A Call to Judge from Spoken Word in Paris: “Writers Get Violent - Le Match de Boxe”

Promotional poster for “Writers Get Violent - Le Match de Boxe” in Paris, 3 March 2011.

A blind flaneur wanders into some preposterous situations from time to time. With a website like this one, preposterous situations also find him. This morning I was thrilled by an invitation to be a judge at the Writers Get Violent boxing match on Thursday night in Paris. Alas, I am in the States today, and I don’t know how I could get it together to cross the pond just now. Break my heart!

The possibility of joining the fray reminds me of A.J. Liebling’s profile of the blind boxer in The Earl of Louisiana. I’m sure my contribution would be more Tristan Tzara absurdity than Hemingway acumen. Maybe there’s a way to be a virtual judge?

Here are the details sent to me by Alberto Rigettini, who will MC the spectacle:

3 Mar. 2011 9:00PM. Welcome to Writers Get Violent! Welcome to the first fight club for bohemians. Struggling writers of Paris, sick of mutual readings, snobby criticism, sappy feedbacks in writing workshops, decide to fight. A literary event our good old granpa Hemingway would have liked. Come down and hear some REAL beat poetry.

Here is the program:

First of all the weight. As tradition wants, every boxer will be weighted (almost naked). A Press  Conference. A brief reading, a violent critic by the opponent, and when the words don’t matter anymore, the fight. First time ever on a ring:

Chris Newens  (ENG) vs Peter Brown (AUS)

Jess Granatt (ENG) vs Georgina Emerson (USA)

Kirsten Forster (ENG)  vs Beth Peacock Jervis (CAN)

Host: Alberto Rigettini  Referee: Benjamin Perriello and Troy Yorke

The jury will be composed by literary authorities of the underground Parisian Scene.

Three Rounds. Violence. National Anthems. Illegal bettings. At: Chat Noir, 76 Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud 75011 Paris. Metro: Parmentier, Couronnes

Spoken Word in Paris | Facebook group

This entry was posted in Imaging Paris and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.