Ep 73: Sound Series 1 – James Woods and Nick Ascroft

/ daphnemoran

This is the first of our ten-part Sound Series where I talk to writers and artists about their work in relation to sounds they have chosen.

In this episode I talk to James Woods and Nick Ascroft.

  • James Woods (Image by Stephen Boxhill)
  • Nick Ascroft

James chose Neon Cross by Drunk with Power, which he wrote and recorded. You can listen to here on Spotify

Nick chose Dunedin Spleen by The Verlaines and you can listen and buy this song on Bandcamp

Exercise:

We talk quite a lot about rhyme in this discussion.

So, the exercise is simply this – turn on your recorder, say the line:

‘I listened to a band called Flipper’

And see how long you can go rhyming words with ‘Flipper’. Don’t forget about half-rhymes and don’t be afraid to change the end sound completely if it feels right. The idea is to try and keep composing for 2 minutes.

Better off Read is available on iTunes and Spotify and most podcasting apps.

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Or you can listen to it here:

Ep 165: Helen Lehndorf and pip adam talk about The Bruise Palette – Better off Read

Helen and i have been friends for a long time. Over the years her work has been incredibly inspiring to me. When i say 'Helen's work' i mean her writing, her activism, her visual art, her journaling, her essays, her thinking, her teaching, her friendship, her family-ship, her gardening and all the other amazing things she does. i also admire the way it is quite hard to separate these 'works' out from each other. If there is such a thing as an artist's life i think Helen is a really great example of that. When we met a few weeks ago, Helen brought along her journal as the object to act as a starting place for this conversation. In May, Helen published The Bruise Palette with Firestarter Press an amazing publisher who recently also produced a stunning group of books called The Pocketbook Series. The Bruise Palette is an incredible collection of poetry. Helen's poems in The Bruise Palette are visceral and weighty and at the same time limber and fleet. This is an amazing book. This podcast was recorded at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui The Pakawhakaritorito Trust Helen says: A cause I would love to signal boost is The Pakawhakaritorito Trust who do incredible work 'to elevate Indigenous seed, soil and food sovereignty through education, research and practices which decolonise our current food system.' The Pakawhakaritorito Trust website: https://www.papawhakaritorito.com Dr Jessica Hutchings (who leads the trust) was also a key part of co-designing the Hua Parakore Māori Organics framework so that Māori growers can certify their organics under a framework which is informed by te ao Māori. What is Hua Parakore? https://www.tewakakaiora.co.nz/whatishuaparakore I have huge admiration for their work. Last year, the farm the trust is based at suffered a large fire and they lost their home, workspaces and indigenous seed library so donations at this time will help them recover.  You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.
  1. Ep 165: Helen Lehndorf and pip adam talk about The Bruise Palette
  2. Ep 164: Terri Te Tau and pip adam talk about The Valley of Unlikely Acquaintances
  3. Ep 163: Molly Crighton and pip adam talk about The Body and the Blood
  4. Ep 162: Tīhema Baker and pip adam talk about One Day A Taniwha
  5. kluge: four covers four events

Made with the support of Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa

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