September has seen Second Life®’s poetry scene evolve yet again with lots more new poetry events happening.   During October there’s the Oktoberfest poetry recitals with poet Pip Torok, & The Azure Club is keen to open its doors and support poetry offering a secure job for a host/poet (IM Graine Macbain for details.)     The other new venue is the Palace (host Alisa Foreshore)  now bringing poetry to Second Life® at 6pm pdt (2 AM GMT) every Monday.   The Apple offices (located in the London School of Journalism Space Orb) have started opening weekdays between the hours of 5 and 7 am pdt to discuss all things poetry too.  Changes to schedules include  Skylar Smythe’s  “Hot” collective event moving from the Lyrical Cafe to the Chelsea Hotel with its new time/day TBC, & yours truly  (the infamous Pirate Neko Poet Against Bad Things Klannex Northmead) now reading an hour of poetry every Friday between 4 and 5pm pdt in the Lyrical. Cafe.    A new event that’s been running occasionally but has yet to achieve its full potential is Full up on Pie. It was hoped it would be an event for sharing more alternative work, encompassing modern, acidically satirical, humorous and even down right bitchy X rated poetry.   If you are interested in attending it’s usually held Tuesdays at 2 pm pdt (10 PM GMT) watch inworld events listings or  http://theapple.ws/index.html and when you do come, bring a large spoon.

Last month’s showcase events were brilliant.   DonJuan Writer and Stosh Quartz read at the Criss Museum early in the month and as always gave the audience their best (IM Scotj Criss if you are an events coordinator  and would like to organise reads for the Criss Museum). Loulane’s Tiatopia Library events have also been fabulous, Corwyn Allen read there last month along with Leslye Writer, me and others.   Tiatopia is usually held early Saturdays or Sundays and is always worth a look if you love showcased Second Life® poetry.  Tiatopia also hosts some regular themed weekday workshops (see listings). The other big event was the Elephant Special hosted by DonJuan Writer & Klannex Northmead, always a fun hour in celebration of elephant appreciation day. Don’t forget many venues regularly offer themed reading events including the Blue Angel, the Hot collective, The Written Word and Poetic Ponderings.   October ’s showcase events in Second Life® are likely to concentrate around the Burning Life Festival with several groups present including the Written Word. Jilly Kidd, who represents the Written Word, tells me there is a tower of poetry being built from poems currently housed at the London School of Journalism Space Orb, and that a calendar of events will be available soon. The Apple  too is getting involved with its main offices being moved there from the LSJ for the duration of the festival including; morning poetry discussion, dartboard, in-tray, desk lamp, filing cabinet, squeaky chairs, desk fan and all.  I look forward to seeing you there.

The competitions are a little scarce this month although a rough draft of the rules for the Second Life® slam championships are almost finalised. It’s thought best to have a trophy as opposed to a cash prize with every succeeding slam champion having their name engraved on the trophy. The trophy will then be  held by the current winner until their period as Second Life® Slam Champion is over. The event will be held every three-five months rotating between any venues who wish to hold it and who can supply a panel of five neutral poetry loving judges. In the interest of fairness venues hosting and judging the event will not be permitted to enter teams or to hold the trophy. All other venues/individuals will be welcome to enter poets or teams of poets. If you are interested in either entering or hosting a good date/time for the first event is Saturday 30th October 2010 at 4PM PDT, again watch listings for details. Good luck.

*bottoms up

Klannex