Review: Munich

Spielberg's Munich isn't as good as some claim, but it is still a very good film. Rather than read the film in terms of its "deep message" I want to refer to its surface pleasures, in this instance, its visual texture, which, in terms of mise-en-scene, film stock, and lighting, evokes classic early 70s police procedural dramas, like Fred Zinneman's late masterpiece, The Day Of The Jackal.

Spielberg would have many reasons for wanting to pay homage to this director, not least because he made the liberal classic High Noon, which, in terms of burying political comment beneath a Hollywood-genre form, prefigures much of Spielberg's own recent filmography.

The Jackal - arguably the greatest assassination thriller ever made (a riveting sub-genre including The Manchurian Candidate, The Dead Zone, and In The Line of Fire) - features the wonderful sad-faced French actor Michael Lonsdale (also known for being Drax in Bond) as the ever-determined flic Lebel (pictured here). In Munich, he returns, in a bizarre cameo as a patriarch who sells secrets to all non-governmental villains.

One note, Spielberg has filmed mostly on location in Budapest, which is noticeable, especially when Bp. tries to double as London. At first I found this poor form, but after awhile, the shabby subterfuge created a uni-Euro look that captures the right 70s aesthetic.

Ingratitude, or The Attitude of Ingrates, or Greatness?

Lisa King Has Died

Poet Lisa King, a member of the 1993 National Championship Slam Team and an individual Boston Slam Champion has passed away at her home in Sommerville, MA. She was 45 and will be sadly missed. The performance poetry community is in shock.

The initial report was that she had died from heart failure sometime over the course of the recent blizzard in the Northeast (USA). Lisa had also been coping with a debilitating back injury for several years.

Historic Recording for Oxfam

On Friday, February 24, the largest single gathering of famous and popular British and Irish poets for one recording session occured - with readings for an Oxfam CD, and a Talking Book for the blind. The event was conceived and planned by me, with the support of Martin Penny and Su Lycett of Oxfam, and help on the day from New York writer Thaddeus Rutkowski.

The day was mostly a huge success - from mad-genius John Hegley (pictured here) bringing along his tuba-playing partner, to legends Al Alvarez, Dannie Abse and Alan Brownjohn reuniting after decades, to young rising stars like Nick Laird, Owen Sheers, Annie Freud and Patience Agbabi performing their fresh new work.

The assembled poets agreed it was the most impressive single gathering of poets in one room for a recording in British poetry's history.

The 52 poets in attendance - including Wendy Cope, George Szirtes, Pam Ayres, Eric Ormsby, Jo Shapcott, Jamie McKendrick, Helen Farish, David Harsent, Sophie Hannah, Alan Jenkins, and many many more - who came from across the UK, and some as far as Italy and Galway for the day, spilled out into the usually quiet, calm halls of the Royal National Institute for the Blind's Camden Talking Books state-of-the-art recording studio, and recorded over 100 poems in a frenzied marathon between 10 am-5 pm, in two very busy studios.

One engineer, Dale, said it "was mad" to bring so many talents in on one day. Poet Laureate Andrew Motion read his masterpiece on visiting Anne Frank's House, and Mario Petrucci read a new poem written especially for the day.

Third Anniversary of 100 Poets Against The War

It was on February 24, 2003, that Salt (Cambridge, UK) published the printed version of Nthposition's oft-imitated, never-bettered "100 Poets Against The War" series of electronic anthologies - making it the fastest ever poetry book, in terms of conception, to writing, to editing, to publishing (less than a month). It was described as "the 21st century's most controversial and talked about e-book".

Val Stevenson's www.nthposition.com pioneered the use of the Internet for copy-left publishing, and political activism, and the whole world took notice, with The Times reporting 250,000 downloads of our e-books in 3 weeks alone. The Guardian described it as "a remarkable anthology" and The Times said it was "a new lease of life for protest poetry".

The books are still available for download at Nthposition, or at www.amazon.com from Salt.

Three years later, the illegal war's consequences are still being felt, and Tony Blair's spin doctor, Alistair Campbell, has admitted, in an essay for AOL, that he and Blair are computer-illiterate neanderthals who had never used email or the Internet at that time. No wonder the Labour government so tragically missed the message.

But how did they miss the millions marching in the streets?

Work of Genius or Rogue K.O. - if New?

So my anagram wasn't very good.

But this electronic book, The Holy Tango of Literature, by Francis Heaney, who may be pictured here to the right (unless this is someone else with the same name) now making its way across the Internet, just may revive interest in poetry, and linguistic wit.

It is certainly, to my mind, the most brilliant light verse written by an American since Ogden Nash.

The link is here: http://www.yarnivore.com/francis/Holy_Tango.htm

The idea is simple, take an anagram of a poet or playwright's name, and turn it in to the title of a work they never wrote, and then write one in their style. In terms of constraints and wordplay-complexity, it renders all former forms of literary spoof tame dull stuff.

For instance, Heaney gives us:

ELVES ENACT LAWS
WALLACE STEVENS

Call the roll for the majority whip,
The wispy one, and bid him vote
On autumn leaves' numismatic worth.
Let committees dawdle in the glen
As they are wont to do, and let their aides
Weave flowers through broken lute strings.
Let vetos float amid the spheres.
The only senator is the senator of pointy ears.

Take from the closet of lark,
Lacking a three-piece suit, the vest
On which are embroidered fairy songs
To while away the hours of debate.
If a porcine clause appear, a spell
Will make a rider say farewell.
Let the world keep its frontiers.
The only senator is the senator of pointy ears.

(please note, this is presented as a sample of the book, which I encourage you to buy at http://www.emmisbooks.com/ )

Poets For Oxfam Winter Reading Tomorrow

POETS FOR OXFAM 2006
WINTER READING

Peter Porter
Liane Strauss
Esther Morgan
Owen Sheers
Jane Yeh
Thaddeus Rutkowski
&
Myra Schneider

91 Marylebone High Street, London W1 (near Baker Street tube)
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
7-10 pm

Admission free - all donations gratefully accepted
All proceeds to Oxfam