ONTO TORONTO – Toronto's first Berlin-Style Poetry Collective

Because I’m missing Berlin’s poetry scene (there just doesn’t seem to be anything like it in Toronto… Am I looking in the wrong places?), I started Onto Toronto the other day. Onto Toronto is Toronto’s first Berlin-inspired poetry collective. It offers regular writing groups, readings, workshops, and a free blog magazine. You may submit your on work for publication and/or for being considered to join the writing group. You can find out more about the rules of submission here.

i got hegemann-ed!

stephan reich, a reader of this blog, remixed a poem of mine:

und wenn ich dich nie

wieder sehe nie finde

ich frieden seither ich

dich misse was macht das

noch dass ich dich aus

diesem bett nicht

heraus & vergessen kann

nachts wenn am bahn

steig der wind &

dein haar mir den schlaf

nimmt wo einmal etwas

war keine hand so warm wie

im schnee deine an gleisen

zurück bis zu dir steht´s in

spuren im frost hast du mich

bereisen & wegweisen

können was tut´s das du

fehlst & die bahn dann

dein bild in der scheibe

manchmal keine hand

breit mehr weiter der

menschen leergelebte

gesichter die finger in hosen

taschen geborgen ich

erinnerte dich & stehe &

gehe alleine was macht

wohl die eine was macht das

jetzt noch?

i feel very flattered. thanks, stephan!

edit no. 4, hot off the printer

ok, so i am done with edit number 4 of my little novella now. although still only at 27 norm pages (50.899 characters with spaces), i'm quite content with it. so far, i have only given it to stefan beuse to read, who gave me very encouraging feedback and who is the only one to know the working title of the manuscript still. i am planning on doing more editing and maybe even on adding more pages to it during my time on the road next week - the Arcotel Hotels have been so kind to sponsor a literary journey that will take me to Linz (AU), Klagenfurt (AU), and Zagreb (HR). as yet, i haven't made my mind up whether i'll bring my computer or not, as i am hoping that a macless journey would force me into writing more (less distraction). i will definitely bring my camera, though, and will take some pictures. speaking of pictures, here's a small selection of the ones i took on my most recent trip to the US:

word count ↑

ok, so i am still working on the third edit of my novella BUT i have completed its second part (of five) just now and already am at 30.795 characters including spaces. this is fantastic, as i was only at 35.000 for the whole thing after edit number two. i am planning to finish the third round by the end of this week, i.e. before i go on holiday to mainz, frankfurt, and washington DC. the idea is to let the manuscript ripen until i'll be back, and then to re-work it once more with a fresh mind. not sure how many more edits i'll need after the fourth, certainly one, if not two or three. but, like i said, i will keep you posted.

i have started the third edit of my novella today. as per usual, i previously confused counting 'characters including spaces' with the ordinary word count - only this time to my disadvantage. turns out, my second edit lacks many more words than i thought it would. we'll see how comfortable i'll feel about padding as much. the original draft of the piece was almost triple as long as the second edit is, but i'm very content i cut out all that crap for good reason. in the third round now, editing takes me about an hour per A4 page, depending on how much i add. i'm starting to get a little excited at this point. still loads of work ahead, though.

i wasn't gon' say nothin'

but i've changed my mind due to the good progress i made in the past week.

i am working on my first novella.

[pregnant pause.]

and i am halfway through my second edit.

it's rather short overall, which is why i wouldn't want to call it a novel. after all, it's really only an attempt. but as this started off as a blog about my being a writer, i'd like to let you know how i proceed.

so far, i've managed to develop a story idea that has been around for a while - about a year or so - into a prose script i still enjoy working on. this is a good sign as it shows that the subject is deep enough to immerse myself in. it's a first person-narrative and there's still plenty of research to do, though, reading up on some history, looking at pictures and stuff. not necessarily because i want to incorporate everything in it, but to get in the mood for padding the draft somewhat later on. i do have a title in mind as well, which crossed my mind roughly a week ago and, in a way, drove the whole project home for me. even if it will eventually turn out to have been just a working title, having one at this point helps me focus on the essence of the text.

i am very excited about this. and happy, too, that i am finally, finally scripting. what is more, it feels good to tell you about this and to bring this blog back to its roots as a work log. having said this - i'll keep you posted.

Eröffnung: Hendrik Jackson's Büro für Kritik

the KW Institute for Contemporary Art is newly hosting hendrik jackson's Büro für Kritik (more info on their homepage soon). i think the idea is to anatomize other people's writing.

the opening of said three-dimensionality will be celebrated on sunday, 15 february 2009, 7 pm, at auguststr. 69, 10117 berlin.

i am definitely planning on going and might even bring a text or two. ann cotten, monika rinck and christian filips will be attending as well, which should make for a lyrically sound night.

**** update: more info on this event over at metroprolet ****

AB JETZT: rumproleten !

i have been invited to blog for metroprolet, which is super. i have promised to deliver two posts a week, which is more than i am posting here on WOAW at the moment. i am hoping that a little professional pressure will increase my textual output. i know, i've said this many times before, but this time it's different, 'cause no one likes to let their peers down, right? i will blog in german over there, by the way. that's a first and should be mighty interesting.

speaking of which: ernesto castillo and johannes jansen will read at the labor in neukölln next friday, 12 december 2008. 8 pm onwards, i think.

oh yeah, and don't forget my own reading on 16 december 2008 at the rumpelofen/ kaffee burger. i am currently working on a prose text for that, so you'll get to hear fresh material.

post no. 400: DIE FREIE LANZE preliminary preliminary website launch !

die vorlaeufige vorlaeufige webseite meiner kleinen agentur ist online. wenn Ihr junge designer kennt, die freiberuflich arbeiten wollen, leitet sie ruhig an DIE FREIE LANZE weiter; jahrelange arbeitserfahrung ist nicht zwingend noetig, nur talent sollen sie haben.

the preliminary preliminary webpage of my little agency is online. should you happen to know young designers who would like to work freelance, please pass them on to DIE FREIE LANZE - years and years of work experience are not important, i much prefer talent.

nanowrimo

rather spontaneously, i have decided to participate in this year's national novel writing month. actually, nienke brought it up the other day and it occurred to me that this year around, there is really no excuse. i mean, i will have many other things to do in between writing, but i guess that could be helpful, too, as i won't be able to sit at home all day stressing out about not reaching the 50'000 words goal the organizers have set. has anyone else thought about participating?

FM4 Wortlaut 2008: Call for submissions!

just in case you wondered

i am writing still... proof: the poem below this post.

apart from that, i am still working on that longer piece i talked about. still very slowly, too, but i think it could become a good foundation for a (= next year's?) novel project... i'm also thinking about drafting a movie script, but as yet, i haven't gone beyond a very rudimentary storyline idea. also, i haven't yet finished a third short story called Oben [Atop], of which around three pages are missing still. so there's plenty of stuff in the pipeline, waiting to be worked on - besides all those uni assignments, that is.

die verganzte zeit/ ein schneeballwurf/ zwei komma fünf/ meter zu weit/ wir ducken uns/ in unsren stiefeln/ oben oben raben auf/ laternen komma ästen/ ächzen als der ball/ platzt fallen fetzen/ aus versagen auf.

[the entired time/ a snowball throw/ two comma five/ meters too far/ we duck down/ in our boots/ above above the ravens on/ the lanterns comma branches/ groaning when the ball/ bursts falling shreds/ of failure catch the eye.]

(picture taken from pictures of walls.)

lauter niemand on the shelves

third row from top, between Literaturen and Bücher.

great reading, by the way.

and oh! and look!

the austrian ballhaus came up with a complete program (plus pictures) for 8 november 2007 in klagenfurt... i'll be reading with johannes weinberger, and marcus smaller of 3 feet smaller will be playing music. neat, i'm really looking forward to this!

what a great weekend!

day 161

i'm still researching and writing my story. at the moment, i'm at 822 words. looks like i'll have to alter the beginning quite a bit though, cause there's more to the case than i had known and remembered. i'm a bit nervous about this whole thing, as there's a true story behind it and i really want it to turn out good.

day 159

surprise, surprise: i've started a third story for the walter serner preis. this time, though, i'll stick with it. i have a pretty clear idea of where i'm going and still enough time to make an effort to write it well. i've written 233 words in one go now, little more than half a page, which is always a good sign. i'll go out for lunch soon, which is fine, too, because the ways to and from give me time to develop my text in more detail.

plus: the super funny snoopy looks i get from people when taking notes in public.

day 152

last night i realized that my story for the walter serner preis is only due after i left berlin. technically i've known this all along, but now, when i write, it feels like i'm writing myself out of berlin... wicked!!!

i'm at 519 words at the moment, which make a little over one page, which is perfectly fine. just like the last couple of times i've started a new story - i just can't continue producing material i don't feel excited about. it's that feeling in your stomach that tells you 'this could really be something, keep going'... so the story i'm writing at the moment doesn't have anything to do with chemistry or our planetary system (not at this point at least), but instead with people and children, the usual stuff - stellar vaults just didn't seem to do it. haha.

day 104

only minutes ago i finished the first draft of my open mike entry. it's a story again, six pages or 2'568 words long. it's supposed to fill 15 minutes of reading time, so i suppose that should be fine. i haven't read it out loud yet, as i don't see a point in doing so when i know this isn't the final draft, but given my flood story experience, its volume should suffice. i've been toying around with my language a little this time around, which seems unusual to me personally (then again, don't i always play with language?), but i still like it. especially the first and last sentence of the story really suit me this time... so yeah, whatever the outcome will be, i'm pretty proud of myself cause i wrote the story so quickly and even in a certain time frame with still enough time to revise it thoroughly. awesome!

day 50

(picture taken from pictures of walls.)

yesterday night, when thinking about what to do about the novel problem, i had another idea for a prose manuscript. i drafted it roughly, named it's characters - a lot easier this time - and started writing. i'm at 421 words at the moment. style-wise, i like it much better than the last attempt already. in case i'll decide to stick with it, i'll defintiely put up a second word count, but for now i just want to see how it goes in the next couple of days. i have also made a couple of very minor changes to my new slam text. again, the text is far from funny (and thus not very likely to earn me any titles, either), but i'm looking forward to reading it on stage still. as to Die Resignation: i'm thinking about sending it in to that blauer something prose competition i told you about, in case i can't manage to come up with something newer and better until then, that is.