Jim Carroll Retrospect

We spend the show revisiting the life of the legendary Jim Carroll with work from RC' s private collection.

More on the man here >>>

Special Event: Jullanar of the Sea @ the Fringe

Naomi Steinberg

Storytelling : Jullanar of the Sea

Vancouver Fringe Festival

www.vancouverfringe.com

SEPTEMBER 11-20

RAIN OR SHINE !!!!

Venue : BYOV location D - see p. 26-27 of programme guide http://www.vancouverfringe.com/2009-program-guide/

Fri 11 - 8pm

Sat 12 - 8:30 pm

Sun 13 - 2 pm , 7pm

Wed 16 - 8pm (half price)

Thurs 17 - 8pm

Fri 18, 8pm

Sat 19 - 2pm, 8 pm

Sun 20 - 7 pm

Jullanar of the Sea

Once, a mysterious woman from under the ocean became the favourite of king of the land. When their son grew up, he too desired an underwater princess and when these two met on an island under the full moon, they IMMEDIATELY fell in love. BUT…, because of a terrible fight, the princess cursed the prince, turning him into a pretty bird and banishing him to the Island of Thirst. He then had a VERY eventful journey home (mm - hmmmmm...). ...and then, wouldn't you know it , they lived together happily ever after.

How’d it all happen you ask? ...... Come listen and find out !!

….

Jullanar of the Sea is said to be the last story told by Scheherazade in the 1001 Arabian Nights. This collection of tales coming to us from Persia, best known for the stories of Aladdin or Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, is a treasure trove of wisdom and humanity.

“Persia is today’s Iran. I know that love, poetry, adventure and a good fairytale always come at the right time however, I would never have thought that the story I am working with would be so relevant at this time. There is a pressing need to stand in solidarity with those who strive to keep culture alive in the face of oppressive regimes, whether in Iran or elsewhere. There is so much diversity to celebrate and love in the world; to tell these fairytales in all their classic charm, poignant wit and profound wisdom is a true honour and delight.”

Naomi Steinberg

storyteller

www.naomi-eliana.ca

Sept. 15, 2009 - Addena Sumter-Freitag

Addena Sumter-Freitag is a 7th generation African Canadian. She was born in St. Boniface, grew up in Winnipeg's North End, and has lived all across Canada.

Currently she says “I live in East Vancouver because, I love the swirls of color in the paint of its people, and the music of languages that play in the air. The neighbourhood’s vibrancy and diversity remind me of Winnipeg's North End, so it feels like home.” She shares a household with her husband Irvin and daughter April. "No dogs, no cats, no fish, and only plants that understand water is a rare treat."

Besides her big and extended family, the stage is Addena’s true love, followed closely by story and poetry performance, which she has been involved in for the past 25 years, performing across Canada and in Australia.

Addena has become a familiar face and voice in Vancouver’s poetry and storytelling community, performing at the Vancouver Storytelling Festival, Vancouver Spoken Word Festival, The World Poetry Reading Series, and Vancouver’s Women’s Film Festival.

Writing

Addena loves to challenge ‘form’ in order to bring her stories, characters, and worlds alive, inviting you love them, hate them, Identify with them, or wonder at them.

“I love to make my audience laugh, and encourage them to cry, whatever the musical and composition of the language compels them to feel.”

Her book, Stay Black & Die, published by Commodore Books, has been included in the English curriculum reading lists at UBC, Emily Carr, Vanier College: Montreal, and Women’s studies, UBC.

Check out her interview on Live On the Drive on YouTube:

Sept. 2, 2009 - Elizabeth Fischer

Our guest for this show is singer for Vancouver's Dark Blue World, Elizabeth Fischer.


The Dark Blue World website has this to say about her:

"Brecht didn't have any influence on my writing, 'cause I knew nothing about Brecht when I started," she explains... "Someone--I don't remember who--always said I should be singing that stuff, but I knew nothing about it. But when I did finally get presented with it, it turned out that I have a real natural affinity for it. And now, when I look at the stuff that I write, of course it has similarities, or it has a similar point of inspiration."

"We might share a certain disappointed humanism, I guess," she adds. "Although he obviously had more faith than I, since he did manage to be a Communist, which I cannot seem to manage to achieve. You cannot idealize the human situation, because human beings will disappoint you at every turn. However, kindness counts. Really, it's the only way to behave."

Those who know Fischer only casually might find that last statement strange. She can be a harsh critic of other artists' work and there is an obvious morbidity in much of her songwriting. "I write about what I see, which is none too pretty," she says. But the horror in her work comes out of her empathy for the unhappy and oppressed, and underneath her black humour and equally black bangs lies a surprisingly generous spirit. -

Alex Varty, Georgia Straight

full review

Go here for samples of their music >>>