Charles Olsen's Blog: Pensamientos lentos, page 6
August 12, 2019
Antonio Machado International Poetry Residency
The poetry festival Expoesía 12 in Soria was an opportunity for me to meet the other recipients of the Antonio Machado Poetry Residency Fellowship pictured together here in front of the new Espacio Alameda, Soria.
Clockwise from bottom left: Sara Rosenberg (Argentina), Abdul Hadi Sadoun (Iraq), Marta Eloy Cichocka (Poland), Charles Olsen (New Zealand), Martín Rodriguez-Gaona (Peru) and Subhro Bandopadhyay (India). The other recipient, Mohsen Emadi (Iran), was not in Soria.
Clockwise from bottom left: Sara Rosenberg (Argentina), Abdul Hadi Sadoun (Iraq), Marta Eloy Cichocka (Poland), Charles Olsen (New Zealand), Martín Rodriguez-Gaona (Peru) and Subhro Bandopadhyay (India). The other recipient, Mohsen Emadi (Iran), was not in Soria.
July 9, 2019
Inland on NZ Poetry Shelf
Lilián and I were awarded a grant to attend a four-day gathering of creatives of Castilla and León organised by the Villalar Foundation in San Rafael, Segovia, at the beginning of June 2019.
In the mornings before breakfast I went for walks in this pine forest where I saw deer, and great views.
I took the opportunity to record a reading of my poem 'Inland' for NZ Poetry Shelf which you can listen to here: Poetry Shelf audio spot: Charles Olsen reads ‘Inland’ – ‘Tierra adentro’
April 30, 2019
Essay in the Cordite Poetry Review, Australia
cordite.org.au/essays/on-being-sanguine'I didn’t know how to respond to the Christchurch shooting. It was so out of the blue. By chance a few days after the attack happened to be the launch in Wellington of a collection of poems by migrant and refugee poets in New Zealand called More of Us from Landing Press.'My essay On Being Sanguine: Two Years of Panic and a Response to Terror in Christchurch is published in the May 2019 edition of the Cordite Poetry Review in Australia. I talk about my experience of having panic attacks and how I got through them, reflect on the Christchurch attack, and mention two of my poems that are included in the collection More of Us (Landing Press, 2019) and share my poem 'Pilgrim' from Antípodas (HUERGA y FIERRO Editores, 2016).
(Read time: 30 minutes)
April 20, 2019
'Morning's fishing' featured in Atticus Review
Mi videopoema 'Morning's Fishing' (Mañana de pesca) está destacado en la revista Atticus Review.My poetry film 'Morning's Fishing' is featured in the online journal Atticus Review, where you can watch the video and read my comments about it. The poem is included in my collection 'Antipodas' published by Huerga & Fierro in Spain.
Morning's fishing featured in Atticus Review
Mi videopoema 'Morning's Fishing' (Mañana de pesca) está destacado en la revista Atticus Review.My poetry film 'Morning's Fishing' is featured in the online journal Atticus Review, where you can watch the video and read my comments about it. The poem is included in my collection 'Antipodas' published by Huerga & Fierro in Spain.
March 8, 2019
“Mangos! Papayas! Melons!”
Charles Olsen takes us with words and photos into the heart of the Caribbean city of Barranquilla at the mouth of the River Magdalena during the vibrant and chaotic carnival celebrations, which bring the whole city alive.
Article first published in Wild Tomato Magazine, Nelson, New Zealand, October 2013
1 Queen of the Battle of the Flowers 2 Everyone takes part in carnival 3 Even the elderly have fun at carnival“Mangos! Papayas! Melons!”
I wake around 6.30am to the chatter of birds, the cackle of the neighbour’s parrot and a street salesman calling, “Papayas! Limes! Mangos!” followed shortly by another calling “Avocados! Avocados!” People in Barranquilla may not have much money but as they say, there is no lack of food. On the street corner, for a few pesos you can buy a bag of fresh sliced mango with lime juice, salt and pepper, or coconut juice from a large green coconut cut open with a machete so you can drink it with a straw. Then you ask the seller to split it open and scoop out the white flesh.
The city has been buzzing since January with the pre-carnival activities and this year is the bicentennial as well as the 10th anniversary of its declaration by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. I’m fortunate to have a press pass as the only other ways to see the Battle of the Flowers parade (Batalla de Flores) are to pay for a seat in a stand, or to take part in the parade itself. Walking to the press stand we are bombarded by music blasting out from stands on both sides of the streets that are filling with people.
Apart from the dawn chorus things generally aren’t very punctual here and the parade, due to kick off at 11am, doesn’t set off until around 2pm and reaches us an hour later. Poor folk sitting in the stands opposite us who have no respite from the sun; during the afternoon orange-jacketed medics stretcher away a number of people who’ve collapsed in the heat. At last the main parade reaches us, lead by the city’s uniformed cleaners dancing in unison with their brooms to traditional Colombian folk music. I’m already caught up in the atmosphere and the crazy nature of it all under the scorching sun.
The parade is a mixture of highly elaborate floats carrying the beautiful queens and kings of carnival and large groups of dancers in traditional costumes, many based on African or Spanish traditions as well as indigenous costumes of Colombia and the funny Marimonda costume. This originates in Barranquilla and comprises big flappy ears, a long nose and large defined eyes and lips. Most are accompanied by bands playing traditional Colombian and Afro-Colombian folk music such as cumbias and mapalé. There are also characters from films, giant heads, fire-breathing aliens, multicoloured costumes (I imagine the World of Wearable Arts taking to the streets of Wellington). There is even a contingent of orange-suited Dutch men so perhaps a Kiwi group would be very welcome here.
The people of Barranquilla have an unstoppable energy. Here, everything goes; people laugh at themselves and with each other. Figures dressed as corrupt politicians salute the crowds who wave back and take photos. An old man dressed as a baby with stained overflowing nappies raises chuckles, the carnival drunk behaves outrageously… Carnival ends with the funeral of Joselito Carnaval (Joseph Carnival). This is the final craziness of carnival where groups re-enact the death of Joselito Carnaval who, having drunk and partied so hard throughout carnival leaving all the women pregnant, collapses dead in the middle of the street. Suddenly a great wailing, shouting and crying rises up from those accompanying him. “Oh Joselito! Why did you have to die? We were all having such fun and now you’ve gone!”
Article first published in Wild Tomato Magazine, Nelson, New Zealand, October 2013
Article first published in Wild Tomato Magazine, Nelson, New Zealand, October 2013
1 Queen of the Battle of the Flowers 2 Everyone takes part in carnival 3 Even the elderly have fun at carnival“Mangos! Papayas! Melons!”I wake around 6.30am to the chatter of birds, the cackle of the neighbour’s parrot and a street salesman calling, “Papayas! Limes! Mangos!” followed shortly by another calling “Avocados! Avocados!” People in Barranquilla may not have much money but as they say, there is no lack of food. On the street corner, for a few pesos you can buy a bag of fresh sliced mango with lime juice, salt and pepper, or coconut juice from a large green coconut cut open with a machete so you can drink it with a straw. Then you ask the seller to split it open and scoop out the white flesh.
The city has been buzzing since January with the pre-carnival activities and this year is the bicentennial as well as the 10th anniversary of its declaration by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. I’m fortunate to have a press pass as the only other ways to see the Battle of the Flowers parade (Batalla de Flores) are to pay for a seat in a stand, or to take part in the parade itself. Walking to the press stand we are bombarded by music blasting out from stands on both sides of the streets that are filling with people.
Apart from the dawn chorus things generally aren’t very punctual here and the parade, due to kick off at 11am, doesn’t set off until around 2pm and reaches us an hour later. Poor folk sitting in the stands opposite us who have no respite from the sun; during the afternoon orange-jacketed medics stretcher away a number of people who’ve collapsed in the heat. At last the main parade reaches us, lead by the city’s uniformed cleaners dancing in unison with their brooms to traditional Colombian folk music. I’m already caught up in the atmosphere and the crazy nature of it all under the scorching sun.
The parade is a mixture of highly elaborate floats carrying the beautiful queens and kings of carnival and large groups of dancers in traditional costumes, many based on African or Spanish traditions as well as indigenous costumes of Colombia and the funny Marimonda costume. This originates in Barranquilla and comprises big flappy ears, a long nose and large defined eyes and lips. Most are accompanied by bands playing traditional Colombian and Afro-Colombian folk music such as cumbias and mapalé. There are also characters from films, giant heads, fire-breathing aliens, multicoloured costumes (I imagine the World of Wearable Arts taking to the streets of Wellington). There is even a contingent of orange-suited Dutch men so perhaps a Kiwi group would be very welcome here.
The people of Barranquilla have an unstoppable energy. Here, everything goes; people laugh at themselves and with each other. Figures dressed as corrupt politicians salute the crowds who wave back and take photos. An old man dressed as a baby with stained overflowing nappies raises chuckles, the carnival drunk behaves outrageously… Carnival ends with the funeral of Joselito Carnaval (Joseph Carnival). This is the final craziness of carnival where groups re-enact the death of Joselito Carnaval who, having drunk and partied so hard throughout carnival leaving all the women pregnant, collapses dead in the middle of the street. Suddenly a great wailing, shouting and crying rises up from those accompanying him. “Oh Joselito! Why did you have to die? We were all having such fun and now you’ve gone!”
Article first published in Wild Tomato Magazine, Nelson, New Zealand, October 2013
February 26, 2019
Life as a Kiwi in Spain
'Life as a Kiwi in Spain' is an article based around my experiences during my III Antonio Machado Poetry Residency in Segovia and Soria, which has just been published in the 'Our Stories' section of Kea New Zealand. Read the article here: Life as a Kiwi in Spain.
Photo I took last summer of the beautiful Duero River, Soria.
Photo I took last summer of the beautiful Duero River, Soria.
February 20, 2019
Lectura de Poesía
Lectura de PoesíaDomingo 24 de febrero de 2019 a las 12hParticipan:Charles OlsenNikodim – Divna NíkolicLilián PallaresCarole GabrieleAhmad YamaniArmando Silles McLaney
Organiza: Nikodim – Divna Níkolic
Lugar: el foro, Calle Ribera de Curtidores, 37, MadridEntrada libre hasta completar aforo
December 10, 2018
III Antonio Machado SxS Poetry Residency
I have just arrived home from Soria where I've been staying as part of the III Antonio Machado Poetry Residency of Segovia and Soria. It's been a month in each city although divided into periods to fit my schedule. I'll write more about the experience but for the moment you can see photos I've taken during the residency on my Instagram beginning with my arrival in Segovia mid-September:
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Charles Olsen (@colsenart) on Sep 18, 2018 at 10:28am PDT
August 8, 2018
New Zealand citizens and residents of all ages are invite...
New Zealand citizens and residents of all ages are invited to participate in Given Words for Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day in New Zealand 2018. All you have to do is write a poem including five words chosen by Charles Olsen from the word of the Spanish poet Antoni Machado and send to in by the end of National Poetry Day 24 August. Find the five words and full details of how to enter at nzgivenwords.blogspot.co.nz.
Prizes will be awarded for the Best Poem and Best Poem by Under-16s. The winner of Best Poem will receive a copy of the New Zealand Poetry Yearbook 2018, courtesy of Massey University Press and the winner of the Under-16 category will receive a copy of Slice of Heaven by Des O'Leary courtesy of Mākaro Press. In addition the winning poems will be translated into Spanish and published on the Spanish version of the project Palabras Prestadas.
Prizes will be awarded for the Best Poem and Best Poem by Under-16s. The winner of Best Poem will receive a copy of the New Zealand Poetry Yearbook 2018, courtesy of Massey University Press and the winner of the Under-16 category will receive a copy of Slice of Heaven by Des O'Leary courtesy of Mākaro Press. In addition the winning poems will be translated into Spanish and published on the Spanish version of the project Palabras Prestadas.
Pensamientos lentos
Pensamientos lentos, meaning 'slow thoughts' in Spanish, is a collection of my writings, photographs and activities.
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