Creative Profile

Here's a snaphot of the creative profile of New Zealand poet Alex Staines.

Cover of Seclusion Data, 2010.

I was born in Auckland 1962 near Mt St John. I was first published aged six, when I won a bank-sponsored story-writing competition. I trained as a youth actor with Mary Amoore at the Central Theatre in Remuera, a great little suburban playhouse. I won prizes for drama and English at school. 

Live original poetry performer since 1984. Began at David Mitchell's Globe Hotel poetry nights in Auckland. Toured with John Pule, Piet Nieuwland, and Sandra Bell among others.

Co-founder of Poetrycorp in 1988 in Wellington. Other Poetrycorp members were Apirana Taylor, the late Andrew Kovacevich, the late Simon Williamson, Nikolien van Wijk, Fa'afetai Ta'ase, Paul Dagarin, Mike Eager. 

Poetrycorp was a successful group, touring schools and institutions, and taking part in several Fringe Festival seasons and university orientation tours, supporting the likes of Sam Hunt, Chris Knox and Paul Ubana Jones. 

Poetrycorp published a collection of verse from people in institutions, entitled The Works, with a Youth Lottery Grant, and a small book of poems by members of the group itself (Poetrycorp - seven poets, 1989).

Cover of 2nd edition of
The Slow Road to Gore, 2010.

A selection of my performance poems - and the poems of fellow poet Mike Eager - were published by Rush Hour Press in 1990.

Poetrycorp disbanded in 1992 and I continued touring and performing, both solo and supporting Sam Hunt, Luke Hurley, Dave Murphy, Andrew Kovacevich (the Serious Humour tour) and Andy McGee from the Desert Road Band (as The Bluebottles).
   
I was a regular and somewhat notorious act at Bats Theatre's late night Lewd and Ludicrous shows in the early nineties. Other performers included Brian Sergent, Danny Mulheron and Nick Ward. 

I've also been published in magazines, poetry anthologies, and sound recordings. 

Book publications:

• Warning - Poems, with Mike Eager (Rush Hour Press, 1990).
• The Slow Road to Gore - a Travelogue Noir (Third Eye Novelty Editions; 1st edn 2003, 2nd edn 2010).
  Read a review of The Slow Road to Gore here.
• Seclusion Data (Third Eye Novelty Editions 2010).
• Time of the Archons (Third Eye Novelty Editions, 2017)

Film:

The Voice of Foxton, 2002. I produced, wrote and directed this poetry-based video short. Screened at Antimatter short film and video festival in Victoria BC, Canada in 2002, as well as in half a dozen film festivals in New Zealand.

Albums:

• Seclusion Data - Music & Poetry (2017). Music composed by Steve Wolf. Performed by Steve Wolf and Guy MacGibbon, poetry and vocal by Alex Staines. Mastered by Brad Jenkins. Available on Bandcamp.
• Time of the Archons - Music & Poetry (2017). Music composed and performed by Steve Wolf and Brad Jenkins, poetry and vocal by Alex Staines. Mastered by Brad Jenkins. Available on Bandcamp.

Cover of Warning, a tandem
publication
with Mike Eager, 1990.

Journalist Sarah Dunn interviewed me after a live performance.

Here's a poem from Seclusion Data:

"The road from innocence to self-knowledge, symbolized by
angels and insects in sombre, expressive colours flying behind
the middle class vampire circus, plunges into the languid mayhem
of a contemporary marriage.

Waxing legs for fast cash: her husband didn't even know.
We never told him.

Marbled with cannibalism and graphic anxiety, the pathologies
of intimacy depend on a strange, touching resonance.

While they ride the lonely streets, the protagonists of this

bittersweet autopsy will be unrivalled in their ardour."