Publishers throughout Canada and worldwide have been making remarkable efforts to respond to these tumultuous times, connect with readers, and build supportive communities. Among them are the good people at PULP Literature. In honour of Pride Month, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day this past Saturday, they are giving away the digital edition of their 27th issue through the end of June. Contributions include prose by Tomson Highway, graphic fiction by Kris Sayer, and poetry by Erin Kirsh and me. To find out more and to order your free copy, go here.
Staying at Home with Poetry
As people worldwide continue to hunker down at home, poet Claire Kelly has taken to YouTube to share her #StuckAtHomeBookClub posts—including this video that looks at Emily Nilsen’s award-winning Otolith and at The Gun That Starts the Race.
Poem in Vallum's "Fear" Issue
Vallum Poetry’s new issue explores the theme of “fear”; contributors include Nicole Brossard, George Elliott Clarke, and me.
Poems in Half a Grapefruit
Check out two new poems of mine featured this week by the good folks at Half a Grapefruit.
"Some of Us" Review
Jonathan Ball’s Winnipeg Free Press column (back in March; our radar was slow on the uptake) included a review of Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead and new books from Nathaniel G. Moore, Paul Zits, and Shannon Webb-Campbell.
Post on "All Lit Up"
The Literary Press Group asked me for some words on Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead for the “All Lit Up” blog; my post delves into the anxieties I encountered in building that book, and the relationship between my terminal “First-Person Prophet” and its source poem, Gwendolyn MacEwen’s “Dark Pines Under Water.”
Poem in Contemporary Verse 2
A terminal I wrote based on a poem by Patrick Friesen appears in the latest issue of Contemporary Verse 2, alongside new work by Lara Bozabalian, A.F. Moritz, and many more.
OLA Super Conference Book Signing
On Friday, February 1, I’ll be promoting Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead at the Ontario Book Publishers Pavilion at the OLA Super Conference 2019. If you’re attending the conference, drop by to say hello and have a book signed!
"Some of Us" Review
In an uncommon act of critical diligence, Catherine Owen tries her hand at the terminal form as a way in to reviewing Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead for her Marrow Reviews blog. (And be sure to check out the preceding entry, on Julie McIsaac’s We Like Feelings. We Are Serious., also a brand new Buckrider Book!)
"Some of Us" Fresh off the Press
Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead is emerging from the binding machine, fresh off the press at Coach House Books (printing for Wolsak & Wynn), and it looks beautiful! (Sadly the same cannot be said for its author, also pictured.) Thanks to the fine folks at CHB for letting me in to take a look and bind a few copies myself. The book, along with the rest W&W’s fall slate, launches Monday in Toronto and Tuesday in Hamilton.
Answering Some Mini Interview Questions
Over at Poetry Mini Interviews, Thomas Whyte has been posing questions to a wealth of poets and publishing the answers one by one. My replies are being gathered here; the many excellent poets featured include Canisia Lubrin, Amanda Earl, and Micheline Maylor.
Wolsak & Wynn Hamilton launch October 23
Wolsak & Wynn’s Hamilton Fall 2018 Launch, Hamilton edition, is set for October 23, 7 p.m., at the Staircase Cafe Theatre, featuring new books by Lauren B. Davis, Julie McIsaac, John Terpstra, and Andrew Wilmot, plus Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead.
"Some of Us" Launches October 22
Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead launches on October 22 at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto, as part of the Wolsak & Wynn Fall 2018 Launch, Toronto edition, featuring new books by Lauren B. Davis, Julie McIsaac, John Terpstra, and Andrew Wilmot!
Poems in The Fiddlehead
Two pieces from my upcoming collection of terminals, Some of Us and Most of You Are Dead, appear in the latest issue of The Fiddlehead.
Global Poetry Anthology 2017
The 2017 Global Poetry Anthology is available from Signal Editions; it features shortlisted entries from this year's Montreal Poetry Prize contest, including the winning poem, by Erin Rodoni, and a piece I wrote during a recent trip in the Southern U.S.
Newlove Award Honourable Mention
"Stimulant," a terminal from my collection forthcoming in 2018 from Buckrider Books, has been announced as an honourable mention for the 2017 John Newlove Poetry Award. Congratulations to winner Doris Fiszer!
Kazuo Ishiguro: A Primer
The remarkable Kazuo Ishiguro is the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature. For my take on his career (spoiler alert: I'm a fan), check out the Globe and Mail's "Kazuo Ishiguro: A Primer." My review of his most recent novel is here.
Montreal Poetry Prize Shortlist
A poem I wrote about a conch is shortlisted for the Montreal Poetry prize. You can hear me read it here, and you can check out all the finalists here.
Story in Rusty Toque
A strange tale by yours truly appears in issue 12 of the Rusty Toque, out today. All kinds of exciting stuff is crammed into this magazine!
Poems in Event
The latest issue of Event Magazine includes two poems from my collection of terminals, forthcoming in fall 2018 from Buckrider Books.