Running Water dot Org

Four on the Floor

Instead of a poetry slam, the Acoustic Café will be hosting a (non-slamtastic) poetry reading on the last Thursday of the month...

Four on the Floor
Thursday, October 27, 2005
@ Acoustic Café
Downtown Eau Claire
7:00 PM
FREE
.

Although there’s a good chance the readers will actually be on a stage (putting them about 8–10 inches above the aforementioned floor), the reading will feature four local writers reading their poetry, prose, and nonfiction in a non-traditional format. From the super official press release:

Four Eau Claire authors, Andrew Patrie (A Beautiful Accident), Eric Rasmussen (Running Water Poetry Slam Grand Slam Champion), Jason Splichal (Both Hands, The Disappeared), and Ken Szymanski (Blue Light Special), will kick off the 2005 Chippewa Valley Book Festival with this high-octane reading. Audiences will be treated to a fast-paced, tag-team delivery. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the show.

Oh, and in case you're interested—the press release mentions that the four readers are available for interviews. So, think of some questions.

This Weekend: International Fall Festival

Hey everyone! Don't forget about the International Fall Festival going on Downtown this weekend. The Slam Crew will be on hand, taking the main stage to reenact great moments in Scandinavian military history. Just kidding! There were none. Just kidding again! Seriously, we won't be there.

But you should go because there'll be lots of cool stuff happening. There's music-n-dancing, arts-n-crafts, and food-n-food. Lot's of food. And a big parade with flags from other countries. And some super hot clog-dancing. We're totally not kidding.

It all starts tomorrow (Saturday) at 10am, and it all ends tomorrow (also Saturday) at 6pm. A lot of local businesses will have sidewalk shops set up, and you should get out there to support them. If you do, Junior Slam Cadet Ben Sasmurransy will be your servant for life. Think we're kidding?

Downtown Today: Hurricane Katrina Donation Collection

Everyone! They're collecting donations today for the Katrina refugee camp in Shreveport, LA. We realize that many of you have already done quite a bit to help those affected by Katrina and its aftermath. This is simply one more option. If you can't afford to buy a donation, there is still something you can do. From the website:

The bus is scheduled to be loaded starting at 9 am and continuing throughout the day on Wednesday, September 7. If you are interested in helping to sort, box, and load the bus give us a call or stop down to see where you can lend a hand. Of course, you can also help by spreading the word. Talk about donating with friends, relatives, co-workers, even the person in line next to you at the grocery store. We can use all the help we can get.

There you go. The collection is on Gibson Street off Graham Ave. in downtown Eau Claire. Call 715-552-8340 for more details.

Local Hurricane Relief Effort

Over the holiday weekend, Aaron of Just Local Foods sent VolumeOne.org the following...

We're spearheading a local relief effort culminating on Wednesday when we send a school bus filled with supplies down to Shreveport, LA [where many Katrina refugees are being housed]. We're collecting items at our warehouse in downtown Eau Claire. See our ad-hoc website and please help in any way you can—nothing is too small.

This is a terrific way to help out from way up here in Wisconsin. Here's a few more details:

Wednesday, Sept. 7 starting at 9am and throughout the day
On Gibson Street off Graham Ave. in downtown Eau Claire
Call 715-552-8340 for more details

Items that are desperately needed:

• school supplies
• adult incontinence pads
• baby diapers
• baby wipes
• electrical cords
• tools
• pre-paid phone cards
• gift cards to Wal-Mart and Target
• pet supplies
• rubbing Alcohol
• peroxide
• feminine products
• toiletries
• clothing
• and other obvious necessities

Check out the website.

Absolutely Crazy

Hi guys—in lieu of any actual slam news, we're posting this information from VolumeOne.org...

I'm sure you all know how dire the New Orleans situation is right now. I've been reading this blog by Michael Barnett, who is camped out with some fellow employees right in the middle of it all. They work for a run-of-the-mill internet provider, and (miraculously) they weathered the storm/flood and are able to keep operating their servers and connections, providing a degree of communication with people inside the city—something the police and National Guard are unable to do because they need to rescue people.

It may be the only blog currently written and hosted inside New Orleans. This means that Michael and his co-workers need to keep a diesel generator running, continually sweep the building for security, and keep a constant flow of information to the outside world. Michael's updates and pictures are real-time, first person accounts of what is happening down there. It provides a level of gravity you just can't find on friggin' Dateline.

Here is the blog. Here is an article about it. And once again, here is where to donate.

Robert Bly Still Alive

Hey! Robert Bly is actually not dead (just old), and he just released a new book called "My Sentence was a Thousand Years of Joy." Sounds strangely depressing! Listen to Bly talk about some junk in this interview.

A member of the Slam Crew says, "I had a counselor in college who, after I told him I wrote poetry, suggested I read a bunch of Robert Bly. That counselor was a dingleberry."

And there you have it: all you need to know about Robert Bly.

P.S. We totally ripped off the title of this post from this wonderful website, here.

You Live in a Zoo!

Hey! Another slam crewman is having a birthday! Today! He's so excited that he wants everyone to come over to his house tonight—there's beer in the fridge. Just go ahead and eat whatever you can find. If you get tired, sleep in his bed. If you get cold, start a fire in the fireplace. There's two bathrooms if you need a shower. You're on your own for towels.

So, who's the birthday boy? See if you can guess.

Where The Updates At?

Hi guys! Just a little FYI, here. Running Water dot org has reverted to slam-only content as of late. Why? Because the visually-appealing people who type this stuff have been busily typing stuff over at VolumeOne.org. So if you're looking for updates on the Chippewa Valley's super-nova-hot happenings, make sure you check over there, as well.

Don't worry, we'll keep posting slam/literature news right here—but it's summer, and there ain't much going on as far as readings.

Now, why is that?

Local Author to Ignite Local Bookstore Like Literary Firecracker

Local writer and academic spark plug John Hildebrand will read tonight from his sexy new book, A Northern Front (discussed here earlier). The UWEC professor's latest work is a collection of essays addressing the current state of the American landscape.

John Hildebrand
A Northern Front
Book Reading & Signing
TONIGHT: Tuesday, June 24
@ Border's Books & Music
7:00 PM
Free

 
From a recent review:

If you doubt that a seemingly empty space can be a treasure, or a place of great unrest, consult John Hildebrand.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire professor of English has become an expert on explaining the value of what appears to be inconsequential. He also understands the lack of harmony that exists between humans and the natural world.

"A Northern Front," his newly released collection of essays, has wise and explicit examinations of the push-pull that can define and preserve the world's natural wealth as well as destroy it. Many of his observations are of subtle circumstances that carry the potential for harsh impact in the long term. Read more.

Head over to Borders, grab a latte, and sit for a spell as Hildebrand unfurls a number of his essays for your auditory enjoyment.

Volume One Magazine, Slam Crew Sitting in Tree

It's really no secret (or all that interesting), but much of the Slam Crew helps out over at Volume One magazine with the writing and the typing and the filing and the stuff. It's a good way for us to get out of the basement and away from our nasty habits.

Anyway, we like Volume One, they like us, we all like you, and we want you to know about some recent V1-related developments....

First of all, they've switched up their website. We ain't talking about a simple redesign, here. They added a blog to the front page where all kinds of really cool people post all kinds of really cool junk you can read and look at and laugh at and think about everyday. The Chippewa Valley's internet sandwich just got a whole lot tastier, people. Go check it out right now: www.VolumeOne.org

Also cool, Volume One printed a staggering 10,000 copies of their July issue. That's a lot of infotainment. You could build an addition to your house with that many copies. Sure, it'd get pretty soggy when it rains, but that's a small price to pay for an all-V1 veranda. 10,000 copies is a big step for them as they continue to extend their distribution and influence. They've also updated the magazine's layout so it's prettier. That old Peter Johnson who didn't ask Volume One to the prom is sure gonna be sorry now.

Anyway, the point is this: Volume One's getting bigger and better all the time, and we think that's terrific. They should have a party or a bar mitzvah or something.