1995-01-30 Victoria Stanton and Ian Stephens

[Ambient sounds (white noise).] | Video Description: Black screen with static.

Video Description: Colour video, medium closeup of the stage at Bistro 4 (Quatre) (4040 St. Laurent, Montreal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada). A single mic stand. The stage, slightly below street level, is set against a full-wall window looking out onto the St. Laurent Blvd. traffic---with both pedestrians and vehicles regularly passing by. The windows from across the street (4067 St. Laurent) are also visible, including an outdoor sign with the word "JETHRO." People frequently pass in front of the camera. When the camera zooms out, a series of decals become visible, with words from the menu such as "DEJEUNER," "CAPPUCCINO," and "TISANE."

Check check. Bonsoir, tout le monde. Bienvenue encore une fois. Thanks for coming back to yet another evening of Enough Said. Well, we have a lot signed up as always. I guess I can just try and clarify for any who haven't sussed it out: the first half, three quarters of the room has to remain smoke-free this evening. Please cooperate [scattered applause]. Thank you very much. And, if you need a smoke, yeah, right back to the bar or maybe out to the foyer would be just as good in-between acts or something of that nature. Ok, well, it's going to be an eventful evening. I don't need to do any introductions, I'm told, it's wonderful. I could just mention that-at another point in the evening I will tell you all about what's happening come February and March. And, yeah, without further ado, we're gonna forge straight into things. So, enjoy, yeah, for those who haven't overcome the oral phase, bare with us [laughter] until (it?) breaks, ok? | Video Description: Camera zooms into a medium closeup as Lee Gotham adjusts the mic. Gotham wears a dark sweater with snowflake motifs, rolled-up sleeves, black baseball cap turned back, stubble, and shoulder-length hair. Gotham makes introductory remarks as the camera adjusts the focus tries various degrees of closeups. Gotham then closes the sliding window.

[Calls Victoria Stanton to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Lee Gotham invites the first performer to the stage.

[Victoria Stanton sings the word "poetry" into the mic, then decides to go a cappella. Performs piece. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Victoria Stanton approaches the mic and salutes the audience. Stanton wears a long light brown jacket over a black blouse, chin-length dark hair with bangs, and hoop earrings. Briefly talks to Lee Gotham. Opens her mouth wide several times, stretching the jaw, as the camera zooms into a closeup. Removes mic from stand. Opens mouth widely a few more times. Sings into the mic but then decides to go a cappella, returning the mic to the stand. Performs a song.

[Performs a piece beginning with the line, "Though I wish I could draw a map of perspective."] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a spoken-word piece.

[Breaks into song again, beginning with the word "classroom."] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton sings.

[Resumes spoken piece, with the line, "My teacher, professor, stands in the front to the room and professes." ] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a spoken-word piece.

[Breaks into song again, beginning with the word "classroom."] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton sings.

[Resumes spoken piece, with the line, "What you can't see, can't hurt you." Thanks the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a spoken-word piece. Camera zooms out during the applause.

[Introduces Ian Stephens.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as Lee Gotham talks to Ian Stephens, who is masked and sitting upstage. Zoom into a closeup as Gotham goes to the mic and invites Ian Stephens to the stage.

[Calls for Peter. Reads an epistolary poem to Peter. Invites Peter to the stage.] | Video Description: Zoom into a closeup as Ian Stephens interacts with the audience and reads a poem directed to an audience member. Stephens wears a brown jacket over a t-shirt with the words "BAD RELIGION" partially visible, a black scarf with red and grey stripes, and a buzz haircut.

[Reads "Science Fiction," beginning with the line "I live in a very old beautiful home." Applause. Calls Ian Stephens to the stage.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium closeup as Peter enters the stage. Peter wears a plaid brown shirt with rolled-up sleeves over a white shirt, black scarf, black beanie hat, and a close-trimmed beard. Peter reads a piece.

[Organizes objects on stage, in front of him. Introduces "Regan's mind #2, or, Regan remembers." Continues setting up the stage. Puts on a cowboy hat. Sits down. Explains that, in this piece, he is Regan's mind. Puts on fake eyeballs, one larger than the other.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens sets the stage.

[Performs "Regan's mind #2, or, Regan remembers." The piece is spoken against the background recording of a radio that keeps switching between stations; Stephens frequently comments upon the different pieces of music. Applause. Thanks the audience.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens performs a piece while sitting down and holding the mic. After the opening the line, the fake eyeballs fall. Stephens readjusts them, but they fall multiple times. Stephens holds props during the performance, including a doll. At the end of the piece, amid applause, Stephens removes the cowboy hat.

[Introduces and reads "The holy city," crediting the music to Kevin Komoda (Stephen's collaborator in the Wining Dining Drilling musical group). Performs "The holy city," against background music by Kevin Komoda. Thanks the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot, then zoom into a closeup as Ian Stephens introduces and performs a piece. Stephens stands up to perform, holding a notebook and the mic; the camera zooms out and back into a medium closeup, following Stephens.

[Announces he wants to try something different at the end, opening space for questions from the audience. Introduces "a few sweet terror poems," adding that it is tricky but not impossible to read them (referring to the fact he's wearing a mask). Before reading, names objects from what he calls "Reagan's mind's desk," including a book titled "Guilt Free." Adds that Reagan is a lucky man to have Alzheimer's.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens leafs through a notebook, talks with the audience, then puts on a skeleton mask.

[Reads a poem from the "Let's be dead" sequence, beginning with the line, "I drew a picture of my coffin." Explains it was not included in the book (Diary of a Trademark, The Muses' Co., 1995) because it was "too deadly."] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens performs a piece.

[Reads "Let's be dead," opening with the line "I know the club where you got the blow-job" (with slight differences from the version published in Diary of a Trademark, The Muses' Co., 1995). Thanks audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens performs a poem. Removes the mask mid-performance.

[Introduces "I Started to get sick in New York" mentioning it is also from the book (Diary of a Trademark, The Muses' Co., 1995) and another piece with music by Kevin Komoda. States the piece is dedicated to David Wojnarowicz. Performs piece, with significant differences from the version published in the book. Thanks the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot then zoom into a medium closeup as Ian Stephens introduces and performs a piece.

[Asks the audience if they have any questions.] | Video Description: Medium shot then zoom into a medium closeup as Ian Stephens welcomes questions from the audience.

Did I know you in Lennoxville in 1972? [Laughter.] | Video Description: Zoom into a medium closeup as Ian Stephens listens to a question from the audience.

A hypothetical question. Yes. [Laughter.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens answers the question.

...speaking about a journalist, and we had a difference of opinion of your work, and she said, in spite of frequent irony, it wasn't rescued, that there was something wrong with it [laughter]; and I thought, well, it's more just sort of brute reality of it that appeals to me, more often than not, above and beyond all the crap and whatnot. What do you say, when someone has this adverse sort of reaction? | Video Description: Medium closeup then zoom out to a medium shot as Ian Stephens listens to a question from Lee Gotham.

I don't care. [Laughter. Asks if anybody has another question.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Ian Stephens receives the mic back from Lee Gotham then zoom into a closeup as Stephens answers Gotham's question.

[Asks if Stephens is happy to be back in Montreal]. | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens listens to a question from the audience.

Oh yeah, I love Montreal, my home, I was born here, raised here. Everything I see around here resonates. (Certain little memories?). (?) I lived here Montreal was a province unto itself. | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens answers to the question.

[Asks about other performers or events that Ian Stephens would like see throughout the town.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens listens to a question from Lee Gotham.

I think things are moving in a half-decent pace. [Lee Gotham interrupts.] I think the spoken word is getting passe. You have to make the leap into performance and you do that by getting out of the text; I'm still going through transition. But once you get beyond the text, it becomes performance poetry, which is a leap a lot of poets can't do. The academics cannot do it. And I think that's the litmus test. The academics, they wonder why their books don't sell, they are unpopular, or whatever. You have to make that leap, I think. If you want to work with an audience, other than a very limited book reader. Ok, no more questions. Thank you very much. | Video Description: Medium closeup as Ian Stephens answers Gotham's question. Zoom out to a medium long shot as Stephens puts scarf on and organizes objects amid applause.

[Thanks Ian Stephens. Announces break.] | Video Description: Zoom into a medium closeup as Lee Gotham takes the mic and announces a break.

[Makes remarks and introduces the first open-mic performer.] | Video Description: Cuts to a medium closeup of Lee Gotham making remarks and introducing the first open-mic performer.

[Introduces piece as "a conversation between two people." Reads piece, opening with the line "No, no, I'm not talking to you." Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Legault enters the stage and picks up mic. Legault wears a black turtleneck, short hair, and a goatee. Zoom out to a medium shot as Legault performs a piece.

[Reads "Wolf Billie," beginning with the line "And now, ladies and gentleman, a little story about Wolf Billie." Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Legault performs a piece.

[Reads "In the room with yellow walls," beginning with the line "I'm sitting on a chair; across from me is a sofa; on the sofa, the cat." Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Legault searches for a paper and performs a piece.

[Thanks Legault. Calls the next open-mic performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup of Lee Gotham entering the stage. Zoom out to a medium shot of Gotham introducing the next performer.

[Reads "Grandfather blues." Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot of Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall entering the stage. Bishop-Stall wears a black button-down shirt, a thin necklace, ear-length wavy hair, and stubble. Zoom to a closeup as Bishop-Stall reads a poem.

[Reads piece beginning with the lines ,"I don't know to talk, to walk. I don't know my feet from a flower." Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium closeup as Bishop-Stall reads a poem.

[Reads "Body politic" (later published as "Backyard" in Headlight Anthology no. 2, 1999). Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium shot then into a closeup as Bishop-Stall reads a poem.

[Calls the next open-mic performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Lee Gotham introduces the next performer.

[Reads "Daydreams of an amputator." Scattered laughter throughout. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as a Harris enters the stage. Zoom into a closeup as Harris reads a piece. Harris wears a grey sweater with red and blue lozenges over a white-collared shirt over a black t-shirt, short hair, and sideburns.

[Reads "(Don't wait?)." Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Harris reads a piece.

[Thanks Thoth. Announces a series of upcoming events, including: E.J. Brule (Feb 6); a Benefit for En Marge, a street-kids safety-net organization (Feb 13); Groupe de Poesie Moderne (Feb 20); Sonja Skarstedt (Feb 27); Steve Godin (March 6); and Adeena Karasick (March 13). Calls the next open-mic performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Cuts to a medium closeup of Lee Gotham. As Gotham speaks, something bumps into the camera, which shakes.

[Tells a story about the previous week. Reads a piece in German, opening with various repetitions of the first line. Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium shot as Phil enters stage and adjusts the mic stand while holding a guitar. Phil wears a brown plaid shirt and shaved head except for a top hair tuft. Video cuts briefly into static. Phil tells a story then reads a piece.

[Performs a song including the lines, "Nowhere is real, man" and "And the people are sheep". Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Phil performs a song.

[Announces upcoming event with Steve Godin and calls him onto the stage.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Lee Gotham calls Steve Godin onto the stage.

[Introduces and reads a piece dialoguing with the Beauty and the Beast, titled "Beauty (of beings?) and beginning with the line, "In mythology there is a wish to return as a hero." Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Steve Godin walks onto the stage and removes his scarf and messenger bag. Godin wears a black leather jacket over a black-and-blue t-shirt and neck-length greying hair with long bangs. Zoom into a closeup as Godin introduces and reads a piece.

[Reads untitled poem. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Steve Godin introduces and reads a poem.

[Thanks Steve Godin. Calls on Justin McGrail to the stage to close the event with a "showstopper."] | Video Description: Closeup as Lee Gotham thanks Steve Godin and invites the last open-mic performer to the stage.

[Reads piece titled "For the window washers (?)."] | Video Description: Closeup as Justin McGrail enters the stage. Zoom out to a medium closeup as McGrail introduces and performs a piece. McGrail wears a black t-shirt with a white skeleton torso over a long-sleeved white-shirt, cargo pants, and short black hair,. Zoom out to a medium shot as McGrail performs, playing with and stretching the straps of his suspenders. At the end of the performance, he clips the straps back on.

[Calls a last "surprise" performer to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Lee Gotham talks with Christine and enters the stage to invite an extra open-mic performer to the stage.

[Introduces and reads a poem (low mumbled audio). Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Christine walks up to the microphone and addresses audience. Christine wears a brown vest over a black turtleneck shirt, light-wash jeans, and short blond hair. Christine introduces and reads a poem.

[Thanks and reminds audience of the upcoming Benefit event for En Marge, with a "stellar cast of poets."] | Video Description: Medium closeup of Lee Gotham at the stage, making final remarks. Zoom out to a medium long shot as Gotham leaves the stage; some empty chairs and audience members applauding.

[End of recording.]