Existence) at a bookstore in Yau Ma Tei, and in reply I said, “It is part of my life”.


Perhaps my reply was too dull and unexciting, and didn’t satisfy the audience’s expectations. But I thought it aptly described how my pulse beat and my blood flowed when I replied to the question. Although physically indoors, standing between the spotlight and microphone, I could sense a spring breeze gently blowing to bring forth leaves so green that they could not be greener as I seemed to see the ever-changing sunlight radiating through the twigs and branches.


I could never relinquish this “part”, expressed as part and parcel in English, something which is important and essential, just as I could not ever give up academic research, which is part of my life, too.


I bumped into a colleague after I bought a coffee following my meal, and was heading back to my office in the To Yuen Building. We exchanged greetings and then said our goodbyes, and I returned to my usual footsteps. Such an encounter is also part (and parcel) of life.


This “part” gently breathes in an existence where time slips, like grains of sand through one’s fingers, exhaling unnecessary exaggerations and inhaling a soothing sense of calm. Unconscious consciousness—if I may use an oxymoron—can be felt to be as fine as a single droplet of water clinging to the eaves of a house or as vast as deep rivers and expansive oceans.


Night falls. My kitten leaps onto my lap, curling up to sleep. The only sound is that of my fingers tapping at the keyboard. “I am a part of poetry,” I write.





Special thanks to Linkage from City University for the English version.

http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/puo/newscentre/publication/linkage/images/L288e.pdf


2011/3/21

Kubrick Poetry •March • refrain

時間 Time:2011/3/27 (Sun) 5:00pm-6:00pm
地點 Venue: 油麻地 Kubrick(next to Broadway Cinemathèque, 3 Public Square St.)
主持 Moderators:Adam Cheung, Florence Ng, Wong Wai Yim
詩人來賓 Guest Poet:Jason S Polley

Jason S Polley has an interesting background. He allocates his time to reading, scuba diving, practicing yoga, and getting tattooed. He currently teaches American Literature and Culture at Hong Kong Baptist University. refrain is a poetry collection of Jason Polley’s adventure into India as a religious study major back to 1997.

A young man arrives in Delhi with a romanticized view of India, a pocketful of outdated maps, and a money belt begging to be stolen. The stories work as a sprawling dramatic monologue. Polley paintes on a large canvas and his brush stroke are fresh, memorable and cutting edge. There is a magic on this book that is “It keeps on begining”.

You are welcome to bring your work to read and share, in any languages.

2011/2/18

Kubrick Poetry • February • You are the poet

時間 Time:2011/2/27 (Sun) 5:00pm-6:00pm

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

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

語言 Language:Cantonese, English, French

詩人來賓 Guest Poet:You!


We would like to thank all of you for submitting your poems. We are in the process of reading and appreciating your works. The choice for the wood print complement will be announced at a later time. However, for our February gathering, we would like to invite all of you to come and read your submitted poems. Bring friends. It will be a great time for sharing. New works and new participants are welcome too, of course.

Kubrick Poetry • 十一月 • 「尋找你」之旅

  時間 Time:26/11/2023 ( 日 ) 3-4pm 地點  Venue : 油麻地 Kubrick電影中心一樓講廳 主持 Moderator: Polly Ho  詩人  Poet : 綠騎士,原名陳重馨 音樂家  Musician : Eugene Leung (...