Raewyn Alexander: “I Guess I Just don’t Know”

Performance: 7.30pm

Established poets performing & open mic.

Raewyn Alexander links early NZ settlers and punk rock in, “I Guess I Just Don’t Know” (quote from Lou Reed’s, Heroin), an exhibition of assemblage, collage and writing, with performance and workshops.

“Re-writing history is intoxicating. One exciting moment occurred when I put two punk

bands on Captain Cook’s ship; The Scavengers and The Suburban Reptiles on The

Endeavour…I believe it happened. Who else would Cook have as sailors?”

Alexander’s poetry, ‘Punk Settlers’, will be performed, read, included in visual art and

available in hand-made books. Alexander also uses this exhibition/poetry/performance

as a safe way to approach serious issues, namely child abuse and “a level of lying which

could be called psychopathic, part of our sorry history”.

Alexander will be in the gallery to discuss her work and to encourage others make their

own poetry from words cut from newspapers. They may keep the results, destroy them or

place them on display. Some audio poetry will also be played during the exhibition.