Stuart Ross's Blog, page 22
November 13, 2011
Mansfield Press Fall Launch Party
For those in Toronto, I hope you can join me at the fall launch party for Mansfield Press tonight (Monday, November 14), 7:30 pm, at the Boat, 158 Augusta.
Among the four new releases are three appearing under my imprint, "a stuart ross book" — How I Wrote Certain of My Books, by George Bowering; Hooligans, by Lillian Necakov; and The Crystal Palace, by Carey Toane. The fourth new Mansfield title is Rishma Dunlop's Lover Through Departure: New and Selected Poems. Necakov, Toane and Dunlop will be on hand to read, and there will be a musical set by my friend, singer-songwriter Ben Walker (who composed and recorded the Orphan's Song CD, based on my poems), and there will also be a surprise reader. Hint: Wilbur Snowshoe.
I've been working with Denis De Klerck of Mansfield Press since 2007, and it's been one of the most rewarding activities of my 30-something-year immersion in the literary world. In addition to the writers I mentioned above, I've been able to help bring into the world new books by Alice Burdick, David W. McFadden, Leigh Nash, Peter Norman, Natasha Nuhanovic, Jim Smith, Robert Earl Stewart, Steve Venright, and Tom Walmsley.
Meanwhile, Mansfield finally has a new website. Mansfield's publisher, Denis De Klerck, has all sorts of neat plans for it. Instead of the static thing it was, this site will frequently change, with new articles, videos, poems, and more added each week.
Oh yeah, and starting next Sunday, I'm touring for a few days with the Mansfield writers. Here are the details:
Over and out.
Among the four new releases are three appearing under my imprint, "a stuart ross book" — How I Wrote Certain of My Books, by George Bowering; Hooligans, by Lillian Necakov; and The Crystal Palace, by Carey Toane. The fourth new Mansfield title is Rishma Dunlop's Lover Through Departure: New and Selected Poems. Necakov, Toane and Dunlop will be on hand to read, and there will be a musical set by my friend, singer-songwriter Ben Walker (who composed and recorded the Orphan's Song CD, based on my poems), and there will also be a surprise reader. Hint: Wilbur Snowshoe.
I've been working with Denis De Klerck of Mansfield Press since 2007, and it's been one of the most rewarding activities of my 30-something-year immersion in the literary world. In addition to the writers I mentioned above, I've been able to help bring into the world new books by Alice Burdick, David W. McFadden, Leigh Nash, Peter Norman, Natasha Nuhanovic, Jim Smith, Robert Earl Stewart, Steve Venright, and Tom Walmsley.
Meanwhile, Mansfield finally has a new website. Mansfield's publisher, Denis De Klerck, has all sorts of neat plans for it. Instead of the static thing it was, this site will frequently change, with new articles, videos, poems, and more added each week.
Oh yeah, and starting next Sunday, I'm touring for a few days with the Mansfield writers. Here are the details:
NOVEMBER 20, 7 PM, MONTREAL
The Mansfield Press Montreal Fall Launch, with readings by Rishma Dunlop (Lover Through Departure: New and Selected Poems), Marko Sijan (Mongrel), Carey Toane (The Crystal Palace). Hosted by Stuart Ross.
CFC
6388, St Hubert (enter through red door and go upstairs)
NOVEMBER 21, 7:30 PM, OTTAWA
The Mansfield Press Ottawa Fall Launch, with readings by Rishma Dunlop (Lover Through Departure: New and Selected Poems), Lillian Necakov (Hooligans), Marko Sijan (Mongrel), Carey Toane (The Crystal Palace). Hosted by Stuart Ross.
Raw Sugar Café
692 Somerset West
NOVEMBER 22, 7:30 PM, KINGSTON
The Mansfield Press Kingston Fall Launch, with readings by Rishma Dunlop (Lover Through Departure: New and Selected Poems), Lillian Necakov (Hooligans), Marko Sijan (Mongrel), Carey Toane (The Crystal Palace). Hosted by Stuart Ross.
The Grad Club
162 Barrie Street (upstairs)
Over and out.
October 29, 2011
Review from out west of SDJ
This lovely review comes from the blog of Carrie Mumford. I'm surprised by how many of the reviews actually move me. I mean, partly because I'm giddy that someone liked my book, but also because of insights that may not have occurred to me. For example, Carrie Mumford declares Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew a book about mourning. Although it was written out of mourning, I don't think I'd seen it as a book about that. But it sure makes sense.
Over and out.
Phew! Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew by Stuart Ross is one heavy read. You wouldn't expect an unassuming little paperback (only 175 pages, and smaller than your average book) to pack such an emotional punch, but this book made my heart heavy. That's not to say I wouldn't read it again though; Stuart Ross is a masterful writer and I very much enjoyed his poetic prose.
Here's a description from the publisher, ECW Press:
Ben is a performance artist about to enter his forties. His father and mother are both dead, and his brother, Jake, is a lousy source of information. So when he begins to struggle with a particularly nagging memory, he doesn't know where to turn. The memory: the assassination — by his mother — of a prominent neo–Nazi. …
Stuart Ross's first novel is a blend of suburban realism and out–of–body surrealism. Read more…
To me, Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew is about mourning. Mourning the loss of childhood, mourning the loss of two parents, and mourning the loss of a brother. The book is set in Toronto, and each chapter could almost stand as a short story on its own. Ross weaves these chapters together into an exploration of past where the lines between what really happened and what the narrator remembers are heavily blurred.
Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew has one of the most memorable opening sentences I have ever come across:
"To its surprise, the bullet sailed out of the gun my mother clutched unsteadily in both hands, and a moment later the big man's yellow hard hat leapt from his thick head, into the air."
How awesome is that?! Beginning a novel from the perspective of a bullet, especially a bullet that is involved in an incident that haunts the narrator throughout the work, seems brilliant to me.
I'd recommend Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew to anyone interested in serious literary fiction, poetry (it's very poetic), or a view of a Jewish childhood (fascinating).
Over and out.
October 20, 2011
Hands On Poems: A Critiquing Workshop
It's been a busy workshop season for me. And there is still space available in a two-day critiquing workshop I'm offering at the end of this month, in Toronto, presented by Mansfield Press.
If you're interesting in registering for it, please contact me very soon. All the information is just below.
And here are some comments from participants of a different workshop (Plotless Fiction) I led this past weekend:
• "Every part challenged me to try and do something I would not normally do. There is some very neat work lurking outside my comfort zone."
• "Really terrific workshop — best 8 hours of the year!"
• "Thanks for the playfulness and restoring my sense of humour toward writing!"
• "Helpful strategies! I can already see how the approaches will help me break new creative ground."'
• "I got a ton of new ideas from the writing and discussion, even above and beyond the strategies we used. Can't wait to write more like this!"
• "A fine, inspiring workshop. It renewed my interest in writing's possibilities."
• "I loved the welcoming environment. I'm leaving with so many ideas."
• "I find these workshops so productive. What a delight!"
If you're interesting in registering for it, please contact me very soon. All the information is just below.
And here are some comments from participants of a different workshop (Plotless Fiction) I led this past weekend:
• "Every part challenged me to try and do something I would not normally do. There is some very neat work lurking outside my comfort zone."
• "Really terrific workshop — best 8 hours of the year!"
• "Thanks for the playfulness and restoring my sense of humour toward writing!"
• "Helpful strategies! I can already see how the approaches will help me break new creative ground."'
• "I got a ton of new ideas from the writing and discussion, even above and beyond the strategies we used. Can't wait to write more like this!"
• "A fine, inspiring workshop. It renewed my interest in writing's possibilities."
• "I loved the welcoming environment. I'm leaving with so many ideas."
• "I find these workshops so productive. What a delight!"
HANDS ON POEMS: A CRITIQUING WORKSHOP
Saturday & Sunday, October 29 & 30, noon – 5 pm
Dupont/Symington area
Fee: $125 includes materials and light snacks.
Space is limited.
Prepayment guarantees your spot. To register, write Stuart at .
Poet and editor Stuart Ross leads a two-day workshop on critiquing poems. The ability to see what works and what doesn't in one's own poem is a crucial part of the writing practice. A writer can learn a great deal about editing and revising her own poems by honing her critiquing skills on the works of others. For this session, each participant will submit four to six poems in advance; the poems will be distributed to the participants before the workshop. Each day, poems by all of the writers will be examined and discussed. The critiquing will be punctuated by rapid writing projects that encourage new ways of looking at poetry.
ABOUT STUART ROSS
Stuart Ross is the author of eleven books, including six collections of poetry, three of which were shortlisted for major awards: Farmer Gloomy's New Hybrid (shortlisted for the 2000 Trillium Book Prize), I Cut My Finger (shortlisted for the 2008 ReLit Poetry Award), and Dead Cars in Managua (shortlisted for the 2009 ReLit Poetry Award). His short-story collection Buying Cigarettes for the Dog was shortlisted for the Alberta Publishers Award and the Alberta Readers Choice Award, and won the 2010 ReLit Short Fiction Award. His recent plotless novel, Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew, has received rave reviews in Canada and the U.S. Stuart has been teaching workshops across Canada for over two decades. He has edited poetry books for Mansfield Press (where he has his own imprint), Pedlar Press, ECW Press, BookThug, McGilligan Books, and Insomniac Press. Stuart is also the Fiction & Poetry Editor at This Magazine. His seventh collection of poetry is due out from Anvil Press in spring 2012.
September 14, 2011
John Robert Colombo!
Had an excellent time at Wordstock in Collingwood last weekend, where I have a one-hour seminar on self-publishing that went extremely well. Also was able to catch excellent readings and onstage interviews with Wayne Johnston and Camilla Gibb, as well as a great reading by Randy Boyagoda, who I hadn't been familiar with.
The nicest surprise was getting to see a reading by John Robert Colombo. Now, way back when I was about 14, I was a page at a library at Bathurst and Lawrence in Toronto. A fellow page, Annette, pointed out a poet who came in regularly. So I read a few of Colombo's books of that era: Neo Poems, Abracadabra, and The Great Wall of China. Next time he came into the library I introduced myself as a young poet and him I liked his books. I guess he was the first "real writer" I'd ever met.
John suggested that what a young poet should do is apprentice an elder poet, so I took the job, and for the next few years I helped John put together his Concise Canadian Quotations (well, I snipped quotations from the big Colombo's Canadian Quotations and put them in enveloped divided by subject. I proofread a few of his poetry collections (I think The Sad Truths and Translations from the English were among them, and also a collection of translated Bulgarian poetry, perhaps called Under the Eaves of a Forgotten Village). I got to hang around the home office of an actual working writer, and he critiqued a pile of my teenage poems.
Through John, I also met another real writer: the science-fiction legend and anthologist Judith Merril. He loaded me up with all her anthologies and sent me off to her Ideas office at CBC Radio, where I photocopied all the text by her in the anthologies (introductions and prefaces and so forth). She was pretty intimidating, and smart and funny.
So right, back in Collingwood: I went to a small gallery on the main street and there was John, a little older (like about 30 years) but still the same John Robert Colombo. The gallery was packed and John was just beginning: "I don't do spoken word," he said, "and I don't do rap." And then he proceeded to read a whole set of unpublished poems he'd written since the beginning of the year. Many of them were aphoristic and philosophical; I could see heavy Eastern European influences that I never would have noticed as a teenager. John is a wit, a charmer and a showman, and the reading was absolutely enjoyable.
When he was done, I went over and introduced myself and he looked a little surprised. It had been a while.
Then both of us fled before the spoken-word event that was following in the same venue.
Over and out.
The nicest surprise was getting to see a reading by John Robert Colombo. Now, way back when I was about 14, I was a page at a library at Bathurst and Lawrence in Toronto. A fellow page, Annette, pointed out a poet who came in regularly. So I read a few of Colombo's books of that era: Neo Poems, Abracadabra, and The Great Wall of China. Next time he came into the library I introduced myself as a young poet and him I liked his books. I guess he was the first "real writer" I'd ever met.
John suggested that what a young poet should do is apprentice an elder poet, so I took the job, and for the next few years I helped John put together his Concise Canadian Quotations (well, I snipped quotations from the big Colombo's Canadian Quotations and put them in enveloped divided by subject. I proofread a few of his poetry collections (I think The Sad Truths and Translations from the English were among them, and also a collection of translated Bulgarian poetry, perhaps called Under the Eaves of a Forgotten Village). I got to hang around the home office of an actual working writer, and he critiqued a pile of my teenage poems.
Through John, I also met another real writer: the science-fiction legend and anthologist Judith Merril. He loaded me up with all her anthologies and sent me off to her Ideas office at CBC Radio, where I photocopied all the text by her in the anthologies (introductions and prefaces and so forth). She was pretty intimidating, and smart and funny.
So right, back in Collingwood: I went to a small gallery on the main street and there was John, a little older (like about 30 years) but still the same John Robert Colombo. The gallery was packed and John was just beginning: "I don't do spoken word," he said, "and I don't do rap." And then he proceeded to read a whole set of unpublished poems he'd written since the beginning of the year. Many of them were aphoristic and philosophical; I could see heavy Eastern European influences that I never would have noticed as a teenager. John is a wit, a charmer and a showman, and the reading was absolutely enjoyable.
When he was done, I went over and introduced myself and he looked a little surprised. It had been a while.
Then both of us fled before the spoken-word event that was following in the same venue.
Over and out.
September 9, 2011
Workshop in Collingwood, new video
On my way to Collingwood, Ontario, for a literary festival called Wordstock, where I'm doing a workshop tomorrow morning on self-publishing, one of my favourite topics — though one that's getting mighty muddied these days. While everyone's talking about eBooks, I'm going to touch on that, but concentrate on physical entities — books, chapbook, leaflets, broadsides, etc. That's still where my heart is.
In fact, I published a new chapbook just a couple weeks ago — a collection of poems about Cobourg, Ontario, accompanied by a reprint of a column of mine from sub-Terrain. Here I am reading from it:
Over and out.
In fact, I published a new chapbook just a couple weeks ago — a collection of poems about Cobourg, Ontario, accompanied by a reprint of a column of mine from sub-Terrain. Here I am reading from it:
Over and out.
September 5, 2011
Happy 97th, Nicanor Parra!
Nicanor Parra, the Chilean anti-poet, turns 97 years old today. Back when I was a teenager, I came across a copy of the New Directions collection Emergency Poems. I had never heard of Parra, but, flipping through the book, I was blown away. And I never turned back. What Nicanor makes possible for poetry is remarkable.
Jim Smith, another poet who has been a huge inspiration to me, celebrates Parra with a new blog. Jim is probably the closest thing Canada has to a Parra — the boldness, the audaciousness, the directness, the humour, the refusal to compromise in either art or politics. If you don't believe me, have a look at this book of his I edited for Mansfield Press:
On September 17, Jim turns 60. And I sure hope he has at least another 37 years of poetry-writing ahead of him!
Happy birthday to both of 'em and thanks for all the poetry and the courage!
Over and out.
Jim Smith, another poet who has been a huge inspiration to me, celebrates Parra with a new blog. Jim is probably the closest thing Canada has to a Parra — the boldness, the audaciousness, the directness, the humour, the refusal to compromise in either art or politics. If you don't believe me, have a look at this book of his I edited for Mansfield Press:
On September 17, Jim turns 60. And I sure hope he has at least another 37 years of poetry-writing ahead of him!
Happy birthday to both of 'em and thanks for all the poetry and the courage!
Over and out.
August 24, 2011
3 workshops in Toronto this fall!
OK, this past weekend I gave my Plotless Fiction workshop for the first time. Full house. Waiting list, in fact. I was very pleased with it, and I got a great response from the group. So I"m going to offer that one again this fall, plus a return of my Poetry Boot Camp. And there'll be a new entry: a two-day session called Hands on Poems: A Critiquing Workshop.
All workshops are presented by Mansfield Press and held in the Mansfield office near Symington and Dupont.
Here are the details:
Over and out.
All workshops are presented by Mansfield Press and held in the Mansfield office near Symington and Dupont.
Here are the details:
STUART ROSS'S POETRY BOOT CAMP
Saturday, September 24, 10am-5 pm (w/ 45-minute lunch break)
Symington/Dupont area
$80 includes materials and light snacks
Prepayment guarantees your spot.
To register, write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca.
A relaxed but intensive one-day workshop for beginning poets, experienced poets, stalled poets, and haikuists who want to get beyond three lines. Poetry Boot Camp focuses on the pleasures of poetry and the riches that spontaneity brings, through lively directed writing strategies and relevant readings from the works of poets from Canada and abroad. We'll also touch on revision and collaboration. You will write in ways you'd never imagined. Arrive with an open mind, and leave with a heap of new poems!
COMMENTS ON MY PREVIOUS BOOT CAMPS:
– "I really enjoyed myself and felt like I got a lot done. I thank you very much for the stimulation & the relaxed atmosphere."
– "Yay! Excited to go back to trying to write poems. I have so many new things to try now. Thanks!"
– "I liked being exposed to the familiar in a new, fresh, creative way."
– "I most enjoyed the relaxed pace and the self-directed nature of the work."
– "The Boot Camp pushed me beyond my comfort zone in precisely the way that I hoped it would."
– "My favourite part was the variety of non-threatening strategies for writing."
– "Really informative, really helpful workshop. Great energy!"
– "Excellent overall. I got a lot of out of it. Money very well spent! I'd recommend it to others."
– "Very well-run, well-thought-out workshop! Thanks!"
* * *
PLOTLESS FICTION
Sunday, October 16, 10 am - 5 pm
Dupont/Symington area
Fee: $90 includes materials and light snacks.
Space is limited.
Prepayment guarantees your spot.
To register, write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca.
Fictioneer and writing teacher Stuart Ross offers a relaxed, supportive workshop for writers at all levels. Plotless Fiction explores the possibilities of fiction beyond the constraints of narrative and the artificiality of plot. In this hands-on session, you will be introduced to writers from around the globe who push against the definitions of the story, and you will produce a half-dozen or so of your own short works, using a variety of enjoyable, challenging writing strategies.
COMMENTS ON THE FIRST PLOTLESS FICTION WORKSHOP:
– "I loved this workshop! I'll come to Part Two! I learned a bunch of refreshing tips and had a lot of fun."
– "Enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and non-judgmental approach to sharing."
– "This was very helpful and lots of fun — your workshops always help me to get out of the box."
– "Excellent teacher and encouragement."
– "Great workshop — would like a Part 2."
* * *
HANDS ON POEMS: A CRITIQUING WORKSHOP
Saturday & Sunday, October 29 & 30, noon – 5 pm
Dupont/Symington area
Fee: $125 includes materials and light snacks.
Space is limited.
Prepayment guarantees your spot.
To register, write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca.
Poet and editor Stuart Ross leads a two-day workshop on critiquing poems. The ability to see what works and what doesn't in one's own poem is a crucial part of the writing practice. A writer can learn a great deal about editing and revising her own poems by honing her critiquing skills on the works of others. For this session, each participant will submit four to six poems in advance; the poems will be distributed to the participants before the workshop. Each day, poems by all of the writers will be examined and discussed. The critiquing will be punctuated by rapid writing projects that encourage new ways of looking at poetry.
ABOUT STUART ROSS
Stuart Ross is the author of two collections of short stories, a novel, and two collaborative novellas. He has also published six books of poetry, including Farmer Gloomy's New Hybrid (shortlisted for the 2000 Trillium Book Prize), I Cut My Finger (shortlisted for the 2008 ReLit Poetry Award), and Dead Cars in Managua (shortlisted for the 2009 ReLit Poetry Award). His short-story collection Buying Cigarettes for the Dog was shortlisted for the Alberta Publishers Award and the Alberta Readers Choice Award, and won the 2010 ReLit Short Fiction Award. His recent plotless novel, Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew, has received rave reviews in Canada and the U.S. Stuart has been teaching workshops across Canada for over two decades. He has edited poetry books for Mansfield Press (where he has his own imprint), Pedlar Press, ECW Press, McGilligan Books, BookThug, and Insomniac Press. Stuart is also the Fiction & Poetry Editor at This Magazine.
Over and out.
July 21, 2011
PLOTLESS FICTION: another new workshop
It was very exciting putting on an all-new, all-day workshop the other week. I had a full house for Walking the Poem. So I'm inspired to create another new workshop I've been mulling over for a couple of years.
Word of this workshop went out just a few days ago, and already it's nearly half-full.
Over and out.
PLOTLESS FICTION
A Workshop with Stuart Ross
Fictioneer and writing teacher Stuart Ross offers a relaxed, supportive workshop for writers at all levels. Plotless Fiction explores the possibilities of fiction beyond the constraints of narrative and the artificiality of plot. In this hands-on session, you will be introduced to writers from around the globe who push against the definitions of the story, and you will produce a half-dozen or so of your own short works, using a variety of enjoyable, challenging writing strategies.
Sunday, August 21, 10 am - 5 pm
Dupont/Symington area
Fee: $90 includes materials and light snacks.
Space is limited.
To register, write
hunkamooga@sympatico.ca
Stuart Ross is the author of two collections of short stories, a novel, and two collaborative novellas. He has also published six books of poetry, including Farmer Gloomy's New Hybrid (shortlisted for the 2000 Trillium Book Prize), I Cut My Finger (shortlisted for the 2008 ReLit Poetry Award), and Dead Cars in Managua (shortlisted for the 2009 ReLit Poetry Award). His short-story collection Buying Cigarettes for the Dog was shortlisted for the Alberta Publishers Award and the Alberta Readers Choice Award, and won the 2010 ReLit Short Fiction Award. His recent plotless novel, Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew, has received rave reviews in Canada and the U.S. Stuart has been teaching workshops across Canada for over two decades. He was the 2010 writer-in-residence at Queen's University.
Word of this workshop went out just a few days ago, and already it's nearly half-full.
Over and out.
July 12, 2011
Chapbook Market buys, poems got walked
Back now from a very busy, very productive five days in Toronto. One of the highlights was Saturday's Meet the Presses SCREAMING Chapbook Market at Clinton's Tavern. I think this was likely the first all-chapbook market in Canadian history! And it was a great time. Attendance was pretty good — I'd estimate about 100 people came through. We could have done a better job with signage out front, though: we need to get a proper sandwich board to put on the sidewalk and on the morning of the market poster all along Bloor Street with "TODAY!" signage. We did a pretty good job, though, with pre-day publicity: Tweeting, FBing, emailing, blogging, and postering.
By the middle of the afternoon, Clinton's was teeming shoppers, and the 18 participating presses made for one of the most exciting assortments of small press stuff I've ever seen. The difference between this event and the regular Indie Literary Market we've put on in the past, is that there was pretty much zero stuff here that could be found in a bookstore.
I wish I could have bought something from every table there, but I still managed to get some very exciting material:
ANGELHOUSEPRESS (Ottawa)
over my dead corpus, by Pearl Pirie
APT. 9 PRESS (Ottawa)
Exit Interviews, by Jim Smith
BOOKTHUG (Toronto)
Form, by Mark Truscott
Ten Random Poems from Demtened, by Jay MillAr
FIELDNOTES (Toronto)
YesNo, by Beth Follett
GESTURE PRESS (Toronto)
Swing Rhythms, by Nicholas Power
HORSE OF OPERATION (Toronto)
Abraxia, by Graeme Clarke
Expense Account, by Caroline Szpak
Where Punknames Come From, by Martin Hazelbower
JUNCTION BOOKS (Toronto)
Set a Compass upon the Face of the Depth, by Carleton Wilson
SERIF OF NOTTINGHAM (Hamilton)
The Saxophonists' Book of the Dead, by Gary Barwin
what happened was: he flew, by Ally Fleming
SUNNYOUTSIDE (Buffalo)
The Morning Light, by Jason Heroux
The Really Funny Thing about Apathy, by Chelsea Martin
Rumble Strip, by Jason Tandon
What to Tell the Sleeping Babies, by MRB Chelko
THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT (Toronto)
Stowaway, by Carey Toane
Cameron Amstee of Apt. 9 Press did a small second printing of 10 copies of my I Have Come to Talk About Manners, and I think those pretty much sold out. And, of course, I think any new Jim Smith title is a huge thing to celebrate in this country's literature, so kudos to Cameron for Exit Interviews.
It was very exciting that Gary Barwin, after 25 years of self-publishing through his Serif of Nottingham Imprint, chose Ally Fleming's fabulous work to publish as his first-ever non–Gary Barwin title.
Horse of Operation is one of the best publisher names I've ever heard, and their small collective creates very eclectically designed publications: from punky and messy to tidy and classy.
It was a thrill to see the work of Sunnyoutside, David McNamara's press out of Buffalo, and he too is eclectic: amazing that the same press puts out work by Jason Heroux and Chelsea Martin!
I released two new publications for the occasion: Ladies & Gentlemen, the Solar System, a short story by me, and Teeth, Untucked, the first poetry chapbook by Nicholas Papaxanthos, who is a crazily talented, very young writer who I met during my residency in Kingston this past fall.
Definitely looking forward to another chapbook market sometime in the future. For the moment, we at the Meet the Presses are just beginning to cook up something else new for the fall.
•
Had pretty much a full house for my Walking the Poem workshop in the Mansfield Press office on Sunday. This was a full-day version of a three-hour workshop I ran in Cobourg a couple months back. Sunday's session took an awful lot of stamina — the big challenge was pacing things, because it was as intense as it was fun. I seem to have great luck with the makeup of my groups, and this one was no exception. Everyone read at least a few pieces over the course of the day, and no one was without some really exciting moments in their work. By the end of the day, it felt like we'd been working together for months, the chemistry was so good in the room.
A couple of people suggested a two-day workshop would be in order. So I'm working on this idea. Wondering, though, if I could get enough people willing to pay, say, $150 for a full weekend. It'd be an amazing workout, and we could accomplish so much. Details of the two-day to come.
Over and out.
By the middle of the afternoon, Clinton's was teeming shoppers, and the 18 participating presses made for one of the most exciting assortments of small press stuff I've ever seen. The difference between this event and the regular Indie Literary Market we've put on in the past, is that there was pretty much zero stuff here that could be found in a bookstore.
I wish I could have bought something from every table there, but I still managed to get some very exciting material:
ANGELHOUSEPRESS (Ottawa)
over my dead corpus, by Pearl Pirie
APT. 9 PRESS (Ottawa)
Exit Interviews, by Jim Smith
BOOKTHUG (Toronto)
Form, by Mark Truscott
Ten Random Poems from Demtened, by Jay MillAr
FIELDNOTES (Toronto)
YesNo, by Beth Follett
GESTURE PRESS (Toronto)
Swing Rhythms, by Nicholas Power
HORSE OF OPERATION (Toronto)
Abraxia, by Graeme Clarke
Expense Account, by Caroline Szpak
Where Punknames Come From, by Martin Hazelbower
JUNCTION BOOKS (Toronto)
Set a Compass upon the Face of the Depth, by Carleton Wilson
SERIF OF NOTTINGHAM (Hamilton)
The Saxophonists' Book of the Dead, by Gary Barwin
what happened was: he flew, by Ally Fleming
SUNNYOUTSIDE (Buffalo)
The Morning Light, by Jason Heroux
The Really Funny Thing about Apathy, by Chelsea Martin
Rumble Strip, by Jason Tandon
What to Tell the Sleeping Babies, by MRB Chelko
THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT (Toronto)
Stowaway, by Carey Toane
Cameron Amstee of Apt. 9 Press did a small second printing of 10 copies of my I Have Come to Talk About Manners, and I think those pretty much sold out. And, of course, I think any new Jim Smith title is a huge thing to celebrate in this country's literature, so kudos to Cameron for Exit Interviews.
It was very exciting that Gary Barwin, after 25 years of self-publishing through his Serif of Nottingham Imprint, chose Ally Fleming's fabulous work to publish as his first-ever non–Gary Barwin title.
Horse of Operation is one of the best publisher names I've ever heard, and their small collective creates very eclectically designed publications: from punky and messy to tidy and classy.
It was a thrill to see the work of Sunnyoutside, David McNamara's press out of Buffalo, and he too is eclectic: amazing that the same press puts out work by Jason Heroux and Chelsea Martin!
I released two new publications for the occasion: Ladies & Gentlemen, the Solar System, a short story by me, and Teeth, Untucked, the first poetry chapbook by Nicholas Papaxanthos, who is a crazily talented, very young writer who I met during my residency in Kingston this past fall.
Definitely looking forward to another chapbook market sometime in the future. For the moment, we at the Meet the Presses are just beginning to cook up something else new for the fall.
•
Had pretty much a full house for my Walking the Poem workshop in the Mansfield Press office on Sunday. This was a full-day version of a three-hour workshop I ran in Cobourg a couple months back. Sunday's session took an awful lot of stamina — the big challenge was pacing things, because it was as intense as it was fun. I seem to have great luck with the makeup of my groups, and this one was no exception. Everyone read at least a few pieces over the course of the day, and no one was without some really exciting moments in their work. By the end of the day, it felt like we'd been working together for months, the chemistry was so good in the room.
A couple of people suggested a two-day workshop would be in order. So I'm working on this idea. Wondering, though, if I could get enough people willing to pay, say, $150 for a full weekend. It'd be an amazing workout, and we could accomplish so much. Details of the two-day to come.
Over and out.
July 6, 2011
Meet the Presses SCREAMING Chapbook Market
Very excited about the new Meet the Presses venture — is it the first chapbook market ever in Canada? I dunno, but it's going to be a lot of fun. This is a project we've wanted to produce for a long time. For me, the chapbook is the heart of the small press.
I'll be there with an array of Proper Tales chapbooks from the recent and distant past, as well as two new items — a fiction chapbook by me called Ladies & Gentlemen, the Solar System, and a first chapbook, Teeth Untucked, by Kingston poet Nicholas Papaxanthos.
Over and out.
I'll be there with an array of Proper Tales chapbooks from the recent and distant past, as well as two new items — a fiction chapbook by me called Ladies & Gentlemen, the Solar System, and a first chapbook, Teeth Untucked, by Kingston poet Nicholas Papaxanthos.
Over and out.
