PRESS ROOM

When I told a friend I was working on a story about videopoetry, his first response was a blank stare. Then came the question "Oh, what's that? " His "that" dripped sarcasm.

His reaction had everything to do with how we regard poets. Rodney Dangerfield may have said "I get no respect" but it was a joke and you laughed. Poets, on the other hand, really don't get no respect and it's no joke.

In a media culture that worships money and celebrity, poets steadfastly pursue neither. They write their poems, scrimp and cajole to get enough money to publish their chapbooks that, at best are read by a few thousand souls, and don't get mentioned on Fresh Sheet. Despite it all, they stubbornly keep writing and publishing their poems.

Add video to poetry and most people don't know what to make of it, at least initially, and that's according to Heather Haley, a videopoet herself and organizer and host of this evening's 7:30 p.m. performance called Visible Verse at Pacific Cinematheque, 1131 Howe.

To clear up any confusion: videopoetry isn't video art, although it's close. It's something new. A videopoem starts out as a poem that gets still or moving images added afterwards.

Haley said the focus in a videopoem is on the voice, the poem, rather than the moving images.

The word videopoetry was first coined in 1978 by Tom Konyves, a poet who thought it best described his multimedia work with Vehicule Poets in Montreal. Konyves, who now lives in Crescent Beach, was the People's Choice at Haley's first festival of videopoetry in 1999.

Haley, a former writer for LA Weekly in California who covered poetry, last year released Surfing Season, a CD of her music and poetry, and Sideways, a collection of her verse published by Anvil Press.

Not only do Haley and other videopoets have to penetrate a wall of ignorance about videopoetry, they often find themselves coming up against poetry purists who are repelled by the idea of mixing mediums.

"Some people are offended by the idea that you're giving images to them along with the words," Haley said.

"People have this purist attitude that they want to compose their own images. My answer is: 'This is my poem.' If I want to add images, then I will. If you don't like it, don't watch it. A lot of people think that poetry should stay on the page."

Sixteen videopoems from around North America will be screened tonight, including Leanne Averbach's Car Wash, Sheri-D Wilson's Spinsters Hanging In Trees, and Nico Stagias' Butch. There will also be onstage performances by Alexandra Olivier and Bernard McLeod.

Audience members will be encouraged to participate by voting for their favourite piece.

Tickets are $8.50. More information at www.cinematheque.bc.ca and 604-688-FILM.

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