Monday 30 August 2010

Literature Pub Quiz, oragami for kids and poetry: My perfect Sunday.

In preperation for The Literature Pub Quiz which is the next Bad Language event on the 2nd September I have been attempting to make pretty things. However, pretty things aren't as easy to make as they look. Thinking I was a genius I decided to make oragami books to compliment the literature theme. But my skeptical brother tried to prove me wrong by stating that oragami books would be no different to normal books. Well brother, the internet proved you wrong.


I attempted the below under the false hope that having never done oragami before, I would be a pro. After four attempts and weird triangle pages, I decided I needed to start with something simpler.


Origami book from Eddie Dakore on Vimeo.

Then someone finally understood me and decided to get the internet to show me the below: oragami for kids.



So if you're as unskilled as me, the above is a good alternative to attempt to make pretty things without hurting your brain too much.



I decided to make two things for the quiz. First, a set of small chap books for a poem of mine called Graceful. It's something I've been thinking of doing for a while and not got round to creating a design for. The chap books are hand written and tied up with gold embossed paper and string, which I thought went with the delicate theme of the poem. I will be attempting to sell these at the pub quiz for £2.50 each.




I also made the minature oragami books for decoration, mainly to prove my brother wrong. They will sit among cup cakes on the tabels to hopefully make the venue look pretty and entice people in. I made the books out of hand made paper which was a present from my lovely friend Nell Ellwood. Nelly makes hand made paper and also beautiful hand crafted paper jewellery. Nelly lives in Derby. Nelly is lovely.





Now that you know my friend Nelly, that's about the extent of my pretty things. I also had a go at painting but as my boyfriend pointed out; 'It looked like the void'.


The poem included in the chap book is below. It would be nice to hear what you think. The quiz is this thursday at The Waldorf next to Picadilly station, if you're interested click on the link at the top of this blog for more information. I am also very excited about guest speakers David Gaffney and Max Wallis! I hope to see you there.



Graceful


Too weak
To smile
She lifts her head up off the pillow and,
Breathes.

And,
She thinks of a time when
Her bed didn’t wear a cage. And
Her body didn’t need two extra arms to help it sit.

Though her children visit often.
Bringing ruins of corner shop flowers
The smiles that they wear always fade to soon.

And,
The letters that they bring
Always two lines too short

She never could get used to being that age.

Silence consumed every visit
Until,
She was ready to talk
And they were ready to leave

Although their hands would linger too long,
They touched her with the same hands that
Disposed of the
Dead flowers

And she never could forgive.
Their deadened touch
On her
Leathered skin


With their backs turned
With bars on her bed
With unkind hands

She never could get used to being that age.