Sounds of Trance Formation: An Interview with Penn Kemp

While her subjects are varied, and her interests and approaches have evolved over the years, poet Penn Kemp has always understood the power of spoken word to evoke emotion, shift consciousness, and shape the world. Drawing on a syncretic blend of spiritual philosophy informed by Buddhist, Hindu, and Celtic wisdom traditions, Kemp’s work is imminent and transcendent, embodied and cerebral. The words on the page produce certain effects, while the voices in the air produce others altogether.

In conversation with SpokenWeb Researcher Nick Beauchesne, a clip from Kemp's performance of Trance Form at the University of Alberta (1977) is brought into conversation with more recent material from When the Heart Parts (2007) and Barbaric Cultural Practice (2017). The episode concludes with a live reading from Kemp’s brand-new Pandemic Poems (2020). 

SpokenWeb is a monthly podcast produced by the SpokenWeb team as part of distributing the audio collected from (and created using) Canadian Literary archival recordings found at universities across Canada. To find out more about Spokenweb visit: spokenweb.ca . If you love us, let us know! Rate us and leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or say hi on our social media @SpokenWebCanada.

Episode Producers:

Nick Beauchesne completed his PhD in English at the University of Alberta in 2020; he studies the magical practices of modernist “little magazine” culture and works as a research assistant on the SpokenWeb Edmonton team. Nick has been a performance artist and vocalist for over 20 years, going by his magical name of Nix Nihil. His music is available at soundcloud.com/nixnihil.

Penn Kemp has been giving creativity workshops, teaching and performing her poetry since 1966. A Canadian poet, performer and playwright Penn has been celebrated as a trailblazer since her first publication of poetry by Coach House (1972), a “poetic El Niño”, and a “one-woman literary industry”. Her latest poetry is River Revery (Insomniac, 2019) and forthcoming in 2020 is P.S., a collaboration of poems with Sharon Thesen (Kalamalka Press).

Voices Heard:

Penn Kemp, Nick Beauchesne, Nix Nihil, Ann Anglin, Bill Gilliam, John Magyar

Special Thanks to Adam Whitaker-Wilson for technical assistance and recording resources. Douglas Barbour for hosting the Trance Form reading at U of A in 1977.

Print References:

• Penn Kemp’s Pandemic Poems originally published in:
• Belanger, Joe. “It's time to embrace London's poet laureate, Penn Kemp, and all artists.” London Free Press. 11 Apr. 2020. https://lfpress.com/opinion/columnists/belanger-its-time-to-embrace-londons-poet-laureate-penn-kemp-and-all-artists. Accessed 17 Nov. 2020.
• Kemp, Penn. “PENN KEMP - Home.” Weebly. http://pennkemp.weebly.com/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2020.
• Kemp, Penn. “Penn Kemp: Penn, poet/playwright/performer.” Wordpress. https://pennkemp.wordpress.com/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2020. 
• Kemp, Penn, and Bill Gilliam. From the Lunar Plexus. Pendas Productions, 2001.
• Kemp, Penn, and Bill Gilliam. "Night Orchestra." Barbaric Cultural Practice, Quatrro Books, 2017. 
• Kemp, Penn. Trance Form. Soft Press and Pendas Productions (reprint), 2006. 

Recordings:

• Kemp, Penn. “[Night Orchestra] Barbaric Cultural Practice.”  Soundcloud, 
• https://soundcloud.com/penn-kemp/sets/barbaric-cultural-practice. Accessed 17 Nov. 2020.
• Kemp, Penn. "Penn Kemp - Trance Form, Live at U of A, February 18, 1977 (1).” Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/penn-kemp/penn-kemp-trance-form-live-at-u-of-a-february-18-1977-1. Accessed 17 Nov. 2020. 
• Kemp, Penn. Trance Dance Form, Pendas Productions, 2006.
• Kemp, Penn. “When the Heart Parts - Sound Opera.”  Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/penn-kemp/when-the-heart-parts. Accessed 17 Nov. 2020.
• Ambient vocal loops and drones courtesy of Nix Nihil.