Hey gang,
I think that now is an appropriate time for me to answer some questions about this series. It has come to my attention that a lot of people don't really understand what this thing is all about, so hopefully I can clear things up with this post.
1. "Why is it called Lilah Kemp?"
Lilah Kemp is a fictional character from the novel 'Headhunter' by Timothy Findley. She is a schizophrenic librarian, and whenever she reads books, the characters literally come to life and interact with the world around them. I named the series after her because when writers read their stuff out load, it adds another layer of life to their literature. And Timothy Findley is one of my central influences as a writer. I love his work and I think he was a genius.
2. "What is this?"
Lilah Kemp is not open mic, but anyone is welcome to participate.
This reading series is all about giving amateur writers the opportunity to perform along with professionals. It's important for writers to build confidence in their work, and it's important for writers to have new opportunities to share their work in exciting ways. This series has become very different than a typical reading series. Each session involves at least one of the following things: music, sketch comedy, drama, performance art, spoken word, or a film screening. So, this show is really open to any artist living in Halifax, and it's a good way for musicians, filmmakers, comedians, e.t.c. to perform for a different crowd of people.
3. "Why are you still doing this?"
I live alone and I don't have a girlfriend, so I've got nothing better to do with my time. Kidding. Well, not really, but seriously - this is how it all happened:
2010 was undoubtedly the worst year of my life. Can't go into details, but I hit rock bottom and sank even lower. I'm a fiction writer and at the time I was working on a novel (which I will never publish) so, my best friend Panos told me about something called 'The Allan Street Reading Series'. It was a salon-style reading series held in the home of Jenner-Brooke Berger (founder/curator) and in June of 2010, I attended the series and fell love with it. I read a chapter of my book in July and it killed. Everyone laughed at all the things that were supposed to be funny, and it was still to this day the best public reading I have ever done. The warm reception from Allan St. motivated me to write more and I gained a lot of confidence which helped get me out of my funk. Months passed and I was under the impression that Allan St. was over for good. There was nothing quite like it happening in the city, so I started Lilah Kemp in February of 2011 and modeled it after Allan St. I held the series out of my friends houses and after about 6 months the idea caught on and people really responded to it. Since then, I've taken the series in a new direction that allows me to feel creatively fulfilled and gives the performers an opportunity to 'play' for a larger audience. I don't do house sessions very often anymore, but I try my best to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere in the public venues each month. (For the Bus Stop Theatre sessions, Clare helps me decorate the stage area like a living room.) So, this series has become very important to me for a lot of reasons. I'm super passionate about what I do, and Lilah Kemp will stay active for as long as I'm living in Halifax.
4. "I dunno, this still sounds lame to me. I don't like going to boring readings. Why should I go?"
This has honestly become something amazing. There's more to see/hear at this series than just lit readings. There's a party element to the show as well. People drink and there's free food and great times.
5. "Is there an afterlife?'
I don't know. Probably not.
6. "Do you run Lilah Kemp on your own?"
Yes and no. I organize the sessions and come up with the themes, but this series is one of those things that really doesn't work without a lot of people coming together. If it wasn't for the support of my friends and all of those who have helped spread the word, Lilah Kemp would not be active today. This series is independent, but it's open for affiliation with other literary camps or as a fundraiser for public venues. THANK YOU Panos Giannoulis, Jenner Berger, Daniel Joyce, Allison Saunders, Matt MacNeil, Claudia Marchand, Laura Kenins, Geordie Miller, Dereck Thibault, Alison Lang, Veronica Simmonds, Mary Anne Daye, and Clare Waque
...and of course every writer/musician/performer who has participated. I feel very fortunate to have met you all, and to have such wonderfully supportive friends.
-Corey Mombourquette (founder/curator)
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