16.4 | Winter 2019
In this issue: 2-3
News from the League
4-5
Bill Arnott’s Beat
6-8
Poetry Parlour
9
A Look Back at 2019
10-13
Jennifer Wenn’s Review: Local Heroes by Penn Kemp
14-16
New League Members
16-18
Member News
19-21
Writing Opportunities
22
Bookish Bits & Industry News
News from the League
4 4
4
4
4
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Book Reviews Are you interested in reviewing books of poetry for the League? We are always looking for opinions and voices on poetry in Canada. Find out more Poetry Pause Your poetry could be featured in Poetry Pause, the League’s daily digital poetry dispatch program that’s growing every day! We deliver a daily poem directly to your inbox and we are always accepting submissions of published or unpublished poems! Poetry Pause is a great way to introduce new readers to your work. Tell your poet and poetry-loving friends! Subscribe to Poetry Pause Learn more about Poetry Pause Would you like to be a judge for the next round of Poetry Pause? Contact info@poets.ca with “Inquiry: Poetry Pause Judge” in the subject line! End of Year Survey The League has had a busy year, and we would love to know your thoughts about what we’ve been up to and where we should be heading in 2020. Filling out the survey enters you to win some amazing poetry prizes! Find out more Canada Poetry Tours Are you planning for Spring and Summer? We are! Funding for Canada Poetry
Tours (from April 2020 onward) as well as National Poetry Month will be opening on January 15, 2020. Stay tuned! Poetry Parlour Your responses are in for the very first round of Poetry Parlour! Head to page 6 to see what fellow Leaguers had to say about writing and experiencing poetry! Very Small Verse Contest is open for submissions! The Very Small Verse Contest invites and challenges poets to submit 4 micropoems – at least six (6) words in length but no more than two hundred (200) characters, judged by Vlado! Deadline is January 20, 2020. Find out more Broadsheet Contest is open for submissions! What is a broadsheet? By definition, a broadsheet is a large piece of paper printed with information on one side only. In the world of poetry, a broadsheet is a great format in which to share or showcase one stand-out poem – winning this contest will surely do both! Judged by Nisha Patel! Deadline is January 20, 2020. Find out more Fresh Voices Chapbook The LCP Chapbook Series is now accepting submissions for a chapbook that will spotlight the work of emerging voices in Canadian Poetry. With this chapbook the League will showcase the voices,
community, and incredible poetic writing of poets across Canada. Joan Conway (Associate Member Representative for the League) and Blaine Marchand (professional poet and Past President of the League) will act as editors for this chapbook. The theme of this chapbook publication will be Tending the Fire — Poetry that calls to your relationship with fire, whether it be in the smoldering state, smoke plumes, or full flame, this is an invitation to explore the power that fire holds for you, This theme may also be a personal interpretation of the spark that ignites from within. Deadline is January 31, 2020. Find out more SAWCI Chapbook The LCP Chapbook Series is now accepting submissions for a chapbook that will spotlight the work of poets across Canada. The League has partnered with the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Writers Circle Inc. (SAWCI) to showcase the voices, community, and incredible poetic writing of Indigenous Writers in Saskatchewan, and of poets across Canada. Rita Bouvier (who is a member of the Advisory Circle for SAWCI and acts as the League’s Saskatchewan Representative) will be the editor for this chapbook. Deadline is February 29, 2020. Find out more Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize is open for submissions! The Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth was established to foster a lifelong
relationship between Canadian youth and the literary arts, specifically poetry. The prize accepts submissions from young poets all across Canada, with three prizes awarded in both the Junior (grades 7 to 9) and Senior (grades 10 to 12) categories. Find out more
Bill Arnott’s Beat Dementia, Depression, Feel-Good Stories
Western Canada’s literary scene teems with talent, from neophytes to award-laden laureates. Authors of every facet share spoken word, competitive slam, and rapier-sharp contemporary as writers and fans converge in person, print, online and on airwaves. This is not a list of writing/ reading groups or events. It’s subjective, personal experience – people and places where prose, poetry and lyrical verse are created and performed. Join me as we explore the country’s lit scene from the ground up, bedrock-solid and perpetually in motion. Like our imminent left coast quake, my epicentre is BC’s southwest. For now.
and
Other
I have a friend (acquaintance, really) – Gunnar Thor Gunnarsson. Best name EVER, I thought. Until I met Lorenz von Fersen. Now THAT’S a name. The kind of name I’d choose for myself, assuming Max Power’s already been taken. Turns out Lorenz’s excellent moniker fits. He’s an excellent man doing excellent work. And has done for years. If you’ve lived in Vancouver you’ve benefitted from the tireless efforts of Lorenz: writers’ festivals, children’s festivals, music festivals, international and civic celebrations with installations of art and history that blanket our metropolis – lifetimes of stories breathing personality into populous clumps of construction. Even following his retirement Fersen continues to give back, contributing to worthy causes and deserving individuals. I first met Lorenz at Alma Lee’s home. We were picking the brain of the woman behind the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Vancouver International Writers Fest. Pictures around the living-dining room reminded me of those snapshots presidents display – dignitaries adorned in chains of office and what not, maybe one with Keanu Reeves to let tour groups know POTUS is just like us. But rather
than politicos, the photos around Alma’s place were literary titans – authors who treasure people like her and Lorenz and all they do for the benefit of others. Lorenz arrived at Alma’s as we were finishing lunch – a stack of cold, mediocre pizza (my contribution). Fersen glanced at the crusty wedges on the table with a look of mild disgust he managed to contain with utmost tact, managing a courteous nod to those of us who had, more or less, rather enjoyed the horrific food. Now I was sitting in morning sunshine with Lorenz at a West End coffee house. His expression was one of happiness – good coffee, good croissant, good company (I believe) – his eyes alight with youthful exuberance. He handed me a copy of Norbert Ruebsaat’s book of poetry, Words that forgot they exist: Dementia Dialogues, poetry written by Ruebsaat as he slowly, inexorably, slides into dementia. Like most sufferers he KNOWS he’s losing cognitive faculties, his failing mental aptitude unrecoverable. Every writer, every poet, can relate to searching for words, memories, at times as desperate as a drowning victim flailing toward a flotation device. But imagine that life preserver, your Wilson-like companion, simply floating away, forever. I remember my dad, late in his life, stating with resigned clarity and a sigh, “I’m losing it.” And knowing it was a one way road with no discernable detour. Taking the reins on this worthy endeavor, not only has Lorenz helped to compile a solid suite of his friend Norbert’s poetry, but shed light on a frighteningly familiar condition. Yes there’s research,
progress and hope, same as cancer and every other pandemic. But that doesn’t help sufferers now – those afflicted and every person who loves them. In reading these poems, lines pierce with poignant honesty. From Dementia Moment, “If I do this I’ll forget what I just did.” From Elder Poem #85, “How does one simply die?” And from To my Daughter, “Thank you.” I’m reminded of poet Rob Taylor’s book Oh, Not So Great: Poems from the Depression Project, the ambitious, successful project shedding light on mental health issues published by SFU Health Sciences Department – more good people doing good work through poetry. It’s satisfying to know Fersen is bringing Norbert’s book to a wider audience, a fresh facet of research, insight, awareness, and collaboration. Norbert Ruebsaat’s Words that forgot they exist: Dementia Dialogues is available through Amazon. Bill Arnott is the bestselling author of Gone Viking: A Travel Saga (WIBA 2019 Finalist). Bill’s been a featured performer and host at hundreds of literary festivals and mixed-media events across Canada and internationally. His articles, reviews and poetry are published in Canada, the US, UK, Europe and Asia. When not trekking the globe with a weatherproof journal and horribly outdated camera phone Bill can be found on Canada’s west coast, making friends and generally misbehaving. @billarnott_aps
Poetry Parlour See what Leaguers have to say about the creative process, upcoming talent and more!
November was the launch of Poetry Parlour, and the League is delighted that so many of our members responded with such diverse and thoughtful answers. Thank you to everyone who contributed for sharing your opinions, reccomendations and thoughts.
November Question 1: What is your favourite way to experience poetry? (i.e. live readings, books, recordings, performances)
“I love live theatre so I am attracted to live readings and those poets who actually perform versus read their work on the stage. However, I am also a visual learner, so I love reading and studying the poems on the page. It allows me to read and re-read them for deeper meaning. Of course, I like the variety of styles so I prefer not to have a favourite.” – Debbie Okun Hill “Live readings, performance, poetry as part of liberal religion services, poetry for social justice, community and compassion.” – Janet Vickers “Live readings, if I can hear them. Otherwise, books.” –Carol Dilworth
“Depends on both the work and the ability of the poet to read their work aloud and engage with the audience. Some work is easy to take in with immediacy while other work requires reflection.” –Amanda Earl
“I love live poetry performances. As a co-facilitator of the Scarborough Poetry Club, I am very fortunate to hear a myriad of new poetic voices every month that are both inspiring and encouraging. I also believe that live poetry performances help to keep the art of poetry fresh and alive.” –Jeevan Bhagwat “Silent reading, followed by reading aloud to myself. Talking books too.” –Colin Morton
November Question 2: Who do you write your poems for? “I write poems for the world, for anyone and anything interested in the human condition.” – Janet Vickers “Does it have to be a who? I initially write my poems for ‘sanity’, for the love of words, and for the thirst for knowledge. Poems are the magical messages we receive and then release into the world like stardust. The best poems are organic in that they evolve in meaning depending on the reader.” – Debbie Okun Hill
“The public at large and not some literary clique.” –Andrew Parkin “An audience. I write about historical and social issues.” –Carol Dilworth “For kindred misfits so that they know they are not alone.”
–Amanda Earl “First and foremost for myself, to get what’s inside out where it can be seen and played with and shaped.” –Colin Morton “I get asked this question a lot. The truth is, I write for myself. I believe that a poet must be true to their own self. If s/he starts writing for others, their voice begins to lack authenticity and does not accurately reflect their own lived experiences. So, to avoid this, I write about what I know or feel to be my truth.” –Jeevan Bhagwat
November Question 3: Who is an up-and-coming poet that everyone should check out?
“I enjoy the poetry of Tom Leduc. His book, Slagflower, is a gripping and moving account of growing up in Sudbury and what life was like for those working in the mines. I would recommend it to everyone.” –Jeevan Bhagwat “Ariel Dawn.” –Amanda Earl “Truth Is, a slam poet from Guelph, Ontario.” –Carol Dilworth
“Sile Englert. She’s a London, Ontario poet, fiction writer, and multi-disciplinary artist. Her first chapbook Threadbare was released this autumn 2019 by Baseline Press.” –Debbie Okun Hill
“Sarah Tsiang.” –Janet Vickers “Mary Lee Bragg.” –Colin Morton
LCP 2019
A look back at 2019...
120 NEW MEMBERS!
The League is grateful to everyone who has joined us this year and all of you who have stayed with us over the years! We are now supporting 800+ members!
NEWSLETTERS 1000+ Poetry Pause subscribers – that's a 100% increase! 264 Poetry Pause Poems delivered to inboxes around the world (including Canada, USA, Mexico, Australia, UK, Germany, Jamaica, Israel, Switzerland, India and more!) 1100+ Between the Lines subscribers
The League is dedicated to supporting poets and poetry in Canada. For a small organization, we are proud of the work we have done this past year, and we couldn't have done it without your contribution! Thank you for supporting the League.
SOCIAL
20% increase in Facebook followers 20% increase in Twitter followers 75% increase in Instagram followers
FUNDING
In 2019 so far, the League has paid more than $106,000 to poets through our funding programs!
LCP CHAPBOOK SERIES The League published 2 chapbooks in 2019, and there will be at least 3 more coming in 2020, including the Black Poets Chapbook, set to be released in February!
DONATIONS
We've recieved $5000+ in donations this year, thank you to everyone who generously gave, this money goes directly to programs and funding for poetry in Canada!
Wishing you a warm 2020 from the League of Canadian Poets.
REVIEW: Local Heroes by Penn Kemp By Jennifer Wenn cultural centre” (from the Acknowledgements). The two longest sections, as noted below, intersect poetry with other forms “the way two branches of the Thames meet at the Forks” in downtown London (from the Acknowledgements).
Local Heroes by Penn Kemp is an “eclectic collection” (from the introduction) of pieces celebrating a range of fascinating people from London, Ontario, and the wider Southwestern Ontario region (or Souwesto, a term popularized by James Reaney, one of those honoured in the Tributes section). A key common thread, in addition to their connection to the region, is their shared “sense of adventure and exploration” (from the introduction). And through them the work explores London’s evolution “from colonial outpost to vibrant
Local Heroes is divided into six sections: On Celebrating Several Local Heroes…, Teresa Harris Rides Again, When the Heart Parts, Tributes, Dream Sequins for Alice Munro, and London Local Heroes. On Celebrating Several Local Heroes… is comprised of Kemp’s short introduction to the work, and one poem, The Sesquicentennial As Celebrated in Souwesto, which is a tribute to the indigenous peoples of Souwesto, the original cultural heroes of this land. It also provides the foundation on which the rest of the work stands, with its establishment of the primacy of “this beloved place.” Teresa Harris Rides Again is a most enjoyable, and illuminating, cycle of eleven poems of varying length honouring the youngest child of the well-known Harris family of nineteenth-century London, Ontario. Teresa Harris, born in 1839, lived a most adventurous life, among other things participating in arduous
journeys to regions, such as Tibet, very rarely seen by western women in that era. This was partly an attempt to escape convention (The Dream Life of Teresa Harris, b. 1839 d. 1928), although she was not entirely successful (What the Ram Said; On What Is Perceived; the latter is a wonderful exploration of the cover photograph). This section is a meeting of poetry and drama, with play-style expression coupled to poetry and narration. Various voices are represented, including Kemp herself, Teresa, Teresa’s mother Amelia, and St. George Littledale (Teresa’s second husband), whose eulogy for Teresa retrospectively ties together much of the preceding material (St. George’s Eulogy). Harris was a remarkable woman eminently worthy of celebration, a cause Kemp has undertaken in two plays, although, as Kemp notes in her introduction, poetry is her “first and most beloved medium of expression.” When the Heart Parts, the longest section, originated as a performance piece concerning the last week in the life of Kemp’s father Jim Kemp (“London artist and mentor of artists in the fifties”; from the Acknowledgements) and lies at the intersection of poetry and sound opera. Combining stream of consciousness sound poetry, narrative, transcriptions of dialogue, a dream journal, and more conventional poems, this is a very intense and very personal work, simultaneously the core of the book and a bit of an outlier. The mixture of techniques is quite effective, although hearing the sound poetry in your head may be challenging. This is not easy reading, but extremely rewarding, the author’s vul-
nerability serving to irresistibly carry one along through a collage of event chronicle, memories, and overwhelming emotion as Jim, with his family alongside, embarks on the final adventure of this life. The Tributes section features four major London, Ontario and area arts figures. The first is visual artist Greg Curnoe (Travelling Lights), tragically killed in 1992 when a pickup truck hit his group of cyclists. Also celebrated is the Reaney family, the late poet and playwright James Reaney (Drawing in Miniatures); the late poet and short story-writer Colleen Thibaudeau Reaney (Recounted, ReStored, ReStoried); and their son, journalist James Stewart Reaney. Dream Sequins for Alice Munro is comprised of three poems honouring the Nobel Prize-winning short story-writer from Huron County north of London (Goldilocks Meets Alice in Huron County; Nettle; and Alice(s) on Wonderland). The final section, London Local Heroes, celebrates pioneering London poetry publisher Brick Books and its principal Kitty Lewis (Follow the Yellow Brick Road); Giller Price-winning short story-writer, novelist and teacher Bonnie Burnard (The Circle Completes, the Net Connects); and the multiple gold medal-winning ice dance team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (Mirror Neurons). Topically, Local Heroes presents a layered structure. This is most obvious in the Teresa Harris Rides Again cycle, with indigenous peoples and the
original land composing the deepest stratum (per The Sesquicentennial As Celebrated in Souwesto from the first section; and Teresa’s memories of her indigenous Cook in Choose but Choose Wisely). The Harris family’s transplanted Victorian England is the next layer: “A palimpsest is imposed on old-growth// forest as if summoning the Old World to replace place names with their own, erasing other pasts for this newly named road…” (Street Tales, Street Tells); and “a palimpsest of green shire//the Harris family had to transplant here” (Solastalgia). Finally, covering all, is the modern London, Ontario of the author: “When jackhammers ring through the layers down, we glimpse//peripheral reminiscence part dreamt, part recollected in shards.” (Street Tales, Street Tells). In a larger sense, this is also true of the entire work, progressing from the native peoples through Teresa’s Victorian adventures to the sections in honour of twentieth century Souwesto cultural heroes (When the Heart Parts, Tributes, Dream Sequins for Alice Munro, the first two poems from Local London Heroes) and ending with the twenty-first century triumphs of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (Mirror Neurons). As mentioned, all of the honourees are united by ties to Souwesto and a common adventurousness and urge to explore in one fashion or another. In addition, weaving through and further knitting together the different sections are a number of other themes, three of which are home, death and transition, and memory. Starting with the home thread, all of the honoured figures are from Southwestern Ontario, with the
Harris family and their peers grafting on not just English traditions (“patterned upon London, England//like a pale shadow of the mother country.”, Why Teresa Harris) but trees, gardens and place names (Street Tales, Street Tells; Solastalgia; Telling Tales) to try and mould their adopted land into their idea of home. Teresa herself went to the other side of the world to “escape//the confines of colonial London” (Why Teresa Harris?) only to find, in the end, “familiar voices are calling me//back, calling me home.” (Choose but Choose Wisely). Of note as well is that the author, following Teresa’s pattern, returned to her London, Ontario, roots in 2001 after being away for thirty-five years, as is pointed out in the introduction. Winding through When the Heart Parts is the voyage home of Jim Kemp’s spirit, a journey prefigured in a poem the author was working on the day the call came that her father was in hospital. This poem concerned the Ka (the part of the soul in ancient Egyptian mythology representing the life force) and featured the lines “ ‘Ka, call of the dead//on their sail home.’ ” (February 25.). As Jim lies dying, the author reads to him from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which is intended in part to guide the consciousness from death through to the next rebirth (March 1.; March 3.). In another instance of this theme James Reaney “returned here to//beloved Souwesto, to the field//and his Perth County farmhouse.” (Drawing in Miniatures). Finally, the author meets Alice Munro in her home town (Goldilocks Meets Alice in Huron County) and her city apartment
(Nettle), and Munro’s own celebrated works focus on “the upright citizens of a small Souwesto town//whose truths Alice has been dealing for decades” (Goldilocks Meets Alice in Huron County). Death and transition also figure prominently throughout the work. Most notably of course When the Heart Parts is an in-depth exploration of Jim Kemp’s passing and his family’s journey with him in his final days. In addition, as Kemp notes in her introduction, many of the pieces are eulogies. But this stream also manifests in a number of other ways: the death of William John Scott, Teresa Harris’ first husband (The Dream Life of Teresa Harris, b. 1839 d. 1928); her second husband, St. George Littledale’s, transformative experience with a ram he was unable to shoot (What the Ram Said); Harris’ overall arc from Victorian Ontario to the wilds of Tibet and back; the exploration of Teresa’s passing (Choose But Choose Wisely; St. George’s Eulogy); Jim Kemp’s spiritual explorations (February 25.; March 5.); the explicit portrayal of Greg Curnoe’s tragic death (Travelling Lights); and James Stewart Reaney’s retirement (On His Retirement). Memory is another important theme. The allure and challenges are explicitly discussed in Solastalgia: “Old lays, old lies surround and comfort,//surround and drown the sound of voices I wish I could hear,//voices now dissolved to ether, to the vagaries of memory//recalling memory, lost in translation.” It is, naturally, central to all of the work’s tributes, but is also critical to St. George’s memories of Teresa (St. George’s Eulogy); Jim
Kemp’s own memories (Knock, Knock); the memories of Jim’s father (March 2.); the recollections of Jim’s wife of dealing with the initial stage of his final health crisis (February 25., March 2.); “trolling//the midden of memory” with Colleen Thibaudeau Reaney (Recounted, ReStored, ReStoried); and the call to James Stewart Reaney to write his memoirs (On His Retirement). The set of poems in Local Heroes, is, Kemp says in her introduction “dear to my heart”, a sentiment that is most evident as we make acquaintance with an intriguing cast of characters from Southwestern Ontario’s cultural history. The two longest features are the trek of the remarkable Teresa Harris to Tibet and back, and Jim Kemp’s agonizing final journey. This a work of intersectionality and varied technique, with a range of emotion from affection and humour to deep sorrow, its eclecticism bound together by overarching themes including home, death and transition, and memory.
New League Members This year, the League welcomed 120 new members! Mike Barnes has worked as a fishing guide, piano teacher, janitor, hospital porter, steelworker, dishwasher, art gallery attendant, teacher, and tutor. His poetry and short stories have appeared in such journals as The Fiddlehead, Event, Waves, Grain, and Dandelion. Presently he lives in Toronto. Ashley Elizabeth Best is from Cobourg, ON, Canada. Her work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in CV2, Berfrois, Grist, Ambit Magazine, Glasgow Review of Books, Lumina, and The Literary Review of Canada. Recently she was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry. Her first book, Slow States of Collapse is forthcoming with ECW Press. She lives and writes in Kingston. Susan Buis lives on an acreage near Kamloops and teaches at Thompson Rivers University. Her writing has appeared in CV2, Vallum, Grain, Event, Prairie Fire, The Malahat Review, and The Fiddlehead, and has won awards from some of these journals. Her writing has been longlisted for CBC Canada Writes several times. A chapbook, Sugar for Shock, winner of the John Lent Prize, is available from Kalamalka Press.
Conyer Clayton Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Conyer Clayton received an MA in English from the University of Louisville in 2013. Later that year, she moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia and in 2016, to Ottawa. Conyer is a poet, sound-artist, dancer, and gymnastics coach. Conyer’s debut full-length poetry collection, We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite, is forthcoming with Guernica Editions, Spring 2020. Carla Drysdale is the author of All Born Perfect (Kelsay Books, 2019); Inheritance (Finishing Line Press, 2016) and Little Venus (Tightrope Books, 2010). Her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including Paris Press, Cleaver Magazine, PRISM, The Same, LIT, The Literary Review of Canada, Canadian Literature, The Fiddlehead, Global City Review, Literary Mama and in the anthologies Nasty Women Poets (University of Washington Press, 2017) and Entering the Real World: VCCA Poets on Mt. San Angelo. In 2014 she was awarded PRISM’s annual Earle Birney Poetry Prize for her poem, “Inheritance.” She was nominated by Zoetic Press in 2015 for Bettering American Poetry recognition. Her poem, “New Year’s Eve” was set to music by American Pulitzerprize winning composer David Del Tredici.
Sarah Ens’ writing has appeared in Prairie Fire, Arc Poetry Magazine, Contemporary Verse 2, Poetry Is Dead, Room Magazine, SAD Mag, and elsewhere. In 2019, she won The New Quarterly’s Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest and placed 2nd in Contemporary Verse 2’s 2019 2-Day Poem Contest. She also won 1st place in Room Magazine’s 2018 Short Forms Contest. Her debut collection of poetry, The World Is Mostly Sky, is forthcoming with Turnstone Press in spring 2020. Sarah holds a BFA from the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing program and is a current MFA in Writing candidate at the University of Saskatchewan. Her thesis project is a prairie long poem focussing on human and ornithological migration. Sarah works as an editor and copyeditor on a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry projects and is the proofreader for Herizons magazine and Geez magazine. Raymond Filipavicius Jennica Harper is the author of three previous books of poetry: Wood (Anvil Press, 2013), which was shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay prize, What It Feels Like for a Girl (Anvil Press, 2008), and The Octopus and Other Poems (Signature Editions, 2006). Her poetry has been translated for the stage (Initiation Trilogy), gone viral, and won Silver at the National Magazine Awards. Jennica also writes for television, and lives with her family in Vancouver. Carol Harvey Steski’s debut poetry collection is forthcoming with NeWest Press. Her poems have appeared in Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology, untethered (forthcoming), Room, Prairie Fire, Freefall, Contemporary
Verse 2 and on CBC Radio. Her work was shortlisted for Freefall’s 2017 annual poetry contest and featured in Winnipeg Transit’s “Poetry in Motion” program. Originally from Winnipeg, she now lives in Toronto and works in corporate communications, writing, editing and managing print and digital projects Kaie Kellough is a novelist, poet, and sound performer. His latest book of poetry is Magnetic Equator (McClelland and Stewart, 2019). His solo and ensemble performances have been featured in Europe, Australia, Asia, and across Canada. His fiction includes the novel Accordéon (ARP 2016), and the short story collection Dominoes at the Crossroads (Véhicule 2020). His writing has been nominated for the Amazon/ Walrus First Novel Award, and the A.M. Klein Poetry Prize, among others. Kaie is currently focused on collaborative sound works, and on new poetry and fiction. Amy LeBlanc is an MA student in English Literature and creative writing at the University of Calgary and non-fiction editor at filling Station magazine. She is the author of two chapbooks, most recently “Ladybird, Ladybird” published with Anstruther Press (August 2018). Amy’s debut poetry collection, I know something you don’t know, is forthcoming with Gordon Hill Press in Spring 2020. Her short story collection “Homebodies” will be published by Pedlar Press in 2021. Her novella “Unlocking” will be published by the UCalgary Press in their Brave and Brilliant Series in 2022. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Room, PRISM International, and the Literary Review of Canada among others. Kelly B. Madden Originally from Toronto,
Kelly B. Madden writes poetry, fiction, children’s stories and songs. Her work has appeared in Island Writer’s Magazine, Reckoning 2 and elsewhere. She lives in the Comox Valley, BC. Linda Martin’s debut book of poetry is THE COLOUR OF CLOUDS (Inanna Publications, 2019). She is the co-author of seven non-fiction books, many on the theme of popular culture, especially in the context of female experience. She has also scripted and directed two documentary films, one featuring organic farmers in Ontario, and the other about an independent movie theater complex and museum in cottage country Ontario. Linda has worked as a librarian in Vancouver, Melbourne, and Toronto. She lives in Toronto. Katie O’Brien is a poet, community worker, queer activist, and Netflix enthusiast originally from St. John’s, Ktaqamkuk, on unceded Beothuk land. a peal of thunder, a moment of is their third chapbook. katie dislikes lying, sings a lot, and doesn’t kill bugs.
Member News Members (and non-members) are always invited to submit their readings, book launches, panels, or any other poetry-related events to our national events calendar. We are now accepting entires though an online form which can be found at poets.ca/events. Fern G. Z. Carr Fern G. Z. Carr was pleased to have been the guest speaker at a long-established book club in Kelowna. She was also featured for two events in conjunction with Canada’s 10th anniversary Culture Days celebration and the Kelowna Arts and Culture Festival 2019: Fern was delighted to be the solo performer for her poetry reading at the Rotary Centre for the Arts Mary Irwin Theatre – a beautiful venue which seats 326 people – and was humbled to have had her session (along with her photo) displayed downtown on a large outdoor digital reader board advertising both of her events.
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For her second Culture Days event, Fern met with the public to chat about poetry. She provided free poetry consultations as well as a book signing of her poetry collection, Shards of Crystal. The session was entitled, “Yes, Her Poetry Really Is in Orbit around Mars”, and was also held at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. Fern had a successful guest reading for the Central Okanagan Retired Teachers
Association fall luncheon at the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna. In addition to her poetry publications, she was pleased to learn that an essay of hers, “To Study or Not to Study Literature in Law School,” was published in an American interdisciplinary journal of the humanities. Louise Carson Louise Carson rejoices in having two books published in October. Measured: Book Two of The Chronicles of Deasil Widdy, Broken Rules Press, is historical fiction. (Book One: In Which, 2018, was shortlisted for the Quebec Writers’ Federation 2019 Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Read a review of In Which. The Cat Between, Signature Editions, is the third in her Maples Mysteries series. This fall Louise had poems in Event, The Quilliad and carte blanche. Linda Carter From Linda: I am part of a team embarking on a joint project between the Winnipeg International Writers’ Festival and Scotland’s Wigtown Book Festival and Open Book (a literature-based nonprofit) which initiates a linked exploration of home amongst women who are newcomers to Canada and to Glasgow. We’re currently looking for poems by Scottish and Canadian poets about five specific topics which we could use as readings and writing prompts within the writing groups and which we could potentially include either in part or whole in a published chapbook which would also include the writing that emerges from the group. The five topics are Doors & Keys, Kitchens, Occasions & Celebrations, Windows,
and Gardens. If you’d like to be involved, please send to homeprojectwinnipeg@ gmail.com Conyer Clayton Conyer Claton’s new book, We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite, is now availble for pre-order! Release date is May 1, 2020. Reserve your copy. Shayne Coffin Shayne has released a new book, titled Joe Batt’s Arm and Other Islands, released through Volumes Publishing and can be purchased on volumesdirect. com, amazon.com and chapters.indigo. ca. From the book jacket: Two summers, five states, and five provinces.9,000 kilometres driven with a friend to find the holy magnet pulling the soul towards understanding. Spirit taking the reins from mental illness to strive for a chance at unity between past lives, present life, and earth. Peace to write and pay respects to those who loved before. All recorded with care in this volume of poems. Magie Dominic Magie Dominic has worn many hats as her 75 years have taken her from Corner Brook to New York. An artist, writer and teacher, Dominic received the Artistic Achievement Award from the New York Innovative Theatre in September. Read more. Patricia Keeney Patricia Keeney recently presented her novel, One Man Dancing (Inanna 2016) at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Centre in Connecticut. The Centre - hosting author events associated with social and political issues - is attached to the house
in which Stowe lived and wrote her early anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Keeney read from and discussed the genesis of One Man Dancing. Based on the true story of a Ugandan/Canadian actor and member of a major theatre company operating in Uganda under the murderous regime of dictator Idi Amin, the novel - dramatizing intense international politics and harrowing personal survival - has recently been turned into a screenplay by awardwinning writer Hank Whittemore, also participating, who spoke enthusiastically about the importance of Keeney’s book as an explosively effective case of art speaking truth to power. Keeney’s website is Wapitiwords.ca Diana Manole Diana is working on a book-length hybrid project, “The Circles of Pain: Translating and Re-writing Nora Iuga.” It includes translations, as well as original poems that imagine the biography of a senior poet from a postcomunist country, who was once banned by political censors. She’s pleased to share the news that four poems have been published in “Tentacular.” Read the poems From Diana: I hope you’ll find the concept and the poems interesting. Susan McCaslin Susan McCaslin’s “Red-Shafted Northern Flicker,” is the current runner up in the Thomas Morton Memorial Prize for 2019. Judge Souvankham Thammavongsa writes: “I liked the sounds in this poem. I like the way it trusts language to be its own sound. It doesn’t matter if we’ve ever seen a living creature because the sound of one is proof, and enough.” It is currently published in Nov 2019 issue of The Puritan. Read the poem
This Fall, Susan published, “Theurgical Dreaming and the Primal Yip—a Poem and a Reflection,” in the Fall issue of Sage-ing with Creative Spirit, Grace & Gratitude. Read the poem. Another poem, “On the Mat,” appeared in Dialogue Magazine (Nanaimo, BC), Autumn 2019, Vol. 38, No. 1, 42. Read the poem On Nov. 16, 2019, she offered a nekphrastic writing workshop titled “Engaging Visual Art Through Poetry Writing” at The Fort Gallery in Fort Langley, BC. Her recent essay on a libretto by poet Robin Blaser, “Re-enacting the Sacred in Robin’s Blaser’s The Last Supper,” appeared in Golden Handcuffs Review (Seattle, WA.), ed. Lou Rowan, Vol. II, Issue 28, Dec. 2019. Read the essay Susan is currently working on an unpublished poetry manuscript titled Named and Nameless. Jennifer Wenn Jennifer has released her first chapbook, A Song of Milestones, with Harmonia Press. Read more.
Writing Opportunities Calls for Submissions Juniper Poetry will be opening their submission period this January 2020. Find out more Existere is accepting submissions of poetry. Deadline is December 31, 2019 for their Spring/Summer issue. Submissions after January 1, 2020 will be considered for their Fall/Winter issue. Find out more Peach Mag is accepting submissions of poetry, prose, and visual art through January 1-31, 2020. Find out more The Temz Review are accepting submissions for issue 10. Deadline is January 1, 2020. Find out more Sad Girl Review is seeking list poems for their next issue. Deadline January 2, 2019. Find out more Other Tongues Co-editors Adebe DeRango-Adem and Andrea Thompson are seeking submissions of writing and/or artwork for a follow-up anthology of work by and about mixed-race women, called Other Tongues: Mixed-Race Women Speak Out (Again!). Deadline for Submissions is January 15, 2020. Find out more
The Anti Languorous Project is currently accepting submissions for their “Abrupt Environments� issue. Deadline is January 17, 2020. Find out more Qwerty Magazine is accepting submissions to their Spring 2020 Ecology-themed issue. Deadline January 31, 2020. Find out more Room Magazine is seeking submissions of poetry for their upcoming issue with the theme of Neurodivergence. Deadline January 31, 2020. Find out more Scrivener Creative Review 45th call for submissions. They are looking for sequences, long poems, narrative poems, and prose poems. Deadline is January 31, 2020. Find out more Grain Magazine has opened their submissions period and will be accepting poetry for upcoming issues. Deadline is May 15, 2020. Find out more Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2) is accepting submissions of poetry and other works. Submission period ends May 31, 2019. Find out more Plenitude is currently accepting poetry submissions with no set deadline. Find out more
Cosmonauts Avenue seeks poetry for their online, monthly literary journal. No listed deadline. Find out more Gordon Hill Press, the newest voice in Canadian literatures, is looking for booklength submissions of exemplary poetry by Canadian writers, particularly those living with disability. No listed deadline. Find out more Dreamers Magazine is accepting poetry submissions on a rolling basis that focus on the intersections of wellness – narrative medicine, medical memoir, writing the self, healing writing, etc. Selected writers for publication will recieve a $20 honorarium. Learn more Humber Literary Review is accepting general submissions for their Spring/Summer 2020 Issue. Find out more Lavender Review is accepting submissions on a rolling basis. No deadline. Find out more The Malahat Review is accepting submissions on a rolling basis. Find out more Ricepaper Magazine is seeking submissions from Asian writers of all cultural backgrounds. No listed deadline. Find out more Sewer Lid Magazine is accepting poetry on a rolling basis. Find out more Subterrain Magazine has open submissions for their Spring 2020 Special issue with the theme of “Visions of the Cultural Ramifications of Current and Future
Trends in Digital Technologies.” No listed deadline. Find out more Brick Books welcomes submissions of audio recordings for Brickyard—an audio/visual hub proud to showcase excellence in Canadian writers, poets, storytellers, and spoken word artists. Artists selected for new features exclusive to the Brickyard site will receive a $200 honorarium for their work. Coordinator Adebe DeRango-Adem will curate from submissions to this open call. Adebe De-Rango-Adem recently wrote about Brickyard in a blog post on poets. ca. Read about Brickyard Awards and Contests Toronto Arts Foundation Awards Nominations are open for a series of cash awards we present each year to professional artists, cultural leaders and businesses in recognition of artistic excellence, cultural leadership and contribution to the arts. Each award comes with a cash prize, ranging as high as $20,000! Deadline is February 3, 2019. Find out more Into the Void Poetry Prize Open for submissions. Winning poem will be awarded $500 and there are also prizes for 2nd and 3rd places. The three winning poems will be published in print and online in Issue 16. All entries come with a free one-year online subscription to Into the Void. Deadline is January 31, 2020. Find out more 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Open to all indie book authors and pub-
lishers including independent publishers (small, medium or otherwise), university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2018, 2019 or 2020 or with a 2018, 2019 or 2020 copyright date. Deadline Feb 14, 2020. Find out more Writer’s Union of Canada Short Prose Competition for Emerging Writers. Deadline is February 14, 2020. Find out more Pandora’s Collective International Poetry Contest With Adult, Youth and Children’s categories. Deadline is January 15, 2020. Find out more Job Opportunities, Residencies & Mentorships University of Calgary The Calgary Distinguished Writers Program at the University of Calgary invites emerging to mid-career writers of all genres to apply for our 2021-2022 paid ten-month residency. Applications are open until January 15, 2020. Find out more Green College Writer in Residence Position: Green College, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2020-21 and Subsequent Years. Deadline to apply: January 29 Find out more. Banff Centre Poetry, Politics, and Embodiment Resi-
dency: This thematic residency is led by Billy-Ray Belcourt and Mercedes Eng. Deadline to apply is January 8, 2020. Banff Centre Writing Studio - This program for writers and poets seeking artistic inspiration and growth provides an extended period of uninterrupted writing time and oneon-one editorial assistance from experienced writers/editors. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your work at a weekly reading event. Deadline to apply January 15, 2020
Bookish Bits & Industry News The Writers’ Union of Canada calls on the new federal government to act immediately with repairs to a broken marketplace for Canadian books. Access Copyright releases press release on the recent decision by the Copyright Board of Canada to outline a reasonable framework for universities and colleges (outside of Quebec) to copy and share works in Access Copyright’s repertoire while ensuring fair compensation to writers, visual artists and publishers for the use of their works in post-secondary institutions. Poetry Pharmacy Literature academics from Keele University are opening an innovative “Poetry Pharmacy” to dispense literary “first aid” as a way of bringing the therapeutic benefits of poetry to the local community and to support mental health. Congratulations! —>League member Conyer Clayton has won The Capilano Review’s Robin Blaser Poetry Award!