Member News

and integrity in practice. He creates opportunities to support marginalized communities cultivate their voice: “It takes a community to build an artist... whether we are nurtured by it, or resist against it.” Johnny D Trinh is a member of the League of Canadian Poets, and holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Theatre & Creative Technology. Johnny’s research focuses on autho-ethnographic performance, and spoken word as a primary method in community-engaged art.

Anna van Valkenberg

Matthew James Weigel

Vironika Wilde / Tugaleva / Nikulya / Viro / Nika / poet / feminist / nomad / vocalist / cat fanatic / queer / immigrant / survivor / tree hugger / activist / crossing borders / gazing at the stars / pickles / coffee / getting lost in the woods / questioning authority / avocadoes / dancing in the rain

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Donna Allard A new book of poetry by League member Donna Allard, Intl New Generation Beat Poet Laureate for Canada (2019-2020). Check it out on Amazon.

Bill Arnott is excited to announce the release of his poetry collection, Forever Cast in Endless Time (Silver Bow Publishing, 2021). This collection of work - first published in literary journals and anthologies in Canada, the US, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia - examines the cadence of exploration, discovery, and play. Watch for Bill’s LCP launch events, happening this Spring!

Rebecca Anne Banks Subterranean Blue Poetry Announces! Coming Soon! The Covid Diaries: Cat on the Piazza for March 2021 (Volume IX Issue III) Revenge of the Deep Green Forest for April 2021 (Volume IX Issue IV) Working on: A New Age Book of Poetry, PoemZ 4 U AND YourZ by Zo-Alonzo Gross. An arthouse book (8.5” x 11”) collection of 40 poems with original artwork for March 2021 launch @ Ingram Sparks. - A Subterranean Blue Poetry Im-

print - A New Age Book of Erotica, The Pink by Kimberlynne Darby Newton for launch at Amazon.com. Hardcopy Issues of Subterranean Blue Poetry are Available @ Amazon Stations. Currently Available: • Volume VII Issue XII (“The Leonard Cohen for Christmas 2019

Issue) • Volume VIII Issue V (“The Missing”) • Volume VIII Issue VI (“the last station”) • Volume VIII Issue IX (“A day in the life – A day at the Aquarium”) • Volume VIII Issue X (“The Blue

Girl”) • Volume VIII Issue XI (“Blue Pink”) • Volume VIII Issue XII (“The Marlon Brando for Christmas 2020

Issue) • Volume IX Issue I (“Four Trees of

Park Hill: angels in the forest”) • Volume IX Issue II (“Black Lives

Matter”) Perfect bound 7” x 10” in full Colour with Colour Art/Photos, midnight blue font, in French and English. If you want a Hardcopy Issue in the back catalogue, please Inbox. The more requests for an Issue the sooner it is created. Soooo exciting! Currently l@@king for New Age Poetry Submissions, Of Poetic Interest . . . critical essays, Masthead Art/Photos, and Books of Poetry for Book Reviews. We Pay $10 per Poem, $20 per Of Poetic Interest, critical essay, and $20 per Masthead Art/Photo, in the month of publication. A Submission Call! Title: Thunder Under the Mountain. Theme: “An Angel in the afternoon, winter tears in Summer longing, thunder under the mountain, the five of cups, the sky, castles in the sky. . .” Deadline: Open. Email: subterraneanbluepoetry@outlook.com Optional Pay-What-You-Can Reading Fee ($1 per Poem, up to 5 Poems). We pay $10 per Poem, $20 per Of Poetic Interest . . . critical essay and $20 per Masthead Art/Photo. Payment in the month of publication by PayPal. New Age Poetry. We are L@@king for Symbolist, Surrealist, Imagist, Beat Poetry progressions and The New Goth. If it bangs in the dance it’s in. Deadline: Open. Email: subterraneanbluepoetry@outlook.com. “all the poetry, everywhere” “for those subterranean blues” www.subterraneanbluepoetry.com

David Brydges Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest (Canada’s oldest non-governmental poetry contest). Entry fee: $10 per poem. Cash Prizes: $1600: $300 first place, $200 second place, $100 third place, 8 honourable mentions of $75, 8 judge’s choice of $50. Complimentary anthology to all winners. Deadline: Friday April 30, 2021 HENCEFORTH WE ARE ONLY ACCEPTING ONLINE SUBMISSIONS WITH E-TRANSFER PAYMENT TO mybrydges@yahoo.ca Visit www.springpulsepoetryfestival. com for further info and rules. Enquires: Send to David Brydges mybrydges@yahoo.ca

Fern G. Z. Carr was delighted to discover that her poetry published in “Climate of Opinion: Sigmund Freud in Poetry” received a complimentary

shout-out by a reviewer in the Winter 2020 issue of Division | Review. She was also pleased that the Federation of BC Writers reprised her article, “Unlocking the Door - Publishing Tips and Resources” in: “Throwback Thursday - An article from WordWorks 2020 Vol II, in which Fern G. Z. Carr shares resources that helped her be published over 700 times worldwide!” Read the article. Fern had a delightful light-hearted interview with Bill Arnott – “A fun interview with Fern G. Z. Carr - a poet whose work is out of this world, literally - on the latest Artist Showcase.” Check out the interview. Fern continues to curate her YouTube poetry channel featuring beautifully illustrated poems which she composes and performs, along with readings recorded live, poetry lesson plans and guides, plus her translations of her poetry. For a new video every Wednesday, please be sure to click “Subscribe” – it’s free. Checkout Fern’s Youtube Channel.

Louise Carson’s poem ‘Kindly burn’ appears in Prairie Fire Vol. 41, No. 4. Louise Carson has three poems in Subterranean Blue Poetry, Volume IX, Issue III. Read the poems.

Ron Charach This spring, Ron Charach will be publishing with Friesen Press his first children’s literature book, Lemily by the Sea, illustrated by Laura Catrinella.

Conyer Clayton

Conyer and Manahil Bandukwala recently released a collaborative chapbook and cine-poem, called Sprawl | the time it took us to forget with Collusion Books. Buy the chapbook, as well as watch the cine-poem on Collusion’s site. Or check out the audio for the

Julie de Belle’s interview at La Maison Felix Leclerc with Mosaik’s Stephan Daigle. Watch the interview

Jennifer Bowering Delisle’s new collection of poetry from University of Alberta Press, Deriving, is out this month. Her launch event took place on March 24 with Lisa Martin and was hosted by Glass Bookshop and Shelf Life Books.

Adrienne Drobnies’ first book Salt and Ashes (Signature Editions, 2019) won the 2020 Fred Kerner Book Award from the Canadian Authors Association. It was also long listed for the Fred Cogswell Prize.

Amanda Earl is the editor of Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry, A 21st Century Anthology to be published by Timglaset Editions of Sweden in Spring, 2021. Find out more

Marilyn Gear Pilling The Gods of East Wawanosh, by Marilyn Gear Pilling, a book of poetry published by Cormorant Books and edited by Robyn Sarah has won the Hamilton Arts Council Award for Best Book of Poetry. Check out the Awards page.

Suparna Ghosh’s poetry and visual art are integrated, hence this news is relevant in the context of the League. Two of her pen, brush and ink drawings were selected by five independent jurors, for their first national show sponsored by the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto. Check out Suparna’s website Susan Glickman Artful Flight, Susan Glickman’s 16th book, a selection of her essays and book reviews - mostly about poetry - from 19852019, will be published in April by The Porcupine’s Quill. Learn more

Catherine Graham’s seventh collection of poetry, Æther: An Outof-Body Lyric, appears this spring with Wolsak & Wynn / Buckrider Books. “Swimming through time and space, Graham introduces her mother, her father and herself and the cancers that pull them apart and bring them together. Memories mesh with visitations and multiple stories unfold of pain and loss, hidden tragedy, forgiveness and growth. With an otherworldly delicacy Graham stitches it all together to create a book-length lyric essay of lingering and profound beauty, a paean to the complexity of love and survival.” Visit Catherine’s website.

gillian harding-russell At the tail end of 2020, Uninterrupted was published. The collection is about nature and human nature during the Anthropocene and the poems are sometimes speculative and dystopic but are written out of a fear for what could be lost to us. Nature in its beauty and dynamism is a fragile system that could be lost to us – though it will continue in some form without us. ‘Uninterrupted’ nature was once our home and identity, one that we looked to for meaning and solace, a world larger than ourselves – but lately we seem to have forgotten our place in the cosmos. These poems of warn-

ing evoke terror in quasi-recognition of what could be our future. Yet they are written out of love for what soon may be lost and they search for what may be wrong in ourselves. ISBN: 978-1-77171-410-5 Publisher: Ekstasis Editions Purchase the poetry collection from Ekstasis Editions Or to acquire a copy from the author, please email gillian@gillianharding-russell. ca. Check out the video launch from Jan 10, 2021

Crystal Hurdle INVERSE: joint poetry reading on April 10th at 2pm pacific time sponsored by The Federation of BC Writers featuring Aidan Chafe, Crystal Hurdle, Joanne Arnott, and Laisha Rosnau, hosted by Fiona Tinwei Lam Check out the event page.

Keith Inman has work published, or upcoming, in seven anthologies for 2020/21, most from Ontario, one Saskatchewan, and two international. He will again co-ordinate The Banister Poetry Contest / Anthology for 2021. It’s 36th edition; hIs 15th year on the board; sixth as chair. This year’s judge is Dr. Elspeth Cameron. Last fall, Keith participated in Black Moss Press’s video zoom recordings of authors discussing and reading their poetry. You can find the VZR’s at blackmosspress.com He also continues to participate in monthly poetry meetings based on the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop style of round table discussion and sharing. Although, these are now zoomed, they continue to be extremely valuable. Penn Kemp Forthcoming Events with Penn Kemp: April, 2021. NPM Zoom and launch of Femmes de Parole/Women of their Word, edited by Nancy R Lange. Contact: rappelparolecreation@hotmail.com for more info. 2021. “Becoming”: a poem of 80 words matched with Jim Kemp’s painting for 80mL Exhibition to celebrate Museum London’s 80th Birthday. Check out the webpage Contact: 80museumlondon@gmail. com My news is up on www.pennkemp.weebly.com and www.wordpress.com as well as facebook.com. pennkemp.poet and www.twitter. com/pennkemp. PUBLICATIONS: “To Carry the Heart of Community Wherever You Find Yourself”. Sage-ing With Creative Spirit, Grace and Gratitude, www. sageing.ca. Spring 2021. READINGS: April 18, 2021. 4pm. Readings from “Voicing Suicide”, an anthology edited by Daniel G. Scott. Contact: voicingsuicide@gmail. com, organizer Josie Andrews j_andrews@sympatico.ca April, 2021. National Poetry Month zoom and launch of Femmes de Parole/Women of their Word, edited by Nancy R Lange. Readings: Penn Kemp and Sharon Thesen. Contact: rappelparolecreation@hotmail.com. May 20, 3pm, 2021. Feature, Owen Sound Poet Laureate Open Mic series. Host: Richard-Yves Sitoski Check out the Facebook event

R Kolewe A new chapbook titled The Wild Fox is now available from knife | fork | book.

Fiona Tinwei Lam A fun new Poetry Phone Hotline in Vancouver includes audiorecordings by ten BC poets: Fiona Tinwei Lam, Jennica Harper, Jonina Kirton, Otoniya Juliane Bitek, Christine Bissonnette, Charlie Demers, Joanne Arnott, Rachel Rose, curator Renee Sarojini Saklikar & Dina Del Bucchia. Fiona is one of 11 poets who made short video poems for a BC Farm Folk City Folk fundraiser, now posted on its Youtube channel. She has been hosting In/Verse, a monthly online poetry series for the Federation of BC Writers. Poetry Phone: 1-833-POEMS-4-U Paul Lisson

Paul Lisson’s debut book of poetry, “The Perfect Archive” (Guernica Editions, 2019), is a Hamilton Literary Awards finalist in two categories: Poetry and the Kerry Schooley Book Award. Results coming 2021. Read the finalists announment in The Spec

David Ly was recently interviewed by It Gets Better Canada, an organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect 2SLGBTQ+ youth across Canada. I talked about how poetry helped shape my queer identity!

Annick MacAskill Upcoming Event: National Poetry Month Virtual Reading: Poetry for the Cruelest Month - Hosted on Zoom by the Halifax Public Library. Join us online for a poetry reading in honour of National Poetry Month. We have three local poets ready to help us celebrate by reading excerpts from their latest works: Annick MacAskilll, Murmurations, Nolan Natasha, I Can Hear You, Can You Hear Me? and Anna Quon. Annick MacAskill will

moderate a QandA session after the readings. Learn more and RSVP

Carol L. MacKay’s 2020 poetry appearances included publication in the League’s Poem in Your Pocket Day brochure and postcard project, as well as poems in the Life of Pie anthology (edited by Myrna Garanis and Ivan Sundal) and in the Sheri-D Wilson/Frontenac House anthology: YYC Pop: Portraits of People. Her poetry was also published in Prairie Journal (Issue #75) and in the anthology, Alone but Not Alone, published by Vancouver Island Regional Library. Her poems for children were published this year by Ladybug, Babybug and The Caterpillar (Ireland).

Susan McCaslin’s most recent volume of poetry, Heart Work (Ekstasis Editions, Victoria, BC) was released in mid-Dec. 2020. The title is currently available on the Ekstasis website. A virtual launch took place on Feb. 24, 2021 with fellow Ekstasis author Jude Neale and host Cynthia Sharp. A video-recording of her reading of the poem “Persephone’s Nook” for the Poets Corner was posted on its One-Minute Poem Poetry Series. Dec. 11, 2020. Susan was a featured reader at the following: In/Verse Poetry Series, sponsored by the Federation of BC Writers on Sat. Dec. 12, 2020, host Fiona Lam. The Parkland Poet’s Society, Stony Plane, Alberta, hosts SaraSwoti Lamichane & Lisa Mulrooney, Feb. 11, 2021, with fellow readers Emily Thomas & Claire Kelly. Her poem “Corona, Corona,” from Heart Work appeared in the anthology The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling: a collection of Pandemic Poems. Ed. Sheila Martindale. Victoria, BC: Goldfinch Press, 2020.

Chad Norman’s new collection, Simona: A Celebration Of The S.P.C.A., will appear and be ready for purchase from him, or the publisher, Cyberwit.Net, based out of India. Also, Norman’s poems will appear in the anthologies Under The Azure Sky Black Lives Matter, UK, Second Name For Earth Is Peace, USA, and Gathering In, Nova Scotia. Norman has started work on a new manuscript, Living Between The Brackets. Poems recently accepted by Beltway Poetry Journal (USA), Dreich, Summer Always Anthology (Scotland). Also, virtual reading events planned for May and June.

Pearl Pirie’s 4th poetry collection, footlights (Radiant Press, 2020) is now available as an audio book read by the author. It is for purchase for $8.71 at audible or free with audible trial. It is also available in print from the publisher or directly from the author pearl@pagehalffull.com,

Kyeren Regehr I’m so thrilled and grateful to share that my manuscript of poems, Disassembling A Dancer, won the Raven Chapbook Award. Upcoming event: Poets and Pedlar Press: Ronna Bloom, Kim Fahner, Moira MacDougall, and Kyeren Regehr, reading from recent work, hosted by Beth Follett.

Frances Roberts Reilly Watershed Writers is a new radio documentary

series that features in-depth interviews and conversations with local poets and writers living and writing in the Grand River watershed area. Watershed Writers is interested in poets and writers who are often largely ignored or left out of mainstream media. Host is Tanis MacDonald. Producer is LCP member, Frances Roberts Reilly. Watershed Writers is broadcast every other Tuesday on CKWR FM 98.5 Real Community Radio. Videos and podcasts are available on Watershed Writers YouTube channel and their website. Show runs to June 30, 2021.

Ingrid Ruthig The Essential Elizabeth Brewster, selected and introduced by Ingrid Ruthig, will be released from The Porcupine’s Quill in April 2021. Elizabeth Brewster (1922–2012), a Governor General’s Award finalist and member of the Order of Canada whose literary career spanned seven decades, was part of a second wave of modernist poets to influence the national conversation about Canadian poetry.

Cynthia Sharp With much gratitude to the League of Canadian Poets, I’d like to share my interdisciplinary collaboration with Jilly Watson and Wendy Bullen Stephenson, who created art to compliment my nature poems, while I wrote new verse to go with Jilly’s paintings. This is a sneak peak at our upcoming book. Thanks for taking the time to give us a view on Youtube. Candice James and I would like to invite you to our celebration of poetry, April 21, 2021, from 7-8 PM Pacific Time. We’ll be sharing new and retro verse, including some co-written pieces just for this event. Please email inthelightwt@gmail.com for the Zoom link. Thank for your support!

Vanessa Shields My new collection of poetry launches on April 29, 2021. I’m having a virtual launch beginning at 7:30pm.

Nellie P. Strowbridge My novel THE HANGED WOMAN’S DAUGHTER will be published by Flanker Press April 28, 2021. It is a sequel to the sold out novel CATHERINE SNOW. The Hanged Woman’s Daughter, a novel, will be launched (virtually) March 24th, 2021.

JC Sulzenko

The Light Ekphrastic published my ‘artnership’ with West Virginian Ron Tobey in its 44th issue in November 2020. TLE had featured my poetry paired with the work of visual artists in the past. This was my first opportunity to work to a video composition. My poem “Luck.Now” is my response to this challenge. Ron’s video interpretation of “From sea to sea,” the piece he selected from what I had sent the journal appears there as well. My thanks to Editor Jenny O’Grady for the privilege. www.jcsulzenko.com

Naomi Beth Wakan, the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Nanaimo has a new book out from Shanti Arts, Wind on the Heath. Now in her 90th year, the book contains a selection from sixty years of poetry writing. Carole MacRury writes of

it: “Plato said ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’. The poems in Wind on the Heath are all about the examined life. Naomi Beth Wakan has spent a lifetime pondering what it means to be human. Whether writing in longer lyrical verse or Japanese five-line tanka nothing escapes her gaze or her questioning mind. What is clear from this collection of poems spanning her mid-twenties to late eighties, is that she was born inquisitive and has remained inquisitive. Whether she is writing about sex or how to cut a rose, these poems offer a bittersweet look at life with irony, humor, reflection and a healthy dose of cynicism. These are poems that speak to human nature, our existential aloneness, the fleetingness of life, the pitfalls and hurdles we all must face and as quoted from “Watchers”, one of her earliest poems, this collection offers readers a crack through which we may glimpse reality. Details are at The book is obtainable in Canada through your local bookstore, from Amazon or from mail@pagesresort. com

Nan Williamson I am giving a weekly workshop, “Poetry 101” during National Poetry Week Offering Poetry 101 for beginning poets. Exclusive offer for would-be poets…only $25 for four workshop sessions. April is National Poetry Month. To mark it, The CAA will sponsor Nan Williamson to lead a four week course that is free to CA Peterborough members and Affiliates who want to explore how poetry works. For anyone who is interested but is not a paid up CA Peterborough or Affiliate member the fee will be $25, to be paid to Canadian Authors Peterborough. This offer is open to 5 persons only on a first come first serve basis. Registration. Ends on March 25th. Over the course of 4 sessions, participants will read the work of established poets, do some in-class writing, and share work in progress. There may be some homework. If there is a demand, Nan might be persuaded to run it again. If you are interested please email CA Peterborough at ptbocaa@gmail.com. Nan has listed the following potential times. When signing up, please indicate all times that are workable for you. Sundays, April 11 to May 2 1:30 – to 3:15, Or Mondays April 12 to May 3 1:30 – 3:15, Or Wednesdays April 7 to 28 7pm -8:45 Nan Williamson is a teacher, artist, and author living in Peterborough. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers, Toronto, 2013. Her chapbook, leave the door open for the moon, was published by Jackson Creek Press in 2015. Always interested in the verbal-visual connection, she plays with shapes, colours, and texture to wed form and content in paint and poetry. More than 50 of her poems have been published in juried literary journals and anthologies in Canada, the US and the UK. She has had 4 poems accepted in the past 3 months. She is also the illustrator for Delicate Impact, a Canadian anthology of poetry, A Beret Days Book, The Ontario Poetry Society, 2018.