Gottingen X: Reading and Art Exhibition Launch

Not just an artist, writer, playwright and activist, David Woods is one of our city’s unofficial record-keepers, and a great storyteller. His poetry and paintings observe everyday life, in particular, Gottingen Street during the 1980s and 1990s: “Preston boys in glittering tuxedos,” breakdancing at the old Derby Tavern, where “Gottingen Street meets Cunard/And unfolding sounds of dirty streets/Pushers and street hustlers gather on the corners.” So it’s only fitting that Woods will be reading from his performance poetry *Gottingen X* at The Company House---right on that very corner---and presenting paintings from his series Native Song. It’s also appropriate that the event takes place during African Heritage Month, as Woods organized the first Black History activities for the Halifax Public Library, back in 1984, serving as the province’s coordinator until 1992. –Sue Carter Flinn