Poetry Night

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Tuesday April 7, witnessed the fourth in an ongoing series of poetry gatherings in Kathmandu. Long-term Shedra associate and poet James Hopkins, author of several books of original poetry (most recently A Sleeping Tiger Dreams of Manhattan) teamed with Shedra student/poet Zack Beer and friend Matteo Pistono to share their love for this endangered art-form at a café in Thamel. 

This time, they combined forces with a visiting singer and banjo extraordinaire, Olivia Varela, and a local sarangi player, Shyam Nepal, in an experiment in blending melody and spoken word that also sparked the entrance of a Mexican guitarrista and a German trombone player. The poets read pieces inspired by their experiences in Asia and by mice.

This is the fourth time the haphazard team has assembled since 2005. Past events have included readings of poetry in translation from the Tibetan by Erik Pema Kunzang, as well as original poetry by Wayne Amtzis. They have been held in a hotel, a restaurant, and a public garden. They have happened more often than not when there was no electricity.

The trio of poets is now working on a book of their combined work to memorialize these chance occasions that keep repeating themselves, so stay tuned…

Thanks everyone who joined us!

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