National and New York

Chapbook Fellowships

The 2013 Judges

National Chapbook Fellowships
Judged by
Thomas Sayers Ellis and Nick Flynn

  

• Open to any U.S. Resident who has not published a full-length poetry collection.

New York Chapbook Fellowships
Judged by 
Mary Ruefle and John Yau

  

• Open to any New York City resident who is 30 or under and has not published a full-length poetry collection.

Note: Poets may apply to one contest only.

 

GUIDELINES FOR BOTH CATEGORIES:

1.  Manuscript page length: between 20-30 pages of poetry (front matter not included in count). Poems must be typed on 8 1/2" x 11" paper and bound with a spring clip. No illustrations may be included. Do not include photocopies of poems from magazines or journals. Please submit only one copy of your manuscript. Manuscripts should include no more than one poem per page.

2.  A complete submission should include:

a.  Title page with contest name (The National Chapbook Fellowship or The New York Chapbook Fellowship), your name, address, telephone, email, and any other relevant contact information. Your name should not appear elsewhere in the manuscript.

b.  A title page with just the title of the manuscript.

c.  An acknowledgments page. Poems included in your manuscript may be previously published, but please include an acknowledgments page listing specific publications. Note: previous publications and/or the inclusion of published poems will not serve as a determining factor in the screening or judging of manuscripts.

d.  A complete Table of Contents.

e.  Payment of a $12.00 non-refundable entry fee(check or money order payable in U.S. dollars to Poetry Society of America). This fee is not waived for PSA members. Please do not send cash. While you may not submit to both The National Chapbook Fellowship and The New York Chapbook Fellowship, multiple submissions to one contest are accepted. Please note: we require separate entry fees for each manuscript you submit.

f.  Self-addressed stamped post card for confirmation of receipt and a self-addressed stamped envelope for announcement of the winners.

3.  Manuscripts by more than one author will not be accepted.

4.  Translations will not be accepted.

Submissions:

• Entries will be accepted between October 1st and December 22nd, 2012.

• Entries postmarked later than December 22nd, 2012 will not be accepted.

•  Manuscripts will not be returned.

• Electronic and faxed submissions will not be accepted.

• If your manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere, you must notify the PSA.

• Submission to the Chapbook Fellowship Program does not prohibit you from applying to the PSA Annual Awards: www.poetrysociety.org

Send to:

PSA CHAPBOOK CONTEST
Poetry Society of America
15 Gramercy Park
New York, New York 10003

 

 

RBC Focus

Reflections with John Barry

By Dr. Leanne Haynes

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

 

RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion at the ttff/12, which took place from September 19 to October 2nd. In 2011, RBC Focus was introduced to the festival as part of the bank’s commitment to developing emerging artists in the region. This talent lab returns in 2012 and will engage promising Caribbean filmmakers in an intensive 4-day development programme. They will be exposed to group discussions and exercises on a range of documentary filmmaking techniques geared to enhancing their creative voice.

ARC Magazine is partnering with RBC to present a series of weekly interviews with past and current candidates from the Focus Immersion Filmmakers’ programme. It is our hope that their stories, trajectories and elucidation opens up a way for emerging filmmakers to understand the infrastructure being created to support the film industry across the Caribbean. This week we continue with documentary filmmaker John Barry.

Leanne Haynes: How did you hear about the RBC Focus project? 

My film Classical Steel was one of the official selections of the 2011 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival.  It was as a result of my involvement with the screenings and attending the panel discussions that I heard some mention of the RBC Focus project. I can’t say that I paid any kind of attention to it until this year’s festival.

 

John Barry

 

LH: What prompted you to apply for the RBC Focus Filmmakers Immersion project?

JB: I was invited to the Trinidad and Tobago leg of the Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase which featured my film. At the end of the screening I was approached by members of the TTFF; they asked me if I sent in my application. I didn’t at that time and didn’t intend to because of my very demanding schedule at my 9 to 5. Annabelle Alcazar was not accepting that excuse, and said she would talk to my boss to give me the time off; Bruce Paddington was of the same opinion. I was really moved by that; they had that kind of confidence in me based strictly on the quality of the work I had done in the production of Classical Steel. So it was because of Annabell and Bruce’s insistence that I take part that I reconsidered and sent in my application. I am very happy I did.

LH: What did you expect to learn from the workshops and were your expectations exceeded?

JB: I will admit that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was excited by the fact that these two experts in the field were going to be our facilitators. I thought we were going to fully explore the finer points of documentary filmmaking because this edition of the RBC was tailored for the documentary format.  On the first day we learned that it was about pitching your doc and how to successfully do so. We touched on other things like how to develop your production idea, how best to apply the tools of our trade, trailers and putting together a sizzler, The experience was priceless; I have never had to pitch an idea like we were instructed to by Alrick and Fernanda. My expectations were exceeded by leaps and bounds.

 

DVD cover for Classical Steel

 

LH: What was the atmosphere like? What was it like working with other filmmakers from the region?

JB: There was immediate camaraderie, I don’t think there was ever a moment where we felt like a disparate group. I think we felt like one body of filmmakers, each member of that body with a story to be told. There was support all around. I remember being sent an email by one of the other participants. She had contact information on someone she thought would be important to my film although she knew nothing about the particular topic. I know there were countless other situations like that with the others. We were like a little family including the two facilitators. It was good to get other perspectives on the business of filmmaking; realise that the problems we encounter are the same regardless of what part of the world you live.

LH: What did the workshops consist of? What was your favourite part? What did you find most helpful?

JB: We were guided toward making a successful pitch for funding so the entire exercise had that focus. At the end of the sessions we would be pitching before a live panel, the best pitch to receive a $20,000 prize. Apart from that we were instructed on the finer points of successfully applying for funding; from synopsis to trailer. We worked on our production ideas, fleshed them out and even in my case add other dimensions which gave my film a wider appeal. My favourite part of the workshop was the exchange of ideas and explaining why our film was important and why it had to be made now. This was a question Alrick put to us and we each had to justify why our film had to be made. That question answered for us our own question about how committed we are about our particular production idea. The responses were all intriguing. The most helpful part for me was learning how to structure the pitch; this was my first experience doing so and I believe I am better armed, having gone through the process. Days after making my pitch, at the award ceremony I was told by two members of the three-person jury that they enjoyed my pitch which engaged them in the longest discussion among the others. That goes very far for me.

LH: How did you find it working with the creative directors?

JB: This was very inspirational for me. I always like to rub shoulders and exchange ideas with other creative people. I sometimes think I’m not up to the level of others so being in that environment gave me a lot of confidence to carry on. Everyone was supportive of the others; it was totally positive and progressive over the four days of the workshop.

LH: What project did you submit? 

JB: I submitted an idea for a sports doc where comparisons are to be made between cricket and baseball. After the workshop I was able to write a tight logline and add a further dimension to the idea. The following is what resulted:

Bats And Balls

Logline

Cricket and baseball share a number of underlying similarities yet the players and fans insist on their differences. Bats and Balls delves into the Gentleman’s Game and America’s Favourite Pastime, going way beyond the field of play to prove that they are not distant relatives, but very close cousins.

Synopsis

This is a feature-length sports documentary making comparisons between baseball and cricket. The piece investigates the similarities between these two sports by first looking at the field of play in each case; the rules and regulations, general objective of each game, and how each game is played. But more important than the final score there is a socio-political context within which each game is couched, fostering a sense of national pride. We will see, for instance in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy in the USA, where, at every game played God Bless America was sung during the seventh inning stretch instead of the traditional Take Me Out To The Ball Game, showing resistance to the terrorists and solidarity as a nation. And in the case of cricket, this sport has united an area known as the West Indies more than any politician can or ever will.  We would interview past and present players, commentators, managers and coaches, and sound bites from these interviews would be used as the narration for the film. We will shoot some live action games, but would also make use of archival footage. Being a fan of both cricket and baseball, I believe this film will engender a greater appreciation for the role both sports play in our daily lives.

 

John Barry and Journalist Brad Balfour

 

LH: What’s your background with regards to film?

JB: My background is in television production and I have a passion for documentaries. I have produced quite a number of small features for television, but always flirted with the idea of going bigger. I did so in 1996 with Dance De Calypso, a documentary film which looks at the various ways different people dance to calypso music. The success of that doc spurred me on and I kept on writing and developing ideas for production. I kept knocking on doors until the opportunity presented itself again in 2007 when the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company green lighted my idea for their Production And Script Development programme which meant that they would partially fund my project with their guidance. That resulted in Classical Steel going on to receiving the Special Mention jury award at the 2011 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival. Since then my film has been screened for audiences in more than five countries. Having experienced the RBC Immersion workshop I am now poised to kick off production on Bats And Balls.

LH: Are there any particular (Caribbean) filmmakers that have influenced your path?

JB: There is no single filmmaker who has influenced my path because I have always had this passion for filmmaking and for doing documentaries and that has carried me. Notwithstanding that, however, I am inspired by the work of Yao Ramesar and the body of work Horace Ove has contributed to our pool. I have not adopted anything from their filmmaking style; it’s their professional approach to the business which has attracted me.

LH: Are there enough opportunities for emerging filmmakers in the Caribbean? Are things improving on the scene in terms of funding and opportunities?

JB: I believe things are improving as far as funding is concerned and the number of filmmakers is growing. The number of important Film Festivals in the region is also growing. On those fronts the opportunities for emerging filmmakers are growing, but serious work has to be done to develop the infrastructure for a successful film industry. We have a growing number of filmmakers and an administration of sorts but the “guts” of any serious film industry is sadly lacking. Until we put those things in place we will continue to churn our volumes and volumes of good films which will end up on a shelf somewhere.

 

John Barry sits in OB Vehicle

 

LH: What three pieces of advice would you give to emerging filmmakers in the Caribbean?

JB: Do not be deterred by anyone who doesn’t share your vision and your passion; follow your dream. Don’t limit your experience to what is happening at home; join international organizations and interact aggressively with members of those organizations. If you’re in this business for the glamour of it, you’re in the wrong business; get out now.

LH: What’s next on the horizon for you? Please share!

JB: Next on the horizon is freeing up time to concentrate on Bats And Balls. This doc is still at the treatment stage; I’m now to take all that I have learned at the RBC workshop and go in search of funding. Once that is secured I will commence production. I have number of other treatments sitting on my computer so hopefully I can move from one to the other providing that funding comes my way.

Biography: 

Operating out of Trinidad and Tobago, John Barry holds a BA in Mass Media Studies from the University of the District of Columbia and an MA in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology. Among his credits is his first documentary film, Dance de Calypso, which chronicles the evolution of dance in calypso music. Mr. Barry’s latest work is his second documentary film titled Classical Steel which explores the world of the steelpan in a classical music setting, making general comparisons between the steel orchestra and the traditional symphony orchestra.

Why Is

Cuba’s Health Care System

the Best Model

for Poor Countries?

 

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 01:42 

Cuba has become a world-class medical powerhouse with very limited resources, while “the US squanders perhaps 10 to 20 times what is needed for a good, affordable medical system.” As a result, the Cuban infant mortality rate is “below that of the US and less than half that of US Blacks,” and Americans can hardly claim to have a health care system.

 

by Don Fitz

“Cuban-trained doctors know their patients by knowing their patients’ communities.”

Furious though it may be, the current debate over health care in the US is largely irrelevant to charting a path for poor countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Islands. That is because the US squanders perhaps 10 to 20 times what is needed for a good, affordable medical system. The waste is far more than 30% overhead by private insurance companies. It includes an enormous amount of over-treatment, making the poor sicker by refusing them treatment, creation of illnesses, exposure to contagion through over-hospitalization, and disease-focused instead of prevention-focused research. [1]

Poor countries simply cannot afford such a health system. Well over 100 countries are looking to the example of Cuba, which has the same 78-year life expectancy of the US while spending 4% per person annually of what the US does. [2]

The most revolutionary idea of the Cuban system is doctors living in the neighborhoods they serve. A doctor-nurse team is part of the community and know their patients well because they live at (or near) the consultorio (doctors’ office) where they work. Consultorios are backed up
by policlínicos which provide services during off-hours and offer a wide variety of specialists. Policlínicos coordinate community health delivery and link nationally designed health initiatives with their local implementation.

Cubans call their system medicina general integral (MGI, comprehensive general medicine). Its programs focus on preventing people from getting diseases rather than curing them after they are sick

This has made Cuba extremely effective in control of everyday health issues. Having doctors’ offices in every neighborhood has brought the Cuban infant mortality rate below that of the US and less than half that of US Blacks. [3] Cuba has a record unmatched in dealing with chronic and infectious diseases with amazingly limited resources. These include (with date eradicated): polio (1962), malaria (1967), neonatal tetanus (1972), diphtheria (1979), congenital rubella syndrome (1989), post-mumps meningitis (1989), measles (1993), rubella (1995), and TB meningitis (1997). [4]

 

“Programs focus on preventing people from getting diseases rather than curing them after they are sick.”

The MGI integration of neighborhood doctors’ offices with area clinics and a national hospital system also means the country responds well to emergencies. It has the ability to evacuate entire cities during a hurricane largely because consultorio staff know everyone in their neighborhood and who to call for help getting disabled residents out of harms way. At the same time New York City (roughly the same population as Cuba) had 43,000 cases of AIDS, Cuba had 200 AIDS patients. [5] More recent emergencies such as outbreaks of dengue fever are quickly followed by national mobilizations. [6]

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Cuban medicine it that, despite its being a poor country itself, Cuba has sent over 124,000 health care professionals to provide care to 154 countries. [7] In addition to providing preventive medicine Cuba sends response teams following
emergencies (such as earthquakes and hurricanes) and has over 20,000 students from other countries studying to be doctors at its Latin American School of Medicine in Havana (ELAM, Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina). [8]

In a recent Monthly Review article, I gave in-depth descriptions of ELAM students participating in Cuban medical efforts in Haiti, Ghana and Peru. [9] What follows are 10 generalizations from Cuba’s extensive experience in developing medical science and sharing its approach with poor countries throughout the world. The concepts form the basis of the New Global Medicine and summarize what many authors have observed in dozens of articles and books.

First, it is not necessary to focus on expensive technology as the initial approach to medical care. Cuban doctors use machines that are available, but they have an amazing ability to treat disaster victims with field surgery. They are very aware that most lives are saved through preventive medicine such as nutrition and hygiene and that traditional cultures have their own healing wisdom. This is in direct contrast to Western medicine, especially as is dominant in the US, which uses costly diagnostic and treatment techniques as the first approach and is contemptuous of natural and alternative approaches.

 

“At the same time New York City (roughly the same population as Cuba) had 43,000 cases of AIDS, Cuba had 200 AIDS patients.”

Second, doctors must be part of the communities where they are working. This could mean living in the same neighborhood as a Peruvian consultorio. It could mean living in a Venezuelan community that is much more violent than a Cuban one. Or it could mean living in emergency tents adjacent to where victims are housed as Cuban medical brigades did after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Or staying in a village guesthouse in Ghana. Cuban-trained doctors know their patients by knowing their patients’ communities. This differs sharply from US doctors, who receive zero training on how to assess homes of their patients.

Third, the MGI model outlines relationships between people that go beyond a set of facts. Instead of memorizing mountains of information unlikely to be used in community health, which US students must do to pass medical board exams, Cuban students learn what is necessary to relate to people in consultorios, polyclínicos, field hospitals and remote villages. Far from being nuisance courses, studies in how people are bio-psycho-social beings are critical for the everyday practice of Cuban medicine.

Fourth, the MGI model is not static but is evolving and unique for each community. Western medicine searches for the correct pill for a given disease. In its rigid approach, a major reason for research is to discover a new pill after “side effects” of the first pill surface. Since traditional medicine is based on the culture where it has existed for centuries, the MGI model avoids the futility of seeking to impose a Western mindset on other societies.

Fifth, it is necessary to adapt medical aid to the political climate of the host country. This means using whatever resources the host government is able and willing to offer and living with restrictions. Those hosting a Cuban medical brigade may be friendly as in Venezuela and Ghana, hostile as is the Brazilian Medical Association, become increasingly hostile as occurred after the 2009 coup in Honduras, or change from hostile to friendly as occurred in Peru with the 2011 election of Ollanta Humala. This is quite different from US medical aide which, like its food aide, is part of an overall effort to dominate the receiving country and push it into adopting a Western model.

Sixth, the MGI model creates the basis for dramatic health effects. Preventive community health training, a desire to understand traditional healers, the ability to respond quickly to emergencies, and an appreciation of political limitations give Cuban medical teams astounding success. During the first 18 months of Cuba’s work in Honduras following Hurricane Mitch, infant mortality dropped from 80.3 to 30.9 per 1000 live births. When Cuban health professionals intervened in Gambia, malaria decreased from 600,000 cases in 2002 to 200,000 two years later. And Cuban/Venezuelan collaboration resulted in 1.5 million vision corrections by 2009. Kirk and Erisman conclude that “almost 2 million people throughout the world … owe their very lives to the availability of Cuban medical services.” [7]

 

“US medical aide which, like its food aide, is part of an overall effort to dominate the receiving country.”

Seventh, the New Global Medicine can become reality only if medical staff put healing above personal wealth. In Cuba, being a doctor, nurse or support staff and going on a mission to another country is one of the most fulfilling activities a person can do. The program continues to find an increasing number of volunteers despite the low salaries that Cuban health professionals earn. There is definitely a minority of US doctors who focus their practice in low income communities which have the greatest need. But there is no political leadership which makes a concerted effort to get physicians to do anything other than follow the money.

Eighth, dedication to the New Global Medicine is now being transferred to the next generation. When students at Cuban schools learn to be doctors, dentists or nurses their instructors tell them of their own participation in health brigades in Angola, Peru, Haiti, Honduras and dozens of other countries. Venezuela has already developed its own approach of MIC (medicina integral communitaria, comprehensive community medicine) which builds upon but is distinct from Cuban MGI. [10] Many ELAM students who work in Ghana as the Yaa Asantewaa Brigade are from the US. They learn approaches of traditional healers so they can compliment Ghanaian techniques with Cuban medical knowledge.

Ninth, the Cuban model is remaking medicine across the globe. Though best-known for its successes in Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean, Cuba has also provided assistance in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Cuba provided relief to the Ukraine after the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown, Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami, and Pakistan after its 2005 earthquake. Many of the countries hosting Cuban medical brigades are eager for them to help redesign their own health care systems. Rather than attempting to make expensive Western techniques available to everyone, the Cuban MGI model helps re-conceptualize how healing systems can meet the needs of a country’s poor.

 

“Many ELAM students who work in Ghana as the Yaa Asantewaa Brigade are from the US.”

Tenth, the new global medicine is a microcosm of how a few thousand revolutionaries can change the world. They do not need vast riches, expensive technology, or a massive increase in personal possessions to improve the quality of people’s lives. If dedicated to helping people while learning from those they help, they can prefigure a new world by carefully utilizing the resources in front of them. Such revolutionary activity helps show a world facing acute climate change that it can resolve many basic human needs without pouring more CO2 into the atmosphere.

Discussions of global health in the West typically bemoan the indisputable fact that poor countries still suffer from chronic and infectious diseases that rich countries have controlled for decades. International health organizations wring their hands over the high infant mortality rates and lack of resources to cope with natural disasters in much of the world. [3]

But they ignore the one health system that actually functions in a poor country, providing health care to all of its citizens as well as millions of others around the world. The conspiracy of silence surrounding the resounding success of Cuba’s health system proves the absolute unconcern by those who piously claim to be the most concerned.

How should progressives respond to this feigned ignorance of a meaningful solution to global health problems? A rational response must begin with spreading the word of Cuba’s New Global Medicine through every source of alternative media available. The message needs to be: Good health care is not more expensive — revolutionary medicine is far more cost effective than corporate controlled medicine.

 

Don Fitz (fitzdon@aol.com) is editor of Synthesis/Regeneration: A Magazine of Green Social Thought. He is Co-Coordinator of the Green Party of St. Louis and produces Green Time in conjunction with KNLC-TV 24.

 

Notes

1. Fitz, D. (December 9, 2010). Eight reasons US healthcare costs 96% more than Cuba's—With the same results.
http://www.alternet.org/health/149090/eight_reasons_us_healthcare_costs_96%25_more_than_cuba%27s--with_the_same_results

2. Dresang, L.T., Brebick, L., Murray, D., Shallue, A. & Sullivan-Vedder, L. (July-August, 2005). Family medicine in Cuba: Community-Oriented Primary Care and Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 18 no. 4: 297-303.

 
3. Cooper, R.S., Kennelly, J.F. & Orduñez-Garcia, P. (2006). Health in Cuba, International Journal of Epidemiology, 35: 817–824.

 
4. Pérez, J. (May 15, 2012). Gender and HIV Prevention. Slide presentation at the Pedro Kouri Institute of Topical Medicine, Havana, Cuba.

 
5. Whiteford, L.M. & Branch, L.G. (2008). Primary Health Care in Cuba: The Other Revolution. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

 
6. Fitz, D. (February 14, 2012). Med School Classes Cancelled in Havana.
http://blackagendareport.com/content/med-school-classes-cancelled-havana

7. Kirk, J.M. & Erisman, M.H. (2009). Cuban Medical Internationalism: Origins, Evolution and Goals. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

 
8. Fitz, D. (March, 2011). The Latin American School of Medicine Today: ELAM. Monthly Review 62 no. 10: 50–62.

 
9. Fitz, D. (September, 2012). Cuba: The New Global Medicine. Monthly Review 64 no. 4: 37–46.

 
10. Brouwer, S. (2011). Revolutionary Doctors: How Venezuela and Cuba are Changing the World’s Conceptualization of Health Care. New York, Monthly Review Press.

 

Hotel Maid Nafissatou Diallo:

Reuters Pool Photographer

Seth Wenig’s Brilliant Portrait

 

By Michael Shaw

What I see is brilliant — a photo capturing the hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo, looking quite alluring, actually, in this sea of headless male-male-male power suits. (And this is sick, I know, but it’s there … the guy’s hand in his pocket, far right, causing the front of his jacket to press forward just so … and she, looking away. As well, there are the hands of the man in the middle, especially the lower hand on his middle chest, conveying a sense of vanity.) The photo was taken at her settlement hearing in her civil suit against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Update: Thanks playera. I should have said power suits/robes. That the middle figure is the judge makes it that much more interesting. Because it’s the judge though, it makes his hand gestures less about vanity than about expressing the last word perhaps. All in all, it’s a wonderfully intriguing photo. As always, I’m interested in your further thoughts.

(photo: Seth Wenig/Pool/Reuters caption: Hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo appears in New York State Supreme Court for a hearing where a settlement in her civil lawsuit against former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was expected to be announced, in the Bronx, New York December 10, 2012. Strauss-Kahn and Diallo who accused him last year of attempting to rape her have agreed to a settlement in her civil lawsuit against him. In a court hearing in New York on Monday, Bronx Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon announced the two sides had reached a deal to end the litigation, but said details of the settlement, including the amount of any damages to be paid to Diallo by Strauss-Kahn, will not be made public.)

__________________________

What was

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

wearing?

Video:

Black in the Caribbean

- Race and class

in Haiti and Jamaica

 

In the wake of the recently aired documentary Black in America, it's interesting to see how Caribbean societies have dealt with skin colour issues, especially Haiti and Jamaica.

Ingrained in Caribbean culture is an unfortunate system of bias based on someone's race, ethnicity, income, and pedigree. Two scholars, Ives Colon (Haiti) and Heather Russell (Jamaica), discuss the origins of this class system and the way it influences both island life and large Caribbean-American communities abroad, such as South Florida.

Video: Class system in the Caribbean

Video:

The Haitian-American journey "La Belle Vie"

("The Good Life")

A long excerpt of the documentary "La Belle Vie" of Haitian-American filmmaker Rachelle Salnave. La Belle Vie takes a look into a filmmaker's journey to discover her Haitian roots by examining the complexities of the Haitian society but also chronicles her voyage to find hope in this nation on the brink of a new Haiti. Watch it on Vimeo here.

 

 

 

Ray Charles featuring

In Oscar Peterson

Very Special (1976)

 

In the 1970s Ray Charles and Oscar Peterson toured a lot together in Europe, where Norman Granz was their impresario.

The Montreal Gazette from 17 September 1976 (probably published shortly after the actual taping) had a brief article stating that The Oscar Peterson Superspecial "was more lively an hour of fine jazz piano trio and big band music with guests Ray Charles and impresario Norman Granz contributing as well. Peterson talks a bit and plays a lot in the course of this show."

Concert portions were videotaped at the Minkler Audtorium (Seneca College); other tunes in a CBC studio.
Other than suggested by the clips and photos in this article, the show was taped in color. The program was directed by by Ron Meraska.

The show was aired by CBC on 14 November 1976, under the title Oscar Peterson: Very Special.

Photo: Oscar and Ray performing together in Toronto in November 1976.

Ray Charles and the band performed a flawless version of Then We'll Be Home (Sadies Tune), and Ray and Oscar together played Blues For Big Scotia, which - including the intro from Nat King Cole's Sweet Lorraine - was part of Ray's live repertoire since 1973:

Then We'll Be Home (Sadies Tune):

The CBC Archive database (IDs B-01435, B-01947, D-007786) adds some more information:

Canadian Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson hosts a music special that is filmed before an audience in the Minkler Auditorium at Seneca College.
Guests are Ray Brown (double bass), Herb Ellis (guitar), Louis Bellson (drums), Zoot Sims and Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis (tenor saxophones), Roy Eldridge and Clark Terry (trumpets), the Rick Wilkins Orchestra, and special guest, American singer Ray Charles.
Music producer and Peterson's manager Norman Granz introduces the show, which pays tribute to the musical influences in Peterson's life including Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, and Duke Ellington.
Highlights include 'Liza' (Peterson playing solo); a few bars of  'Someone to Watch Over Me' (Peterson); 'Sweet Lorraine' (Peterson sings and plays with Kessel and Brown); 'Take the A Train' (Peterson, Terry, Davis, Sims, Eldridge, Bellson with Rick Wilkins Orchestra); 'Million Dollars of My Own' [i.e. Then We'll be Home (Sadies Tune), BS] (Charles); a blues number (Charles, Peterson and orchestra) [this was Blues For Big Scotia, BS]; an unidentified selection (Peterson, Brown and Ellis); Rick Wilkins' arrangement of Place St. Henri from Peterson's Canadiana Suite (Peterson and band); Tenderly (Peterson and Brown); a recreation of a Jazz At The Philharmonic jam session with Granz introducing the band who play a fast tempo blues (Peterson and guests); and a closing number Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Peterson trio). Also, Peterson and Granz talk about how they met and Granz's involvement in Peterson's career. Wilkins' group includes Gary Morgan, Jerry Toth, Eugene Amaro, Moe Koffman (saxophones); Rob McConnell, Butch Watanabe (trombones); and Guido Basso, Arnie Chycoski (trumpets).

The program is described as an episode of the CBC Superspecial series. The same catalog shares an other fabulous Peterson piece (Back Home Again In Indiana) from this show (watch here).

This photo is possibly from a rehearsal for the same show.

Read more on Oscar and Ray here,  here and here.  

 

Posted by Bob Stumpel

 

Contest Rules

Beginning this fall, each year, Catharsis Journal will offer a contest of short memoir pieces.  This year the topic is, How Creativity Changed My Life.  As mentioned in the Submissions Guidelines, pieces are between 2,500 and 10,000 words.  All submissions will be reviewed by Ellen LaFleche, Reader/Judge and Krista Burlae, Founding Editor.  Pieces will be judged on how well developed the story is, use of literary device and element, if the content is tied to the theme, how creativity changed my life and if the writers makes us emote!

Prizes

 First Place:  $500, publication, listing of name, title of work, placement in contest (on website) and two free copies of book

Second Place:  $250, publication, listing of name, title of work, placement in contest (on website) and two free copies of book

Third Place:  $100, publication, listing of name, title of work, placement in contest (on website) and two free copies of book

Fourth-Tenth Place:  publication, listing of name, title of work, placement in contest (on website) and two free copies of book

The deadline for submission to the contest is March 15, 2013 at 11:59 p.m.  All submissions via USPS must be received (not post-marked) by March 15, 2013.

Entrants may submit up to three entries, but only one entry per envelope (or electronic submission) and each entry must include a $20 reading fee.

All submissions will be reviewed by May 1, 2013.  Contest winners will be notified by May 15, 2013.    The book featuring the top ten contest winners is expected be available in September of 2013.

Conflicts of Interest

 Catharsis Journal does not accept submissions from employees (contract or otherwise) or their families due to possible bias.  We discourage people affiliated with Catharsis Journal to submit pieces to the contest including friends or others who are personally or professionally involved with Catharsis Journal staff.  Judges are likely to know the story from the relationship they have with someone outside of contest contexts.  Therefore, if one of our judges knows an entrant, we pass the piece along to a judge who does not know the entrant for the entire review of the piece.  However, we hope most people close to the judges understand the natural bias and choose to submit work elsewhere.

If an entrant’s work has been sent to another publication (which we request entrants do not do) and is slated for publication by March of 2013, please inform us IMMEDIATELY.  Such work is ineligible for the contest.

 

 Submission guidelines to our annual CONTEST.  Please follow the guidelines closely.

TOPIC:  How creativity changed my life!

1.  Only send us unpublished pieces.  Because memoir can do many things later, we reserve the right to publish your work first and without concern for dual publication.  If your work is chosen as a contest winner, your rights and responsibilities as an author will be clearly outlined in your contract.  No simultaneous submissions.  Please send your piece to us and us only.  We have a distribution of over 25,000 venues so we want to get your work seen as much as you do.

2.  Your piece is between 2,500 and 10,000 words, is in 12 point font and is double-spaced.  Memoir is typically written in the past tense, unlike essay which is written in the present.

3.  The content of your piece is of a spiritual, metaphysical or miraculous nature.  This is not to say that you experience a neon sign from your higher power, but more so, that you notice the miracles in your life on a day to day basis.  Your story can be about transformation, cathartic experiences, serendipity or some related topic.

4.  For our 2013 contest on How Creativity Changed My Life, our reading period is from October 1^st to March 15^th, 2013.

5.  If your piece is from a larger, completed unpublished manuscript, please let us know and let us know the title of your manuscript.  We will acknowledge it if your work is chosen for Catharsis Journal’s 2013 contest.

6. You may send us an electronic copy or hard copy.  If you send us a hard copy, do so at:

Catharsis Journal

PO Box 24408

Santa Fe, NM 87502

You can make your check payable to Catharsis Journal.  We will not be able to return your manuscript.

7.  If you send us your work in electronic form, please follow the instructions on the “Contest Submission Page” under “Writing Contest”.

8.  We may not be able to acknowledge your submission by email or USPS.  If this is the case, please know that we personally know the value of your attempt and the courage it takes to submit a story, especially about our topics.   We want you to remain inspired.

9.  Please offer us a title page without your name on it, just the title.  This is the first page of the manuscript you send us.  Please do not put your name on any page of the mss. until the last page.

10.  On the last page of your manuscript, please offer the following information:

a.  The title of your manuscript.

b.  Your name as you wish it to appear should we publish your work.

c.  Your telephone number and email address.

d.  Your home or business address (we will only offer the city and state in which you live should we choose your work for publication).

 

Copyright © 2012 Catharsis Journal

 

The William Kloefkorn Award

for Excellence in Poetry 

One winner receives $500 and publication in PADDLEFISH. Submission fee $12 (for two poems). All poets submitting to the contest receive a copy of the forthcoming journal. All submissions will also be considered for the forthcoming issue of PADDLEFISH. The contest is judged by PADDLEFISH editor-in-chief Jim Reese and associate editor Dana DeWitt. All contest entrants can submit up to two poems for consideration each year. Each poem should not exceed two pages single-spaced. NO previously published work. NO simultaneous submissions.

Send a $12 check payable to Mount Marty College. In the subject line write Kloefkorn Award. On the submission envelope please write Kloefkorn Award. Please include SASE for the winning announcement. Submission period Nov. 1, 2012 - Feb. 28, 2013. The winner will be announced no later than April 30, 2013.

*Don't forget to include your email, phone number and mailing address on the REVERSE side of each poetry submission.

The William Kloefkorn Award for Excellence in Poetry was established in memory of the late Nebraska State Poet William Kloefkorn. Bill was named the Nebraska State Poet by proclamation of the Unicameral in 1982. In addition to his many publications and honors, he also won first-place in the 1978 Nebraska Hog-Calling Championship. A retired professor of English at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, he was the author of thirty-two books, including Alvin Turner as Farmer (Logan House, 2004), Sunrise, Dayglow, Sunset, Moon (Talking River Publications, 2004), and Walking the Campus (Lone Willow Press, 2004). He also published four memoirs, This Death by Drowning, Restoring the Burnt Child, At Home on This Moveable Earth and Breathing in the Fullness of Time (U. of Nebraska Press). He was the author of two collections of short fiction, A Time to Sink Her Pretty Little Ship and Shadow Boxer (Logan House Press). Most recently he had co-authored In a House Made of Time (Logan House Press) and Moments of Delicate Balance (Wings Press)with David Lee.  His poems have appeared in Prairie Schooner, Georgia Review, Poet & Critic, and elsewhere. Bill mentored innumerable students and folks interested in the written word. Bill was a great friend and inimitable teacher.