A million years ago, I taught a course at University of Alberta's Women Words. I can't remember the title, but it was about creating your own chapbook. We looked at how to consider the body of one's work and we paid close attention to how to order one's work while considering narrative, style, and them. There was more to it than that, but this was the essence of the class.
One of the students was a really good poet. She was young and oozed with potential. We now follow each other on social media and I've enjoyed watching how she's coming into her own.
Relatively recently, she posted these and ever since, I've been itching to make some of my own. Here's my first one, and I'm quite certain it won't be my last. (You can see it better if you link through to here.)
Showing posts with label Glossolalia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glossolalia. Show all posts
13 March 2014
28 February 2014
Weekend news
Mostly, my life putters along. I don't spend much time thinking about my life as a writer, although thanks to the CRSR, this year I've been able to spend much more time writing than I have in a very long time. I think about writing, yes, and I write, but I don't think about being a writer. If there is a job I think about, it's about my role as a parent, about keeping our family of five running as efficiently as possible (this is a bit of a joke, as I don't feel efficient at all, but perhaps that's why I think about it so much).
But this past weekend, I felt like a Writer (note capital letter). Thanks to the generosity of my sister who watched the kids all day, I spent Saturday at Words Thaw. After attending two panels and sitting one, by the end of the day I was completely exhausted, my brain fried, but also invigorated and inspired.
I hope the audience got as much out of the panel I sat on as I did. Sharing the stage with Tim Lilburn and Jane Munro was a wonderful experience--they're both incredibly smart and inspiring. It's so hard to tell when I'm in the middle of something like that how I'm doing. I hope I came close to matching their levels. They were wonderful.
The only downside to my day at Words Thaw, was that I became a little overwhelmed. There were people I met that I wanted to speak with more, and there was a man who asked me to sign my book but then I lost track of him and never did. I felt brainless by the end and wish I could have been more present and aware (especially sign that book!).
Now, even as fantastic as Words Thaw was, I have to admit that nothing could match my level of joy in seeing my book glowingly reviewed in The Globe and Mail. Poetry doesn't often see the pages of our national paper and that the review wasn't just online, too, was cause for celebration.
I'm so grateful my wives have received such praise and I hope they find a readership. It seems to be happening, as small as a readership poetry may garner.
24 January 2014
Too True
Glossolalia has been out in the world for almost a year now and has garnered a modest bit of attention. I keep planning on posting all the reviews and interviews I've received and given in support of my wives, not so much for bragging rights, but mostly so that I have them all together. Soon, I hope.
One of my favourite things I've done since Glossolalia was published is a reading and panel discussion with some of my favourite poets: Jennica Harper, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Amber Dawn, and moderated by Gillian Jerome. Gillian did a great job asking difficult questions, and I think the ensuing discussion was provocative.
It's about an hour and a half long, so make sure you have a pot of tea and a hearty snack beside you if you plan on watching it all in one sitting. If you do watch it all, let me know what you think. I'd love to keep the discussion going.
One of my favourite things I've done since Glossolalia was published is a reading and panel discussion with some of my favourite poets: Jennica Harper, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Amber Dawn, and moderated by Gillian Jerome. Gillian did a great job asking difficult questions, and I think the ensuing discussion was provocative.
It's about an hour and a half long, so make sure you have a pot of tea and a hearty snack beside you if you plan on watching it all in one sitting. If you do watch it all, let me know what you think. I'd love to keep the discussion going.
9 May 2013
launching
I'd done a couple readings from Glossolalia in March and April, but my first official launch was at the end of April with Dede Crane and Jay Ruzesky. I may be a little biased, but it was a great event. Bill Gaston was the host and he's absolutely charming. Dede and Jay were both engaging and entertaining readers and made me elbow my way to the front of the bookseller's line to buy their books. (Confession: I didn't really elbow my way to the front, but I wanted to.)
The room was packed and I had a few good friends in the audience. The biggest treat for me was that my husband was there (and he took some pictures from an unforgiving angle (we chose a poor place to sit), but I have pictures at least). He hadn't seen me read since 2007 and he was such a important part of the writing of Glossolalia. I'm so glad we could celebrate together.
I have one more reading in Victoria in the near future, which I'm very excited about. The much loved Russell Books is opening a new venue space that will house their vintage and collectable, and I'll be reading with literary superstars Esi Edugyan and Steven Price to launch it. I feel incredibly honoured to be part of this event, and not only because there is promise of cake.
8 May 2013
Giveaway winner!
Micheal Laverty, you have won a copy of Glossolalia!
Thanks to those who entered and helped spread the work.
Thanks to those who entered and helped spread the work.
22 March 2013
out in the world
Way back in 2007 when my first book All Things Said & Done was launched into the world, publishing and the internet were very different than their current state. I know it's only six years, but that's a lifetime in the digital world. Sure there were blogs, but not like now. Twitter didn't exist and FB was not the behemoth it has become. And with space for discussion about books shrivelling up in traditional print media, I believe lit-blogs have now mostly taken their place of influence and power. That said, I wish places like the Globe and Mail would review more poetry. Sure, I'd love mine to be mentioned on their pages, but I'd really like to read about other poets and poetry where my fellow citizens--poetry lovers or not--could do the same.
What has been alarming to me is how quickly a review can be published online. I know this shouldn't be a surprise as it's what the internet does best (next to cute animals and the other thing that I'm not going to write out because I don't want to attract those searches or bots) but it is, at least when it comes to my own book. There was the Book Riot mention even before the book was officially published, and now two more.
rob mclennan wrote "Dachsel manages to bring a life to the material, a fine and sparkling energy" amongst other things that you can read here.
Nina Berkhout at Canadian Poetries wrote "Avoiding sentimentality Dachsel gives us a haunting collection that illuminates lives that were behind-the-scenes until now. This book is a jewel-like union of unique voices. Together they create a stunning stained glass piece soldered together into a choir of glass and light." Isn't that beautiful? You can read the whole review here.
I know the point of having a book is for people to read it, but it still surprises me when they do. Saleema Nawaz wrote yesterday on her blog metaphysical conceit "Any time I meet somebody I don't already know who has read my short-story collection, it feels like nothing short of a miracle. And I'm grateful." Miracle, indeed.
I know at least one other person I have not yet met has read my book, as I'm scheduled to chat with him this weekend about it. I'll be speaking with John Herbert Cunningham on his program Speaking of Poets this Sunday. It airs on CKUW 4:30 Winnipeg time (Central Time Zone). If you aren't in Winnipeg, you can listen online live, or download it as a podcast for later. Once it's aired, I'll post a link.
I'm so incredibly thankful for those who have taken the time so far to pick up the book, read it, think about it, and want to discuss it in some way. It's exciting and terrifying.
What has been alarming to me is how quickly a review can be published online. I know this shouldn't be a surprise as it's what the internet does best (next to cute animals and the other thing that I'm not going to write out because I don't want to attract those searches or bots) but it is, at least when it comes to my own book. There was the Book Riot mention even before the book was officially published, and now two more.
rob mclennan wrote "Dachsel manages to bring a life to the material, a fine and sparkling energy" amongst other things that you can read here.
Nina Berkhout at Canadian Poetries wrote "Avoiding sentimentality Dachsel gives us a haunting collection that illuminates lives that were behind-the-scenes until now. This book is a jewel-like union of unique voices. Together they create a stunning stained glass piece soldered together into a choir of glass and light." Isn't that beautiful? You can read the whole review here.
I know the point of having a book is for people to read it, but it still surprises me when they do. Saleema Nawaz wrote yesterday on her blog metaphysical conceit "Any time I meet somebody I don't already know who has read my short-story collection, it feels like nothing short of a miracle. And I'm grateful." Miracle, indeed.
I know at least one other person I have not yet met has read my book, as I'm scheduled to chat with him this weekend about it. I'll be speaking with John Herbert Cunningham on his program Speaking of Poets this Sunday. It airs on CKUW 4:30 Winnipeg time (Central Time Zone). If you aren't in Winnipeg, you can listen online live, or download it as a podcast for later. Once it's aired, I'll post a link.
I'm so incredibly thankful for those who have taken the time so far to pick up the book, read it, think about it, and want to discuss it in some way. It's exciting and terrifying.
20 March 2013
Giveaway!
Who doesn't love a giveaway? Fools, I tell you!
Quite quietly a couple weeks ago I started a giveaway for Glossolalia over at GoodReads. My publisher, Anvil, generously has offered three copies of the book to be given away. I believe this is the first time they've done a giveaway through GoodReads, so my wives are the Guinea pigs. I haven't mentioned the giveaway on social media yet and there are already 105 people entered to win. This is crazy to me. (I hope they realize it's poetry....)
Are you on GoodReads? If so, please be my friend. I love looking through other people's bookshelves and comparing them. I've added many books to my queue this way.
Are you not on GoodReads, but still want a chance to win a copy of Glossolalia? Comment on this post with a way for me to reach you (a link to your blog, you email address, your twitter handle, anything!) and tell me the last great book you've read and I'll put your name in the hat.
Both giveaways end on April 30. You can enter both, too, if you'd like to increase your chances. No extra ballots if you tweet or FB this, but I wouldn't dissuade you from doing so either.
17 March 2013
on fear of confrontation
On Thursday night, I had my first official reading from Glossolalia. I read in Vernon with Hannah Calder (who didn't have any books to sell as her publisher didn't get them to her on time. I was so disappointed as her reading was fantastic and I'm very intrigued by More House) and the always excellent Laisha Rosnau was our host.
I've read from the collection before, but as I mentioned previously this was the first time I'd read from the actual book. At first I wasn't nervous. I'd had a glass of wine and we decided that Hannah should go first as she had a friend in the audience who had to take off early in the night. I'd chosen five poems to read and I had read them all before and knew I could do them well. I felt confident and happy.
Then I stepped behind the podium and began to read.
There were a few friendly faces in the audience--Laisha, her husband Aaron, Hannah, and Lainna (a friend from my Edmonton days who has now relocated to Kelowna)--and most of the people I didn't know were attentive and generous.
But there were two men in the audience who stood out to me. The first man was an older gentleman who, I was later told, came right into the space, asked for my book, bought it, and then sat in the corner waiting for the reading to begin. He was attentive, even closed his eyes as I read. He disappeared as soon as the reading was done and I wish I had the gumption to approach him before he left. He seemed connected to the poetry and I had assumed he was a regular attendee at this reading series, but no one had seen him before.
The second man who stood out was younger, possibly early thirties. He seemed, well, intense. I also wish I had been brave enough to approach him afterwards, but he made me nervous. While I was reading, I kept looking at him as he stared at me, and it split my focus, made me wonder if this man was Mormon or polygamous, or perhaps even both. The latter two are unlikely, but the LDS have a large population in both BC and Alberta.
I know eventually it's going to happen, most likely at a reading. My fear is that I will offend people of this faith despite taking much care not to in the writing of the book. Although I've taken the lives of the polygamous wives of Joseph Smith as inspiration for this book, it's not meant to be read as biography or history. It's fiction. It's poetry. It's much more about my own experiences/insecurities/fears about motherhood and marriage than it is about Mormonism.
After the reading, there was a Q&A and I was certain that the man was going to stand up and accuse me of appropriation or blasphemy or...something. I'm not completely sure. And then there was a very tiny part of me that worried he was some sort of fundamental fringe Mormon who believed in and was planning on practising blood atonement. But the man was silent and he also left soon after the reading ended.
When I arrived home from our trip into the interior, there was a large envelope in our mailbox. The return address was from Utah. Kevin handed it to me and said, "And so it begins." My heart leaped to my throat before I remembered that I had ordered this from the brilliant Trent Nelson.
I'm dreading the first confrontation, but part of me hopes it happens sooner rather than later, just so that I can deal with it, learn from it, and move on. Am I being pessimistic? Or even egotistical? It's poetry for goodness sake, does it even show up on the radar? Ultimately, I hope that Glossolalia will find readers, and in that crowd (oh, please let it be a crowd and not just a handful), there will be people who are connected to the Mormon faith. Will I ever even know? I hope so, but time will tell.
I've read from the collection before, but as I mentioned previously this was the first time I'd read from the actual book. At first I wasn't nervous. I'd had a glass of wine and we decided that Hannah should go first as she had a friend in the audience who had to take off early in the night. I'd chosen five poems to read and I had read them all before and knew I could do them well. I felt confident and happy.
Then I stepped behind the podium and began to read.
There were a few friendly faces in the audience--Laisha, her husband Aaron, Hannah, and Lainna (a friend from my Edmonton days who has now relocated to Kelowna)--and most of the people I didn't know were attentive and generous.
But there were two men in the audience who stood out to me. The first man was an older gentleman who, I was later told, came right into the space, asked for my book, bought it, and then sat in the corner waiting for the reading to begin. He was attentive, even closed his eyes as I read. He disappeared as soon as the reading was done and I wish I had the gumption to approach him before he left. He seemed connected to the poetry and I had assumed he was a regular attendee at this reading series, but no one had seen him before.
The second man who stood out was younger, possibly early thirties. He seemed, well, intense. I also wish I had been brave enough to approach him afterwards, but he made me nervous. While I was reading, I kept looking at him as he stared at me, and it split my focus, made me wonder if this man was Mormon or polygamous, or perhaps even both. The latter two are unlikely, but the LDS have a large population in both BC and Alberta.
I know eventually it's going to happen, most likely at a reading. My fear is that I will offend people of this faith despite taking much care not to in the writing of the book. Although I've taken the lives of the polygamous wives of Joseph Smith as inspiration for this book, it's not meant to be read as biography or history. It's fiction. It's poetry. It's much more about my own experiences/insecurities/fears about motherhood and marriage than it is about Mormonism.
After the reading, there was a Q&A and I was certain that the man was going to stand up and accuse me of appropriation or blasphemy or...something. I'm not completely sure. And then there was a very tiny part of me that worried he was some sort of fundamental fringe Mormon who believed in and was planning on practising blood atonement. But the man was silent and he also left soon after the reading ended.
When I arrived home from our trip into the interior, there was a large envelope in our mailbox. The return address was from Utah. Kevin handed it to me and said, "And so it begins." My heart leaped to my throat before I remembered that I had ordered this from the brilliant Trent Nelson.
I'm dreading the first confrontation, but part of me hopes it happens sooner rather than later, just so that I can deal with it, learn from it, and move on. Am I being pessimistic? Or even egotistical? It's poetry for goodness sake, does it even show up on the radar? Ultimately, I hope that Glossolalia will find readers, and in that crowd (oh, please let it be a crowd and not just a handful), there will be people who are connected to the Mormon faith. Will I ever even know? I hope so, but time will tell.
8 March 2013
upcoming readings
While I've been doing readings from the Glossolalia manuscript since working on it way back in 2009 when I was part of the Writers Studio in Banff and red nettle press published my chapbook Eliza Roxcy Snow, I'm terribly excited to be reading from the actual book of Glossolalia soon.
Details of the official launch are still be worked out, but in the meantime, if you are so inclined, you can hear me reading with some other fantastic writers in Vernon, Vancouver, and Victoria soon.
Vernon - Thursday, March 14, 7:30PM
Vertigo Voices with Hannah Calder
Gallery Vertigo
3001 - 31st Street
Vancouver - Thursday, April 18, 7:30PM
Reading with Brad Cran, Susan Gillis, Rob Taylor
People's Co-op Bookstore
1391 Commercial Drive
Victoria - Friday, April 19, 7:30PM
Reading with Susan Gillis and Rob Taylor
Planet Earth Poetry
The Moka House
#103-1633 Hillside Avenue
If you come to any of these, please say hello!
6 March 2013
inspire and influence
When the always lovely Kerry Clare asked me to come up with a list of poetry books by Canadian women in honour of International Women's Day for 49th Shelf, I was thrilled. I love poetry by Canadian women! So I went to my shelf and pulled off about twenty titles, started to leaf through them and began to panic.
I panicked because I knew I wasn't allowed to have a list that long and I had to find a way to bring the number down to a manageable eight to ten.
I panicked because I had many books written by friends in that stack, knew I couldn't include them all, and worried over hurt feelings.
I panicked because I saw all the other poetry books on my shelf that I hadn't read yet.
I panicked because I thought of all the other poetry books that I don't even own that I haven't read yet, though I know I should.
I panicked because I thought I'm not nearly well-read enough to come up with a list that holds any authority.
And then I told myself to shut up, buck up, and get it done.
So instead of coming up with a list of poetry books by Canadian women that I proclaim to be the best or most important or about ________ (insert subject here), I decided to come up with a list of books that I keep returning to. I reread most of them again while writing the list (though not Elizabeth Bachinsky's God of Missed Connections--my copy went missing during the rehearsals for Initiation Trilogy. I need to get a new copy!) and while I was going through them, there were a few times when I would freeze on a poem. I could see how specific poems influenced Glossolalia and newer unpublished work.
I'll tell you a secret, dear reader. I'm a little nervous that these poets will pick up my book, read the poem(s) that their work influenced, be outraged, and call me a thief. I believe the connections are subtle and they were definitely unintentional, just great poetry doing what it often does: inspire and influence.
Not every collection has a clear line to a specific poem and I am curious to whether others will see the influence or not. I'm not going to be any clearer than this as I'm already feeling a little vulnerable mentioning it in this somewhat public space.
If you are so inclined, go read the list here and then come back and tell me which books by Canadian women you keep returning to.
I panicked because I knew I wasn't allowed to have a list that long and I had to find a way to bring the number down to a manageable eight to ten.
I panicked because I had many books written by friends in that stack, knew I couldn't include them all, and worried over hurt feelings.
I panicked because I saw all the other poetry books on my shelf that I hadn't read yet.
I panicked because I thought of all the other poetry books that I don't even own that I haven't read yet, though I know I should.
I panicked because I thought I'm not nearly well-read enough to come up with a list that holds any authority.
And then I told myself to shut up, buck up, and get it done.
So instead of coming up with a list of poetry books by Canadian women that I proclaim to be the best or most important or about ________ (insert subject here), I decided to come up with a list of books that I keep returning to. I reread most of them again while writing the list (though not Elizabeth Bachinsky's God of Missed Connections--my copy went missing during the rehearsals for Initiation Trilogy. I need to get a new copy!) and while I was going through them, there were a few times when I would freeze on a poem. I could see how specific poems influenced Glossolalia and newer unpublished work.
I'll tell you a secret, dear reader. I'm a little nervous that these poets will pick up my book, read the poem(s) that their work influenced, be outraged, and call me a thief. I believe the connections are subtle and they were definitely unintentional, just great poetry doing what it often does: inspire and influence.
Not every collection has a clear line to a specific poem and I am curious to whether others will see the influence or not. I'm not going to be any clearer than this as I'm already feeling a little vulnerable mentioning it in this somewhat public space.
If you are so inclined, go read the list here and then come back and tell me which books by Canadian women you keep returning to.
28 February 2013
my wives have arrived
It is time for my wives to go into the world. I worked on this collection, writing and researching, for six years. During that time I moved three times to two different provinces and had three babies. So no, I wasn't working on this collection full-time, but the women have been with me all the time. They have haunted me.
Glossolalia is now available for purchase. You can buy it directly from my publisher Anvil Press here or request it at your local, independent bookshop.
I've started lining up some readings in March and April (more details on that soon) and will be popping up at some of my favourite lit blogs over the next few months, too. You'll see me at 49th Shelf, The Storialist, Jane Day Reader, and The Rusty Toque. If you'd like to add your site to the list, please email me (mdachsel [at] gmail [dot] com). I've also got a giveaway up my sleeve, too. Details on that when it's finalized.
I am so very excited about sending my wives into the world. I love these women, these poems. I hope they find loving homes.
11 February 2013
deliciously squirmy way
Glossolalia won't be officially released until March, but I recently saw that the fine folks over at Book Riot wrote some great things about it in a review that includes the excellent books Titanic by Billeh Nickerson and Salvage by Michael Crummey. Good company, no?
Brenna Clarke Gray aka dr b starts the review with, "Okay, you know when good art makes you uncomfortable in that deliciously squirmy way?" and ends it saying, "Dachsel’s mastery over multiple voices really elevates this collection to something special." You can read everything in between here.
(Many thanks to dr b and Book Riot for highlighting poetry!)
Brenna Clarke Gray aka dr b starts the review with, "Okay, you know when good art makes you uncomfortable in that deliciously squirmy way?" and ends it saying, "Dachsel’s mastery over multiple voices really elevates this collection to something special." You can read everything in between here.
(Many thanks to dr b and Book Riot for highlighting poetry!)
6 February 2013
Emma Hale Smith on Canadian Poetries
The lovely Shawna Lemay asked me to contribute something to her newish website Canadian Poetries. Time has been tight on my end and while I have promised her an essay piece for later, I was thrilled that she wanted to post some work from Glossolalia.
I chose what might have been the most difficult poem for me to write, Emma Hale Smith. It took me six years to get her poem right, and it's a treat to see it all together like this. In the book, the four sections are spread throughout. So please, head on over and read it, then explore the site some more. Shawna is curating a wonderful poetry-focused experience.
I chose what might have been the most difficult poem for me to write, Emma Hale Smith. It took me six years to get her poem right, and it's a treat to see it all together like this. In the book, the four sections are spread throughout. So please, head on over and read it, then explore the site some more. Shawna is curating a wonderful poetry-focused experience.
9 October 2012
Initiation Trilogy: Gay Vancouver
Last week I did an email interview with Mark from Gay Vancouver. Here's a snippet:
How did you land on the three pieces that are part of the show?
As soon as I realized that I wanted to adapt three works of poetry, I knew immediately it would be Glossolalia, What it Feels Like for a Girl, and God of Missed Connections.
As a book, What it Feels Like for a Girl is very dramatic—there is dialogue, there is narrative, there is a climax. It’s a piece that lends itself very well to the stage.
God of Missed Connections is very dramatic in a completely different way. Although it has unifying themes, it’s definitely more of a collection of poetry rather than a narrative. That said, I knew this book quite well and like Glossolalia, many of the poems felt like monologues. I knew I could craft something exciting from it as the book itself is so compelling.
You can read the whole piece here.
Also, I'd like apologize in advance--these next two weeks are going to be very Initiation Trilogy heavy. What can I say, I'm excited!
How did you land on the three pieces that are part of the show?
As soon as I realized that I wanted to adapt three works of poetry, I knew immediately it would be Glossolalia, What it Feels Like for a Girl, and God of Missed Connections.
As a book, What it Feels Like for a Girl is very dramatic—there is dialogue, there is narrative, there is a climax. It’s a piece that lends itself very well to the stage.
God of Missed Connections is very dramatic in a completely different way. Although it has unifying themes, it’s definitely more of a collection of poetry rather than a narrative. That said, I knew this book quite well and like Glossolalia, many of the poems felt like monologues. I knew I could craft something exciting from it as the book itself is so compelling.
You can read the whole piece here.
Also, I'd like apologize in advance--these next two weeks are going to be very Initiation Trilogy heavy. What can I say, I'm excited!
10 September 2012
old news can still be good news
A few months ago, I was asked to read at the first ever Griffin Vancouver: A Celebration of Poetry. It was an honour to be asked to share the stage with such great poets such as Matt Rader, Jen Currin, and Gillian Jerome. The Griffin Poetry Prize is such an important and amazing prize, and reading the nominees every year is an education.
Sean Cranbury, in wearing one of his many hats, lead the organization of this event and recorded it for posterity. I've never seen myself read and I hope to keep it that way. That said, here's the link to the reading if you're curious.
Sean Cranbury, in wearing one of his many hats, lead the organization of this event and recorded it for posterity. I've never seen myself read and I hope to keep it that way. That said, here's the link to the reading if you're curious.
1 September 2012
a whole lot of great things
It's been a very busy summer, full of movement and acceleration and there is just too much to catch you up on everything, so I'll do the dreaded list.
* I ran my first 10K! 1:03:03...and I haven't run since. Shameful, I know, but I hope to get back at it in September.
* We moved! We now live in Victoria as my husband has got a skookum new job at the university. We live a block from the beach and I can see America from my house! Crazy.
* I've written a play and it's being produced! This October as part of the Vancouver International Writers Fest! I'll write more about it soon, as it's very exciting, but you can read about Initiation Trilogy here.
* Glossolalia is being published this October! My wives have found a home at Anvil Press. There will be even more about this in the coming months, but to say I'm thrilled is an understatement.
I have a couple of interviews that I started in the spring that I'll be putting up once I've unpacked our books and I hope to be around ye olde blogge a lot more now that we're somewhat settled.
* I ran my first 10K! 1:03:03...and I haven't run since. Shameful, I know, but I hope to get back at it in September.
* We moved! We now live in Victoria as my husband has got a skookum new job at the university. We live a block from the beach and I can see America from my house! Crazy.
* I've written a play and it's being produced! This October as part of the Vancouver International Writers Fest! I'll write more about it soon, as it's very exciting, but you can read about Initiation Trilogy here.
* Glossolalia is being published this October! My wives have found a home at Anvil Press. There will be even more about this in the coming months, but to say I'm thrilled is an understatement.
I have a couple of interviews that I started in the spring that I'll be putting up once I've unpacked our books and I hope to be around ye olde blogge a lot more now that we're somewhat settled.
2 May 2012
Poetry in April
As you probably know, April is Poetry Month both here in Canada and in the U.S. For the last three years, I was heavily involved with the Edmonton Poetry Festival and because we are now in a different province, I had a much less poetry-frenzied month. While it looked like a fun time, I think I needed to miss it this year.
Instead, my BFF and I pledged to write a poem-a-day. The caveat was that the poems didn't have to be good, it was just about generating raw material. And, dear reader, we did it. A lot of my poems were mediocre at best (I wrote a love letter to my favourite brand of beer, to give you an idea), but it was exciting to be in a creative space where I didn't have an agenda. I have been working on Glossolalia in one form or another for six years now. That's a long time in the world of 1840s Mormon polygamy, let me tell you. Writing just to write, just to see what words and images arise, just for *gasp* the fun of it was incredibly liberating. I'm definitely going to do this exercise again.
So, Poetry Month 2012 for me was not the manic month it has been in the recent past, but it was very productive and fun in its own quiet way. Tell me, did you do anything poetry-wise this April?
Instead, my BFF and I pledged to write a poem-a-day. The caveat was that the poems didn't have to be good, it was just about generating raw material. And, dear reader, we did it. A lot of my poems were mediocre at best (I wrote a love letter to my favourite brand of beer, to give you an idea), but it was exciting to be in a creative space where I didn't have an agenda. I have been working on Glossolalia in one form or another for six years now. That's a long time in the world of 1840s Mormon polygamy, let me tell you. Writing just to write, just to see what words and images arise, just for *gasp* the fun of it was incredibly liberating. I'm definitely going to do this exercise again.
So, Poetry Month 2012 for me was not the manic month it has been in the recent past, but it was very productive and fun in its own quiet way. Tell me, did you do anything poetry-wise this April?
6 March 2012
my wives have been shortlisted
Last week the shortlist for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry was announced and my manuscript Glossolalia is on the list. The winner should be announced shortly. I don't think my manuscript is innovative enough to win, but I'm thrilled my wives were included. It really is a huge honour.
1 February 2012
Prism is a Dead Event, etc.
Warning: Shameless self-promotion below.
I haven't read in Vancouver for a few years, but this weekend I'm doing two readings.
On Friday, I'll be reading at Prism is a Dead Event, a triple launch for three great, local lit mags. It's from 8-11 pm at Project Space, 222 East Georgia Street. I'll be reading with Gary Thomas Morse and there will be a DJ and cake. (And as a freaky-to-me-bonus, it was mentioned on the Globe site this week!)
On Saturday, I'll be reading as part of the Vancouver launch for Best Canadian Poetry in English 2011, in which one of my wife poems was published. The event will be from 7-9 at W2, at 111 West Hastings Street. I don't think there will be cake, but there will be about six poets all reading from the anthology. Great poetry, let me tell you.
The poem of mine that was chosen was originally published in Event, one of the journals that will be launched on Friday night. (Do you read Event? You should.) Maria & Sarah Lawerence is one of my wife poems and the only one of the collection for two voices. (I'm not sure exactly how I'll read it, as it's one of the few poems from the collection that is definitely a page-poem, not a voice poem. I'm thinking of dragging my friend Jennica on stage with me to do it.) It was highlighted as a standout in the collection in The Winnipeg Free Press this weekend. I do appreciate how the reviewer pointed out that these poems actually are not the best published last year, because those are all in collections. Helps keep this humble poet humble.
And finally, I was featured in Branch Magazine recently. I will admit that my office is even more messy now, though you won't be seeing pictures of that, I promise you.
I haven't read in Vancouver for a few years, but this weekend I'm doing two readings.
On Friday, I'll be reading at Prism is a Dead Event, a triple launch for three great, local lit mags. It's from 8-11 pm at Project Space, 222 East Georgia Street. I'll be reading with Gary Thomas Morse and there will be a DJ and cake. (And as a freaky-to-me-bonus, it was mentioned on the Globe site this week!)
On Saturday, I'll be reading as part of the Vancouver launch for Best Canadian Poetry in English 2011, in which one of my wife poems was published. The event will be from 7-9 at W2, at 111 West Hastings Street. I don't think there will be cake, but there will be about six poets all reading from the anthology. Great poetry, let me tell you.
The poem of mine that was chosen was originally published in Event, one of the journals that will be launched on Friday night. (Do you read Event? You should.) Maria & Sarah Lawerence is one of my wife poems and the only one of the collection for two voices. (I'm not sure exactly how I'll read it, as it's one of the few poems from the collection that is definitely a page-poem, not a voice poem. I'm thinking of dragging my friend Jennica on stage with me to do it.) It was highlighted as a standout in the collection in The Winnipeg Free Press this weekend. I do appreciate how the reviewer pointed out that these poems actually are not the best published last year, because those are all in collections. Helps keep this humble poet humble.
And finally, I was featured in Branch Magazine recently. I will admit that my office is even more messy now, though you won't be seeing pictures of that, I promise you.
16 August 2011
Glossolalia Installation: Louisa Beaman
I had fun putting this installation together, going through all the scraps of ribbons and fabrics I've accumulated, in addition to the strange ephemera I seem to amass. I wanted the piece to be very tactile and textured. My favourite detail is the mini-teapot on the tiny vanity I picked up at an antique mall in Edmonton. During the planning stages of the installation, I took out about four costume/historical fashion books from the library to get an idea what women wore in that time. I'm not much of an artist, so the sketches of Louisa's dream dresses are not the best. She was believed to have been a seamstress, so I'm sure she would have done much better drawings.
Although weddings in those days were nothing like the events put on today, they were obviously very important, arguably more important in the lives of women then than now. I tried to envision what it must have been like for a young woman to have to give up her wedding day dreams, only to be married to a man that she was not publicly allowed to acknowledge as her husband.
(Louisa Beaman is the first polygamous wife of Joseph Smith that the church recognized. I won't go into it all here, but if you are interested in the real story, can find a comprehensive background on the woman here.)
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