Florentine by Night

Last night's Ketem ("stain") poetry night was the most bizzare to date. It featured fire juggling, harmonica playing, a story about the murder of a transssexual in Bat-Yam and a dance performed with a transperent acrylic orb.

Carmelli arrived directly from the hospital after a back condition paralized him earlier that day. He read his work still dazed by pain killers. Efrat Mishory gave a fantastic reading of her poetry. I never knew she was that good. Sammi Bardugo sat on the stage and read a story of his that was only ever published in Korean.

To understand the spirit, take a look at the venue, the "Slow Moshe" club on the outskirts of Tel-Aviv's Florentine district.


And here's yours truly, the evening's MC, standing by as Vaan Nguyen reads her stuff.


When it was over we went to a strange place among Florentine's carpentries where scores of people were sitting outside drinking beer. Two guys with guitars sang a song about Mizrahi women looking for Ashkenazi lovers. Kebab, fries and hummous arrived out of a hidden kitchen. What the hell is going on with this summer?