skarpes profile picture

skarpes

what the?

About Me

The truth is...i'm not a rock-star of any kind. I mean realistically, i mostly pick guitar to entertain....my cat. However, i still play the occasional show with friends!Music is a big part of life. Whether it's seeing a live show whenever i can, or if it's just me and my acoustic at home most every night. (Music seems to be the common thread which finds itself woven into every corner of the fabric of life.) i mostly play the acoustic guitar these days... electro-mandolin taking a backseat i guess, and on occaision, the drums. i started playing music years ago, almost by fluke, when a friend bought me a harmonica for my birthday.I have been writing stuff for a few years, tried and managed to get a few small things published. i have recently published a first book of poems and hope to keep it up somehow...Right after getting married, Katrinka and i spent 1 1/2 years traveling from Berlin to Cairo overland and we spent 8 months living in Turkey.(2001/02) We spent quite a bit of time in Syria and Jordan as well as Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Egypt. i guess i've consquently developed a passionate interest in the politics and cultures of the various middle eastern peoples. (go here for an article i wrote about Syria )

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

This myspace thing tends to come off a bit like a popularity-contest sometimes. i won't add "your band" unless you're local or unless i know you. i don't really give a shit if you have 10,000 'friends', i don't want to be one of them...(ok sorry, i know that sounds a weeee bit harsh...)

Music:

Bright Eyes, Gillian Welch, Tom Waits, Jayhawks, Ron Sexsmith, PJ Harvey, Pedro The Lion, Radiohead, DeathCabForCutie, The ButtlessChaps, Be Good Tanya's, Po Girl, Veda Hille, Emmylou Harris, 16 Horsepower, Woven Hand, Nick Cave, Violent Femmes, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Willie P Bennett, Fred J Eaglesmith, Harry Manx, Neko Case, Over the Rhine, Linford Detweiler, Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, Pierce Pettis, Stars, Fiest, Radiogram, Innocence Mission, David Grisman, Anything by Grisman/Garcia, Bill Mallonee/VOL, Doc Watson, Graham Parsons, The Birds (Sweetheart of the Rodeo), Mark Heard, Beatles, Led Zepplin, Victoria Williams, Bill Monroe, Del McCoury Band, Mandolirium, Musikas, Lhasa, Django Reinhard, Sam Phillips, TBone Burnett, Daniel Lanois, U2, REM, Iron and Wine, Robert Deeble, Leeroy Stagger, Clay George, Vince Vaccaro, Trainsleeper , Chuck Brodsky, Coldplay, Calexico, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Lucinda Williams, Buddy/Julie Miller, Jason Harrod, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Sunvolt, Smashing Pumpkins, Bela Fleck, Harold Nix, Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens, Glenn Gould, Hush Collector, Sarah Harmer, Arcade Fire, Tokyo Police Club, The Decemberists, The Frames

Television:

i don't bother

Books:

I have recently published my first book, 'Shades of Blood and Mandarin'(Arcane Manners Publishing.) It is poetry. I know, it isn't a big seller, (i mean who reads fucking poetry anyways??) but, if anyone is interested, i can send them a copy.(message me) It's about 60 pages and has an amazing full-colour painting (by Katrinka)entitled 'Crimson Guitars' on the cover. (see blog for more info)Recent reads... Michael Ondaatje (The Collected Works of Billy the Kid), Rory Stewart (The Places In Between), Patrick Lane (There is a Season), Eugene O'Neill (Long Days Journey into Night), John Kennedy Toole (A Confederacy of Dunces), Margaret Lawrence (The Fire Dwellers), Steinbeck (The Grapes of Wrath), Hemingway (For Whom the Bell Tolls), Alexander Solzhenitsyn (One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich), George Orwell (Homage to Catalonia), Art Spiegelman (Maus I and II), George Orwell (Down & Out in Paris & London), Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild), Somerset Maugham (The Razor's Edge), Louis de Bernieres (Birds Without Wings), Irving Layton (A Wild Peculiar Joy), Barbara Kingsolver (Animal Dreams), Christine Bird (Journeys in Kurdistan), Annie Dillard (Holy The Firm), John Vaillant (The Golden Spruce), Al Purdy (Rooms For Rent In The Outer Planets), Kay Redfield Jamison (An Unquiet Mind), Anne Lamott (Plan B), Jonathan Franzen (How To Be Alone; Essays), Alan Paton (Cry, The Beloved Country), Rohinton Mistry (A Fine Balance), Yann Martel (Life of Pi), Barbara Coloroso (kids are worth it!), Jane Urquhart (The Underpainter), Douglas Coupland (Terry), Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment), Patrick Lane (The Bare Plum of Winter Rain), T.E. Lawrence (Seven Pillars of Wisdom), Jason Elliot (An Unexpected Light), Anne Lamott (Traveling Mercies), C.S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters), Jonathan Franzen (The Corrections)

Heroes:

My heros have been all the ordinary people that i'm surounded by. My siblings and my mom and dad, as well as many of our close friends. Katrinka is my everyday hero.

My Blog

Summer

Well, that's it then.  Summer is over, and soon the rain comes...Had a great bunch of adventures this year though.  We went to Woodsong again, the Filberg Festival and the Sooke River F...
Posted by skarpes on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:07:00 PST

demo-f*%!'-cracy

so, let me get this straight...the U.S. is over in Iraq 'spreading democracy' right?  i mean, the idea is to help the Iraqi people have a say in what happens through elected representatives, righ...
Posted by skarpes on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:00:00 PST

First book published (available now)

'Shades of Blood and Mandarin', my sixty page book of poetry, is available cheap at Sorensen Books, 1027 Cook St. in Victoria and, on the mainland at 32 Books Co, 3185 Edgemont Blvd, North V...
Posted by skarpes on Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:16:00 PST

Woodsong and other adventures...

just back from two weeks of dusty travel in our old vee-dub bus.  wow, i'm beat.  hung out with our friends in Vancouver a few days, (sleeping under the streetlights in the west end.  ...
Posted by skarpes on Sun, 30 Jul 2006 10:47:00 PST

Train Car Lullaby- A Travel Story

Train Car Lullaby- Previously Published in Monday Magazine, Oct 16-2003 After several months of travel, we had become rather comfortable with train-car life and were right at home in our comfy cubicle...
Posted by skarpes on Fri, 10 Mar 2006 06:10:00 PST

Poem: A Bluegrrrass Show

Here I goto a Bluegrass ShowLocation: St. Luke's HallAudience: Mostly older folksalmost didn't get in thoughshow sold outHad to practically beg the door-ladyto sell me a ticketand not leave me standin...
Posted by skarpes on Tue, 07 Mar 2006 10:04:00 PST

take my own advice

Of this i advise you:  Never offer anyone advice.  
Posted by skarpes on Fri, 04 Nov 2005 08:36:00 PST

Marine Club Show (Vancouver)

My good friend Greg (aka Trainsleeper) booked a show in Vancouver Friday night at the Marine Club.  It was kind of a last-minute thing but he invited me to sit in so I hopped on the PCL bus from ...
Posted by skarpes on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

my first blog...oh the pressure

well, let's see...i learned of this site from Robert Deeble, after he missed his Vancouver show due to a border-crossing mishap. i think this blog-page could come in handy? or perhaps not... anyway, i...
Posted by skarpes on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST