THEIR WORDS ARE HAUNTING

This year Bokkalaset seems to be going high tech. Well not really but one thing is for sure , podcast will be certainly be an added feature. Pod casting is hot right now. Larson Österberg and his Slow City will be live and on board interviewing writers and then another duo team of Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo and Viktor Granö will be at the Kulturhuset Karelia Kulttuuritalo on Lördag (11.11) hositng a discussion Erotik i Litteraturen. That duo hosts their own pod. Such growth for Bokkalaset. Speaking of growth....

 This year I learned of a few new literary giants from this Nordic world. Whats with all the literature anyway. I guess Finns and FinlandSvenska alike have to have some way to spend all these cold days shut away. Strange that the subject of Taivassalo and Granö will be a book of work that should have gotten the writer on the best seller's list. Instead he got depressed and committed suicide. Can figure out if it was his confessions or the literature of ..anyway Lars Eric Krogis was his name and his book Penthesilea seems to be one that would have kept the homoerotic fire going in Finland and across the Nordic homes-scapes. His fate reminds me of another Nordic writer whose book gave him cause to whittle himself away.

Who was that? Only the guy who is credited with writing the first Finnish novel : Aleksis Kivi. Whats with all the suicide? Recently I visited the graveside of a Finnish poet who also died when the reception of his writing were not quite “well received”. Pentti Saarikoski was his name. Many a mourners in a far off place called New Valamo leave writing utensil at his gravesite. Nice gesture. Seriously. I keep a book of Gale Edith Sondergaards poetry in my bag. I keep close by like an religious symbol as I try to decipher the Swedish. One fellow poet likened her to Emily Dickenson. Even she (Söndergran) sometimes seems to take flight from a world that was not quite ready or right for her. Fortunately she was well receive and seemingly loved as a writer. Last year I met a host of living writers scholars and poets at Bokkalaset. Among theme Henrik Meinander, Peter Mickwitz , Olga Engfelt and my all time favorite (personality-wise) Annika Luther. Mrs. Luther told me her books had not been translated into English. It was ok, her caring spirit had. I felt its long after the festival was over. I guess that's why writers writer. Long before technology mankind had stories to tell. Those characters ..those words they tend to stick around long after the writer is who wrote them are gone. Pick up on your copy of the BOKKALASET NEWSPRINT  

Perhaps you can still find that copy of Västra Nyland. See the issue dated October 27, Friday 2017. Words and text by JKSTEWART

MAKING LEMONADE FROM LEMONS

There are circles of life. Not only did one circle find its way into my life Saturday because of it, I facilitated it with another. I know all to often why there is a saying, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Saturday I was all excited to began my project with nurturing a new talent. I scheduled a photo-shoot that was suddenly canceled. Photographers know of these occurrences nothing new. Still, it pisses us off greatly. But I had circled this terrain long ago. I learned then and put in to practice, that while one has the creative juices flowing one can use them despite cancellations . Hence I made lemonade from this debacle . I gathered my wounded pride and having learned of Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem at Ekenäs kyrka, I decided to walk over to Marina Motel in Ekenäs. I often keep my ear to the ground listening for stories that I might explore. Maria Mellerr had invited me to the event and I was indeed curious. 

A week ago I had loaned (to my American friends we check stuff out of the libraries but here in Finland its a “loan”. Therefore I loaned from the local library a CD). The CD entitled WE WANT THE LIGHT deals with the German composer Wilhelm Richard Wagner and his contributions toward GERMAN NATIONALISM. Cloaked within this two CD set is all kinds of educations on Judaism and the impact Wagner's opera and his writings either echoed or facilitated the anti-Semitics to come. I was fascinated with this compilation. Therefore when I learned of this Requiem and its significance, I wandered what if anything it had to do with to Lutherans. I decided to go to Motel Marina where I might meet some of the participants and simply engage. I was fortunate. I met Tenor Mika Nisula. What a chance encounter. Here was not only a participant but a man' who's name appeared in the program. His knowledge validated the old saying regarding lemon I had been tossed and based on my two hour conversation with him, I made lemonade. 

Here was a man who had first hand knowledge making a life interpreting lyrics. It furthered my pursuits that began with the WE WANT THE LIGHT. While the Requiem was composed by Giuseppi Verdi and had nothing to do with German Natioanalism, Italy certain has its own history with Jewish indifference. Nonetheless, my education is with music interpreting and the composing thereof which I know nothing about. I have obligated myself to plan to embark on a study of music someday. For now I drink from the well of off change experiences such as meeting Mika and making myself available while living here in Europa. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Want-Light-Nupen-Film-DVD/dp/B00066K2QK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Verdi https://www.facebook.com/tenormikanisula/