New Chapbooks, New Poets
Hello folks,
A new era begins each moment, coloured by the past palette but open to new lines. I write to you from our new home in Quebec. Our old home is sold and new owners are in. New beginning are the choice that gives back tenfold. I hope your life and you have been kind to one another, and that you're bundled well against the cold flip of the flipflop weather.
Event this weekend
Friday night and Saturday afternoon is a major free event for Arc and VERSeFest at the NAC. Poet Laureates from across the country including Ottawa’s two new laureates Jamaal Jackson Rogers and Andree Lacelle, will act as hosts for guests from the Yukon, British Columbia Newfoundland and points between. All events take place at the National Arts Centre’s Rossy Pavilion, and are free and open to the public. 7 and 9pm events Friday and 1-9pm events Saturday. Participating poets include: George Elliott Clarke – Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Canada pj johnson – Poet Laureate, Yukon (!!!) Maita Cienska – Youth Poet Laureate, Victoria Micheline Maylor – Poet Laureate, Calgary Brenda Schmidt – Poet Laureate, Saskatchewan (!!!) Kimberly Fahner – Poet Laureate, Sudbury Rebecca Zseder – Youth Poet Laureate, Mississagua Bertrand Laverdure – Poet Laureate, Montreal Rebecca Thomas – Poet Laureate, Halifax Ian Letourneau – Cultural Laureate, Fredericton (!!!) George Murray – Poet Laureate, St John’s See all the names and schedule.
"How strange disaster is. Catastrophe,
Ill fortune, deluge, drought, so plain to see,
So hard to understand. People make war,
And many things that go along with it:
Measurement, rhetoric, homiletics, wit.
Which of them ever lied to you before?"
Murray Citron in Dragonflies and Things
Now available from phafours press for $10.
"They have history
on their side
which means
what, exactly
−−that they
are images,
cradles we
put things in
till later"
(all our lives)"
S. Bett in though we are incredibly small
Now available from phafours press for $10.
In other news I'm beyond pleased that Richard Harrison won the gg for poetry. Couldn't have happened to a nicer book or guy. Proud that Book*hug is the publisher for the translation category of gg. Say what you will for award culture but its lovely to see people happy and vicariously happen. As Harrison said an honour is something that is a thanks that you give thanks for. (Except he said it better.)
In the 95 book challenge this year I'm past 100. Most impressive is the original and #2 and #3 in the series Invisible: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F. Real eye-opener to inclusiveness and the power of makers to write and change dominant culture from only mirroring white cis het 2-gender system, young Christian "norms".
I also made a list of my top 21 before I encountered these of non-fiction, novels and of course, poetry.
I've updated my list of Ottawa poets that is now over 250 individual poets and am planning a list of French poets as well. If you are missed, let me know and I'll add.
Recently on CKCU Literary Landscape we made our funding drive goal. On my part of the rotation, I've talked about Nelson Ball, and talked with Daphne Marlatt, Chad Norman and Phil Hall.
I'm trying to pace my pleasures but hope to make it to a couple of the poets laureate readings. Maybe you will too?
Happy time off work, Happy Eid Milad Un Nabi, Good Bodhi Day, Happy Hanukkah, Rewarding Solstice, and Merry Christmas
Until next time and next year, keep reading and keep writing,
Pearl