[spacer.gif] Text only Print this page [spacer.gif] | [spacer.gif] E-mail this page [spacer.gif] | [spacer.gif] Add to favourites [spacer.gif] | [spacer.gif] Suggest similar pages [spacer.gif] _______________ [spacer.gif] GO British Council USA Register Login [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [mtk.pl?js=0] UK artist Anthony Joseph reads from his work at Cal State L.A., April 14, 2005. [spacer.gif] UK poet-author Anthony Joseph shakes up Southern California at his first public event on April 14, 2005. [spacer.gif] [structure-common-arrow-blue-transparent-background.gif] [spacer.gif] About Anthony Joseph Read more about Anthony Joseph's life and work. [structure-common-arrow-blue-transparent-background.gif] [spacer.gif] Previous Authors Visit the archive for our UK Writer-in-Residence initiative to learn more about the program. [structure-common-arrow-blue-transparent-background.gif] [spacer.gif] Connect to the UK We've got the scoop on the best in contemporary UK literature - visit our guide to read more. [spacer.gif] What's On. [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] Residency Recap [structure-common-angled-lozenge-left-lighter-green.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] Anthony Joseph, Los Angeles, April 2005 [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] UK author Anthony Joseph. Image courtesy of the artist. UK author Anthony Joseph's residency at Cal State LA this spring was a great example of how an artist, students, campus and community can work in harmony to create unprecedented literary events. TEACHING On his arrival in Los Angeles, Anthony was welcomed by staff and students at the university. Throughout April he visited and taught in classes across academic departments, in subjects as diverse as English, Music Composition, MA Poetry Writing, African American Culture, Contemporary Poetry, and Folktales and Fairy Tales. During his residency Anthony also ventured outside campus to teach and give readings at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. UK artist Anthony Joseph performs with Music students at Cal State L.A. on April 23, 2005. PUBLIC EVENTS Anthony's first public performance was scheduled for April 14. In the packed hall that evening, students and communities from all over Southern California arrived for the event. Energy was running high as Anthony resumed teaching for the latter half of the month while planning a final public performance. In a collaboration between Anthony, Dr. Lauri Ramey of the Cal State English Department and Dr. John Kennedy of the Cal State Music Department, a special joint, cross-genre event was developed. Anthony spent nearly two weeks working with advanced Music Composition and MA Poetry Writing students to create Intimate Textologies/Harmolodic Textures, an evening of improvised music and stellar spoken word. Students had the opportunity to work closely with Anthony, exploring the possibilities of improvisation and collaborative creation. UK artist Anthony Joseph performs with Cal State L.A. student and staff on April 23, 2005. THE FINALE The evening of April 23 was a night to remember. The auditorium was packed and the audience was on their feet by the end of the evening, as the sounds of the performance filled the room. A student television crew recorded interviews and the performance for later broadcast on local community cable stations. It was a fitting conclusion to a month with many surprises and successes. Cal State LA looks forward to hosting their next UK Writer-in-Residence next spring! Watch our main program page for details, coming soon. PEOPLE ARE TALKING students and audiences say... "If this is the kind of activity that happens in the UK often then it's time we got some more UK imports of this nature." "It's very rare to see and hear spoken work in L.A. The students seem inspired by the visiting artist." "The poetry was diverse, intellectual and creative." "bold, bright and crafted with...unique flair. Breaks the barrier/stereotype of the 'stodgy' and cold Brit. So much of being 'British,' as is the case with being 'American,' is about the perspective of a non-native. Such is the case with Anthony Joseph, whose work reflects someone who has experiences the UK as both an outsider and an insider." "Creative and provocative...I'm a medievalist. This was not Chaucer. Very different." "It was a unique experience that really opened my mind...This performance differed from my assumptions and expectations of UK poetry. I always assumed the UK was more traditional and rather uptight, but I was pleasantly surprised. This was an unforgettable performance." "I'm used to poets like Donne and Wordsworth so I have little contact with contemporary UK poets and writers. Anthony's work is different because of its closeness to me in time and is a little more experimental." "My experience in this class has been mind-exploding. In my previous experiences with poetry I have been unaffected and mostly bored. Most of my knowledge of poetry has been classical...When Anthony Joseph was in our class, I believe I walked out glowing. I was engaged, intrigued, I was having fun. I was actually sitting in a poetry class, listening, embracing poetry without falling asleep. I love it." "Anthony Joseph is the first UK author I have been exposed to. Thank you, British Council, for lending him to us! Because Anthony lives in Britain and has a pulse on England, [it] makes him an ideal representative, especially for young people." [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] [global-common-748x1-grey-dotted-line.gif] [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif] We are registered in England as a charity. Our privacy and copyright statements. Our Freedom of Information Publications Scheme. Double-click for pop-up dictionary. Download Browsealoud