Updates
September 15, 2008
FALL 2008 READING DATES
I’m grateful to a number of folks for asking me to read at the following venues throughout the month of September (kudos to the EPF Board, Dymphny, Catherine & Marita!):
THE EDMONTON POETRY FESTIVAL (Sept. 11-13, 2008) was an incredible whirlwind three days of poetry, encompassing many different styles of writing and poets from all walks of life. Thursday night’s opening event, The Revenge of the Killer Blinks, saw over sixty poets hit the stage for 30-second bursts of cowbell-ridden fame in front of a packed crowd from all of E-town’s many poetry groups. Friday evening’s show of Sound and Experimental Poetry was out of this world — from talented established poets like Doug Barbour and Christian Bök, to incredible newcomers Glenn Robson & Jeff Carpenter (aka. Tonguebath), it was a delight to see that sound and experimental poetry are alive and flourishing in Alberta. Saturday’s Café Readings were a walk on poetry’s lighter side, a chance to sit down and listen to some great hometown verse over a decent cuppa joe…followed by the Sweatshop at the Jekyll & Hyde Pub that showed (via riding crop and formiddable taskmaster Jadon Rempel) that poetry written under duress (and inebriation!) can be edgy, breakthrough, and fun.
And once again, Jasper Ave’s The Artery came alive on Saturday night for the Leviticously Deuteronomous Finale (the name said it all!), featuring a wide variety of guest poets from all over the country. Backed by the supremely talented Raving Poets Band, the headliners offered work ranging from soulful musings on birds and Japan, to “aqua-blue,” rip-the-roof-off closing poetry by Brendan McLeod.
All I can say is (apart from the fact that I intend to sleep away the early part of the week to come down from the Festival high), BIG thanks to the amazing organizers of this year’s EPF, and you can bet the poetic community in E-town will be eagerly awaiting next year’s bash!
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LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS TOUR TO DAWSON CREEK, B.C.
Friday September 19, 2008
Featuring
Joe Blades (Fredericton, NB);
Jenna Butler (Edmonton, AB);
Vivian Demuth (New York, NY)
Karen Bass (Hythe, AB);
Dymphny Dronyk (Grande Prairie, AB)
THE PEACE COUNTRY’S FIRST ANNUAL SMALL PRESS BOOK FAIR
Celebrating small and independent presses!
Featuring readings by
Joe Blades (Fredericton, NB);
Jenna Butler (Edmonton, AB);
Vivian Demuth (New York)
Karen Bass (Hythe, AB).
Sunday, September 21, 2008
1:00-5:00 pm
Rabbit Hole Bookstore
10020 100 Avenue, Grande Prairie
ARTS ON THE AVE AT THE CARROT
Saturday September 27, 2008
TIME TBA
The Carrot
9351-118 Avenue
Edmonton
Featuring
Jenna Butler
Marita Dachsel
Trisia Eddy
Catherine Owen
— Jenna