All In a Day interview with Alan Neal about Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology

You can listen here to Meaghan Strimas and myself being interviewed about the Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology (Mansfield Press) on CBC Radio's All in a Day with host, the ever-gracious Alan Neal. Launch November 21 in Ottawa. The Sawdust Reading Series.

Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology Successful Ottawa Launch

On November 21, I ran a very successful Ottawa launch at the Sawdust Reading Series of Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology (from Mansfield Press) co-edited by Meaghan Strimas and the last Priscila Uppal.

I was lucky enough to appear on CBC Radio's All In a Day talking to host Alan Neal, earlier in the day, along with anthology co-editor Strimas, to give the launch an on-air boost. The interview's here but I also blogged about it briefly.

While I've had poems published in magazines and online and in chapbooks, etc., this is my first placement in a book-book. As well, this was the first time that my partner, writer and poet Anita Dolman, also saw a poem in print in the same book.

The reading on the cold winter night was was touching. We had a good crowd, of at least 50 attendees, at Bar Robo. Sawdust Reading Series director Jennifer Pederson was deferential, and extremely accommodating, as we had a couple of contributors with mobility issues. 

The vibe of the room was warm, between the short open mic, overseen by host and series assistant director Liam Burke, and the contributors and organizers all giving props to Meaghan Strimas, myself, Mansfield Press publisher and editor Denis De Klerck and Sawdust. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Denis, and commiserated with him that he should have taken the train instead of driving. He gave Anita and I a copy of Priscila's last poetry collection, for which I am very grateful.

I hadn't hosted in a while, so I only did the first set, while Jennifer did the second (my choice), but I was met with great enthusiasm, as I knew nearly every contributor there. That said, I availed of myself well, I thought, even thanking my ten-year-old son on the couch in front frow (his copy of the third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy in his lap). 

I even got to be the connection between many generations of poets, from the poets I booked for the Tree Reading Series from 1999 to 2005, and newer contributors, such as Rusty Priske, and walking events such our good friend rob mclennan and younger writers who are series regulars. For me, a highlight of the evening was passing Arc Poetry Magazine managing editor Chris Johnson immersed in a conversation with walking event rob mclennan in front of the bar, discussing Montreal-based poet Artie Gold.

Thank you, Jennifer Pederson and the The Sawdust Reading Series, for a smoothly and thoughtfully run show (now for just over four-and-a-half years, she told me!) and publisher Denis De Klerck of Mansfield Press for being gracious and Meaghan Strimas for all the coordination - in other words, for making it all happen. Thanks to my partner, the fine writer Anita Dolman for giving a shout-out as well for my sister Kim Moran MacIntosh, as I did in conversation with Alan Neal on CBC Radio's All in a Day. Thank you, the great audience in attendance and, of course, all the writers I have known from my event-running and, of course, my fellow contributors, for bringing light and community effort to darkness. So, yes, feeling gifted.

Arc Poetry Walk: The Byward Market on Dec 8

Arc Walk Ottawa #6 : Byward Market : curator/guide: rob mclennan

Arc Walks Ottawa is a series of guided walks based on poetry themes and capitalizing on the rich poetry history of Canada’s capital. Residents and visitors alike are welcome to join in on the walks to learn and revel in Ottawa’s poetry.

The sixth and final walk of this series will take place in the Byward Market on Saturday, December 8th. This walk, led by rob mclennan, will showcase the poetry of this historic neighbourhood, including sites significant to Susan McMaster, Diana Brebner, Stephanie Bolster, William Hawkins, Neil Flowers, The Vanilla Reading Series and The Vogon Reading Series, WORDFEST 1983, John Bart Gerald and Capital Slam, among others.
http://robmclennansindex.blogspot.com/2018/05/arc-poetry-walks-ottawa-2018.html

The walk will begin at 3:30PM outside of the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Avenue. During the hour-long walk, participants will visit locations where they will hear about some of Ottawa’s contemporary poetry history, and hear from a special guest poet or two. Come prepared for rain or shine!

Special guest poets include slam poet Danielle K. L. Grégoire and longtime Ottawa scribe Colin Morton.

Born in Ottawa, Canada’s glorious capital city, rob mclennan currently lives in Ottawa, where he is home full-time with the two wee girls he shares with Christine McNair. The author of more than thirty trade books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, he won the John Newlove Poetry Award in 2010, the Council for the Arts in Ottawa Mid-Career Award in 2014, and was longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2012 and 2017. In March, 2016, he was inducted into the VERSe Ottawa Hall of Honour. His most recent titles include the poetry collection How the alphabet was made (Spuyten Duyvil, 2018) and the forthcoming Household items (Salmon Poetry, 2019) and A halt, which is empty (Mansfield Press, 2019). An editor and publisher, he runs above/ground press, seventeen seconds: a journal of poetry and poetics (ottawater.com/seventeenseconds),Touch the Donkey (touchthedonkey.blogspot.com) and the Ottawa poetry pdf annual ottawater(ottawater.com). He is “Interviews Editor” at Queen Mob’s Teahouse, editor of my (small press) writing day, and an editor/managing editor of many gendered mothers. He spent the 2007-8 academic year in Edmonton as writer-in-residence at the University of Alberta, and regularly posts reviews, essays, interviews and other notices at robmclennan.blogspot.com