“There are worse crimes than burning books. One is not reading them.”—Joseph Brodsky
SCHEDULE (PRAGUE)
For the schedule of Amsterdam’s events please check here.
9 October (Wednesday)
17:00-20:00 – Literary Tour
Meet outside the Kafka Museum (Cihelná 2b, Malá Strana) for “K to K: from Kafka to Kundera.” Lucien Zell will lead an intense and exciting Prague literary tour finishing at Montmartre Cafe (Řetězová 224/7, Staré Město) where there will be an open mic at 20:00.
Note: Lucien Zell’s literary tour is purely by donations.
10 October (Thursday)
9:00–10:30 – Writing/editing workshop with Thornton Sully: “Attribution – The Underrated Tool at your Disposal”
Readers don’t read novels or memoirs to be informed, they read to be entertained. While attribution serves a practical purpose in letting the reader know who is speaking in dialogue, it opens up more imaginative possibilities. The creative use of attribution and ‘dialogue beats’ allows you to develop engrossing scenes that flesh out the characters you have invented and further your plot. For this workshop, bring a few pages of your work-in-progress for professional feedback.
9:00-10:30 – Christine Otten Workshop: “The Other Doesn’t Exist”
A creative workshop about writing from a perspective that is not your own. What are the possibilities and problems? What freedoms can you take? ‘The other doesn’t exist’ is a quote by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison meaning one always takes one’s perspective in perceiving ‘the other’. Yet Morrison was a master in writing from other perspectives.
10:30–11:00 – Coffee break
11:00–12:00 – Adam Trachtman: “Creative Storytelling Through Neural Networks”
Adam will explore how graphic novels diverge from traditional narrative forms. He will describe the multi-layered creative process behind the world’s first AI-assisted graphic novel, which is based on two decades of reference photos, a German NST neural network, Python, Photoshop, and his diverse background in fine arts, illustration, and programming.
12:00–13:00 – David Vaughan: “Bringing Archives to Life”
David Vaughan will talk about his experience writing an academic history of the 1938 Munich Crisis (Battle for the Airwaves, 2008) and later writing a fictionalized account of the same period (Hear My Voice, 2018) which drew from many of the same sources. He will reflect on the responsibilities of the writer working directly with archive material and the opportunities such material offers.
13:00–13:30 – Coffee break
13:30 – 14:30 – David Sater: “Alchemical Poetry and Magical Tales”
David will present 2 new books: a collection of alchemical poems and hermetic essays (The Archaeus of Water) and The Witch in the Sea-Prison of Habits, an artist book made in Mexico with copper etchings and watercolors.
14:30-15:30 – “The Prison of Society”: Panel discussion with Andrei Codrescu and Christina Otten
Visionary poet William Blake wrote about ‘mind-forged manacles’ which confine us. Christine Otten’s foundation goes into Dutch prisons to teach prisoners how to write. Join her, Andrei Codrescu and moderator Lucien Zell in a discussion of what it takes to truly break free.
15:45–16:45 – Sarah Falkner and Nicholas Kahn: “The peripatetic and perpetually permutating “Truppe Fledermaus”
Nicholas Kahn, Sarah Falkner, David Sater and Melinda Reidinger, in the guises of The High Priestess, Orlovsky, Strength and Mr. Death–will read selections from Sarah’s poetic companion volumes. Chance and audience participation will determine the selection, with audience members drawing Tarot cards to pick which texts will be read aloud.
16:45–17:00 – Coffee break
17:00–18:00 – Czech novelist Ondrej Štindl
18:00–19:00 – Derek Sayer (via Zoom): “Prague and Surrealism”
The author of several books on Czech Surrealism, Derek will talk about Surrealism and Prague as lenses for bringing cultural history into focus.
19:00–20:00 – Anastasiia Revutska and Tomas Obermaier: “Dance with Videos”
Dance is a universal language that unites people around art even if their spoken languages are different. Anastasiia will show 4 examples of how modern dance interacts with dances of different cultures in a style that she calls ‘Tribal Bellydance’: 1) ‘Someone in the shadow’; 2) ‘In the name of Flamenco’; 3) ‘Am I crazy?’; and 4) ‘Lured.’ Tomas will show his video poems and talk about spiritual matters.
20:00–20:30 – Break
20:30–22:00 – Film screening: Road Scholar by Andrei Codrescu (1993)
Romanian immigrant/poet Andrei Cordescu learned to drive and bought a car in order to take a road trip across America. Along the way he meets beat poets in New York, visits Biosphere 2 and the first McDonalds restaurant, joins a Las Vegas wedding, and explores the midwest in this gently comic, yet poignant, documentary.
11 October (Friday)
9:00–10:30 – Martin Pruška and Margarita Manev: “Earthship Workshop”
Just like regular bricks, ‘bottle bricks’ can be used to build walls. But unlike regular bricks, bottle bricks reduce waste and CO2>/sub> emissions; plus they are free, easy to use and come in beautiful colors. During this two hours workshop we first introduce our NGO activities, then we show how to make bottle bricks from glass and PET bottles or from food jars. And we also show how to cut and tape them. Pictures of some real-world bottle brick walls will also be presented.
9:00–10:30 – “Move Among Mysteries”: Poetry workshop with Lucien Zell
“Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries” (Theodore Roethke). Lucien Zell leads a generative writing workshop focusing on ways to turn your vulnerability into a superpower. Through close reading of Rilke, e e cummings, Pablo Neruda, and more, Zell shows you how your sensitivity can be a strength, leading to new ways of seeing, and how these new ways of seeing can lead to new ways of saying.
10:30–11:00 – Coffee break
11:00–12:00 – Melinda Reidinger: “Myths and Ecology”
Readings from her latest book, The White Deer.
12:00–13:00 – Christine Otten: The Last Poets
The Last Poets were a legendary group of Afro-Americans whose groundbreaking revolutionary poetry made them world famous in the late 1960s and early 70s. They shocked both black and white audiences and had a profound influence on hip-hop culture. Otten wrote an acclaimed novel based on lengthy interviews with these men, their families and friends. The book is highly personal and political, has been adapted for the stage many times, and was translated into Arabic. Otten will be interviewed and will read from the book.
13:00–13:30 – Coffee break
13:30–14:30 – Otto Urban: “Transmedia artists”
Otto wanted to write books about art history but his publisher told him it would help with publicity if the books were linked to art exhibitions. So Otto started curating exhibitions. His initial interest was in authors who drew, composers who painted, and similar “transmedia” artists. He will talk about the creative benefits of working in multiple media.
14:30–15:30 – Noah Tortelli: singer songwriter
Noah will perform songs about love, awareness, self-knowledge, critical thinking and propaganda, referring to the correspondence between the inside and outside worlds. His music ranges from folk to funk with a bit of reggae and a touch of rock.
15:30–15:45 – Coffee break
15:45–16:15 – Johana Ulrychová: “The Milan Kundera Library”
An overview of the Milan Kundera Library in Brno. The Library’s director of cultural programming will describe its creation, its mission, its cultural programming, and the evolution of its unique collection, which includes manuscripts, personal correspondence and literary archives.
16:15?17:00 – Fruzsina Dezsi and Barnabás Bergendi: King of the Castle
Fruzsina Dezsi and Barnabás Bergendi will perform scenes (in English) from Fruzsina’s political satire, King of the Castle, which is now being staged in Budapest.
17:00–18:30 – Shahab Tolouie: “My Way”
This Iranian musician and storyteller offers the English world premiere of his autobiography, “My Way.”
18:30–19:00 – Film screening: The Old Man and the Sea
This paint-on-glass animated film by Russian artist Aleksandr Petrov is based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film won many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. After the screening there will be a discussion of the film and book.
19:00–20:00 – Poetry reading by Andrei Codrescu
Andrei will read selections from his many published books, including The Poetry Lesson, New Orleans: Mon Amour, Jealous Witness, So Recently Rent a World, The Art of Forgetting, No Time Like Now, etc.
20:00–20:30 – Break
20:30–22:00 – Film screening: Fish have no Psychiatrists: A Day with Andrei Codrescu
Released in April 2024, this the cinematic portrait’s European debut. It will be followed by a Zoom chat with the film’s director, Julian Semilian.
FESTIVAL PRICES (PRAGUE):
Workshops: 250 CZK each
Presentations: 150 CZK each (100 CZK for students and poor artists)
All presentations on 1 day: 500 CZK (not including Workshops; 400 CZK for students and poor artists)
All presentations on 2 days: 900 CZK (not including Workshops; 750 CZK for students and poor artists)
All presentations on 2 days and Workshops: 1100 CZK
