ReCooper8

On this month’s show, I am joined by a very special guest: Madeleine M Slavick, a poet, author, photographer, editor and social activist, who has recently settled in the Wairarapa after living and working in Hong Kong for several years.   I first met Madeleine at last year’s Greytown Arts Festival.  I’d just finished recording an interview with Erica and Struan, the Tape Artists when Madeleine and fellow poet, Simon Fleck, two members of the ten-poet strong Guerrilla Poetry event, Free Delivery, handed me a ‘short blue’ – a little bit of blue paper printed with a brief blast of home-grown poetry.  I could have had a ‘long white’, but I’m pleased I chose a short blue.  As I tried to record sound shots of the Festival in a gale force wind with no windsock, the poem’s subject matter couldn’t have been more on the money!

I caught up with Madeleine again later at the festival at The Last Piece poetry event, which she had organised.  It can only be described as one of the triumphs of the Festival – the nine poets, many of them published, drew a huge crowd, warranting the event to de-camp from its original venue, The Village Art Shop, and take up at the Library.

I met Madeleine only briefly on that windy day in Greytown, but was taken by her warmth and presence, and so when she agreed, at very short notice, to be interviewed for ReCooper8, I was delighted!  Tune in tonight at 8pm (17^th January, 92.7fm or click ‘listen live’) to hear my interview with Madeleine, in which we talk about her varied career, evident wanderlust, and growth as an artist.  Also hear her perform three of her poems, which, in a world where there seems precious little poetry at times, is a real treat.  My sincere thanks to Madeleine for her time and generosity of spirit.

The music this month comes courtesy of one artist – Ren Harvieu.  A young English singer and song writer, Ren Harvieu is described in her biography as a “girl whose voice and sound will stop you dead in your tracks […] Ren opens her mouth, and her voice transports us to a place where youthfulness becomes yearning, where dreams become dramas, and music aches longingly, full of beauty and power’.  I simply cannot disagree!  My wonderful mum bought me Harvieu’s debut album, Through the Night, for Christmas, and I’ve been hooked ever since.  It’s probably a bit self indulgent to use up all ReCooper8’s January song credits with one artist, but what the heck!  Hers is a beautiful voice delivering beautiful music, and you can’t argue with that!  At the minute, you can’t buy Ren’s music on iTunes in New Zealand, but you can listen to some of her tracks on YouTube.  As well as her website, she also has a Facebook page – if you like her music, like her page, and hopefully, one day, us Kiwis can purchase her album without employing a UK born alias!  Thanks, Ren!

You can listen to this month’s show at 8pm on Thursday 17^th and 24^rd January, and 10pm on Sunday 20^th January.  Tune in locally 92.7FM or click ‘listen live’ at ArrowFM.

Thank you for listening!