Intervista ma' Emmanuel Attard Cassar

1.      Min huwa Emmanuel Attard Cassar bħala bniedem? Passatempi, familja, professjoni u l-bqija.

Jiena twelidt fit-23 ta’ Marzu 1956 fi Gwardamangia, eżattament fl-isptar San Luqa. L-ewwel 41 sena tiegħi għixthom fil-Furjana sakemm iżżewwiġt u mort noqgħod il-Qrendi. Għixt għal xi żmien Buġibba u llum noqgħod Ħ’ Attard. Jiena u marti Maria għandna żewġt itfal (adottati) li jisimhom Valentina u Jack. M’għandniex xi ngħidu dawn huma l-mimmi t’għajnejna.

Jiena iggradwajt mill-Università ta’ Malta bħala għalliem tal-matematika. Wara sentejn ngħallem irċevejt ‘scholarship’ mogħti mill-Gvern Taljan u studjajt ġewwa Pisa fejn iggradwajt fix-Xjenza tal-Informazzjoni. Illum ngħallem dan is-suġġett fil-Junior College.

Nista’ ngħid li s-suġġetti li studjajt huma l-passatempi prinċipali tiegħi flimkien mas-suġġett tal-Fiżika. Inħobb ukoll nikteb poeżiji u stejjer qosra. Passatemp ieħor ta’ mistrieħ kbir għalija hija l-mużika ‘leggera’ Taljana kif ukoll l-ambjent tal-ispettaklu Taljan.  Dan l-aħħar passatemp beda fi żmien Canzonissima fis-snin sebgħin jiġifieri ħafna qabel ma jien mort nistudja ġewwa l-Italja.

     2.      Liema huma dawk il-waqtiet meta tikteb l-iktar? Ġeneralment tikteb meta tkun għaddej minn waqtiet koroh jew waqtiet henjin? Liema huma l-ispazji l-aktar għal qalbek meta tikteb?

L-ewwel poeżija li ktibt kien jisimha ‘Waħdi’. Kelli 18-il sena u l-poeżija kienet tittratta s-solitudni li kont ninsab fiha. L-istudju nessieni xi ftit mill-poeżija imma mhux mis-solitudni li dejjem ħassejt anki jekk jien twelidt f’familja kbira ta’ ħames subien u kont ngħix f’post iffullat bin-nies u f’subborg mimli ħajja.

Erġajt bdejt nikteb meta kont Pisa u ktibt ‘Lerici’ (bit-Taljan) meta żort dan il-post. Kont hawn influwenzat minn student ieħor Malti li kien jistudja l-letteratura u li miegħu qsamt ħafna vjaġġi madwar it-Toskana u anki ’l barra minnha. Anki f’dan iż-żmien meta kont ’il bogħod mid-dar kont maħkum minn solitudni illi żdiedet wara l-mewt ta’ missieri. Ġewwa Pisa jiena ktibt l-ewwel rakkont qasir tiegħi (bit-Taljan ukoll) bl-isem ta’ ‘Coriandoli’.

Qed niftakar li l-ewwel esperjenzi tiegħi ta’ kitba kienu f’fuljett li kienet toħroġ it-taqsima tal-MUSEUM tal-Furjana (kont għadni tifel) imbagħad f’fuljett li kien joħroġ iċ-Ċentru Żgħażagħ Kappuċċini (fl-istess żmien li bdejt nikteb il-poeżija).

Biex nikteb irrid inkun waħdi. Naturalment l-aktar ħin ideali huwa filgħaxija jew filgħodu kmieni. Matul il-jum jistgħu jiġuni xi ħsibijiet jew ideat u dawn inniżżilhom fuq karta biex insib ħin u niżvilluppahom.

      3.      X’tippreferi: il-kitba tal-poeżija jew tal-proża? Għaliex? Liema huma l-punti favur u kontra ġeneri letterarji bħal dawn skond inti?

L-aktar li ktibt huma poeżiji. Imma l-proża nħobbha wkoll. Fil-fatt il-poeżija tiegħi hi pjuttost prożajka.

Pero` ma nħossx li għandi xi preferenza. Nieħu gost nikteb proża meta jkolli storja tajba. Bħalissa għaddej minn perijodu fejn qed nikteb aktar proża. Il-poeżija bħalissa qed niktibha kważi għall-okkażjonijiet biss. Din it-tip ta’ poeżija jkun hemm min qed jistenniha.

Hawn min jgħid li m’għandniex niktbu għall-okkażjoni imma għandna niktbu meta nħossu l-ispirazzjoni. Nifhem, imma nħoss li l-poeżija tal-okkażjoni għandha l-importanza tagħha. Anki jekk forsi mhux dejjem tkun ta’ ċertu livell letterarju, il-poeżija tal-okkażjoni tgħaqqad lin-nies flimkien u żżid il-ħbiberiji. Hija dik li jien insejjaħ ‘poeżija soċjali’.

In-nies tħobbha l-poeżija u n-nies għandha l-‘poet laureate’ tagħha anki fi gruppi żgħar. Jista’ jkun il-poeta tar-raħal, jew il-poeta ta’ każin jew xi grupp reliġjuż, jew anki l-poeta ta’ familja. Minnu mistenni li jiċċelebra bil-poeżija.

Kemm il-proża kif ukoll il-poeżija jafu jwasslu messaġġ, inisslu tbissima u jagħtu tagħlima. Id-differenza ma tagħmilhiex il-forma, jiġfieri jekk hix proża jew poeżija imma l-id ta’ min qed jikteb (jew tikteb). Min jikteb irid ikollu l-kapaċità tal-istil kif ukoll ir-responsabbiltà li jkun ġust.

     

     4.      Liema huma dawk it-temi li tikteb dwarhom? Liema stili ta’ kitba tuża l-aktar fi vrusek, dawk tradizzjonali jew dawk moderni? Għaliex dan?

L-istil tal-poeżija tiegħi hu l-aktar dak tal-vers ħieles. Il-poeżiji tiegħi normalment ikunu qrib it-tletin vers u ġieli anki iqsar. Nikteb l-aktar dwar it-temi li wara kollox huma universali: il-familja, l-imħabba u temi soċjali. Fil-proża nikteb l-aktar dwar temi soċjali b’referenzi politiċi. Nikteb ukoll stejjer umoristiċi.

Ngħid ukoll li nħobb inkun ċar f’dak li nikteb. Meta naqra niddejjaq meta ma nifhimx u allura niddejjaq jekk xi ħadd ma jifhimx dak li nikteb. Hawn min jgħid li kitba irid jinterpretaha min jaqraha qisu li tnejn jistgħu jinterpretaw b’mod oppost l-istess kitba. Dan l-istil modern lili ma jogħġobnix.  Kif għidt qabel, meta naqra rrid nifhem u meta nikteb irrid min jifhimni.

     5.      Spiss dak li niktbu huwa dak li aħna. Kemm taqbel ma’ dan? Japplika fil-każ tiegħek?

Hekk għandu jkun imma mhux dejjem hu hekk. Jista’ jkun li min jibda jikteb ikollu xi jxekklu minn dak li jkun iħoss verament. Jista’ jkun li min jikteb ikollu preġudizzji li jrid jinħall minnhom biż-żmien jew per eżempju karattru fraġli li ma jħallihx jikkritika lil min ikun ħaqqu jkun ikkritikat. Jista’ (u spiss jiġri) li jħossu skomdu jikkritika lil xi ħadd li jkun ilu jafu jew (Malta żgħira) li jkun jiġi minnu.

Inħoss li mhux tant faċli tkun onest. Imma jeħtieġ li tkun anki jekk dan iġib miegħu konsegwenzi. U jien? Jiġġudikani ħaddieħor.

     6.      Temmen li l-poeżija għandha tkun kumplessa, ermetika, diffiċli biex tinftiehem? X’għandhom ikunu l-elementi ewlenin li jagħmlu poeżija tajba skond inti?

Diġà tajt tweġiba għal dan. Ma naqbilx mal-ermetiżmu. Jista’ jkun eżerċizzju akkademiku interessanti. Jista’ jipprovoka analiżi psikoloġika li twassal għal xi għarfien. Iva. Imma ma naħsibx li barra ċ-ċirku tal-istudjużi din it-tip ta’ kitba għandha xi validità.

Għalija l-kitba trid tkun mifhuma minn kulħadd. Dan ma jfissirx li se tkun mifhuma minn kulħadd fuq l-istess livell. Per eżempju, storja jista’ jkollha tifsiriet kulturali u storiċi li ma jkunux magħrufa minn kulħadd. Imma dan ma jfissirx li min m’għandux dan it-tagħrif ma jistax jifhem l-istorja.

Poeżija tajba nħoss li għandu jkollha ritmu u espressività li jridu jikkumplimentaw lil xulxin. Ir-ritmu hu importanti bħalma hi importanti l-vuċi meta titkellem. Tista’ tkun vuċi baxxa imlissna b’dispjaċir jew għolja mlissna bir-rabja. Dan, naturalment, irid jinħass fil-kitba.

Imbagħad hemm l-espressività. Hawn tgħin ħafna l-metafora għalkemm mhix bilfors neċessarja dejjem. Naħseb li kittieb jew poeta kbir hu f’dan il-qasam li jinqata’ mill-oħrajn f’dak li hu livell letterarju. Tnejn jistgħu jikkundannaw il-gwerra, per eżempju, imma wieħed jista’ jesprimi dak li qed jgħid b’lingwaġġ superjuri.

     7.      Għal min huma intiżi l-poeżiji tiegħek?

Għal kulħadd. L-unika differenza hija l-età. Jien ukoll għandi xi kitbiet għat-tfal.

    8.      Inti tikteb biss bil-Malti jew anki b’ilsna oħra? Dan tqisu bħala vantaġġ jew żvantaġġ? Għaliex?

Twelidt Malti u dejjem tkellimt bil-Malti (barra naturalment is-snin li qattajt l-Italja fejn ukoll, wara kollox, kelli l-kumpanija ta’ studenti Maltin oħra) u allura hu naturali li nesprimi ruħi l-aħjar bil-Malti. Nikteb ukoll bit-Taljan u bl-Ingliż imma ma nħossx ħakma tal-lingwa f’dawn l-ilsna bħal ma nħoss fil-Malti.

Naħseb li hu tajjeb li persuna tkun taf b’lingwi oħra partikolarment bl-Ingliż speċjalment illum li d-dinja, permezz tal-Internet u l-ivvjaġġar, qed issir, kif jingħad, villaġġ globali wieħed.

     9.      Naf li inti kont spiss involut attivament f’Għaqdiet Letterarji differenti. X’inhu s-sabiħ ta’ impenn bħal dan?

Hu dejjem sabiħ li inti tkun preżenti fl-għaqdiet letterarji b’mod attiv, impenjattiv u kreattiv. L-għaqdiet naħseb li huma importanti ħafna. Jiena kelli ħafna opportunitajiet naqra xogħlijiet minn tiegħi f’diversi attivitajiet ma’ Malta u Għawdex (naturalment bħal ħafna oħrajn). Dan tani l-opportunità wkoll nisma’ xogħlijiet ta’ oħrajn li xi wħud minnhom kienu barranin.

     10.  Spiss kellek kuntatti ma’ kittieba u poeti barranin. Xi tgħid dwar opportunitajiet bħal dawn?

Naturalment, minn kull bniedem tista’ titgħallem u titgħallem l-aktar meta dan jew din ikunu ġejjin minn kultura differenti. L-aktar kuntatti importanti kienu ma’ Paola De Maestri u ma’ żewġha Gabriele Tonelli (Taljani minn Sondrio) li huma poetessa u kittieb, ma’ Alberto Figliolia (Taljan minn Milan) poeta u politiku li jikteb ukoll dwar l-isport, u Clirim Muca (Albaniż li jgħix l-Italja) li hu poeta u pubblikatur. Dawn il-persuni kelli kuntatt magħhom meta kont segretarju internazzjonali tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin.

     11.  Qatt ippubblikajt il-kitbiet jew versi tiegħek f’ġabra għaliha taħt ismek? Jekk iva, liema huma l-pubblikazzjonijiet tieghek? Jekk le, għaliex dan? Għandek il-ħsieb li xi darba jew oħra tiġbor fi ktieb tiegħek għażla ta’ versi minn tiegħek?

Jiena qatt ma ppublikajt ktieb waħdi u din naturalment hija xewqa tiegħi. Barra l-poeżiji għandi kważi lesti ktieb għat-tfal, ieħor ta’ stejjer qosra kif ukoll ktieb umoristiku. ’Il quddiem, forsi fil-futur qarib, nippubblika xi wieħed minnhom.

Xogħlijiet tiegħi (poeżiji u stejjer qosra) jinsabu f’numru ta’ antoloġiji (madwar għaxra) kif ukoll f’gazzetti u rivisti.

     12.  Inti għalliem fil-qasam tat-Teknoloġija Informatika. Inti wkoll involut f’inizzjattivi reliġjużi. Kif torbot jew tirrikonċilja dan kollu mal-qasam tal-kitba u l-poeżija?

Fil-fatt għandi ftit poeżiji fuq il-kompjuter jew it-teknoloġija. Ktibt numru mhux ħażin ta’ talb u anki adorazzjonijiet sħaħ. Il-“Mulej” jissemma f’numru konsiderevoli ta’ poeżiji tiegħi (din hija karatteristika ta’ ħafna poeti f’pajjiżna). Kont bdejt nikteb ukoll (għalkemm waqaft) xi reċti sabiex nispjega kunċetti informatiċi bħall-‘jibbutja’ u ‘sistema operattiva’. Ideat naħseb li għandi mhux ħażin. Ħin xi ftit anqas.

Patrick Sammut

LEJLA TA’ POEŻIJA F’ĠIEĦ ANTON BUTTIGIEG

Membri tal-Kumitat tal-Għ.P.M. u oħrajn flimkien mal-familja Buttigieg

Parti mill-pubbliku li attenda għal-Lejla f'ġieħ Anton Buttigieg 

Nhar il-Ġimgħa, 26 ta’ Ottubru 2012, fis-7p.m., l-Għaqda Poeti Maltin, tellgħet Lejla ta’ Poeżija f’ġieħ il-“Poeta tan-Natura”, Anton Buttigieg. Din id-darba l-post magħżul kien ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone fil-Mosta (li llum hu wkoll Ċentru Kulturali Nazzjonali),  immexxi mill-Għaqda Filantropika Talent Mosti. Il-lejla tmexxiet mill-P.R.O. tal-Għ.P.M., Miriam Ellul. Id-diskors tal-ftuħ sar mill-President ta’ din l-għaqda, Charles Magro. Hu qal li hu xieraq li jitfakkar il-mitt anniversarju mill-mewt ta’ dan il-poeta li kien ukoll President ta’ Malta. Fakkar li Buttigieg kiteb bosta poeżiji dwar in-natura għax hemm kien isib is-serħan u l-armonija, filwaqt li kien jemmen li l-bniedem ftit għandu post fil-versi tiegħu ladarba dan hu sinonimu ta’ qirda. Wara nqraw bijografija ta’ Anton Buttigieg u studju kritiku dwar il-forom metriċi u prosodiċi mħaddma minn dan il-poeta matul is-snin. Il-membri tal-Għ.P.M. qraw għadd ta’ poeżiji kemm miktubin mill-istess Anton Buttigieg, kif ukoll poeżiji oriġinali - miktubin minn xi membri tal-Għ.P.M. u persuni preżenti - ispirati minn dan il-poeta romantiku. Għal din is-serata kienu preżenti t-tliet ulied ta’ Anton Buttigieg: Dr. John Buttigieg, is-Sinjura Rose Brincat u Dr. Emmanuel Buttigieg, magħruf ukoll bħala Manol. Dan tal-aħħar qara tliet poeżiji minn tiegħu ddedikati lil missieru, filwaqt li Dr. John Buttigieg irrakkonta xi aneddoti interessanti dwar meta kien jgħix ma’ missieru fil-Ħamrun. Għal darb’oħra l-intervalli mużikali tħallew f’idejn il-kantanta lirika Analise Sciriha li żewqet is-serata billi kantat għanjiet klassiċi b’ilsna differenti. Wara s-serata kien hemm bibita għal dawk li attendew.

Sponde Amanti - Ġabra ta' poeżiji ġdida

Għadu kemm ġie ppubblikat il-ktieb SPONDE AMANTI, ġabra ta' poeżiji bit-Taljan mill-pinna ta' Mario Attard u Patrick Sammut. Dan il-ktieb jiġbor b'kollox 42 poeżija, 21 kull awtur. Għandu Introduzzjoni mill-kittieb u poeta Taljan kontemporanju Amerigo Iannacone, u preżentazzjoni moderna, xogħol ta' Hilary Spiteri.

Mill-kumment ta' Iannacone:

"Quella di Mario Attard è una poesia soffusa da un velo di malinconia e piú volte, scorrendo le pagine del libro, ci imbattiamo in termini come “triste”, “malinconia”, “mesto” e simili. Troviamo testi intitolati “Crisantemi”, “L’autunno”, “L’inverno”, “Il Due Novembre”, dove lo spirito sensibile del poeta si lascia catturare dal sentimento del tempo che scorre ineluttabile... C’è, nella poesia di Attard, una malinconia struggente, ma che gli deriva, piú che dal suo specchiarsi nella caducità delle foglie autunnali e nel tempo che ci consuma, dall’osservazione della ruota del mondo che gira in senso sbagliato, con una società egoista e disattenta ai bisogni altrui. Perché lo spirito sensibile di Attard non resta indifferente alle sofferenze umane."

"Nella poesia di Patrick Sammut vivono gli affetti familiari, l’amore per il figlio, per la mamma, per la sua donna, e poi c’è grande disponibilità verso gli altri, verso gli amici, verso la società che circonda il poeta, c’è perfino un sentimento quasi paterno nei riguardi degli alunni. Sammut è un poeta che sa apprezzare le piccole cose, le gioie fugaci, come la serenità ispirata dal figlioletto che prende il latte... Quella di Patrick Sammut è una poesia consapevole e attenta all’uomo, alla società, alla natura. Non si chiude in sé stessa ed è aperta all’ottimismo e alla speranza."

Kummenti ta' Alfred Massa:

Dwar il-poeżiji ta' Mario Attard:

"Iżda ma jonqosx l-interess fil-bniedem ta’ żmienna, bħalma ma tonqosx it-tama u x-xewqa għal dinja aħjar.  Attard  jinkwieta  jara  bnedmin  jagħlqu

għajnejhom quddiem il-problemi tal-oħrajn.  Il-versi Per un amico, Se non ora quando? u Come le vele huma eżempji ċari.

Wieħed jinnota wkoll fil-poeżija ta’ Mario Attard ċerta spiritwalità li Iannacone jseħilha spiritwalità  fraġiskana.  Imma mbagħad għandna dik l-ispiritwalità (jew reliġjożità) diretta bħal Maria, A cinquan’anni compiuti u 2 novembre.  Tema oħra ttrattata fil-poeżiji ta’ Attard hija l-imħabba tiegħu lejn in-natura -  Sotto il legno della croce u Spazi confusi."

Dwar il-poeżija ta' Patrick Sammut:

"Patrick Sammut min-naħa l-oħra jinħass xi ftit aktar romantiku fis-sens wiesa’ tal-kelma.  Ċertament, tispikka l-imħabba tiegħu lejn il-familja; lejn ommu li ħalliet din id-dinja (Il tuo sguardo), lejn martu u lejn uliedu.  Il-ferħ patern il-poeta jesprimih fil-versi Appuntamento notturno meta minn fommu toħroġ l-għajta ta’ ringrazzjament lill-Ħallieq hekk kif jara f’idejh il-frott ta’ mħabbtu u ta’ mħabbet martu.

Sammut hu konxju mill-problemi ta’ madwaru; b’danakollu, it-tama għall-ġejjieni aħjar ma tonqsux kif jurina fil-poeżija A Pasqua; suġġett minnu nnifsu ottimist, speċjalment għalina l-insara.  Imma l-idea ta’ “jum ġdid” tinħass f’diversi poeżiji bħal L’uccello del mattino u A quest’ora del mattino."

Kummenti ta' Alfred Palma:

Attard "is essentially romantic school,  and most his poetry is suffused in a thick veil of purple hues. Sotto l’Ombra della Croce is an anguished and painful cry, whilst L’Autunno is replete with sweet-sad nostalgia. Crisantemi reminds me of Puccini’s beautiful elegiac Intermezzo Sinfonico of the same name, L’Albero di Natale is also highly nostalgic, whilst the last poem Il due novembre betrays the poet’s contemplation or, rather, preoccupation with a life that is unquestionably short and ephemeral, a life that will finally elude everything as it rushes on to its inevitable end."

"Patrick Sammut takes over the second section of the book, also with 21 poems. Sammut’s verse is at its best in the  poetic style adopted, a style in which the poet can express himself with utter freedom, to either sing praises or otherwise lash out mercilessly at whatever is alien to his overall views of life and what makes it worth living. He often extols love and thoroughly enjoys lavishing it on his family, his friends and on nature itself. He lashes out against social shortcomings, forever dreaming, as every poets does, of better things as these invariably get  worse."

Il-ktieb jiswa 6 ewro u min huwa interessat jakkwista kopja jista jikteb lili fuq sammutpatrickj@gmail.com. Jirċevih bil-posta d-dar.

L-Għaqda Poeti Maltin taħtar Membru Onorarju ġdid

Il-mistieden speċjali u Membru Onorarju ġdid, Rigu Bovingdon.

Il-President tal-Għ.P.M., Charles Magro.

Il-kantant Paul Buhagiar.

Nhar il-Ħamis, 18 ta’ Ottubru, fis-7 p.m., fis-sala ewlenija tas-Soċjetà tal-Arti Manifattura u Kummerċ, l-Għaqda Poeti Maltin tellgħet Lejla ta’ Poeżija u Mużika li matulha ħatret lis-Sur Rigu Bovingdon bħala Membru Onorarju tagħna. Il-lejla infetħet mill-President tal-Għ.P.M., is-Sur Charles Magro, li fid-diskors tiegħu fakkar li l-Għaqda ilha mwaqqfa sa mill-1975 u li matul dawn is-snin kollha ħatret bosta Membri Onorarji bħal Karmenu Vassallo, Ġorġ Zammit, Ġużè Aquilina, Ġużè Chetcuti, Wallace Gulia, Ġorġ Pisani, patri Wistin Born, imma anki oħrajn reċenti bħal V.M. Pellegrini, Carmel Mallia, Ġianninu Cremna, il-Kan. Joe Meilaq, Kelinu Vella Haber, Marċell Mizzi, Alfred Palma, Lina Brockdorff u Peter Caruana. Magro fakkar ukoll li matul dawn is-snin l-Għaqda gawdiet prestiġju kbir bħalma kienu l-għaxar edizzjonijiet tal-Premio Città di Valletta li kien taħt il-Patroċinju tal-President ta’ Malta u li kien jingħata lil personalitajiet li jkunu eċċellaw f’oqsma artistiċi differenti. Magro sostna li isem l-Għ.P.M. huwa magħruf u maħbub anki barra minn Malta, inkluż fl-Awstralja, fejn għandha wkoll il-membri tagħha. Qal ukoll li l-ħatra ta’ Bovingdon bħala Membru Onorarju żgur għandha sservi ta’ spinta lill-istess Għaqda biex isimha jkompli jinfirex fil-kontinent Awstraljan.

Il-lejla tmexxiet mis-Sinjura Miriam Ellul, il-P.R.O., li qrat ukoll bijografija tal-mistieden speċjali. Is-Sur Paul Buhagiar ipprovda l-intervalli mużikali b’kanzunetti b’ilsna differenti. Waqt il-lejla l-membri preżenti qraw xi poeżiji minn tagħhom bit-tliet ilsna ewlenin, waqt li tkellmu fil-qosor dwar l-isfond tal-poeżiji tagħhom. Il-lejla laħqet il-quċċata meta Rigu Bovingdon qara waħda mill-poeżiji tiegħu, miktuba b’Malti mill-isbaħ u mirqum. Wara, il-President, Charles Magro, u l-viċi-President, Patrick Sammut, ippreżentaw id-diploma ta’ ħatra bħala Membru Onorarju tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin lil Rigu Bovingdon, flimkien ma’ xi kopji tal-antoloġiji poetiċi li l-Għaqda ppubblkat matul is-snin u medalja. F’diskors qasir, Bovingdon esprima l-ħajr tiegħu għall-fiduċja li l-Għ.P.M. wriet fih u ħeġġeġ lil dawk preżenti biex jiftakru f’dawk il-Maltin kollha li ħallew lil art twelidhom biex bnew il-familji tagħhom f’pajjiżi barranin, imma li xorta baqgħu jħobbu lil Malta b’qalbhom kollha. Fl-aħħar is-Sur Rigu Bovingdon ippreżenta lill-President tal-Għ.P.M. ċekk ta’ 100 Ewro bħala turija ta’ ħajr lill-Għaqda.

 

2 Lejliet ta' Poeżija mill-Għaqda Poeti Maltin

L-Għaqda Poeti Maltin tkompli bil-programm ta' attivitajiet tagħha. 

Għada, il-Ħamis 18 ta' Ottubru, se ttella' Lejla ta' Poeżija li fiha membru tagħha, is-Sur Rigu Bovingdon, se jingħata l-ġieħ ta' Membru Onorarju. Is-serata se ssir fis-Sala tas-Soċjeta`tal-Arti Manifattura u Kummerċ, fi Triq ir-Repubblika, il-Belt Valletta. Tibda fis-7 p.m.

Nhar il-Ġimgħa 26 ta' Ottubru, dejjem fis-7 p.m., l-Għaqda Poeti Maltin, flimkien mal-Għaqda Filantropika Talent Mosti, se ttella' Lejla ta' Poeżija oħra, din id-darba biex tfakkar il-100 sena mit-twelid tal-poeta Għawdxi, Anton Buttigieg. Il-post se jkun fir-Razzett tal-Markiż fil-Mosta, wara r-Rotunda. 

Fiż-żewġ okkażjonijiet dawk li jattendu se jkollhom ukoll ħin biex jaqraw il-poeżiji tagħhom. Waqt is-serata f'ġieħ Anton Buttigieg jistgħu jinqraw kemm poeżiji tal-poeta kif ukoll poeżiji dwar dan il-"Poeta tan-Natura" miktubin minn dawk li jattendu.

Kulħadd huwa mistieden u d-dħul huwa b'xejn.

Poetry from India: poetry of Arbind Kumar Choudhary

It is always a big surprise to receive post from abroad. It’s always a bigger surprise to discover that inside there are more than one poetry books which arrived directly from thousands of kilometres away! This happened to me recently as I received an envelope from India and discovered three poetry collections from the hand of poet Arbind Kumar Choudhary.

I shall start with a direct reference to The Poet’s Preface written by Choudhary himself regarding the role of the critic: the work of the critic should aim towards “upgradation [his words] rather than humiliation.” It is this that I shall try to do in my brief reflection on the three books.

The three poetry collections were all published in 2011 and are the following: Love, The Poet and Nature. A.K. Choudhary’s poetry is concise: the three collections are made of individual quatrains; in all, the poet from India has gathered 682 of them. A quatrain is a stanza with four lines (one line longer than the haiku!); however, like the haiku, Choudhary’s quatrains are deep, profound and pose a real challenge to the reader, even though on the other hand the later is all the time asking himself is Choudhary is in reality joking or playing with words as if he was a child playing with a new toy, or in reality expressing deep thoughts. Reading Choudhary’s poems the reader feels that he is at the same time both near and far away from the answer, the real meaning behind the many tongue-twisters.

I must admit that as a reader from central Europe I did not find it easy to understand the what initially seemed to be an Anglo-Indian register used by A.K. Choudhary.  His poetry is based on a continuous play on words which for us Europeans may seem either neologisms created by the same author, linguistic idiosyncracies, or hybrids coined by A.K. Choudhary himself borrowing from different languages such as Greek or Latin (“enchiridion”, “odium”, “fide at amore”, “imperium”, “arcanum”, “zeugma”, “pontifex”, “pater noster”, “rhetor”), French (“parterre”, “belle”, “paysage”, “petit bourgeois”, “monde”, “litterateur”, “billet-doux”, “Ballader”, “chanson”, “affaire d’amour”, “raconteur”), Spanish (“desperado”, “pina colada”, “enchilada”) and Italian (“intaglio”, “maestro”, “tardo”, “maremma”, “Padre”, “fata morgana”). After thoroughly analyzing Choudhary’s use of diction I must say that the poet is totally in control of Language: the majority of the “whiz-words” exist in reality and can be found in the dictionary! In Nature this mixture of languages reflects the different colours (mainly gold and azure) and moods of Mother Nature during different seasons. In Love it reflects the different moments – physical, intimate, spiritual, sometimes even perverse – lovers experience together. In The Poet it manifests the poet as craftsman, the one who works with words and Language.

However, this did not serve always as an obstacle (the fact that I frequently was asking myself what may be the meaning of certain words chosen by the poet) but also as an advantage (the fact that all poetry is open to interpretation; thus A.K. Choudhary’s choice of diction making his poetry more open to interpretation, reflection, and, may I say “positive speculation”, but also one hundred percent intriguing). Choudhary himself believes that the “ultimate goal of the poet is to arouse the sensation, to fire the imagination and to mould the race even at the cost of his own life.” (Preface to The Poet)

Poetic intensity is the prime element for Choudhary. He manages to do this through a myriad of poetical mechanisms which he himself mentions in his quatrains, elements which “Bring to light the poetic paysage”: euphemisms, pun, paradox, imagery (many of Choudhary’s imagery is personal, original, even cerebral), hyperbole, metonymy, irony, litotes, synecdoche, hypallage, and symbolism, but also assonance, alliteration (both taken to the extreme) and mono-rhyme (which serves as an echo which continues in the reader’s mind). Thus that of Choudhary is also poetry as sound. At times Choudhary just changes the position of words from one quatrain to the next, thus changing meaning and opening doors to fresh interpretations. However, for Choudhary all these poetical devices take second place in the creation of his poetry.

The titles of the three collections themselves are revealing: Love, Nature and The Poet. They are three very important aspects in the life of Arbind Kumar Choudhary. The poet in general is a sensitive person and cannot escape reflecting on and pondering about everything that surrounds him. This is no pastime for the sensitive poet as he frequently feels what the common people feel, good and bad. In his Preface to The Poet, Choudhary writes that “it is the poet who pierces the nebulosity of mind and the heart of Tom, Dick and Harry” and “Like an expert surgeon the poet peeps not only into the unfathomed grief of the ailing souls but also suggests for the betterment of life.” Thus the poet is also “the surgeon of mind and heart”. Moreover, the poet’s “prime purpose is to lit the candle of wisdom amidst the nights of ignorance.” Some of Choudhary’s quatrains about the virtues of poetry are:

“Keat’s fragrance

Is a saving grace

Even for that dunce

Lining in somnolence.”;

or,

“The hackneyed pah

Of the sloth

Breaks with

The poetic zenith.”;

or,

“Keat’s solitude

Supersedes the horde.”;

or,

“Milton’s glittern

Is a malediction

For the tavern

Of the grime person.”

By nature poetry is life, energy, light, thrilling, divine, but also a gift which can be appreciated by an elected minority.

The poet is a by nature a good being, thus one of the main themes is Love. And love in Choudhary’s poetry is not only that between man and woman, but also love towards society in general. The poet expresses his love towards society even by bringing to the foreground its main problems. In this matter Choudhary’s poetry does not lack social consciousness.

Poet and nature are always presented in harmony. Nature is the space where the poet rests both physically and mentally, thus dedicating time to reflection and the creation of poetry. Nature is the “pious place” which Choudhary writes about in the Preface to his collection The Poet. It is also “the treasury of the spiritual wealth that spreads the message of love and peace amidst the sensitive minds to its utmost degree.” (Preface to Nature) Moreover, in this space the poet gets “immense pleasure at heart and soul”, with all its colours and sounds. Choudhary admits that nature is a friend, a well-wisher, mainly a source of his spiritual sensitivity. Thus, as in Romantic poetry, nature is a space which totally opposes the urban space where life is tough and rough. In Choudhary’s words, nature is no space for the “insensitive chaps”. In nature dwells also the spirit of love. Thus, again I return to the equation: nature=love=poet.

In nature live different non-human beings, mainly legendary, classical, Hindi, and mythological creatures (Pan, Cupid, Jove, Chhath – a sun god -, Ganga – the sacred river -, Majuli – a river where is believed to have played with his friends -, Lama – historically a term used for venerated spiritual masters -, Indra – god of war and thunderstorms). Choudhary’s nature is made up of both macro- and microcosmic beings. It is also a place where the “freakish” can also be “divine” (“The freakish flower/ Fires the power/ For the shower/ Of divine safflower.”). Nature is inhabited by flowers, insects, trees, birds, but also but the sun, the rainbow, the moon, canyons, waves, stars, meadows, rain, the ether itself. All of these inspire the poet and acquire meanings which go beyond the literary meaning and the physical world. This happens because Choudhary’s starting point is nature, but the real destination is reflection about different aspects of everyday life – birth, death, fate, love, passion, the relation with the gods, the state of being feminine, puberty, but also war, corruption and politics, concupiscence, fornication, incrimination, infidelity, hypocrisy, the abuse of power, and the social chasm between “affluent gentry” and “people’s misery”. In this light he calls the world a “valley of silly”, “a land of man without vision”, an “earth of sophistry”, a place where many go “without ego”, where “trash talk” and idlers rule the day. Faced with all this Choudhary writes:

“A guardian angel of the world

Is as good as gold

That flips lid

The eyelid of many a stupid.”

The present world is in great need of a guardian angel!

One can take hours speculating and ruminating on Choudhary’s quatrains. He himself writes that “To put up a good fight/ Is the writers might”. He does this in his poetry through wit and satire, but also through depth of thought and a lot of sensitivity. Choudhary’s poetry thus can also be understood as a fight and challenge.

__________ o __________

Intervistat fuq ir-radju Anton Sammut

L-awtur u Artist Anton Sammut ġie intervistat mill-preżentatriċi Monica Attard fuq wieħed mir-radjijiet lokali.

Waqt l-intervista Anton Sammut tkellem dwar ħajtu, il-kitbiet u l-arti tiegħu...

Min jixtieq jisma' l-intervista jista' jagħmel dan billi jżur dan il-link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRCkyGMxOvs

Three poetry collections from India

I have just received three poetry collections from Indian poet, Arbind Kumar Choudhary. The three books were all published in 2011 and are the following:

The three books are a collection of 682 quatrains in which A.K. Choudhary writes about various themes and aspects of everyday life. The poems are concise but in their very limited space they hide depth of thought and surely a challenge for the reader. The poet is a very sensitive person. He cannot be indifferent when faced with mankind's problems. A.K. Choudhary writes about nature, love, but also a thousand other elements which surround him as a citizen of multifaceted India but also as an inhabitant of the world.

A complete review of the three works will follow shortly.

A big thanks for A.K. Choudhary for sharing his poems with me.

Please visit: www.kohinoorjournal.blogspot.com
E-mail: kohnoor@rediffmail.com

Lejla Internazzjonali ta’ Poeżija f’B’Kara mill-Għaqda Poeti Maltin

 Parti mill-pubbliku li kien preżenti waqt il-Lejla ta' Poeżija Internazzjonali.

Il-President, Charles Magro, waqt id-diskors tal-ftuħ tiegħu.

Miriam Ellul, li mexxiet is-serata

Nhar il-Ġimgħa, 28 ta’ Settembru, 2012, fis-7 p.m., l-Għaqda Poeti Maltin tellgħet Lejla Internazzjonali ta’ Poeżija fis-sala ewlenija tal-Kunsill Lokali ta’ B’Kara. Lejla bħal din seħħet in kontemporanja ma’ lejliet ta’ poeżija oħra madwar id-dinja kollha bħala parti mill-inizzjattiva 100,000 Poets for Change li seħħet għall-ewwel darba fl-2011. Din    is-sena saru mat-800 reading f’115 pajjiż differenti. It-temi ewlenin ittrattati mill-poeti parteċipanti huma l-paċi, is-sostenibbiltà u l-bidla lejn dinja aħjar.

Il-Lejla nfetħet b’diskors tal-President tal-Għ.P.M., is-Sur Charles Magro, li wera          l-pjaċir tiegħu li Malta, permezz tal-Għaqda, kienet għal darb’oħra qed titpoġġa fuq       il-mappa dinjija permezz tal-parteċipazzjoni tagħha f’dan l-event internazzjonali. Qal ukoll li l-poeta għandu d-dmir li jaħdem biex iġib dinja aħjar, u dan permezz tal-poeżija tiegħu. Matul il-Lejla mtella’ mill-Għ.P.M. u li għaliha attendew bosta persuni, ipparteċipaw mal-15-il poeta li qraw poeżiji bil-Malti, bl-Ingliż u bit-Taljan. Il-Lejla tmexxiet minn Miriam Ellul, il-P.R.O. tal-Għaqda u l-kantanta lirika Analise Schiriha żewqet l-avveniment b’kanzunetti jew għanjiet mir-repertorju liriku Malti u internazzjonali.

Għal darb’oħra avveniment bħal dan seta’ jseħħ bl-għajnuna tal-membru attiv u poeta, Therese Pace. Avveniment bħal dan u l-poeżiji li nqraw matul il-Lejla se jittella’ fuq is-sit virtwali u internazzjonali www.100TPC.org Wara s-serata dawk preżenti kienu mistiedna għal bibita.

Lejla Internazzjonali ta' Poeżija f'B'Kara

L-Għaqda Poeti Maltin se ttella' Lejla Internazzjonali ta' Poeżija nhar il-Ġimgħa, 28 ta' Settembru, fis-7 p.m. f'kollaborazzjoni mal-avveniment internazzjonali 100 Thousand Poets for Change. 

Il-post se jkun il-Kunsill Lokali ta' Birkirkara, Ċentru Ċiviku, Triq Tumas Fenech (wara l-Knisja ta' Santa Liena). 

L-idea wara dan l-avveniment internazzjonali huwa biex tinħoloq kuxjenza favur il-bidla ambjentali, soċjali u politika, u dan kollu fi struttura ta' paċi u sostenibbilta'. 

Għalhekk il-Membri tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin, flimkien ma' dawk kollha li għandhom għal qalbhom il-poeżija u anki dak kollu li hu favur il-paċi, huma mistiedna jattendu u jġibu magħhom poeżiji, anki b'ilsna differenti, biex jaqrawhom quddiem dawk preżenti. 

Ma ninsewx li din il-Lejla se tkun parti minn avveniment internazzjonali li għandu l-istess għanijiet. Malta diġa' pparteċipat is-sena l-oħra f'dan l-avveniment permezz tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin. Nerġgħu nkunu preżenti u nħajru lil dawk ta' madwarna biex jattendu, jaqraw jew jisimgħu poeżiji differenti biex ningħaqdu ma' bosta pajjiżi oħra mid-dinja kollha.

Massive Global Movement Gives Voice to Local Issues through Music, Art, Photography, Poetry, Mime and More Over 800 Events Planned in 115 Countries for 100 Thousand Poets for Change

Santa Rosa, Calif. (September 19, 2012) – September 29, 2012 marks the second

annual global event for 100 Thousand Poets for Change, a grassroots organization that brings communities together to call for environmental, social, and political change within the framework of peace and sustainability. An event that began primarily with poet organizers, 100 Thousand Poets for Change has grown into an interdisciplinary coalition with year round events which includes musicians, dancers, mimes, painters and photographers from around the world.

Local issues are still key to this massive global event as communities around the world raise their voices on issues such as homelessness, global warming, education, racism and censorship through concerts, readings, lectures, workshops, flash mobs, theater performances and other actions.

But these locally focused events have taken on a more continuous and expansive form through the new disciplines represented this year. For example, photographers are making a long-term project out of the event; they will document the involvement of their communities and explore connections with the broader global issues to turn into future exhibits. More and more organizers and participants of the one day, annual event are making plans to continue their actions after September 29. Many have formed groups in their cities that will continue to work year-round towards the goals their community seeks.

“Peace and sustainability are major concerns worldwide, and the guiding principles for this global event,” said Michael Rothenberg, Co-Founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change. “We are in a world where it isn't just one issue that needs to be addressed. A common ground is built through this global compilation of local stories, which is how we create a true narrative for discourse to inform the future.”

More than 200 hundred bands will be performing around the world, from Los Angeles, New Orleans and Detroit to Serbia, Nigeria and Italy. The musicians involved in this movement are once again using their songs and performances to try to communicate their concerns to the world. As Ross Altman, singer-songwriter, activist and educator, reminds us: “from Plato, who banned [musicians] from the Republic, to Putin, who had Russian punk band members of Pussy Riot arrested, charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for a song prayer, musicians throughout history have been regarded as a danger and threat to change the social order.”

In addition to the hundreds of musicians expressing themselves through song, numerous Mimes for Change events in Egypt, Turkey and Uruguay will take place in addition to the day long poetry festivals in Los Angeles, Guatemala City, Pune, India, La Plata, Argentina and Genoa, Italy; thousands of musicians, poets and artists are participating around the world, totaling nearly 800 events globally, including:

• 25 different events in the San Francisco Bay Area, the birthplace of 100 Thousand Poets for Change, including poetry readings by Beat Legend Michael McClure, former US Poet Laureate Robert Hass and other major poets at the famed Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival

• In New Orleans, 15 live bands will perform to raise funds for the APEX Youth Center and Homegrown Harvest Music and Arts Festival

• In Hollywood, Florida, Global Vibes will host an event called, “War Destroys Children’s Lives” at two venues and feature over 15 “Bands for Change”

• Peace On Streets, R.O.A.D., Tasker Elite and SHARP will host performance artists, poets, musicians, hip hop artists and various youth and parent groups who will perform and lead workshops throughout Philadelphia to bring awareness to the ongoing problem of street violence in their city

• Wordstock, a 3-day festival at the Bamboo Arts and Celebration Center in De Leon Springs, FL will include poetry slams, concerts, and an art exhibition focusing on images of war and peace

• The Occupy Wall Street Poetry group kicks off a weekend of events in New York City with a poetry reading at the famous St. Mark’s Poetry Project

• In Jamaica, a week long Street Dub Vibe series called “Tell the Children the Truth” will include concerts, spoken word performances, art exhibits, lectures and workshops to bring attention to the damaging culture of secrecy and denial surrounding the abuse, poverty and illiteracy impacting the nation’s children and destroying their future.

• Poetry and peace gatherings are planned in the strife-torn cities of Kabul and

Jalalabad, Afghanistan 

• In Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, poets, musicians and mime artists, in response to violence in the world and the major changes taking place in the Arab World, will perform in public spaces and theaters and explore new ways to communicate their concerns, and their roles as artists, in influencing the future of their country

• In Volos, Greece, there will be 5 days of poetry and music events, including an

exhibition of photography looking at the new phenomenon of homelessness in Greece

• An event in Blackpool, England will celebrate activist poets and writers of past

generations through a special performance of Bullets and Daffodils, a play about the life of peace poet Wilfred Owen

Organizers and participants are hoping through their actions and events to seize and redirect the political and social dialogue of the day and turn the narrative of civilization towards peace and sustainability. Those that want to get involved can visit www.100tpc.org to find an event near them or sign up to organize one in their area.

About 100 Thousand Poets for Change

100 Thousand Poets for Change began in Sonoma County, Calif. The official

Headquarters’ Event will take place at the Arlene Francis Center in downtown Santa Rosa and will feature poetry readings, group meditations, workshops, and music and dance of various styles including hip hop, flamenco, African drums, reggae, salsa, folk and more. The HQ event will also live-stream other 100 Thousand Poets for Change events worldwide. This 3-day event is sponsored by the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Arts Council. 

Immediately following September 29th, all documentation on the 100TPC.org website, which will include specific event pages with photos, video and other documentation compiled by each city coordinator, will be preserved by Stanford University in California. Stanford recognized 100 Thousand Poets for Change in 2011 as an historical event, the largest poetry reading in history. They will continue to archive the complete contents of 100TPC.org, as part of their digital archiving program LOCKSS.

Co-Founder Michael Rothenberg (walterblue@bigbridge.org) is a widely known poet, editor of the online literary magazine Bigbridge.org and an environmental activist based in Northern California. Terri Carrion is a poet, translator, photographer, and editor and visual designer for BigBridge.org.

100 Thousand Poets for Change

P.O. Box 870

Guerneville, Ca 95446

Phone: 305-753-4569

www.100TPC.org