Spoken Word - Hello Hollow Sunrise by Anthony J. Gavin

Today we unveil the sixth track in Verbal Vol. 1, our ongoing digital spoken word anthology! hello hollow sunrise was written and recorded by poet, academic, and repeat Blasted Tree contributor Anthony J. Gavin. In turns political screed, rant against the daily grind, and reminder for self care, hello hollow sunrise is a roller coaster of a performance. Anthony's poem can be heard (and read) on The Blasted Tree, and you can download all of Verbal Vol. 1 as it becomes available, one track per week throughout spring, on Bandcamp.

LISTEN TO HELLO HOLLOW SUNRISE

If this is your first listen to Verbal Vol. 1, or to spoken word poetry in general, check out the Forward to the anthology by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer.

Poetry Chapbook - CRYPTOPOEMS by mwpm

Encoded within unique and structurally challenging forms lie mwpm's "cryptopoems," puzzle-like arrangements of letters concealing lines of poetic meaning that unfold to careful readers. These poems function like a riddle or a joke, comical little brain-teasers which require you to read in unfamiliar ways, to use memory and pattern recognition in deciphering the message, but which reward those who get it. Surveying a variety of mwpm's signature forms, each built on a simple set of constraints, CRYPTOPOEMS can by read online, and a limited edition of hand-bound chapbooks are available from The Blasted Tree Store.

READ CRYPTOPOEMS

Spoken Word - CHILLY CHILLY by Prairie Chola Ayatollah

Verbal Vol. 1 continues with a spoken word track by Prairie Chola Ayatollah, Calgary's own third-eye word clown and performance artist. As with many of her poems, CHILLY CHILLY employs looping pedals to build sonic emphasis, variation, and intensity. This comic and creative spoken word poem can be heard (and read) on The Blasted Tree, and you can download all of Verbal Vol. 1 as it becomes available, one track per week throughout spring, on Bandcamp.

LISTEN TO CHILLY CHILLY

For a quick introduction to spoken word poetry and the challenge of "publishing" literary audio, check out the Forward to Verbal Vol. 1 by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer.

Spoken Word - #myfavouritepersonintheworld by Ian San Agustin

This week's addition to The Blasted Tree's spoken word anthology Verbal Vol. 1 is performed by Calgary-based poet and sneaker freak, Ian San Agustin. Ian has performed at many open mics and poetry readings around Calgary, and his laid-back delivery of #myfavouritepersonintheworld, an ode to chill times in the best of company, is soothing to listen to. #myfavouritepersonintheworld can be heard (and read) on The Blasted Tree, and you can download all of Verbal Vol. 1 as it becomes available, one track per week throughout spring, on Bandcamp.

LISTEN TO #MYFAVOURITEPERSON-INTHEWORLD

For a quick introduction to spoken word poetry and the challenge of "publishing" literary audio, check out the Forward to Verbal Vol. 1 by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer.

Poetry Leaflet - -19° 54’ · 12h 53m by Kyle Flemmer

-19° 54’ · 12h 53m, a new visual poem by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer, uses randomly generated celestial coordinates to form a composite view of the night sky. Each poem is made from grid spaces excerpted from star charts enclosing the set of 14 coordinates, substituting lines of text for sightlines in the sonnet. A limited edition of fifty 4.25" x 9" folded leaflets have been produced on metallic silver paper, get yours today from The Blasted Tree's Store.

VIEW -19° 54’ · 12h 53m

-19° 54’ · 12h 53m is The Blasted Tree's 50th print publication in just under four years of operation! Thank you to our readers and contributors for all the love and support so far, we look forward to publishing more boundary-pushing Canadian content in the coming years. For a comprehensive list of our publications in print, please see our Publication History.

Spoken Word - Dandelion Snow by Ilona Martonfi

This week in Verbal Vol. 1 we're featuring a spoken word poem by repeat Blasted Tree contributor Ilona Martonfi, an author, performer, and literary event organizer. Ilona has written three books of poetry, and she is the founder and producer of The Yellow Door reading series in Montreal. Her poem "Dandelion Snow," addressed to the unseen Daughter, asks how mental illness and poverty contribute to the erasure of intimacy. Ilona's poem can be heard (and read) on The Blasted Tree, and you can download all of Verbal Vol. 1 as it becomes available, one track per week throughout spring, on Bandcamp.

LISTEN TO DANDELION SNOW

If this is your first listen to Verbal Vol. 1, be sure to read the Forward by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer for a quick introduction to spoken word and the challenge of "publishing" literary audio.

Featured Nonfiction - Ready Lambert One by Lambert Muir

Written in response to Ernest Cline's infamous scifi fantasy novel Ready Player One, Blasted Tree contributing author Lambert Muir investigates how fandom and enthusiasm can devolve into gatekeeping and toxicity. With the big screen adaptation in theaters, now is a great time to ask: how is "the canon" of geekdom constituted, who's favorites make the list, and how does policing inhibit the community? Muir's think piece reviews RPO as a book, a film, and as an ascendant touchstone in a problematic culture.

READ READY LAMBERT ONE

Spoken Word - Filter by Adrien Smart

The second entry in Verbal Vol. 1, a digital anthology of spoken word poetry, is "Filter" by Blasted Tree contributor Adrien Smart.  Adrien a writer of poetry, short fiction, and screenplays living in North Vancouver. "Filter" takes on the cultivation of personas, social hierarchy, and addiction : "I'm the ecstatic truth / The glazing of the facts." Adrien Smart's poem can be heard (and read) on The Blasted Tree, and you can download all of Verbal Vol. 1 as it becomes available, one track per week throughout spring, on Bandcamp.

LISTEN TO FILTER

If this is your first listen to Verbal Vol. 1, be sure to read the Forward by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer for a quick introduction to spoken word and the challenge of "publishing" literary audio.

Spoken Word - ProjectAwake - 3.02 AM by Audrey Lane Cockett

Welcome to the first installment of Verbal Vol. 1, The Blasted Tree's digital spoken word anthology! This week we're featuring the lyrical stylings of Audrey Lane Cockett, a Calgary-based spoken word poet, soundscape artist, arts organizer, and park naturalist. "ProjectAwake - 3.02 AM" is set to soothing music by SHIGETO, and emphasizes breathing and an interconnectivity with the world. Audrey Lane's poem can be heard (and read) on The Blasted Tree, and you can download all of Verbal Vol. 1 as it becomes available, one track per week for the next eight weeks, on Bandcamp.

LISTEN TO PROJECTAWAKE - 3.02 AM

Be sure to read the Forward to Verbal Vol. 1 by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer for a quick introduction to spoken word and the challenge of "publishing" literary audio.

Spoken Word Anthology - Verbal Vol. 1

Tomorrow begins our eight-week series on Canadian spoken word poetry, Verbal Vol. 1, showcasing audio recordings of poetry performances delivered all across the country. Each track is unique, from the topic chosen to the method of recording - some are even set to music! The series forward, penned by Blasted Tree editor Kyle Flemmer, provides a quick introduction into spoken word and the challenge of "publishing" literary audio. Verbal Vol. 1 opens on Sunday, March 25, 2018 with a track by Calgary-based artist Audrey Lane Cockett, and will proceed one track per week throughout spring. Be sure to check back every Sunday for a new adventure into spoken word!

LISTEN TO VERBAL VOL. 1