Thinking about poetic influences again, I went back to the first two books of poetry I ever bought: questions I asked my mother (Turnstone Press, 1987) by Di Brandt, and Journey to Yalta (Turnstone Press, 1988) by Sarah Klassen. These collections came out at a time when Mennonite writers were getting a lot of attention, which happened … Continue reading Influences (2)
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Influences (1)
A recent question from a Facebook friend prompted me to think about the poets I first read many years ago, and the ways they influenced my own writing and how I think about poetry. So here are three who came immediately to mind. These are poets I read when I was just beginning to take … Continue reading Influences (1)
Three things I’ve learned recently
1. I like to think that I am generally good at keeping up routines, but apparently I’m not good at the routine of keeping up a blog. This is the least interesting of the three. 2. Sometimes, looking at the big picture doesn’t help. Writing was not going terribly well the last little while—and by … Continue reading Three things I’ve learned recently
Where poetry comes from
Recently I came across that line by William Wordsworth about poetry having its origin in “emotion recollected in tranquility.” It had been so long since I’d read Wordsworth that I couldn’t recall the context of that phrase, and suspected that there was a bit more to it. The quotation is from the Preface to the second edition … Continue reading Where poetry comes from
To the dictionary, and beyond
I began using an online dictionary a few years ago—not because I found it more convenient than a paper dictionary, but because my old Webster’s is just too distracting. I would open it up, intending to look up “phaeton,” and right next to it I’d see “phage,” which has nothing to do with “phaeton” but … Continue reading To the dictionary, and beyond
No free verse?
I may have bitten off a rather large mouthful in tackling this subject. What I meant to do was reflect on some things I’ve read recently about the structure of poetry, but as I keep reading I’m growing further enmeshed in the larger and very sticky question of what makes a poem good. But to … Continue reading No free verse?
Publication is just the beginning
So now I have a book! A real, official, book, my first full-length book of poetry, Eigenheim (pictured in the right sidebar), published this spring by Turnstone Press. It was launched at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, who do a fine job with these things, and although seeing my face on a poster was mildly … Continue reading Publication is just the beginning
Elise Partridge
I was sorry to hear of Vancouver poet Elise Partridge’s death in late January. Not because I knew her—I didn’t—but because, even though a poet’s words will still exist after she dies, that death ensures that there won’t be any more words than what’s already out there. And by all accounts, it would have been a privilege … Continue reading Elise Partridge
A great big Collage Party
You never know what you’ll encounter at Winnipeg’s New Music Festival, and this year the festival organizers incorporated visual art in some unexpected ways. For instance, in the lobby there was a table where concert-goers could sit down and make a collage. There was a bin full of old record album covers and drawers full of materials … Continue reading A great big Collage Party
Canadian Writers’ Blog Tour
I’ve just been tagged by friend and fellow writer Angeline Schellenberg to join the Canadian Writers’ Blog Tour. Angeline is a poet who just had her first book manuscript accepted, for which I am quite excited. And I love the title of her blog: 37 Mice. Some writers have compared this to a “chain letter,” … Continue reading Canadian Writers’ Blog Tour