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* Holocaust - and After? Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. 556 957 9. 10am-6pm. Free. In connection with Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jewish colourist Myer Lacome's exhibition looks at the implications of the Holocaust, and celebrates life in the aftermath. Scottish StOryte/Iing Centre. Edinburgh, from Sat 20 Jan.
* Big Word A poetry slam that just happens to happen on Burns' Night. See main preview. City Cafe, Edinburgh, Thu 25 Jan.
* Critical Mass Glasgow leg of the global cycle movement (pictured) that takes place on the last Friday of every month. Dress up, deck your spokes and reclaim the streets. George Square, Glasgow, Fri 26 Jan.
* Charity Speed Dating Another Valentine's Day on your own? Weep no more, Pained of Portobello. This speed-dating event has been set up a whole fortnight in advance to help you find a special someone. As it’s all for a good cause (NCH Childrens’ Charities) you’re practically guaranteed that they’ll be morally upstanding and kind to old ladies. Obviously. with such excellent odds, booking is essential. The Grape. Edinburgh, Thu 37 Jan.
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THE BEST EVENTS, TALKS AND SPORT
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1 Wi’ sangs an’ clatter It's pure coincidence that lidinburgh‘s Big Word j‘ierlormance poetry evening falls on 25 January but when organiser Jenny Lindsay realised the date. she decided to make the most of it.
Contemjmrary performance poetry. with its flow of
freighted. assonated syllables piling up over each other. is witty. spiky and frenetic. There‘s little obvious similarity to the couthy rccitations of ‘A Man‘s A Man For A~ That and ‘To A Haggis” which form the backbone of a traditional Burns~ Night celebration. and which Lindsay quickly dismisses. 'lt‘s not all older men mumbling into microphones. Popularly. performance poetry has a bad name. and I wonder if it might be because we‘re force-fed Burns and lidwin Morgan at school: made to recite them until they stop meaning anything. Certainly. I didn't realise just how good Burns was until I re-read him as an adult.
‘We‘re showcasing a range of poets who all have a contemporary take on what Burns was tip to. ()ur poetry has that same immediate effect as his did at the time. He’s lauded all over the place — face on all the shortbread tins -- so I think people forget that he was
just very fond of reading his poems in pubs for an
appreciative crowd of drunks.’
Although the line up features a mix of spoken word and live music. Lindsay shies away from the suggestion that it has anything in common with a traditional ccilidh. ‘l'd rather call it a lyrical cabaret — there‘s delinitely a Burns connection to the evening. but not in the traditional sense.‘ she says. ‘However. I‘ll be reading a poem I was asked to write as an homage to
etin lu and
a:
happy
Kirstin lnnes look into less traditional ways to express your appreciation of Scotland’s national Bard this Burns Night.
Unto
Burns. It's called ‘lnstant 'l‘atties and lrn Bru."
The Big Word. City Cafe. Edinburgh. Thu 25 Jan.
2 O Haggis! The great chieftan of the puddin' race doesn‘t have to be sliced open with a skean dubh and served warm—reekin‘. The Baked Potato Shop in Edinburgh will happily beat you up a veggie haggis samosa. Sannino’s in (ilasgow have created a neep-rich haggis Iasagne. and the Hard Rock Cafe is offering diners the chance to address their Burns Burger. Of course. you could just pick up a battered haggis at your local chippy with far less palaver. Do remember that the poet himself died of heart disease. though.
The Baked Potato Shop, ('oekburn Street. Edinburgh. Sarmiuo's, Bath Street. Glasgow. Hard Roek Cafe. George Street. Edinburgh.
3 Ae Fond Kiss Burns was responsible for some of the most beautiful. tender love poetry ever written. He was also a notorious womaniser. and depending on which biography you believe. produced anywhere between nine and fourteen children with live different mothers in 20 years. We suspect he may have approved of the speed dating event being held at (irape this month — not only does it allow you to negotiate lifty potential partners in a very short space of time. but all proceeds benefit the NC“ Children 's Charity. However. as this is the 21st Century. not the l8th. we encourage you to act a bit more responsibly than Ranting Roving Robin.
Charity Speed Dating. Grape. Edinburgh. Sat .t’l .lan. Sexual health adt'iee available at the Sandy/ord ('liuii'. Glasgow (0/4] 2/] 8600) and (It Crew 2000, lz'dinburgh (0/3] 220 3404).
18 Jan 1 lob 200? THE LIST 23
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