CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
6368
Partner Institution:
Concordia University
Source Collection Label:
Lee Gotham collection
Series:
Lee Gotham collection
Sub Series:
Lee Gotham collection
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
Enough Said 1995-03-13, Karasick
Title Source:
Asset
Title Note:
Ephemera accompanying assets, corroborated by Lee Gotham, who introduces the event headliner.
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Performance: Spoken Word Poetry
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
Notes:
Rights status in process. We may wish to seek permission from individual artists and Drew Duncan, the videographer.
CREATORS
Name:
Gotham, Lee
Dates:
1962-
Role:
"Series organizer",
"Producer"
Notes:
Lee Gotham was also one of the MCs of this event.
Name:
Karasick, Adeena
Dates:
1965-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Event headliner.
CONTRIBUTORS
Name:
Duncan, Drew
Role:
"Recordist"
Notes:
Videographer.
Name:
Tinguely, Vincent (Vince)
Dates:
1959-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.
Name:
Salah, Patrick
Dates:
1968-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. See also: Salah, Trish (https://viaf.org/viaf/56303860).
Name:
Miller, Mitsiko
Dates:
1971-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer.
Name:
David J.
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Open-mic performer. Referred to as "David Jaeger" on the label of #SpokenWord_Sampler asset.
Name:
Sabrina
Notes:
Open-mic performer.
Name:
Rondo
Notes:
Open-mic performer.
Name:
D. Holmes
Notes:
Open-mic performer.
Name:
Kevin
Notes:
Open-mic performer.
Name:
Audience_Member1
Notes:
Makes a comment off-stage at 00:00:39.
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Image:
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Video
Material Designation:
VHS
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Storage Capacity:
120 minutes
Playback Mode:
Mono
Tape Brand:
TDK EHG
Sound Quality:
Good
Other Physical Description:
VHS #4 asset. Contains recordings of multiple events.
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Duration:
01:38:09
Size:
2.77 GB on disk
Bitrate:
2304Kbps (original); 256Kbps (master)
Encoding:
MPEG-4 movie
Content:
This is file 1 of 1 containing an AV recording of the event featuring Adeena Karasick as part of the Enough Said series, organized by Lee Gotham, with extra open-mic performances by Vince Tinguely, Patrick Salah, Mitsiko Miller, and others.
Notes:
Dimensions: 640 × 480.
Content Type:
Video Recording
Dates
Date:
1995-03-13
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
Asset
LOCATION
Address:
4040 St. Laurent, Montréal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada
Venue:
Bistro 4
Latitude:
45.5169628
Longitude:
-73.5796147
Notes:
Bistro 4 (pronounced Bistro Quatre), no longer in existence.
CONTENT
Contents:
[Bistro 4 stage]
00:00:00
Video Description: Colour video, different degrees of closeup of the stage at Bistro 4 (Quatre) (4040 St. Laurent, Montréal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada). A single mic stand. The stage, slightly below street level, is set against a full-wall window looking out onto the St. Laurent Blvd. traffic—with both pedestrians and vehicles regularly passing by. The windows from across the street are also visible. People frequently pass in front of the camera. A decal of the word “said,” as a fragment of “enough said,” is visible on the window.
Lee Gotham
00:00:01
And glad to see the enthusiasm hasn’t waned. As everyone is more or less comfortable and ready and not grumbling and over-ready we’re gonna forge straight right into the evening’s offerings. I have a lot, all of a sudden, of open mic participants, half of which I’m going to insert between the two sets our feature performer will give us this evening, and without [long pause midsentence.] | Video Description: A medium shot of Lee Gotham in front of the microphone, making introductory remarks. Gotham wears a yellow long-sleeved shirt and a matching yellow bandana tied around head. The camera zooms in for an extreme closeup as Gotham pauses.
Audience_Member1
00:00:39
Further ado?
Lee Gotham
00:00:40
Well, I’m just making sure there isn’t any further ado, but uh, I suppose (?) without any further ado, in this corner, hailing from Toronto, Ontario, published doubly with Talonbooks, Mêmewars and The Empress Has No Closure, both of which, among other items, by the way, are available in this corner, and anyway, during the evening, just come on over, acquaint yourselves with Adeena Karasick. Would you all please welcome Adeena. [Applause.] | Video Description: Extreme closeup zooms out to a medium shot as Gotham introduces Karasick. Gotham adjusts the mic.
Adeena Karasick
00:01:22
[Performs a piece beginning with chanting and followed by the line “Once, upon, I came to you when I could not be integrated” Applause.] | Video Description: Wears a black zippered vest atop a black long-sleeved shirt, gold dangling earrings, and shoulder length black hair that is loose and slightly curled. Varying degrees of closeups as Karasick performs a piece.
Adeena Karasick
00:03:24
[Thanks the audience. Explains that she will be reading pieces from multiple works, and that some relationships are only good for two things; “a poem at the beginning, and a poem at the end.” Laughter. Performs a piece beginning with the line “Incidentally accidental, it was an accident.” Laughter throughout. Applause.] | Video Description: Varying degrees of closeups as Karasick introduces the piece, until maintaining a loose closeup while Karasick performs.
Adeena Karasick
00:07:04
[Explains the Poetry Express project in Toronto, in which poets performed on a bus. Performs a piece beginning with the line “Keep your eyes on the road.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Karasick flips through papers on a blue box atop a trolley cart, which also holds an almost full glass beer bottle. Loose closeup as Karasick performs a piece.
Adeena Karasick
00:09:38
[Introduces and performs an excerpt of a longer work called Archetorture (Wave7Press, 1990) that, Karasick explains, explores memory and her mother’s death. Applause.] | Video Description: Flips through papers on trolley. Sips beer. Flips through papers again. Loose closeup as Karasick performs a piece.
Adeena Karasick
00:15:09
[Tells story about travelling in Germany. Performs a piece beginning with chanting and followed by the line, “And I go in to take the (?) to Meine, to Meine,” which contains both English and German. Karasick interrupts the poem to explain how food vocabulary is often the first words picked up in a new language, and then continues performing. Laughter throughout. Applause.] | Video Description: Sips beer. Shows audience an illustration in one of her collections (cover unidentifiable.) Performs a piece. The camera maintains a loose closeup. Closes books, sips beer, and it overflows with foam. Exits the stage and the frame.
Lee Gotham
00:21:41
Well, for any and all of those down on Toronto, there’s one very good reason we might reconsider, at least momentarily, for the evening, the value of our sister city. Okay, we are going to segue into, segue, word for the evening, into a short open mic segment. As we have a number, we’ll dispose of the first four of them. Number of things on the horizon in the spoken word genre here in Montreal in the near future, first of which [pause] for immediate release, Saturday twenty fifth of this month, that’s a little more than a week away, Building Dance just east of St Laurent on Pine Avenue, Wired on Words, the set release of spoken word projects number three, Ian Stephens, Diary of a Trademark on audio cassette, with a number of local support performers. Come on out, Saturday March twenty fifth, Building Dance, just east of des Pins. Building Danse (?) cool presentation, I may add. Okay, let’s do this open mic thing. Please get up, stretch your legs, get to the bar, every drink counts to keep the ball rolling (with?) Enough Said, Vince Tinguely, Vince, my fellow Fluffy (?) friend, come on up to the microphone, please.] | Video Description: Adjusts mic and introduces next segment. Pauses and reaches to his left to grab a folded up piece of white paper. Reads from it. Calls someone to the stage. Medium shots and extreme closeups throughout.
Vince Tinguely
00:23:43
[Explains a dream he had involving Donald Sutherland who said, “I like to write as if I am reading.” The audience collectively says, “I love you” in response to Tinguely’s balloon prompts (see video description.) Vince says, “thank you.” Applause.] | Video Description: Wears large wire-rimmed glasses, black t-shirt, white hair. Introduces the piece. Blows up a pink balloon, invites the audience to say the word “I” that is written on the balloon by waving it above his head. Continues with varying colours and sizes of balloons, each with one word printed on them to spell out the phrase, “I love you.” Tinguely says, “thank you,” and leaves the stage. Medium shots and extreme closeups throughout.
Lee Gotham
00:25:19
[Asks an unknown person to move away so the blackboard is visible (off-camera), which assumingly has bears the names of the open mic performers. Invites Kevin, the next open mic performer, to the stage.] | Video description: A medium shot as Gotham speaks into the mic briefly, gesturing for something to be moved out of the way, and introducing the next performer.
Kevin
00:25:47
[Explains that an old love poem to a lamprey eel and a collage of a lamprey eel were discovered while cleaning. Performs a piece titled “Lamprey, d’amour, My Life is Complete.” Finishes the piece and continues to explain the relationship with the lamprey eel. Applause.] | Video Description: Wears a black long-sleeved sweater, short light brown hair. Holds a large sketchbook that features a collage of a lamprey eel. Closeups and medium shots as Kevin introduces a piece, performs a piece, continues explaining the piece afterwards.
Lee Gotham
00:30:58
[Thanks Kevin, invites Sabrina to the stage.] | Video Description: Loose closeup as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic and adjusts it.
Sabrina
00:31:20
[Introduces and begins performing a piece beginning with the line “images hanging in fountains.” Pauses.] | Video Description: Wears a patterned black and white long-sleeved shirt, long medium brown hair with bangs swept to the side. Medium shot as Sabrina adjusts the mic and it tilts downwards. Begins to perform, then pauses.
Lee Gotham
00:31:32
Video Description: Lowers the mic.
Sabrina
00:31:33
[Says to Gotham that she “will just be loud” and that she will likely “flail” and knock the microphone off its stand anyways. Continues to perform the aforementioned piece.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Sabrina speaks with Gotham who is off-camera, then an extreme closeup zooms out to a loose closeup as Sabrina performs piece with her arms crossed, periodically looking at a small piece of paper tucked in her right hand tucked under her left elbow.
Sabrina
00:34:16
[Introduces and performs a “travelling poem” beginning with the line “I knew you were bound for the USA,” dedicated to a member of the audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Loose closeup to extreme closeup as Sabrina performs a piece.
Sabrina
00:36:06
[Introduces and performs an “angry woman poem” beginning with the line “I’m a woman agonized by a torturous itch.” Applause.] | Video Description: Loose closeup as Sabrina performs a piece.
Sabrina
00:36:50
[Performs a piece beginning with the line “I put my foot on an oil can.” Applause.] | Video Description: Closeup as Sabrina performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
00:37:40
[Thanks Sabrina, invites Rondo to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic and adjusts it.
Rondo
00:38:09
[Introduces and performs a piece “about Crad Kilodney” titled “Crad.” Applause.] | Video Description: Wears a black open cardigan overtop a black shirt, short dark hair pulled back with bangs loose, two thin dark necklaces. Loose and extreme closeups as Rondo performs a piece.
00:42:53
[Static sounds.] | Video Description: Brief static, and then a black screen.
Lee Gotham
00:43:04
[Announces upcoming literary events. Reintroduces Adeena Karasick. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Gotham speaks into the mic.
Adeena Karasick
00:44:42
[Performs a piece beginning with chanting and followed by the line “When the word is bound (?)” Applause.] | Video Description: Reorganizes papers on trolley. Asks Gotham for something indiscernible with gesturing. Medium shot and extreme closeup as Karasick performs a piece.
Adeena Karasick
00:46:27
[Performs a piece titled “Autobahn Cruise” (Mêmewars, Talonbooks, 1994). Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Karasick performs a piece.
Adeena Karasick
00:49:22
[Performs a chanting piece that includes the line “just a little bit harder” from an unknown project called Squalor. Pauses performance. Says, “I’ve lost my page.” Recommences. Laughter throughout. Applause]. | Video Description: Loose closeups and medium shots as Karasick performs a piece. Partway through, looks through folders of papers on the trolley to find another page. Recommences.
Lee Gotham
00:53:25
Video Description: Readjusts the microphone that has begun to tilt downwards.
Adeena Karasick
00:53:33
[Introduces and performs a piece called “Parasite Maintenance.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shots and extreme closeups as Karasick reorganizes papers on trolley and performs a piece.
Adeena Karasick
00:58:46
[Introduces and performs a piece titled “Aghast” (The Empress Has No Closure, Talonbooks, 1992). Shortly after starting to perform, briefly pauses and laughs. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Karasick performs a piece, pausing briefly to laugh near the beginning.
Adeena Karasick
01:00:22
[Introduces and performs a chanting piece beginning with the line “can’t get enough serotonin.” Applause.] | Video Description: Reorganizes papers on trolley. Medium shot as Karasick performs a piece. Gathers papers and water glass and leaves the stage.
Lee Gotham
01:03:32
[Encourages the audience to ask for an encore. Applause.] | Video Description: Gotham speaks briefly into the mic and claps.
Adeena Karasick
01:04:12
[Explains that “things are more uptight in Toronto.” Audience laughs at something unknown, Karasick asks, “what?” Performs a chanting piece beginning with the line, “Ululate pullulations, exhorting (Mortimer?) writhed in (bendable?) straddles.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Karasick introduces and performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
01:06:55
[Notes that the last piece Karasick performed will be featured in an issue of Pawn. Mentions that Karasick’s books are for sale at the back. Mentions it is his birthday. Audience begins singing “Happy Birthday,” banging on tables, and clapping. Lee invites D. Holmes to the stage.] | Video Description: Extreme closeups and medium shots as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic. Stands back and smiles as the audience sings. Speaks into the mic again.
D. Holmes
01:09:06
[Performs a piece beginning with the line, “Large V8, large grapefruit juice, cup of coffee.” Applause.]
| Video Description: Wears a red sweater atop a grey collared shirt, short light brown hair swept to his left side. Medium shots and loose closeups as Holmes performs a piece.
D. Holmes
01:15:57
[Performs a piece beginning with the line, “What do you find more in, the lake, do you find more in.” Applause.] | Video Description: Seems to ask someone off stage whether he can perform a little longer. Medium shots and extreme closeups as Holmes performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
01:17:19
[Invites Patrick Salah to the stage. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic.
Patrick Salah
01:17:42
[Introduces and performs a piece titled “Arpod.” Applause.] | Video Description: Wears black button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, black tattoo on right forearm, hanging earrings, and short curly black hair. Extreme closeups and medium shots as Salah performs a piece. Picks up notes from trolley partway through.
Patrick Salah
01:20:39
[Introduces and performs a piece titled “Like a Boy.” Applause.] | Video Description: Extreme and regular closeups as Salah performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
01:21:28
[Mentions that the Fluffy Pagan Echoes will perform next week. Invites David J. to the stage. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic.
David J.
01:22:18
[Introduces and performs a piece called “Words.” Applause.] | Video Description: Wears a light brown striped button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, dark brown hair falling onto forehead in strands. Closeups as David J. performs a piece.
David J.
01:24:03
[Asks the audience if they want to hear an angry poem. Cheering. Introduces and performs a piece called “Smoke Eat Drive.” Applause.] | Video Description: Closeups as David J. performs a piece. Applause and cheering throughout.
David J.
01:25:25
[Introduces and performs a piece called “Missing.” Applause.] | Video Description: Loose closeups and medium shots as David J. performs a piece.
David J.
01:26:45
[Mumbles while looking through papers. Introduces and performs a piece called “Dream Chicken.” Applause.] | Video Description: Looks through papers. Loose and regular closeups as David J. introduces and performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
01:28:41
[Sudden cut to Gotham mentioning Endre Farkas will perform in the coming weeks. Invites Mitsiko Miller to the stage.] | Video Description: Extreme closeup zooms out to medium shot as Gotham speaks into the mic.
Mitsiko Miller
01:29:20
[Mentions that “this is a very good evening.” Mentions song by Anita Franco. Introduces and performs a piece called “Ennui” in French. Applause.] | Video Description: Wears a black blazer atop a black and white horizontal striped shirt, black pants, with bleached hair in a shaggy pixie cut. Chews gum. Medium shots and extreme closeups as Miller introduces and performs a piece.
Mitsiko Miller
01:31:15
[Introduces and performs a piece titled “Seguir Adelante, But Going Nowhere” Applause.] | Video Description: Closeups as Miller introduces and performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
01:33:42
[Reminds audience that the Fluffy Pagan Echoes will perform the next week. Notes that the next performer is part of the group. Invites Justin McGrail to the stage. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic, adjust the microphone, and push the trolley out of the way.
Justin McGrail
01:34:35
[Mentions the Toronto Star trolley “freaks him out.” Introduces and performs an untitled piece beginning with the line “It’s not about who’s around, secret whispers exclusive soundings.” Applause.] | Video Description: Short dark hair falling onto forehead, white button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow and a small collar, a bracelet on each wrist and a necklace with a pendant, dark plaid kilt falling just below the knees with a sporran on a chain in front, tight black pants underneath, white hiking socks scrunched up above black lace-up boots that go above the ankle. Camera pans down to show outfit. Medium shot to extreme closeup and back again as McGrail performs a piece.
Lee Gotham
01:36:59
[Thanks Adeena Karasick. Tells audience to buy books. Thanks Danielle “and company” for the venue. Reminds audience of event on des Pins mentioned earlier. Cut off mid-sentence.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Gotham speaks briefly into the mic. Video suddenly ends.
END
01:38:09
[End of recording.]
Notes:
Event recording starts at 00:48:16:00 of VHS #4 asset, which contains multiple events.
NOTES
Type:
Cataloguer
Note:
Carlos A. Pittella
Type:
General
Note:
VHS #4 asset. Contains recordings of multiple events: (1) Enough Said 1995-03-06, Phineas Flower Trio and Godin Part 2; (2) Enough Said 1995-03-13, Karasick; (3) Enough Said 1995-03-20, Fluffy Pagan Echoes; and (4) Enough Said 1995-03-27, Farkas and Nuttall; and (5) Enough Said 1995-04-03, Smith. The asset was digitized, generating both uncompressed and compressed video files; the compressed files were then split into events to facilitate the transcription work. Metadata entries based on events.
Type:
Cataloguer
Note:
Jade Palmer (Contents and Related Works)
RELATED WORKS
Citation:
Karasick, Adeena. Mêmewars. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1994.
Citation:
Karasick, Adeena. The Empress Has No Closure. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1992.
Citation:
Karasick, Adeena. Archetorture. Vancouver: Wave7Press, 1990.