Help Me Write A Poem!

Here’s the deal: I’m working on a poem, “In the Rock Hall,” the inspiration being a visit I made, a couple of years ago, to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Land of Cleves, Ohio. The poem is divided into two parts, the first being my impressions, the second being my thoughts about what artifacts or relics should be in the Rock Hall. I want you guys out there to suggest things, too, and when I get enough, well, we shall published and be damned!

Here’s the poem to date:

In The Rock Hall

Of course you must go!

When next in Cleveland, you must
Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Which sits on the shores of Lake Erie
(Itself a monument to ancientness.)

Of course you must go!

You will be disappointed.
There are clothes,
Vestments and albs worn by the luminous,
But they seem to have been laundered
Many, many times.
Not never, which is what you would expect.

And the clothes are so small.

(You have become tremendous.
You own a belly that drapes over a golden belt buckle
And hides it from view
Even though the buckle is so enormous
That it would seem to have been bestowed by some
Transgalactic wrestling league?

(But you do not worry, of late, about your appearance.
You squeeze your shoulders into a denim jacket
That you have had for years,
At least, for the years that meant anything,
The years that felt anything,
The years that you keep in your back pocket
Along with the condom of optimism.
There is no chance of fastening the fastens,
But that?s all right, the jacket
Never could withstand even the weakest
Of Elements.

(Your hair is gone, or
Streaked like a crazy lady?s cheek.
Your hair has become absolutely
Unmanageable.)

These clothes on display,
They are so small and, now,
You so large,
you would have trouble
Forcing your fist into them and
Working them like handpuppets.

But you must go!

Because at the end of the day
You will stumble outside
Blinded by tears, and you will
Fall into Lake Erie
(Itself a monument to ancientness)
And you will,
Finally,
Mourn your youth.

2)

Here are some things that should be on display:

Elvis?s sneer (not the he used on-stage, the one that crimped his mouth when Colonel Parker suggested he try on the suit in the closet)

Jerry Lee Lewis?s hymnal.

Robert Johnson?s lost nickel (for he telephoned his manager, at least, the white man who was exploiting him, and said, ?There?s a lady here wants fifty cents, and I lacks a nickel.?)

Her Boy Lollipop.

The Land of a Thousand Dances. I?ve calculated that if we confine ourselves to popular dance steps of the 20th and 21st century?the Lindy Hop, the Pony, the?we are currently stalled at number 999. What grand luck! So there should be an exhibit, a room where people enter and dance and someone will finally do something brand-fucking-new and the Land of a Thousand Dances will all of a sudden appear in atlases. Wilson Pickett may even come back to life, we can only hope.

The dildo that Jimi Hendrix used when he was too fucked up to fuck.

Neil Young?s blue ears and fingertips, the result of venturing outside in Winnipeg, Manitoba, wearing only a too-small denim jacket as protection against the Elements.

The scream that came out of the mouth of Brenda Boychuk, age 13, of Don Mills, Ontario,when Paul McCartney shook his hair in Toronto?s Maple Leaf Gardens.

The best move I ever made,
Which was made in front of a mirror?
I was the same age as Brenda Boychuck, indeed,
It was Brenda I was possessed by,
The sight of a bra strap escaping from a
Cream coloured sweater
Resulting in what our
Gym and Health teacher Mr. Luik
Called ?penile engorgement,?
But?where was I going with this??
I once draped my Zenon guitar
Over my shoulder and struck an
E chord with such engorged insouciance
That Brenda Boychuck would have
a)??? forgotten about Paul McCartney forever
b)??? allowed me to do whatever sex was

Okay? never mind.
I?m going out now for a few drinks.
Wearing my denim jacket
Even though it is too small and unable to
Withstand any of the Elements.

—————————————

Dr. Landy’s prescription pad with whatever drug made Brian and Ozzy walk and talk the way they do. (Helen Musclow)

(copyright 2007, Paul Quarrington)
——————————–

So… any suggestions? Post them here or send them to paul@paul.quarrington.org. Together, who knows, we may win the Griffin Prize!!

Paul Quarrington on Adaptation – Part 2

Thoughts on the process of adapting books to screen
By Paul Quarrington

Movies are not as big as books.

The general public, I think, has a vague and imaginary scale that measures narrative weight, and they seem to equate a book with a feature length film. But the movie is much, much smaller. My novel ?Whale Music? is a small book?two hundred and some odd pages?but even it was way too big for a feature film.

As various directors worked on it, as I re-wrote according to discussions, disparate aspects would come to the fore. I wrote the first draft myself, and concentrated on the humorous aspects of the story. (I included characters like the dog and Babboo Nash Fazoo, for example.) Then Atom Egoyan and I worked together. Being Atom Egoyan, he was most interested in the familial stuff (and Desmond?s parents were on-screen characters.) Then Richard Lewis took over the helm, and the parents were deep-sixed to make more room for the love story between Claire and Desmond.

So perhaps the most important aspect of adaptation is for the filmmaker to identify which specific aspects of the printed material speak to him/her. By selecting those to which he or she connects emotionally and primally, the filmmaker is ensuring that the final product will by at least in part a personal expression. Sometimes the filmmaker is forced to highlight aspects where there is no personal connection, sometimes the filmmaker bends things to make them fit, tries to force a square peg into a round hole. The filmmaker must possess a very intimate and profound knowledge of the source material. There must be a very immediate and visceral connection, Otherwise, I assert, the project is doomed to failure.

Canadian Premiere of Pavane!

The Pavane Premiere is here!

In just a few short days Pavane will be publicly screened for the first time ever with Moving Stories Films at THIN AIR: Winnipeg International Writers Festival. The entire program, which includes 14 other short films based on works of literature, will be featured at the CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre (MTYP) on Sunday September 28 at 10am.

Quarrington will also be conducting a workshop using Pavane to illustrate the process of adaption from book to screen. He will be joined by BookShorts Executive Director Judith Keenan and author Susin Nielsen. The workshop takes place on Saturday September 27.

 

Paul Quarrington on Adaptation – Part 1

Paul Quarrington soon hits the road to host the inaugural Moving Stories Films program at various literary and film festivals across the country with stops in Winnipeg, Banff-Calgary, St. John’s, Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto. In addition to premiering his short film Pavane (based on his book The Ravine), Quarrington will also be conducting workshops for filmmakers, writers and anyone who is interested in the process of adaptation.

Join us for an online exclusive series: “Paul Quarrington on Adaptation”.? Over the next few weeks, Paul will be sharing his thoughts on the creative process of adapting books to screen. Come on out to one of the workshops in a city near you where you can meet Paul and assorted special guests, and be sure to follow along online.

The Ravine Makes Giller Long List!

This just in! The Ravine has been longlisted for the?2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Quarrington is no stranger to the Giller, having been shortlisted in 2004 for Galveston.

“The selections this year are especially formidable. Many of the other nominees are personal friends,” says Quarrington,? “which might cause some difficulty when I begin the hexing incantations and whammies, but hey, I hope they understand. I’m proud to be on such a fine list.”

Is it any wonder that Quarrington won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour? In addition to pulling in the Leacock, his novel King Leary also kept him “on the island,” emerging as sole survivor (read: winner) of the 2008 CBC Canada Reads competition.

The recognition doesn’t end with his books, however. Quarrington is the writer for Moose TV, which won the 2008 Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) Indie Award for Best Comedy Series. He’s also been groovin’ to sell-out crowds across the country with his band Porkbelly Futures. The band has released their eponymous album earlier this year.

“The World in Six Songs” Book Review by Paul Quarrington

All you need is love – and joy, and …
Review By PAUL QUARRINGTON

Excerpt … his examination of the role played by music in our evolution is fascinating and enlightening.

Globe & Mail Books Section
September 13, 2008

THE WORLD IN SIX SONGS
How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature
By Daniel J. Levitin
Viking Canada, 354 pages, $32

“Why do some songs move us so and others leave us cold?” This puzzle and others led Levitin back to university, studying the way the human brain processes music (he currently runs the Laboratory for Music Perception, Cognition and Expertise at McGill).

That specific puzzle also lies at the heart of his new book, The World in Six Songs. To be more precise, the book is about why some songs move us so, Levitin being too gracious to spend a lot of time belabouring why other songs don’t. And if, like me, your first thought is, “What are the six songs?” let me explain that he has identified six disparate types of songs. His thesis is that these six song types serve different functions; moreover, that each song type has influenced human evolution, and explains much about the way we are.?

For the entire article, visit The Globe and Mail Online

Live Report from Darryl’s Hard Liquor & Porn Film Festival

In a serious effort to scout talent for a new line of sexy funny films, BookShorts sponsored the first ever Hot Type Award at Darryl?s Hard Liquor and Porn Film Festival.? The Hot Type Award was bestowed upon the filmmaker who most cleverly integrated a book or its written word into their film. Each eligible film was made during the 69 Hour Film Challenge. Congrats to the winner, Darryl Gold who wins $500 towards his next screenplay for a BookShorts film.

To?the BookShorts?filmmaking team in a new line of sexy films, visit http://www.bookshorts.com/author.htm .

Watch Paul’s Live Report Here!