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)
Category: Poetry
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
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
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
Literature and place
A book that I’ve recently added to my must-read list is Joan Thomas’ new novel, The Opening Sky. Lately several people have told me I should read it, because it’s a well-written story but also because parts of it take place in the neighborhood where I live. There’s a particular pleasure in reading a book … Continue reading Literature and place
Catherine Winkworth: the poetry of translation
Translating hymns is no small feat. This is what I’ve concluded after making a first attempt at translating German poetry. Besides conveying the sense of the text, you have to put into metrical form, ideally preserving the meter and rhyme of the original, and do it in a way that sounds good. So I’ve really … Continue reading Catherine Winkworth: the poetry of translation