ST@NZA 15.2 | SUMMER | JUNE 2018

15.2 | SUMMER | JUNE 2018

IN THIS ISSUE 2 2 3 4

NEWS FROM THE LEAGUE

#NPM18 IN RECAP

2018 LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

CANADA POETRY TOURS APPLICATIONS

5

BOOKISH BITS AND INDUSTRY NEWS

7 10

NEWS FROM THE FEMINIST CAUCUS

VANESSA SHILEDS IN CONVERSATION

WITH CAROL CASEY

14

REVIEWS

15

FROM THE BLOG

16

NEW MEMBERS

19

MEMBER NEWS

21

WRITING OPPORTUNITIES

NEWS FROM THE LEAGUE 4 BOOK AWARDS SUBMISSIONS OPEN SOON 4 AGM & NATIONAL COUNCIL 4 INSTAGRAM

4 FRESH VOICES

4 POEM-A-DAY CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

#NPM 18 RECAP #NPM18 was noisy and noteworthy! So much happened that we rounded things up weekly for those needing a refresher...

The round-ups include our daily blogs (featuring guest posts by Chelene Knight, Terence Abrahams, rob mclennan, and other working poets) plus the awesome stuff our friends at Open Book, All Lit Up, 49th Shelf, and CBC Books released AND any other news that caught our eye. See our weekly round-ups here, here, here, and here for a through picture of National Poetry Month 2018 in Canada.

2018 LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS LEAGUE AWARDANNOUNCED WINNERS ANNOUNCED We proudly announced the shortlists for our annual League Awards back in April, to close out National Poetry Month with a bang! Read the shortlists, plus click the titles to be directed to a poem from each collection, below: The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt (Frontenac House) Faunics by Jack Davis (Pedlar Press) Thin Air of the Knowable by Wendy Donawa (Brick Books) Otolith by Emily Nilsen (Goose Lane Editions) The Rules of the Kingdom by Julie Paul (McGillQueen’s University Press)

Admission Requirements by Phoebe Wang (McClelland & Stewart) The Pat Lowther Memorial Award Indianland by Lesley Belleau (ARP Books) Bicycle Thieves by Mary di Michele (EWC Press) Museum of Kindness by Susan Elmslie (Brick Books) Breathing at Dusk by Beth Goobie (Coteau Books) Dear Ghost, by Catherine Owen (Wolsak & Wynn) Admission Requirements by Phoebe Wang (McClelland & Stewart) The Raymond Souster Award This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt (Frontenac House) The Better Monsters by Puneet Dutt (Mansfield Press) Cloud Physics by Karen Enns (University of Regina Press) Slow War by Benjamin Hertwig (McGill-Queen’s University Press) Trailer Park Elegy by Cornelia Hoogland (Harbour Publishing) Voodoo Hypothesis by Canisia Lubrin (Wolsak & Wynn) On June 16, 2018 at our Awards Luncheon, we announced the winners as follows:

Congratulations to all shortlisted and winning poets and endless gratitude to our jurors for their hard work and dedication this awards season!

Read the full awards announcement here: http:// poets.ca/2018/06/17/2018-league-award-winners/ In other contest news: Leah MacLean-Evans won the 2018 National Broadsheet Contest with her poem “Name Me After a Fish.”

The 2018 Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth winners were announced, and this year’s first place poems in both the junior and senior category got the special honour of being included in the 2018 Poem in Your Pocket Day booklet, an annual partner project with the Academy of American Poets.

We’ve had so much to celebrate since the last issue of ST@NZA!

> BOOK AWARDS: Feeling the excitement of this year’s winner announcements? Get out your calendar because the League’s three annual book awards will begin accepting submissions on August 1, 2018! Debut books of poetry, books of poetry by cis and trans women writers, and new books from League members are all eligible for the $2,000 prizes. Titles may be submitted by the author or publisher; self-published books and chapbooks are not eligible. Visit poets.ca/awards for guidelines and submission forms. > AGM & NATIONAL COUNCIL: Our Annual General Meeting happened at the Canadian Writers’ Summit on June 16, 2018. Thanks to all members who attended and helped make it a success! We were excited to welcome some new members to our National Council, and said some heartfelt goodbyes to those who are finishing their terms with the League. View the 2018-2019

National Council and Committees/Appointments to Outside Organizations lists here. Members outside of Toronto will be thrilled to know that we’re taking our AGM on the road in 2019! We love you Toronto, but we can’t wait to bring the LCP somewhere new... > CANADA POETRY TOURS: Applications for the Canada Poetry Tours funding program will open July 1, 2018 for readings happening September 2018 - March 2019. Canada Poetry Tours funding is available to full members in good standing for readings taking place anywhere in Canada. Applications must be submitted by the host.

For more information and to download an application, visit poets.ca/funding. > WE’RE BACK ON INSTAGRAM: Follow us @CanadianPoets for member-centric content!

We’re putting faces to the League of Canadian Poets! You can expect more #MemberTakeovers, giveaways, and lots beautiful book covers in our future! > FRESH VOICES The latest issues of Fresh Voices, an online series featuring poetry from associate members, are now available to read! Curated by Lesley Strutt and Blaine Marchand, check out the latest issues on our blog: April Norma Kerby, Martha Swinn, A. Garnett Weiss: http://poets.ca/2018/04/17/npm18-freshvoices-norma-kerby-martha-swinn-a-garnettweiss/ May Christen Thomas, M.A. Mahadeo, Michael Quilty: http://poets.ca/2018/05/17/fresh-voiceschristen-thomas-m-a-mahadeo-michael-quilty/ Lesley Strutt has ended her term as the National Council’s Associate Members Rep but will graciously continue to curate Fresh Voices.

Thanks to Lesley for her dedication to this project!

> POEM-A-DAY We are SO excited about our new pilot project, Poem-A-Day. Lots of members have submitted poems, and we’re so grateful for their support and enthusiasm – but we’re still looking for submissions! Poem-A-Day will deliver a poem to subscribed inboxes Monday-Friday for an entire year. This project is intended to augment the presence of poetry in the lives of Canadians and provide an opportunity to poets – seasoned and emerging alike – to have their poetry read by many.

Submissions are now open to members and nonmembers alike, though members may submit up to 8 poems and are not required to pay an entry fee. Poems may be previously published (only when copyright belongs to the author or if the author has obtained conditional permission from the publisher). http://poets.ca/poemaday/ HOW TO SUBMIT: Prepare a submission email with the following information (mandatory information is starred): • Entrant’s name * • Submission title(s) * • Copyright information, if applicable (ex. first appeared in_____) * • Entrant’s bio (with link to personal website) • Author photo • Social media handles • A paragraph “about the poem(s)” Submissions will be accepted on an on-going basis; there is no firm deadline.

Attach poem(s) in separate word documents that do not include any identifying information (submissions will be judged blind).

Email your completed submission to madison@ poets.ca using the subject line “Poem-a-Day Submission.”

You will receive an email confirmation regarding your submission within 5 business days.

Thank you for helping us build this exciting venture in Canadian poetry!

BOOKISH BITS & INDUSTRY NEWS > EDUCATION SECTOR FORCES CANADIAN CREATORS TO DEFEND WHY THEIR WORKS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR FREE On February 16, 2018, all school boards in Ontario and the Ministries of Education for all provinces and territories (excluding Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec) filed an action against Access Copyright. The claim stated that the K-12 educational sector overpaid fees for the copying of published works and seeks the return of those fees. The claim disregards the annual rate set by The Copyright Board of Canada - less than $2.50 per student - for copying materials. > IVALUE CANADIAN STORIES ADVOCATES FOR FAIR COMPENSATION FOR CANADIAN CREATORS In response to the suit filed by educational bodies, iValue Canadian Stories was created to help community members support Canadian creators and the value of their contributions to our educational system. Check out their great work here: http://ivaluecanadianstories.ca/ > THE COPYRIGHT ACT IS NOW UNDER REVIEW The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology held formal hearings and public open-mic sessions for the statutory review of the Copyright Act in cities across Canada. Community members and Canadian authors were invited to speak and share why compensation for creative work matters. > SETTLEMENT BETWEEN LAVAL UNIVESRITY AND COPIBEC TWUC congratulates all parties in the amicable settlement of a class action copyright infringement suit between Laval University and Copibec, Quebec’s collective licensing agency.

> TWUC CIRCULATES 2018 INCOME SURVEY FOR WRITERS Take The Writer’s Union of Canada’s anonymous 2018 Income Survey to help literary organizations understand the impact current shifts in the publishing industry and consumer choices are having on writers’ incomes. > MORE THAN 40 LEAGUE MEMBERS HAVE POEMS IN FORTHCOMING ANTHOLOGY TAMARACKS: CANADIAN POETRY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (LUMMOX PRESS) Tamaracks is the first major survey of Canadian poetry to be published in the U.S. in a generation and will be launched in Los Angeles in October 2019. https://www.lummoxpress.com/lc/canantho-2018/ > PRIDE IN POETRY June was Pride Month! We augmented our #PrideMonth celebrations with 21 Poems by Queer Poets, rounded up by the folks at Bustle. > THE NEXT WAVE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF 21st CENTURY CANADIAN POETRY Recently released from Palimpsest Press, The Next Wave features lots of League members - and is edited by Jim Johnstone (a League member, too). “Mercurial and modern, The Next Wave is an output-based anthology of 21st century Canadian poetry. Curated by Jim Johnstone, it features 40 early-to-mid-career Canadian writers selected from a diverse range of national and international presses.” Check it out for a taste of contemporary Canadian poets, including Billy-Ray Belcourt, Dani Couture, Canisia Lubrin, Ian Williams and so many more! > CARRY ON BOOKS The Literary Press Group of Canada launched

an exciting new project on June 1, 2018: Carry On Books, a book vending machine located in the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport! Catch this custom book vending machine featuring a rotation of Canadian independent literature for sale next time you’re flying through. > WHAT WRITING ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF? Book*hug asked eight of their authors, including Leaguers Aaron Tucker, Jennifer LoveGrove, and Shannon Bramer this question. > THE MARKET VALUE OF LITERARY AWARDS Ahead of the Griffin Poetry Prize winner reveal, our Executive Director, Lesley Fletcher, chatted with The Globe and Mail about the rising sales of Canadian poetry and the impact being nominated for an award can have on a book’s commercial success. > WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DISABLED WRITER? “Disability is a complex and multifaceted experience, so it should be no surprise that it exerts profound influence on the way we write.

It provides a well to draw inspiration, experience, and community from, but also comes with its own considerations: handling accessibility barriers and physical limitations in the writing process, balancing advocacy with writing, or being pigeonholed or stereotyped.” Read more at Electric Literature. > HOW KICKSTARTER IS CHANGING PUBLISHING Considering self-publishing your next (or first) book?This Electric Literature article provides a thoughtful and in-depth comparison between selfpublishing (via crowd-sourcing) and traditional publishing with lots of authors weighing in. > THE NATIONAL POETRY LIBRARY’S ENDANGERED POETRY PROJECT Located in London, England, the National Poetry

Library is home to poetry librarian Chris McCabe’s Endangered Poetry Project. This project seeks to collect poetry written in endangered languages and archive it in the library’s permanent holdings. > 14 CANADIAN POETS TO WATCH IN 2018 CBC Books put together a list of poets who “who reflect the enduring strength of the literary form in this country” AND it includes 2018 Book Awards shortlisters Billy-Ray Belcourt, Canisia Lubrin, and Phoebe Wang, to name a few! > SHERI-D WILSON NAMED CALGARY’S NEWEST POET LAUREATE Congratulations, Sheri-D! > TOFINO ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL POET LAUREATE Joanna Streetly has been appointed Tofino, BC’s inaugural Poet Laureate. Congratulations, Joanna! > BILLY-RAY BELCOURT WINS THE 2018 GRIFFIN POETRY PRIZE A huge congratulations to League member Billy-Ray Belcourt for being awarded the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize with his collection This Wound is a World (Frontenac House)! To view the full Canadian and International shortlists plus poets’ biographies, judges’ citations, and poetry excerpts, visit the Griffin website.

NEWS FROM THE FEMINIST CAUCUS BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CAUCUS If you would like to stay up to date on Feminist Caucus goings-on, including panel updates, submission opportunities, and general femme lit goings-on, sign up for the new feminist newsletter, Lit Feminist, here. All members of the League are welcome to join the Caucus! Members can volunteer to lead or be on Feminist Caucus panels, contribute to the newsletter, participate in Feminist Caucus business discussions and readings, and much more as we continue to grow this important committee of the League.

FIND MONTHLY REPORTS FROM THE CHAIR ONLINE At poets.ca/feministcaucus, you can find a complete archive of monthly reports from the Feminist Caucus chair, Anne Burke. These reports include book reviews, event summaries, original poems from new members, and much more!

FEMINIST CAUCUS AT THE CANADIAN WRITERS SUMMIT The annual Feminist Caucus panel and chapbook launch took place on June 15, 2018. This year, panelists Lillian Allen, Anne Burke, Canisia Lubrin, Charlie C. Petch, and moderator Margo Tamez discussed on the topic of “Remembering Forward” — how feminist visions, ideals, and objectives change over time. Thank you to all the participants for their time and for sharing their thoughts & experiences.

LILLIAN ALLEN is an internationally acclaimed writer, poet/performer and language innovator working at the intersection of dub, sound, and rebel poetics. She has two Juno award-winning recordings and several critically acclaimed books of poetry to her credit. She is a professor of Creative Writing at OCAD University where she’s spearheading the establishment of Ontario’s first and only BFA in Creative Writing.

ANNE BURKE was born in Montreal (where she witnessed an ice storm when she was eleven) and was educated across Canada. She earned an Honours B.A. Magna Cum Laude at Loyola College, an M.A. from York University, a B. Ed. with a double diploma in Elementary and Secondary English, at Queen’s University, then pursued Ph.D. Studies in Ottawa and at U.B.C, in Contemporary and Canadian Literature. In Calgary since 1974, she lives a poetry (and poet) centred existence. Her mentors were poets Lorna Crozier, Gwendolyn Mac Ewan, Gerald Lampert, Eli Mandel, and Robert Kroetsch. Her recent odyssey is an exchange of correspondence with her late father. She is completing a full length collection on the Fort McMurray wildfire, after contributing to The Calgary Project – A City Map in Verse and Visual on the massive municipal flood. (That leaves “earth” and “air” in a planned quartet of the elements.)She is the recipient of the Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, the Alberta Centennial Medal, and the Diamond Jubilee Medal. “I shore up these fragments against my ruin”— T.S. Eliot.

She was prairie correspondent for Poetry Canada, Alberta Rep. for the League, and President of the Writers Guild of Alberta (twice). She founded the first publicly charter school in Canada (for gifted children). She is a cofounder of Alberta Magazine Publishers Association; was Pro Tem President, then Secretary to the board, for twelve years. She was Vice President of Alberta Cultural Industries Association and represented provincial arts, literary, and cultural magazine publishers. She is literary editor of The Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature which she co-founded in 1983. She serves as League Membership Chair, coordinates the Feminist Caucus, and is series editor of The Living Archive chapbooks, anthologies, and monographs, in print and now online with Playwrights Guild of Canada.

CANISIA LUBRIN‘s (MFA) writing has appeared published in literary journals including Room, The Puritan, This Magazine, Arc, CV2 and The City Series #3: Toronto Anthology. She won the President’s Prize in poetry and the Sylvia Ellen Hirsch Memorial Award in creative writing from York University. Her début collection of poems, Voodoo Hypothesis (Wolsak and Wynn) was released in fall of 2017.

CHARLIE C. PETCH is a playwright, spoken word artist, haiku deathmaster, host and musical saw player. Petch’s full-length spoken word vaudeville play, “Mel Malarkey Gets The Bum’s Rush” has toured all over Turtle Island. Their new creation “Daughter of Geppetto” will launch with Public Energy in Spring 2018. They have several handsome chapbooks and “Late Night Knife Fights” was published with LyricalMyrical Press. They have been published by Descant, The Toronto Quarterly, Matrix and Joypuke journals. Petch is the creative director of “Hot Damn It’s A Queer Slam” a multi-city touring poetry slam series. Find out more atwww.charliecpetch.com.

MARGO TAMEZ is a Lipan Apache author of the Hada’didla Nde’ (“Lightning Storm People”), Konitsaii Nde’ (“Big Water People”) and an enrolled citizen of the Lipan Apache Band of Texas. A scholar, poet, and Indigenous rights defender, Tamez grew up in unceded Lipan Apache territory in South Texas, the Lower Rio Grande Valley and along the Texas-Mexico border. Tamez’s 2007 work, Raven Eye (nominated fora

Pulitzer Prize) is considered the first Apache-authored literary work which ‘indigenized’ the American poetry form known as the ‘long poem.

The Feminist Caucus also proudly launched Revisit, Revise, Revolutionize: A Two-Part Harmony, the latest in the Living Archives chapbook series. Featuring the work of Janice Jo Lee, Andrea Thompson, and Paulina O’Kieffe, with an introduction from editors Vanessa Shields and Charlie Petch, this chapbook looks at the history and future of feminism in literature in Canada. These hand-sewn chapbooks are available for purchase ($10) here: http://poets.ca/product/feminism-revisit-revise-revolutionize-a-twopart-history/

Action Committee Update ACTION COMMITTEE UPDATE

By Vanessa Shields Let’s start with a definition: BREAST: either of the pair of mammary glands extending from the front of the chest in pubescent and adult human females and some other mammals; also: either the analogous but rudimentary organs of the male chest especially when enlarged 2a: the force or ventral part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, b: the part of an article of clothing covering the breast, 3: the seat of emotion and thought (bosom), 4a: something (such as a front, swelling, or curving part) resembling a breast (Gotta tell ya, I love “the seat of emotion and thought (bosom).” Wow!) This time of year, I become a bit more aware of my breasts than usual. The word I use to refer to them is boobs. There are many words used to describe breasts. Maybe have some fun in thinking about your favourite word, and engage in a conversation with your buds (get it?) about their words, and then remember to hold them gently and say thank you for the gifts that they can be.

On the other hand, we should also think about how we use them, feel about them, and remember to do our breast self-examinations.

Here’s a very informative and helpful link to the National Breast Cancer Organization on how-to: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-selfexam If you’re of the age to start getting mammograms, here’s a link from Cancer.ca that describes what

happens. I’ve had two done so far, though I just turned forty. My mother beat breast cancer about ten years ago, so my family doctor has put me on the get-a-mammogram-list. h t t p : / / w w w. c a n c e r. c a / e n / p r e v e n t i o n and-screening/reduce-cancer-risk/ find-cancer-early/get-screened-forbreast-cancer/what-happens-when-you-havea-mammogram/?region=on Here’s a link to my blog post about my own personal mammogram: https://vanessashields.com/2015/08/19/ mammogram-has-two-ms-2/ This type of breast cancer screening is not the only way, however. Besides self-examinations, there are alternatives to the above-linkedto mammogram. Radiation-free breast screenings are available, so check your local cancer societies and speak to your naturopath/ medical doctor about these alternatives. And, remember, you can always request that a lead covering be used during your ‘traditional’ mammogram to cover your abdomen.

This is an important conversation we can be having among our friends – about which screening processes we use, where we go, and how we feel about them. Then, of course, speak to your health team professionals too!

Take care of your ta-tas! * I was experiencing some major swelter at work, and remarked that I was so hot I wish I could take my shirt off. I was quickly reminded that, well, I can. It’s ‘legal’ for a woman to take her shirt off in public in Ontario.

In 1991, University of Guelph student Gwen Jacobs was hot and went topless, baring her breasts as she walked down a city street. She was arrested and charged with committing an indecent act. This was unacceptable to her (and loads of others!) so she fought it hard and by 1996, it was legal for women to go topless in Ontario. It’s twenty-two years later and I have never seen a woman topless in my city – not walking outside, nor in a public pool. Have you?

There are some really interesting articles on the internet about this reality – including the very intense duality battle between the legal and social implications of this. Although women are legally able to bare our breasts in public, what are the social implications – and is that what stops us or is that what motivates us?

In 2015, a trio of sisters in Kitchener were riding their bikes on a quiet street one evening, and they were topless. A police officer stopped them and told them to cover up. The police officer was male.

Do you think a female officer would have stopped them? The sisters reminded the police officer that it IS legal for women to be topless, just like men.

He changed his tune and let them on their way.

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/humanrights-complaint-targets-ontario-citys-poolpolicy-on-female-toplessness And here’s a link following up with Gwen Jacobs twenty years later: h t t p s : / / w w w. t h e r e c o r d . c o m / s p o r t s story/2564790-the-right-to-go-topless-nearly20-years-later-gwen-jacob-says-she-d-do-itagain/ There’s a term ‘topfreedom’ that exists to capture toplessness in Canada. Wikipedia has a very interesting and informative page about it, including information about Gwen Jacobs, the laws, and what judges, women and others have said/done regarding toplessness for women.

What’s your relationship with your breasts? Have you ever walked topless down your city street?

What happened?

Shame. Shyness. Fear. Pride. Power. Sweat.

What motivates you to cover or uncover your breasts? It’s a conversation to have, right?

My daughter, she’s nine, and I (I’m forty) had our first skinny dip of the summer season on a hot One of the sisters is Juno-nominated musician June evening in our pool. It was freeing and fun. and women’s rights advocate Alysha Brilla. Here’s We marvelled at how amazing it feels to swim the article about what transpired and what the naked, and then we dove down bums-up and sisters did to advocate and educate people. As mooned the moon. I breastfed my daughter until well, there’s a piece in the article about a public she was 15 months old. I don’t hide my boobs pool incident where an 8-year-old girl was told to when I’m changing or just out of the shower. My cover her bare chest: son turned 12, and he’s just starting to look away.

I like my boobs, though they keep changing with https://www.darpanmagazine.com/news/national/ gravity and age. Sometimes I wish they were three-ontario-sisters-stopped-by-police-for-biking- smaller so I could go braless in cute tank tops topless-demand-an-apology/ and maxi-dresses. But – the truth is – I could go braless anyway, right? I just don’t. Why? Physically, they’re heavy. I like a bra to hold And here’s another article about public pool them up. Keep them cool. And…I don’t mind a policies for toplessness: cleavage to look down at. When I get home from work or play, and I’m in for the night, I do take off

my bra and let them dangle. It feels good.

http://devilhousepress.com

Though I’m conscious of my breasts every day, my truth is that I follow the masses in terms of wearing a bra and not going topless on my city streets. I can say that fear is the biggest motivation. I just don’t trust that someone – male or female – would attack me verbally or physically. I’m not strong enough to fight that battle. At least, I don’t feel like I am. That’s a whole other conversation now, isn’t it? I don’t feel less of a feminist for not going topless, and I would never judge a woman for choosing to go topless. I think that as a society we aren’t there yet in terms of respecting each other’s bodies – from abortion to rape to toplessness to transitioning – it’s a road we’re on and working extremely hard to make it Equality Street.

I’m a big fan of Lenny Letter. Here’s a fine piece by illustrator Lila Ash about her almost boob job. Again, another piece pertaining to boobs.

I’m teaching my kids to love their bodies, to respect and protect their bodies, and those bodies of the people around them. That’s the feminist road I’m on with them. * For your reading pleasure…

Angelhouse and Devilhouse Press have some new titles. One, The Tale of the Clam Ear by Christine Stoddard, is right up our alley of conversation. “The Tale of the Clam Ear is the story of a mermaid and her struggle to accept her deformity. In 20 poems, Christine Stoddard offers a child’s magical rationale for not fitting in. These poems are for anyone who has been told that their body is wrong. They offer ways of coping and articulate feelings of shame, of loneliness and of celebration and love. If you listen closely you will hear the mermaid’s cries.”

Check out their websites for more information and titles, and loads of writing that’ll knock your socks off. Maybe your bras and shirts too. https://angelhousepress.com/

* The Canadian Writers Summit happened midJune. Did you attend? The Feminist Caucus held their annual business meeting as well as their panel, new member reading AND a new living archives chapbook was published based on last year’s panel. So many grand things happening!

I asked panel Chair Carol Casey some questions about this year’s panel theme. Here’s our conversation.

VS: How long have you been a member of the Feminist Caucus with the League?

CC: I am pretty new to the League and the Caucus. I joined the League last spring and the Caucus in June of last year.

VS: What motivated you to join?

CC: I have identified as a feminist for a long time. It is a theme in my poetry. I was excited to see that there were other poets who felt the same. I was curious to see what feminism in poetry looked like for others, and to share ideas.

VS: When did you start identifying as a feminist - in your own life?

CC: For me it was a slow process of awakening.

I was aware of the feminist movement in the 70’s, but not sure how I fit in. A really good high-school friend became a radical lesbian. While I was happy for her, I thought because I was primarily heterosexual, it was not for me. There was a lot of anger at men

from each other about how feminism and its relationship to mainstream society is evolving. I am also interested in how feminists visions and ideas change over time. I remember a line from a song in Mary Poppins about the suffragists, “Our daughters’ daughters will adore us, as they sing in grateful chorus, Well done, sister suffragette”.

While we are all grateful to the suffragists for obtaining the vote for women, I wondered how the political situation today would jive with the hopes and dreams suffragists had for future generations of women. It would be fascinating, but nearly impossible anymore to get that perspective. Then I thought about the changes made by the second wave of feminists in the 70s and 80s. I wondered how young women today view these changes. Do they take some of them for granted, like we now take the vote? Have some become foundations to further change? Do some seem like they were a waste of time? Did some of the second wave feminist ideals get coopted, coerced or commercialized- cause further oppression? For example, the struggle for educational and workplace equity has led more women into the workforce and educational institutions. While this is definitely progress, I see many young couples, especially with small children struggling to juggle work and childcare responsibilities. Young women I know are putting off child-raising indefinitely in VS: Can you give us the ‘definition’ of feminist that order to further their careers without the setbacks caused by maternity leaves. Is their quality of life you live by? better because of this? Have we traded one form CC: At this point my definition of a feminist is: of oppression for another? It was thoughts like this A person who honours the feminine. They are that prompted me to put the idea to the caucus. against oppression of any kind and consciously work to eradicate it both within themselves and in VS: What will make this panel a ‘success’ in your the outside world. They question societal norms eyes/heart/mind? and beliefs that limit human potential, always CC: For me it will be a success if asking “who profits?” and who does not.

- I see three pairs of poets, excited and engaged VS: Share your idea and its origins for this year’s with what they have learned from each other sharing the insights they gained.

FC panel. What is your intention with this panel?

- I see a responsive and inspired audience CC: My idea was to get different generations of participating in the dialogue feminists together to see what they can learn - I feel inspired by the presentations and grow as

expressed at the “consciousness raising meetings I attended. I was pregnant at the time and did not know how to resolve these sentiments with being the mother of a boy. When I look back, I see how simplistic my thinking was about feminism. I was barely skimming the surface. I then tried to fit into a traditional marriage. This did not work well for me. One turning point came when, after thinking there was something drastically wrong with me because I was so desperately unhappy and emotionally all over the place within my marriage, I read in a feminist article that sometimes what seems like insanity is actually a sane response to an insane situation. It got me thinking. I started to see my situation in a new way. After this, I became progressively radicalized. I ended the marriage, joined Women Today, a women’s advocacy organization and met my life partner, who identifies as a feminist. I still had reservations because of the half understandings I had developed in my youth. The clincher came when I took a university course in Women’s Studies that described a feminist as someone who works to end oppression. That finally give me a place of comfort and the incentive to explore further. I was able to define myself as a feminist in my mid-thirties. My identity as a feminist continues to evolve as my understanding deepens.

a feminist as a result - I, and the audience, gain insights from the various perspectives presented: age, race, culture, gender that help us understand what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done.

VS: How do you think poetry moves Feminism?

CC: On a deeply personal level, poetry gets me in touch with my own truth. It has been my way to understand what it means to me to be a woman in our society who is learning to honour women. Writing poetry has helped me clarify my experiences and definitions of oppression. I share my poems in the hopes that others will resonate with them and reflect on their own ideals. I feel that a good poem can affect us and educate us profoundly and on many levels. It can get us thinking and feeling about what is going on around us. It can transport us deep into the intangible roots of life. We enter the poet’s world and gain understanding of “the other”. Poetry is a grassroots tool to address the multifaceted challenges and perspectives that feminism faces and to express the richness at its core. It moves feminism both in the sense that it evokes passion and inspiration, and that it furthers our intellectual

REVIEWS Poetry that Heals by Naomi Beth Wakan reviewed

by Terry Ann Carter for Poets.ca This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt reviewed by Hannah Karpinski for Lemonhound 3.0 The Panic Room by Rebecca Papucaru reviewed

by Diana Manole for Poets.ca A Generous Latitude by Lenea Grace reviewed by M.A. Mahadeo for Poets.ca

REVIEW FOR THE LEAGUE We are always looking volunteer reviewers, and we are happy to connect you with publishers across Canada to request review copies. We also welcome chapbook reviews!

Email madison@poets.ca if you’d like to learn more.

FROM THE BLOG

#NPM18 BLOG SERIES Weekly Round-Up #1

THE SHORTLIST IN CONVERSATION SERIES

Weekly Round-Up #3

How did poetry become part of your life?

Influences Can you describe your writing practice?

What are you reading?

What keeps you going?

Weekly Round-Up #4

Kaie Kellough Ian Keteku

Weekly Round-Up #2

THE SHORTLIST IN CONVERSATION SERIES

THE WRITING PARENT column by Vanessa Shields

Susan Elmslie & Beth Goobie

The First Edit

Cornelia Hoogland & Julie Paul

On Food & Cooking

Puneet Dutt & Phoebe Wang part 1

Writing Prompts

Puneet Dutt & Phoebe Wang part 2

NEW MEMBERS CAROL BARBOUR is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design (AOCA), and the University of Toronto (MA, Art History). She has exhibited paintings, sculptures and artist books at galleries and book fairs in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Poems, essays, and fiction are published by literary and arts journals including Sein und Werden, Transverse, Matriart, Resources for Feminist Research, The Toronto Quarterly, and Impulse. Her hand-made artist books, which combine art and writing, are collected by the National Gallery of Canada, Artexte, the British Library, Goldsmiths, University of London, the Franklin Furnace Archive, Museum of Modern Art (Dadabase), the Banff Art Centre, Virginia Commonwealth University, and others.

She has presented her research on early modern (1500-1700) art and books at the following conferences: Renaissance Society of America, Biblyon, the International Society of Emblems, and the International Medieval Congress. Carol Barbour’s poems are published by Canthius, Sein und Werden, Nine Muses Poetry, The Ekphrastic Review, Transverse Journal, The Fiddlehead, and The Toronto Quarterly. Her first full length collection of poems, Infrangible: Poems (Guernica Editions) was published in Sept. 2018.

She was born in Guelph and resides in Toronto.

JOELLE BARRON is an award-winning poet and writer living on the Traditional Territory of the Anishinaabe of Treaty 3 (Kenora, Ontario). Joelle received their Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia in 2014. Their work has been published in literary journals across Canada, and their first full-length collection, Ritual Lights, was published in 2018 (Icehouse Press). Joelle works as a co-ordinator for the LGBT2S+ youth group, SPACE Kenora, and as an organizer for Kenora Pride. They live with their wife and daughter.

CATHERINE BLACK has wandered her way back to Toronto where she was born and raised and now lives with her husband and son. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of writing at OCAD University. Black is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s M.F.A. writing program, and her poetry and fiction has appeared in various Canadian and American literary journals including The Fiddlehead, The Harpweaver, Scrivener Creative Review, Rhino, Preling and Palimpsest.

Her first book of prose poetry, Lessons of Chaos and Disaster, was published as part of Guernica Editions’ First Poet Series in 2007. A Hard Gold Thread is her first prose work.

BRIAN CAMERON KAREN CLAVELLE GEOFFREY COOK was born in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and currently teaches in the English Department of John Abbott College in Montreal.

His poems have appeared widely in such journals as The Antigonish Review, Descant, Matrix and Pottersfield Portfolio, and in the anthologies of Atlantic Canadian poetry, Landmarks (2001) and Coastlines (2002).

CHELSEA COUPAL DANI COUTURE is the author of three collections of poetry and the novel Algoma (Invisible Publishing). Her work has been nominated for the Trillium Award for Poetry, received an honour of distinction from the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Dayne Ogilvie Prize for Emerging LGBTQ Writers and won the ReLit Award for Poetry. Her poems have appeared in publications in Canada, the US and the UK, and in several editions of Best

Canadian Poetry in English.

ROCCO DE GIACOMO is a widely published poet whose work has appeared in literary journals in Canada, Australia, England, Hong Kong and the US. The author of numerous poetry chapbooks and full-length collections, his latest, Brace Yourselves – on the representation of the individual as it relates to the Zeitgeist – was published in January, 2018, through Quattro Books. From 2008 to 2014, Rocco volunteered on the committee for the Art Bar Poetry Series, Canada’s longest running weekly series. Rocco lives in Toronto with his wife, Lisa Keophila, a fabric artist, and his daughters, Ava and Matilda.

WENDY DONAWA was born in Victoria, but spent much of her adult life in Barbados as an artist, educator and museum curator. She once more lives in Victoria, is active in its lively poetry community, and is a contributing editor for Arc Poetry Magazine. Her poems have appeared in anthologies and journals, three chapbooks, and her first collection, Thin Air of the Knowable.

GEORGES DUQUETTE TANIS FRANCO [they/them] is a poet living in Toronto. Their first poetry book entitled Quarry, published by The University of Calgary Press in January 2018, explores queerness from an ecopoetic point of view. They have had recent writing published in Lemon Hound, Grain, Room, CV2, and elsewhere. They are working on their second book of poetry.

Originally from Montreal, award-winning poet KATHY FISHER has made her home in Edmonton for just under three decades. A multidisciplinary artist, Fisher is a wordsmith, research lawyer, documentarian, biographer, oral historian and

explorer, and always creates with attention to the ear and eye. A performer and host in the local literary and spoken word scenes, Fisher regularly produces evenings of words and music, often with visual arts components.

For the last ten years CROC E MOSES has been planting word seed. With an activated sense of scooberty, this poem ranger has been inciting the in sight. His works are serious, sensitive, deep, sometimes profound, equally flippant and possibly humorous. He takes many risks in his content and imagination. He draws upon exposure to extremes. His wordstrings are tasty tangents - His accent, soothing moon root liquorice, subdub dollop delicious…treating you to a little bit of everything you like. His performance is mysterious dragonfly capoeira!

RAYANNE HAINES is the author of two poetry collections and is the executive director of the Edmonton Poetry Festival. She has a background in theater and spoken word performance. She’s been published in anthologies, magazines, and online. Her poetry has been used as the text for the National Youth Choir of Canada, as well as recorded for a United Kingdom, talking newspaper for the Blind. She’s had work published in Canada, the USA, and the UK. Born and raised in Alberta, Rayanne makes her home with three fine men and an English bulldog of some repute. Stained with the Colours of Sunday Morning (@Inanna Pub) is her first full length poetry collection.

Born in Antigua, West Indies CLIFTON JOSEPH has written for newspapers, magazines, television, and radio in Canada. In poetry Joseph is one of the founders of the dub poetry movement in Canada and has performed widely across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and the West Indies; published Metropolitan Blues, a book of poems; released an album of poetry & music, Oral

Trans/missions; CD/single Shots On Eglinton; videopoems Pimps and Survival (In The City); penned poems for CBC Radio and TV, for Michael Douglas’ short film Blu Shifts Desire and Steve Williams’s movie debut Songs In The Key Of Life; and has contributed to a number of written and audio anthologies including De Dub Poets (with Lillian Allen and Devon Haughton with the Truths and Rights Band); for Virgin Records’ Word Up CD of North American spoken word poets; Poetry Nation and Work.

DENIS ROBILLARD

NEIL SURKAN’s debut poetry collection, On High, is forthcoming from McGill-Queen’s University Press (Fall, 2018). His chapbook, Super, Natural, was published by Anstruther Press (March 2017). His poems and reviews have appeared in numerous Canadian magazines and journals, including The Fiddlehead, PRISM international, Prairie Fire, Canadian Literature, Riddle Fence, EVENT, CAROUSEL, Grain, and The Antigonish Review. He completed an MA in English in the Cinquième poète officielle de la ville du Grand Field of Creative Writing at the University of Sudbury, CHLOÉ LADUCHESSE est l’autrice Toronto in 2016 and is currently a PhD student in de Furies, un premier recueil de poésie paru en English (Creative Dissertation) at the University of 2017 aux éditions Mémoire d’encrier. Elle a signé Calgary. des textes dans plusieurs revues culturelles et étudiantes, ainsi que dans deux recueils de MARTHA SWINN is a poet, artist and educator nouvelles collectifs. Elle est également l’autrice de currently residing in the Nass Valley, north of plusieurs zines et organise, depuis 2017, la foire Terrace, BC. An English Literature graduate from de zines annuelle Expozine Sudbury. Dans ses Laurentian University, Martha has also participated temps libres, elle peint, voyage et élève ses chats. in writing mentorship programs through Humber University and the University of British Columbia.

Fifth poet laureate of the city of Greater Sudbury, A life-long interest in mythology; her experiences CHLOÉ LADUCHESSE is the author of Furies, growing up on the shores of Lake Superior; as a first collection of poetry published in 2017 by well as teaching in a Northern Ontario goldmine Mémoire d’encrier. She has written in several town have accompanied her into the Lava Beds cultural and student magazines, as well as in two of North Western BC where Martha continues to collections of short stories. She is also the author define her interdependent relationship with nature of several zines and organizes, since 2017, the and the Nisga’a Nation. annual zine fair Expozine Sudbury. In her spare RICHARD VALDEZ time, she paints, travels and raises her cats.

MEMBER NEWS

JEAN VAN LOON is a life-long resident of Ottawa.

Since retiring from a career as a public servant and head of the steel industry’s national trade BARBARA NICHOL association, she has published poems and stories JULIE PAUL is the author author of three books; in literary magazines across Canada, including two story collections–The Jealousy Bone and The Event, Room, Prairie Fire, The New Quarterly, Pull of the Moon–and a poetry collection, The Queen’s Quarterly, Arc Poetry Magazine, Ottawater, and The Dalhousie Review. One of her Rules of the Kingdom. stories was anthologized in Journey Prize Stories 19, published 2007. Her reviews have been KARA PETROVIC DONIA MOUNSEF

published in Room and Arc. Her first book of poetry, Building on River, was published by Cormorant Books April 2018. She recently became co-Artistic Director of Ottawa’s longest-standing literary series, Tree Reading Series. Jean’s first poetry collection, Building on River (Cormorant Books 2018), is inspired by the life and times of John Rudolphus Booth, the greatest of the Ottawa Valley lumber kings. It evokes a place and time of wildness, of newness, and of a personal drive that spurred the growth of an industry built on equal parts hardship and promise. Steeped in sensual and historical details, it follows the arc of Booth’s life and can be read as poems or as a novel or fictional biography.

In his human form, PAUL VERMEERSCH is a poet, professor, artist and editor. The author of five collections of poetry, including The Reinvention of the Human Hand, a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, and Don’t Let It End Like This Tell Them I Said Something, he teaches in the Creative Writing & Publishing program at Sheridan College and is senior editor of Wolsak and Wynn Publishers where he created the Buckrider Books imprint. His next collection Self-Defence for the Brave and Happy will appear with ECW Press in fall 2018. He lives in Toronto. In his digital form he can be found at www.paulvermeersch.ca.

SUSAN WHELEHAN

MEMBER NEWS GARY BECK’s new poetry collection Rude Awakenings asks, can an artist achieve the American dream without compromising creativity? Can lovers navigate the search of their desires while mourning the loss of past connections? And if the dillusioned accept our world of empty promises, don’t we all lose when that fire burns out? Beck masterfully approaches serious questions of human

integrity, as well as the small odd moments our realities may share, in his brilliant new collection, Rude Awakenings.

BILLY-RAY BELCOURT is the winner of the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize!

Artistic director of the Spring Pulse Poetry Festival DAVID BRYDGES proudly presents PoeARTry North, Ontario’s first painting/poetry juried competition and exhibition taking place in Haileybury, ON. The works will be exhibitied from August 7 – September 2, 2018 at Temiskaming Art Gallery and the winner will be announced at the reception/award ceremony September 2 at 1-3pm.

KATE BRAID has published a new book of poems, Elemental (Caitlin). She’ll be doing (or has done) readings on Salt Spring Island, Galiano Island, Pender Island, Victoria, Courtenay, Surrey and Vancouver BC. NANE COUZIER has a new book of haiku out with Éditions David titled Retour aux cendres roses. For more information: http://editionsdavid. com/products-page/retour-aux-cendres-roses/ MAGIE DOMINIC has poems in two forthcoming anthologies: Heartwood: For the Love of Trees (June 2018) and an Al Purdy tribute collection, tentatively titled Beyond Forgetting (Fall 2018).

She will be offering a five-day writing workshop in July. The retreat is near upstate New York. If anyone has friends in the New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut area who may be interested, contact magiedominic@hotmail.com.

Since last summer, Montreal-based poet KELLY NORAH DRUKKER has shared readings from her award-winning collection of poems, Small Fires (MQUP, 2016), at reading series and festivals in Canada and overseas. Performances include the Art Bar Reading Series in Toronto, the Prose in the Park Literary Festival in Ottawa, Resonance Reading Series in Montreal, and North West Words in Letterkenny, Ireland. Kelly has also collaborated in performances with fellow poets Talya Rubin and Robin Durnford (“The Smallness of this Island Earth”), and photogra-

pher Shaney Herrmann (A Meeting of the Ways) at venues across Montreal, where audience members were invited to be part of the discussion. Most recently, Kelly participated in events at the Blue Metropolis literary festival, including Rencontres Poétiques, and Words Travelling/Travelling Words, a bilingual reading and discussion with translators Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné. Petits feux, Saint-Martin and Gagné’s translation of Small Fires, was published by Le Lézard amoureux in April 2018, and will be launched in Montreal on June 1st, at 6 PM, at Librairie Le port de tête.

ALISON DYER was a featured poet on All Lit Up’s National Poetry Month blog series, Poetry Cure, which you can read here: https://alllitup.ca/ Blog/2018/Poetry-Cure-I-d-Write-the-Sea-Like-aParlour-Game-by-Alison-Dyer. Her collection I’d Write the Sea Like a Parlour Game (Breakwater Books, 2017) was shortlisted for the 2018 J.M. Abraham Poetry Award.

BERNICE LEVER was a guest on Vancouver’s Co-op Radio show “Wax Poetic” in March 2018.

She represented poetry at the panel “Discussing Canadian Publishing, Canadian Contests, and Why Write About Canada or from a Canadian Perspective” for the North Shore Writers Society in April.

DIANA MANOLE was awarded 2nd prize in the 2017-18 John Dryden Translation Competition for selections from major Moldovan poet Emilian Galaicu-Păun’s A-Z.BEST, co-translated with Adam J. Sorkin. Sponsored by the British Comparative Literature Association and the British Centre for Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia, this competition awards prizes for unpublished literary translations from any language into English. She has recently seen five poems published in Polymea (11/2017), one of the best literary magazines in Belarus. Hanna Baranovskaya, the translator, read one of the poems, “Lady. In Waiting,” at the Musical and Literary Soiree organized on March 21st by the Romanian Embassy in Minsk, an event that included works by the most important Romanian writers and musicians. Diana is thrilled to have her work translated, as she is happy to translate

other writers’ works.

On May 12, 2018, SUSAN MCCASLIN read from her latest volume of poetry, Into the Open: Poems New and Selected (Inanna), at the Planet Earth Poetry Series in Victoria, BC. On May 13 she helped host a life celebration of poet Allan Brown (1934-2016) at the Martin Bachelor Gallery in Victoria. “Phyllis Munday, Mountaineer (1894-1990),” was published as the “Poem of the Week” on Vallum Magazine’s blog, May 25, 2018 (audio recording): https:// vallum.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/vallum-poem-of-the-week-for-phyllismundaymountaineer1894-1990-by-susan-mccaslin/ Susan and Hamilton author J.S Porter have collaborated on mixed-genre volume, Superabundantly Alive: Thomas Merton’s Dance with the Feminine (Wood Lake Publishing, Kelowna, BC, forthcoming Oct. 2018). Susan is currently circulating for publication a photo-essay collaboration with her husband Mark Haddock on the Cariboo Fires in BC of 2017. She was interviewed by Cole Klassen, a student in the Creative Writing Program at UBC, on the subject of how writers become who they are: https:// nineteenquestions.com MARY ANN MULHERN released All the Words Between: New and Selected Poems (Black Moss Press), a collection of some of her best works. In addition to new works that explore edgy, political themes, the book includes poems from such highly praised pervious publications as The Red Dress, Touch the Dead, and When Angels Weep.

KJMUNRO, an Associate Member, now has a second leaflet with Leaf Press - number five in the sky leaflet series, called waiting. Also launched in 2017, an anthology of crime-related haiku with catkin press entitled Body of Evidence: a collection of killer ‘ku she co-edited with the late Jessica Simon. She is currently facilitating a weekly blog feature - ‘Haiku Windows’ - for The Haiku Foundation: https://www. thehaikufoundation.org/blog/ CHARLIE PETCH will be leading a workshop in Toronto presented by East End Arts called

“Be Brave on Stage.” Learn how to master the mic and give your audience a performance they won’t forget! This workshop is specifically designed to address the needs of writers working across all genres, including fiction, poetry, slam, and spoken word. Free with registration at www.eastendarts.ca Consider sharing these with your classroom, your kids, your relatives, or even bringing them to your local library’s attention!

WRITING OPPORTUNITIES

COSTI IMMIGRATION SERVICES CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS REFUGEES AND HUMAN RIGHTS CHILD & YOUTH POETRY CONTEST This is an awesome opportunity for youth to THE REVIEW: QUEER express MALAHAT their understanding of human rights PERSPECTIVES abuses and the plight of refugees through The Malahat Review is seeking poetry, poetry – and a great for teachers to get their short-stories, and way creative non-fiction by students motivated to write poetry.

The contest LGBTQ2S writers for their upcoming issue, will be Perspectives. run in three school gradeto categories: Queer They want see work grades 4-6, vivid grades and grades 9-12. that “makes and7&8, particular [the writer’s] experience of written being inalive in orthe world.”

Poems can be English French and Previously unpublished works only.

No can be up to 24 lines. 1st place prize is an iPad! simultaneous submissions.

Chosen works Deadline: April 6, 2018. will be compensated $60 per printed page.

Deadline: July 15, 2018.

NIAGARA FOLK ARTS FESTIVAL YOUTH POETRY IS CONTEST POETRY DEAD: HEAVY METAL Youth ages 12 – 24 living in the Niagara Region Poetry Is Dead is now accepting poem are invited to enter Niagara Folk Arts Fesitval’s submissions for their upcoming issue: Heavy Youth “Wider Poetry themes Contest.

They distortion are accepting Metal! include: (both sound colonization paganism entriesand in social), spoken the word, rap, andoflyric ballad by Christianity, white supremacy, bro culture with musical accompaniment. Prizes to be (because weDeadline: totally need poems about announced.

April more 25, 2018 that), gender ambiguous fashion in the 70’s and 80’s, Satanism, and more. Keep in mind, this is CBC BOOKS’ 2018 SHAKESPEARE SELFIE a celebration and an interrogation of the genre.”

STUDENTJuly WRITING CHALLENGE OPEN SOON Deadline: 15, 2018.

Opening on April 6, 2018, the Shakespeare Selfie StudentMAGAZINE: Writing Challenge ROOM MAGICcalls for students in grades Magazine 7 – 12 to is answer this (in the form of a Room accepting submissions for their upcoming issue, Magic. Submit poem!): “What would Shakespeare have toyour say poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual about the world of today?” Contest opens April 6 art untilthat Aprilexplores 27, 2018.magic in all its forms! “Let your imagination run wild: take us to fantastical worlds, alternate realities, or show us the magical in the quotidian. Send us your fantasy,

your speculative, your magic realism, your afrofuturism and #blackgirlmagic but don’t be afraid to transmogrify genre expectations and pull something totally unexpected from your sleeve.”

Deadline: July 31, 2018.

HUSTLING VERSE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF SEX WORKERS’ POETRY (ARSENAL PULP PRESS) Amber Dawn seeks poetry in any and all written forms by self-identified sex workers from any part of the industry for the forthcoming anthology she is editing, Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Workers’ Poetry. “Sex workers are one of the most researched groups in the world (even though sex workers do not accrue or collect any benefit as a result). Can the antidote for massive invasive and often bias research be found in verse? Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Workers’ Poetry, edited

by Amber Dawn and Justin Ducharme, will be a trailblazing collection in which sex workers share their experiential knowledge through the expressiveness, nuance and beauty of poetry.”

Deadline: August 3, 2018.

IN/WORDS: FANTASY RETOLD In/Words Magazine is seeking submissions of poetry, prose, and visuals for their upcoming issue: Fantasy Retold. Write your version of a fable/urban legend/myth. Deadline: August 15, 2018.

OFF THE GRID POETRY PRIZE The 2019 Off the Grid Poetry Prize by Grid Books / Off the Grid Press is now accepting manuscript submissions by poets aged 60 years or older.

Manuscripts of at least 50 pages in length are eligible. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. The winner will receive $1000 and publication by Grid Books. Deadline: August 31, 2018.

POINT PETRE PUBLISHING CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS Point Petre Publishing is accepting poetry manuscripts of ~100 pages in two deadline categories: until August 31, 2018 for late Fall

2018 publication and September 1, 2018 - December 31 2018 for Spring 2019/Fall 2019 publication.

VOICING SUICIDE: A POETRY ANTHOLOGY Voicing Suicide: A Poetry Anthology forthcoming from Ekstasis Editions and editor Daniel G Scott is seeking intimate, courageous, and honest poems exploring suicide while acknowledging larger social, political, and cultural contexts. “Poetry offers an opportunity to understand some of the difficult aspects of suicide. Poetry allows us to meet grief, give it voice; allows memory, and elegy. In poetry we can give voice to suicide and enter the difficult spaces of loss and sorrow.” Deadline: January 15, 2019.

CAITLIN PRESS WATERSHED ANTHOLOGY Caitlin Press and editor Victoria Poet Laureate Yvonne Blomer are accepting submissions for an anthology that explores our impact and reliance on the watershed, expected to be published Fall 2019.

“A watershed is an area where water - the necessity of life second only to air - falls, filters, and collects.”

Poets may submit up to two poems. Deadline not indicated.

AWARDS AND CONTESTS 2018 ROOM MAGAZINE POETRY CONTEST Submissions are now open for the 2018 Room Magazine Poetry Contest, judged this year by Vivek Shraya! “Room’s contests are open to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. We specifically encourage writers with overlapping underrepresented identities to submit their work.” First prize is $1000 + publication in Room. Deadline: July 15, 2018.

VALLUM MAGAZINE AWARD FOR POETRY 2018 The Vallum Magazine Award for Poetry 2018 is now open for submissions. Poems must be original and previously unpublished. Entrants can submit 1-3 poems of a maximum of 60 lines each for one entry fee ($25). This year’s judge is Griffin Poetry Prize winner Liz Howard. First prize of $750, second prize of $250 + publication in Vallum. Deadline: July 15, 2018.

FOYLE YOUNG POETS OF THE YEAR AWARD The Poetry Society is now accepting submissions for their Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2018! Eligible to poets 11-17 years old, living anywhere in the world. Submissions must be unpublished and written in English.

No fee to enter! 100 winners will be chosen 85 commendations and 15 overall winners.

Overall winners’ poems will be published in The Poetry Society’s anthology “There was a word for that” and invited to attend a week-long intensive residential writing course at Arvon or receive mentoring from a professional poet. All 100 winners will have their poems published online, receive a year’s Youth Membership, and a mystery bag of books/treats! Deadline: July 31, 2018.

ROBIN BLASER CONTEST The 8th Annual Robin Blaser Contest run by The Capilano Review is now open for submissions of poetry(up to 6 pages per entry). Winning entry receives $1000 + publication in TCR! Deadline: July 31, 2018.

WINCHESTER POETRY PRIZE 2018 Winchester Poetry Fest is now accepting entries to the Winchester Poetry Prize 2018: celebrating the best in new writing. First prize of £1,000! Winning and commended poems are to be published in a competition anthology. Deadline: July 31, 2018.

AESTHETICA MAGAZINE CREATIVE WRITING AWARD Entry into Aesthetica Magazine’s international Creative Writing Award is now live. They are accepting submissions of short fiction (2000 words max.) and poetry (40 lines max.), and works can be previously published! Winners will receive £1,000 prize money, some books (!!!), and full membership to The Poetry Society (for the poetry winner) / consultation with Redhammer Management (for the short fiction winner). Deadline: August 31, 2018.

GRAND PRIX DU LIVRE DE MONTREAL

Presented by Ville de Montreal, the Grand Prix du Livre de Montreal is now accepting submissions!

This $15,000 bursary is awarded to work of outstanding craftsmanship and originality written in English or French by an author or publisher based in Montréal. Works must be entered on behalf of the author by the publisher using the application form. Eligible works are published between March 1, 2018 and August 31, 2018 and must be submitted by August 31, 2018.

Shraya is back! For an Indigenous or Black unpublished writer, or a writer of colour, in Canada between the ages 18-28. The mentorship includes editorial feedback/writing support on a manuscript from Vivek Shraya, a publishing contract with a $1000 royalty advance and book release slated for Spring 2020, and invaluable advice and support relating to the writing process and establishing a writing career. Deadline: September 1, 2018.

THOMAS MORTON MEMORIAL PRIZE The Puritan’s 7th annual Thomas Morton Memorial Prize is open for submissions! Accepting poetry and fiction from writers all around the world. First prize is $1000 and publication in the Puritan (+great runner up prizes). Deadline: September 30, 2018.

RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES WRITER IN RESIDENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FRASER VALLEY The University of Fraser Valley is accepting applicants for their Writer in Residence program.

The term lasts for 11 weeks between January and April. Candidates should have a substantial publishing record, including two books with a recognized publisher. The Writer in Residence position balances public engagement with solitary writing time and will be involved in activities such as keeping office hours two days a week for consultation with the university community, providing input on programming for the Fraser Valley Literary Festival, and visiting classes in creative writing and literature. Deadline: August 15, 2018.

BANFF CENTRE FOR THE ARTS AND CREATIVITY LATE FALL WRITERS RETREAT Plans for December? Consider the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Late Fall Writers Retreat 2018. It’s a self-directed program that offers time and space for writers to retreat, reconnect, and re-energize their writing practice. Writers of any genre are invited to apply. Deadline: August 22, 2018.

MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES DIASPORA DIALOGUES’ SHORT-FORM MENTORSHIP PROGRAM Diaspora Dialogues announces the launch of their Short-Form Mentorship program for emerging writers of short stories, creative nonfiction, and poetry living in - and writing about the Greater Toronto Area! “Diaspora Dialogues is committed to supporting a literature of Toronto that is as diverse as the city itself. Writers are encouraged to keep this mandate in mind, but addressing this theme directly is not essential in the submission. The setting of the works must be, at least in part, the greater Toronto region.

Diverse and Indigenous writers are especially welcome.” The writer-in-residence will offer feedback on submissions and completed pieces of writing can be submitted for consideration to TOK Digital, a new digital magazine by DD with an up-coming launch in April 2018. There are no hard deadlines as the program will accept work on a continuous basis. For more information: https:// diasporadialogues.com/mentoring-program/

VS. BOOKS YOUTH MENTORSHIP & PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITY The VS. Books (Arsenal Pulp Press imprint) youth mentorship & publishing opportunity with Vivek

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES OLD WORDS STORYTELLING VARIETY SHOW: TORONTO Hosted by Adrian Parks, OLD WORDS is a monthly storytelling variety show accepting submissions from comics, poets, musicians, and storytellers. There are 5 and 10 minute spots available each month.