Curious links for April 2014 (& beyond)...

Bayfront Park in the thaw

1) National Poetry Month’s kick-off event in Toronto promised a lot of special announcements and I’m happy to report they delivered. Shortlists for the Raymond Souster Award, the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and the Pat Lowther Memorial Award were announced. As I wasn't able to attend, I appreciate Hazel Millar and LCP for sending the full overview, transcribed below:

    Raymond Souster Award 2014 shortlist includes:

    seldom seen road by Jenna Butler (NeWest Press)

    Alongside by Anne Compton (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

    Her Read Hair Rises with the Wings of Insects by Catherine Graham (Wolsak & Wynn)

    Rebel Women by Vancy Kaspar (Inanna Publications)

    Brilliant Falls by John Terpstra (Gaspereau Press)

    Birds, Metals, Stones & Rain by Russell Thornton (Harbour Publishing)

    Gerald Lampert Memorial Award 2014 shortlist includes:

    the place of scraps by Jordan Abel (Talonbooks)

    Rove by Laurie D. Graham (Hagios Press)

    Light Light by Julie Joosten (BookThug)

    Surge Narrows by Emilia Nielsen (Leaf Press)

    The Survival Rate of Butterflies in the Wild by Murray Reiss (Hagios Press)

    Incarnate by Juleta Severson-Baker (Frontenac House Poetry)

    Pat Lowther Memorial Award 2014 shortlist includes:

    The Hottest Summer in Recorded History by Elizabeth Bachinsky (Nightwood Editions)

    Alongside by Anne Compton (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

    Leaving Howe Island by Sadiqa de Meijer (Oolichan Books)

    Whirr and Click by Micheline Maylor (Frontenac House Poetry)

    Meeting the Tormentors in Safeway by Alexandra Oliver (Biblioasis)

    Status Update by Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang (Oolichan Books)

Congrats to all! Further to that, rob mclennan is interviewing all of those shortlisted authors on his blog over the next few weeks. He has already posted conversations with Anne Compton, Julie Joosten and Elizabeth Bachinsky.

2) BookThug, one of the finest Canadian purveyors of innovative poetry, will launch their Spring 2014 releases on Tuesday, April 15^th at Supermarket in Toronto. The evening will feature lots of readings, a special panel on bpNichol, and a musical performance! Details are here.

3) I have a new article up at Town Crier about the panel discussion I attended in March, which featured Anita Lahey, Jason Guriel, Zachariah Wells and was moderated by Amanda Jernigan. If you’re into the merits of criticism or curious about reviewing literature yourself, I also invite you to check it out recordings from the four-night, four-city tour on Zachariah’s blog.

4) A fresh, new batch of "Recent Reads" posted today on Ottawa Poetry Newsletter, with reviews of the late Dennis Tourbin's THE STREAM and other poems and Camille Martin's Sugar Beach. Both are currently available from above/ground press!