Archive for January, 2009

The text below is written as an introduction, or reference-frame for talks conducted later today with literary scholar Mathias Rosenlund at the Arkadia Bookshop, Pohjoinen Hesparienkatu 9, Helsinki (at 6PM). Allen Ginsberg was born 1926 in Paterson, New Jersey. The son of Naomi and Louis Ginsberg, both of whom were a great influence and... »

You are warmly invited to join a talk on the American poet Allen Ginsberg with Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl and Mathias Rosenlund on Wednesday 28.1 at 18:00. Eiríkur has recently translated and published into Icelandic selected poems by Ginsberg. Among other topics he will discuss with Mathias the difficulties of translating English poetry into uniform... »

Cities and beaches XIV (excerpt) 1 What lies what dishonesty what historical disasters. And despite this the morning still amazes us like before resembles bright and wide mornings south wind ocean storm in a city mostly made up of dreams. Dreams: at their bottom we sensed the merciless attack of reality. How distant they... »

The Icelandic government’s gone belly-up. Today is a day for celebration, so far at least – we of course still have to see what succedes them. Yesterday the minister of finance resigned, but not before firing the board of the Financial Supervisory Authority – this morning, rigorous meetings of all parties. The social-democrats wanted... »

Bookflood Words are gathered. Impelled to presses black, white and peatred. In a banker’s waiting room funds drip down aged tender. Funds spawned by funds. Rinsing raincoats, pouring from boots into bathtub turning black from the letters, bleating black sheep. Found funds, my hound a showerhead drives them into the hole. Þórunn Erlu-Valdimarsdóttir Translation:... »

Confessions of a Lucrative Dreamer I dream of shit. It’s no secret. I dream of shit. I can fearlessly spend my anticipated lottery-winnings during the day. Most nights I dream tons upon tons of shit. Exactly how much shit I dream is nobody’s business. The curious ask if I have any to spare. Please... »

The demonstrations in Reykjavík are getting more and more passionate. It’s taken quite some time for the complacent Icelandic populace to react, it usually does, but now, after 16 weeks of weekly demonstrations, they’ve become resilient. Yesterday was the first day of parliament (they get a very long christmas-holiday which practically melds into their... »

The text of this found&performed poem is taken from an article in the newspaper, written by “consultant”, Halldór Ragnarsson, and I found very funny. It was a retort to some articles Icelandic writer Hallgrímur Helgason had written about the government and it’s response to the financial crisis. The “Found & performed” poem is above,... »

Leaning casually off the precipice-of-history™ feeding monstrous sea-kittens with his tortoisity Baracks feelings were mixed: part brimming acne part redolant sage. »

Höpöhöpö Böks premiered on the Icelandic State TV, January 14th, 2009. Click below for original text with a literal translation. More works in this vein can be found here. »