St@Nza ‐ March 2013 Volume 10, Number 3

St@nza ‐ March 2013 Volume 10, Number 3

To include your news, events or other listings please contact Ingel Madrus at: Email: [email protected], Phone: 416‐504‐1657, Fax: 416‐504‐0096

News from the LCP Page 1 Opportunities Page 3 New Members Page 10 Poetry & Literary News Page 2 Events & Readings Page 8 Members News Page 11

NEWS FROM THE LCP

Celebrate National Poetry Month this April! National Poetry Month Launch Event

And the announcement of the Pat Lowther and Gerald Lampert Memorial Awards Shortlists And the first shortlist for the new Raymond Souster Award

Q Space On College Street, located between Kensington Market and Little Italy 382 College St Toronto ON M5T 1S8, Toronto, CA

Tuesday, April 2, 2012 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Featuring: Awards Shortlist announcements, Refreshments, Presentations and Readings

You’re Invited: LCP Poetry Festival & Conference 2013 in Toronto Plans for the League of Canadian Poets’ (LCP) 47th annual Poetry Festival and Conference are under way. This exciting three‐day event is scheduled for June 7 ‐ 9, 2013, conveniently located in downtown Toronto at the Courtyard by Marriott at College and Yonge. The schedule includes: Joe Sherman Memorial New Members reading, Annual General Meeting, an open mic., 3 panels, The Anne Szumigalski lecture (to be presented by A.F. Moritz) and the Raymond Souster, Pat Lowther and Gerald Lampert Award ceremonies. Conference details will be available online.

Other Exciting LCP Poetry Festival and Conference News! The LCP Poetry Festival and Conference overlaps with the MagNet Conference at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel. The MagNet Conference runs from Tuesday, June 4th to Friday, June 7th. For LCP members who might be interested in participating in some of the events and workshops on Friday, we are including the link to the Magnet Conference. LCP Members will receive the discounted Member Rate, just please check “Other” in the Registration Form, and then enter League of Canadian Poets in the next field. Visit: http://magnet.magazinescanada.ca/overview/?page=29. Also, all LCP members are welcome to attend the Connecting Canada Networking Reception on Thursday, June 6, 5:00pm. The MagNet receptions, including the Connecting Canada reception are free. Please register as our guest.

Connecting Canada: Canada’s magazine media will unite for the networking event of the season as every MagNet partner (CMC, CSME, PWAC and Magazines Canada) welcomes industry professionals from all disciplines and from all parts of Canada and abroad. However you contribute to our vibrant sector, you are welcome to join in and meet, mingle and mix with your colleagues. Together we will experience a

1 dynamic presentation about the long reach of magazines while enjoying sample tastes of “The Connection”—the reception’s signature drink—along with hors d’oeuvres created especially for MagNet 2013 by Chef Brian of the Courtyard Marriott. Connecting Canada is the theme of this four‐day Super Conference (the largest magazine media gathering in the world), and what better way to celebrate the connectivity that magazines bring than by putting those words to action. Connecting Canada is what magazine people do; Connecting Canada is where magazine people will be.

A Great Year for Poetry in Saskatchewan By Bruce Rice. League Conference, SPOCAN, Absent Friends, Saskatchewan Poet Laureate, Venues and Festivals Thriving, Awards and Other Stuff and Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge Expanding in its Second Year. For report visit: http://poets.ca/wordpress/programs‐2/newsletters

Call for Submissions: National Poetry Month Blog We will begin accepting submissions for the National Poetry Month Blog starting February 4, 2013. The blog will be posted at https://lcpnationalpoetrymonth2013.wordpress.com/ .

Please follow these guidelines for submission: Please submit 1 poem (either published or unpublished) to [email protected]. This year, we will be celebrating the 15th Anniversary of National Poetry Month, and as such we would like to invite you to submit poetry on any subject for consideration, but especially those that celebrate life, poetry, and our freedom to engage in the beauty of the arts. In the subject line please type NPMblog and where the submission is from. For example: NPMblog, Toronto. All submissions must be submitted electronically and cannot exceed 200 words. Send poem and bio attached in an MS word document AND within the body of your e‐mail. Submissions will be accepted beginning February 4, 2013. Submissions will not be accepted after March 8, 2013.

Poems will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. However, as we are looking for representation from all across Canada, geographical region will also be taken into account when selecting poems. You will receive an email acknowledgment from the LCP within one week of sending in your submission. Contact information must include: How long you have been a member with the LCP, your name, Province/Territory and city where you live. Biographical statements should be no longer than 50 words, including internet links. For additional information please contact Lesley at [email protected] or call us in the office at (416) 504‐1657

News from the Feminist Caucus By Anne Burke. This month, more news from Bernice Lever and Mary Lou Soutar‐Hynes; previews from Inanna Press and Wilfred Laurier Press; and a review of Journey With No Maps, A Life of P.K. Page (McGill‐Queen’s Press) by Sandra Djwa. Don’t forget to send your review, news, and/or link! For full report: http://poets.ca/wordpress/programs‐2/feminist‐caucus

POETRY AND LITERARY NEWS

The Word On The Street Toronto Welcomes New Festival Director The Word On The Street Toronto is pleased to announce that Heather Kanabe is the new Festival Director for The Word On The Street Toronto, effective immediately. Heather brings to her role a keen understanding of cultural event management and a great appreciation for the written word. She looks forward to building upon the success of Canada’s largest book and magazine festival.

"The Board is pleased to welcome Heather Kanabe as our new Festival Director. Her MBA in marketing and finance, her arts management background, and her enthusiasm for both The Word On The Street Toronto and the literary world it celebrates, make Heather a valuable addition to our team," said The Word On The Street Toronto President Christopher Johnson. 2

Kanabe is a skilled arts manager, with over ten years’ experience working with cultural and corporate partners. She was recently a project manager with SALT & PEPPER Events in Dubai, producing large‐scale marketing activations for clients including Lexus, GM, and Nokia. Prior to obtaining an international MBA, Heather was the Programming & Business Affairs manager at Women in Film & Television ‐ Toronto, where she developed an annual program schedule of over 600 hours of professional development training. In 2007, Heather developed 53 panels and workshops on international business development for the WIFT International Summit in Toronto. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto Honours BA, Specialist Designation in Arts Management and an MBA from the HULT International Business School in Dubai.

Previous Festival Director Nicola Dufficy, who led the popular event for three years, has announced that she is now National Festivals Director at The Word On The Street Canada and Director of Events at Moorshead & Associates, an award‐winning event production company specializing in complex event logistics, revenue development, and event marketing. For interviews with Heather Kanabe or Nicola Dufficy, please contact: June Dickenson, Public Relations Manger, The Word On The Street Toronto or [email protected] / (905) 689‐0388.

Scarborough Walk of Fame Announces New Inductees for 2013 The Scarborough Walk of Fame (SWOF) Association is please to announce the Scarborough citizens who will receive stars during the Sixth Walk of Fame event. The induction ceremony will take place at Scarborough Town centre (STC) on May 15, 2013 at 11 a.m.

2013: • Barenaked Ladies (Entertainment) ‐ Alternative Rock Band – Ed Robertson, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Tyler Stewart • Christine Bentley (Community) – Journalist, Former CTV News Anchor • Dwayne Morgan (Arts and Culture) – Poet, Speaker, Social Engineer • Gerry Phillips (Community) – Former MPP for Scarborough‐Agincourt • Judie Oliver (Sports) – Masters Swimmer • Monika Schnarre (Arts and Culture) – Model, Television Host, Actor, Writer and Entrepreneur • Scarborough Historical Society (Community) – Lionel Purcell, Businessman and Historian; Richard Schofield, Educator, Historian/Archivist and Author. SWOF works to celebrate people who were born in or have spent most of their formative years in Scarborough and have made significant accomplishments in arts and culture, science, education, environment, sports, community, entertainment and business. Each inductee will be presented with a permanent star in the Scarborough Walk of Fame court at Scarborough Town Centre.

The Scarborough Walk of Fame Association is a not‐for profit, volunteer driven organization, dedicated to honouring individuals who, through actions and deeds, bring pride to the community of Scarborough and serve to inspire tomorrow’s leaders. For more info: http://www.scarboroughwalkoffame.com/

OPPORTUNITIES Please note: The opportunities, contests or markets listed in this electronic newsletter are only an informational resource. We encourage all poets to thoroughly investigate all contests or markets before submitting their work.

Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest (established 1970) Spring Pulse Poetry Festival is proud to sponsor the 2012 Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest. In 1970 the first contest began in Cobalt during the Miners festival on French‐Canadian Day. While it hasn’t run continuously it remains the oldest non‐governmental national poetry contest in Canada.

• Deadline: April 15, 2013 3 • Prizes: $1200: $300 first place, $200 second place, $100 third place, • 8 honourable mentions of $50 • 8 judge’s choice of $25 • Complimentary anthology of winners, trophy, plus award ceremony at Cobalt Public Library on • Friday May 31 during the spring pulse poetry festival. • Entry Fee: $10 • Details: www.springpulsepoetryfestival.com • Enquires: Send to David Brydges [email protected]

Online Book Launches for All Local Poets – London Open Mic Poetry Night We are about to begin a new project, one which may be much more useful to the local poetry community than are our monthly events: We are going to do a free online launch of everyone’s new book release. The book can be of any kind, real paper or online‐only, commercial or self‐published. We only have one restriction: The poet must have been published in two mainstream journals, by which we mean journals that are discriminating. Our launches may prove to be more effective than are the traditional restaurant or library launches, for several reasons.

First, we will post a batch of the poet’s previously‐published poems so that readers can really sink their teeth into the author’s work, as opposed to only hearing them once as at a normal launch. And these poems will be linked directly to whomever is selling the books ‐ a publisher or the poet’s own website.

Second, the launch will include, along with a photo and bio, an interview with the poet, which will also be linked to the poems and to the book source.

Because the launch will not be associated with our monthly events, but will only be online, we will not spend a lot of time reading the poet’s book in preparation for the interview, as we do for the events. The interview questions will be standardized, but will allow the poet to adequately describe the book, the poetics, and themselves.

Consequently, the book launch will be relatively easy for us to do, not take too much time, and will not cost us anything (except $6.00 to promote it on Facebook). Yet, if it precedes the poet’s own normal launch, it could significantly increase the public’s interest. Which means that more poets might succeed with their local launches.

But the largest benefit will likely come from increasing the size of the community itself. Poets living in a relatively small city like London have to deal with the problem of percentages. Of 300,000 people, maybe 1% (3,000) have any interest at all in poetry, and, of that, maybe 10% (300) have any interest in regional or local poetry, and, of that, maybe 10% (30) would ever go to a book launch, and, of that, maybe 10% (3) would buy a book there.

Obviously the problem is the size of the starting community. The only way for local poets to increase that size, without moving to Toronto, is to use the internet, especially something like Facebook. When our Open Mic Night page spends $6 to 'promote’ a post on Facebook, as we will with each launch, that post goes to not just our own page’s ‘friends’, but also to many of the 'friends’ of 'friends’, and so is, at this point, ‘seen’ by 600 to 1000 people, and growing rapidly. These are mainly people who are into literature because the initial 'friends’ of our own page are. And they are all across Canada, not just local. So our online launches will essentially bring all these people into the restaurant at the local launching. No matter where they are, they will all be able to read the poems we post and buy the book equally well. Our market won’t be just us locals anymore.

In other words, our online launches would help to make the names of our local poets national in scope.

4 As for the $6.00, the poets who benefit can drop it in our Donation Jar at the next event. Hopefully they will: It’s our only source of revenue.

Online launches or not, we are still going to try to launch as many books as possible at our open mic/reading events. This month we will begin scheduling readers for our second season, but first we are going to ask all the poets whom we’ve already asked to read, but who have not yet read, to inform us of any pending book release dates. We want those poets to read soon after their release dates, and we will do an online launch at the same time, but with a more substantial interview. Then we will fill in the other events with the other poets.

Online books and ipads are the future. Online launches fit right in there. Publishers like Smashwords.com don’t make paper books unless there is a demand from the author. More so all the time, ebooks are being downloaded directly. They are cheaper to buy, and now we can supply the readers. Email us at [email protected] if you have a poetry book or chapbook pending. On visit their website: http://www.londonpoetryopenmic.com/1/post/2013/02/online‐book‐launches‐for‐all‐local‐ poets.html

Call for Entries to the John Lent Poetry‐Prose Award Kalamalka Press seeks chapbook‐length collections of poetry, short fiction or hybrids thereof for its second annual John Lent Poetry‐Prose Award! Entrants should be residents of Canada and in the early stages of their writing careers, having not published more than two full‐length books. The winning work will be published in a limited fine‐press edition by Kalamalka Press. • Manuscripts should be double‐spaced in a legible 12‐point font and span no more than 20 single‐sided pages. • Please include your name, mailing address and email on a separate cover page, and place only the title and page numbers on every page. • Excerpts from the manuscript may be previously published in periodicals, but should not yet have appeared in a trade collection. • The competition is open to poetry, short prose narratives or any combination of the two. Please do not send work in translation. • Manuscripts should be submitted on plain 8.5” × 11” paper, fastened either with a staple or clip, and will be recycled unless accompanied by a return self‐addressed stamped envelope. • $10 for each manuscript. Writers may enter as many times as they wish. Please make cheques out to Okanagan College Foundation. • The winner receives $100.00 and ten percent of the book’s print‐run. • All entries must be postmarked between February 1 and May 1, 2013. • Submissions received outside of this time frame will not be considered. • The winner will be announced by July 1, 2013, and published during the subsequent academic year. Send submissions to The John Lent Poetry‐Prose Award, c/o Okanagan College, 7000 College Way, Vernon, BC V1B 2N5. Direct queries to the contest coordinator, Kevin McPherson: [email protected]

Contest: Lena Wilson Endicott Poetry Award Contest Our Times, Canada’s Independent Labour Magazine, is sponsoring a poetry contest in honour of Lena Wilson Endicott (1928‐2012), an artist and poet who cared deeply for the world and social justice. Send us your work poems and your poems of working people and social justice. You may send your poems by email or your letter carrier. Send up to 5 poems as an attachment, but with no identifying info on the poems (to ensure impartial judging). Put your name, address, email address and union affiliation, if any, in the body of your email or in your cover letter. Email your submission to [email protected] , or mail it to: Our Times, Poetry Editor, Suite 407 – 15 Gervais Drive, Toronto Ont, M3C 1Y8. Deadline: June 15, 2013. Grand Prize: $400; two runners‐up: $100 each. Winner and runners‐up will have their poem published in Our Times, and will receive a two‐year subscription to the magazine. Winners will be 5 announced in our Labour Day issue, September 2013. Poetry Judges: Marilyn Dumont, poet; Valerie Endicott, family member; Adriane Paavo, labour educator (Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union, and member of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada). Contest Coordinator: Maureen Hynes, poet, and Our Times Poetry Editor.

Open to Submissions: Subterranean Blue Poetry Subterranean Blue Poetry is an Internet Poetry and Art Publishing Café. We thrive on new original words and New Age Art. All Poets and their poetry are welcome and we are especially looking for homegrown Poets from the Canadian/American Indian Community, Quebec, small town Canada, international Poets and anyone who was ever considered “the other.” New Age Art offerings are for the masthead of each issue. We are currently open to submissions. www.subterraneanbluepoetry.com.

Rhubarb Taboo Literary Contest Rhubarb announces the expansion of the Money literary contest to include all taboos with up to $1,500 in prize money, open to anyone (Mennonites and non), with $30 and a stamp to send it. Future Rhubarb taboo themes are Sex, and Power & Politics. Entries related to Rhubarb taboo themes will be considered for publication, but all writing about taboos are eligible for the contest. Deadline: March 30, 2013.

There will be up to three $500 prizes, one each in poetry, fiction, and creative non‐fiction, and publication in the Rhubarb’s Power & Politics issue of next summer. Honourable mentions will also be published and receive the standard $50 payment for publication. All entrants will receive a subscription to Rhubarb magazine. Prizes may not be awarded in all categories at the discretion of the judges.

The judges: Fiction – Armin Wiebe, Non‐Fiction – Andreas Schroeder, Poetry – Lorna Crozier The entry fee is $30. Three poems of up to 30 lines can be submitted as one poetry entry, fiction and non‐fiction are limited to one submission with a maximum of 2,500 words. Money literary contest entrants please note, you entries continue to be eligible, and your entry fee is good for another submission on another taboo if you want to send one.

Entry Details: Please provide all contact information, including your name address and email on a cover sheet, without your name appearing on the entry itself. Submissions will be accepted by email and surface mail. Email entries won’t be logged until a cheque for $30 arrives in the mail. Please address surface mail entries and cheques payable to “The Mennonite Literary Society” to: The Mennonite Literary Society, Rhubarb Taboo Contest, 606‐100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1H3.

Coastal Spectator Calling All Poets! Coastal Spectator: http://coastalspectator.ca. We're a new arts‐based review and commentary site operating independently out of the University of Victoria. Check us out! We are starting a new feature: we want to publish, on our home site, one new poem each week for a year, so if you have a new piece of work ‐‐ that is a haiku or up to 25 lines long ‐‐ do submit. We can pay $25 for each poem published, and once its week on the site is over, it will be placed in a poetry archive onsite.

We see it as a new way to introduce new or pending books of Canadian poetry. By "new" we mean book published in 2012. If you've just signed a poetry deal, then this is a good way to let the world know. Send your submission (one only, pick your best!) to [email protected]

New Award: Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature We are excited to announce the launch of the new Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature. Established by CODE – a Canadian charitable organization that supports literacy and learning – in collaboration with philanthropist William (Bill) Burt and the Literary Prizes Foundation, The Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature will be given annually to English‐language literary works for Young Adults by First Nations, Métis or Inuit authors. A First Prize of $12,000, a Second Prize 6 of $8,000 and a Third Prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the authors and translators (if applicable) of the winning titles. Publishers of winning titles will be awarded a guaranteed purchase of a minimum of 2,500 copies. Eligible manuscripts and books published between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2013 must be received from publishers no later than 1 May 2013.

Literary Review of Canada (LRC) We're changing up our poetry section for 2013, with each issue to feature poems that share a common form or theme. During the months devoted to a given form, the subjects will vary, and vice versa. Below is our 2013 publication calendar to help guide submissions. As always, we welcome unsolicited, unpublished, original submissions, provided that they fit one of the categories outlined in this schedule:

• January/February: sonnets • March: poems from the margins, e.g. pieces from/about our prisons, reserves, North, rural areas, etc. • April: short poems, of less than 50 words ‐ consider haikus, tankas, rubaiyats, tweet‐poems, triolets, and other short styles • May: poems on the elements, e.g. fire, earth, water, air, wood, etc. • June: villanelles • July/August: ekphrastic poetry, i.e. pieces inspired by other art forms (visual, film, music, etc.) • September: prose poems • October: poems inspired by family • November: ghazals • December: poems inspired by food

Please note that there are two reading periods: 1) May 1 to December 5, 2012 for publication January‐ June 2013 and 2) beginning May 1, 2013 for publication July/August‐December 2013. Please include the month in which you would like your work to be read in the subject line of any emailed submissions. For more information, check out our full submissions guidelines online at: http://reviewcanada.ca/submissions

First Call: submissions for retrospective/compendium/anthology on Milton Acorn (Mosaic Press) Dear Fellow Poets, After several years of preparation, last year Mosaic Press released a new selected of Milton Acorn, edited by poet James Deahl. An informal group we sometimes jokingly call 'The Fellowship of the Acorn' is doing our best to resurrect and perpetuate the literary work and legacy of Canada's People's Poet. Most of us believe Milt was Canada's best ever poet.

To promote Milt and his new book, IN A SPRINGTIME INSTANT, we organized a number of events in 2012, beginning with a casual gathering at Grossman's Tavern in Toronto where Milt received the People's Poet Medal. In the summer we organized a standing‐room‐only book launch at The Parliament Street Library, followed soon after by a tribute to Milt at the sixth annual Purdy Country Literary Festival, which we dubbed AcornFest in Milt's honour. On November 22nd we held An Evening With the Friends of Milton Acorn at The Imperial Public Library in Toronto.

We are now entering the next stage of resurrecting Milton Acorn. Mosaic Press did a beautiful job with IASI, and Howard Aster, the publisher of Mosaic, has now approved the publication of a compendium/retrospective book on Milt to continue this campaign. We anticipate the book will be of equal quality and length to IASI.

We are asking for submissions for this book from you. We would also appreciate it if you'd circulate information about this project far and wide to other Acornphiles. We are seeking reminiscences, memoirs, critiques, poems, pictures, artwork ‐ one of our first contributions is a song for Milt ‐ just

7 about anything. Surprise us! Please send submissions, queries, proposals and questions to me, Chris Faiers, preferably via email: [email protected]. Snail mail can be mailed to: Chris Faiers, 12 Main St. Marmora, ON K0K 2M0. Or if you'd prefer, phone calls are welcome (please keep trying, afternoons & evenings best) 613‐472‐6186. You can also contact co‐editor Terry Barker by phone: 1‐416‐491‐8676 or snail mail: Terry Barker, 22 Deerford Rd., Willowdale, ON M2J 3J2. The target date for publication is spring 2014. We are in the first stages of this project, so feedback, ideas and encouragement are very much appreciated. peace & poetry power! Chris (Faiers). Information updates will be posted on my blog: http://riffsandripplesfromzenrivergardens.blogspot.com/.

Submissions Open for Poetry NOW: 5th Annual Battle of the Bards Submissions are now open for Poetry NOW: 5th annual Battle of the Bards presented by Authors at Harbourfront Centre (AUTHORS) and their long‐time media partner NOW Magazine. Just in time for National Poetry Month, this popular poetry competition celebrates Canadian poetry by showcasing 20 upcoming and established writers for a night of readings on Wednesday, April 3, 2013. One poet will win an invitation to read at the 34th annual International Festival of Authors (October 24 – November 3, 2013) and have their book advertised in NOW.

Twenty poets will be selected by random draw from all eligible submissions and invited to read for a maximum of five minutes. A jury comprising Authors at Harbourfront Centre Director Geoffrey Taylor, Artistic Associate Jen Tindall and another judge to be announced will select the night’s winner.

“Poetry takes on many forms and we want to celebrate that uniqueness in our fifth year partnering with NOW Magazine to present this event,” said Geoffrey Taylor, Director, Authors at Harbourfront Centre. “We’re looking for both new and established poets to share some of their best work with us in hopes of showcasing their talent at this year’s Festival.”

In keeping with AUTHORS’ mandate to promote new literature and new voices, participant’s books must have been published within the past five years and currently be in print with a trade publisher. Submissions should be made by a poet’s publishing representative by February 28 at noon. For full submission criteria and guidelines, publishers and poets should visit (http://www.readings.org/?q=main/poetry_now_5th_annual_battle_of_the_bards). Please note that AUTHORS will forgo the usual stipulation that participants refrain from participating in local events for seven days before and after the engagement as we realize it is National Poetry Month and several events will be taking place throughout April.

Tickets to attend the event are $10 (free for supporters, youth 25 and under, and students with ID). AUTHORS is pleased to offer a 50% discount to members of the League of Canadian Poets, Writers’ Union of Canada and Playwrights Guild of Canada. This event takes place Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30pm in the Brigantine Room, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto. For more information and to purchase tickets, the public may visit www.readings.org or call the Harbourfront Centre box office at 416‐973‐4000.

EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, COURSES, FESTIVALS & READINGS

Retreat: Creative Writing Retreat on Pelee Island May 23‐26, 2013 with Roger Nash and Chris Nash Pelee Art Works invites you to unlock your creativity this spring with a very special writing retreat. Roger and Chris will lead you jointly in developing your writing potential while you enjoy all the special pleasures and beauty of Pelee Island.

Roger Nash is a well known author and poet. He has books published in philosophy and fiction, but is best known for his many books of poetry, the latest of which has just been published by Buschek Books. (The Sound of Sunlight). You can check out some of his work at this link: 8 http://www.poetrymap.ca/profile.php?PoetID=39. Roger is Poet Laureate of the City of Greater Sudbury and has served two terms as President of the League of Canadian Poets. His literary awards include the P.E.N./O.Henry Prize Story Award (2009), the Confederation Poets Award (2001, 1997), the Canadian Jewish Book Award for Poetry (1997), 1st Prize, Fiddlehead Poetry Contest (1993‐4) and 1st Prize, Prism international Poetry Contest (1985‐6).

Chris Nash developed and taught Writing Across the Curriculum in the Scholarly Teaching Program at the University of Guelph, as well as having spent 12 years as an op‐ed columnist for Northern Life. She has had a non‐fiction book as a best seller and has recently published her first historical novel, Temperance Lloyd. You can read more about it at http://www.temperencelloyd.com.

This will be a fabulous opportunity to work with these two accomplished and inspirational authors! Your retreat will begin on Thursday evening with a wine and cheese reception with the group and Roger and Chris. Friday and Saturday will be busy as you work under their expert guidance. On Saturday evening you will have an opportunity to share some of your work in a public reading. Sunday will be a day of reflection on feedback from the night before and perhaps some rewriting. The retreat will wind up by about 2 pm on Sunday.

Your cost of $ 475 will cover Roger and Chris’ leadership as well as accommodation for 3 nights (double occupancy) in an island Bed and Breakfast. Breakfast at your B&B and a light lunch at Art Works will also be included. There will be time to explore the island restaurants for the evening meals. Consider extending your stay on the island at this beautiful time of year to explore trails, birdwatching, Pelee Island Winery, Heritage Centre, and just plain relaxing and being inspired by nature. Don’t hesitate to book your spot today. Contact Art Works at [email protected] to register. Do you already have a place to stay on the island? You can register for the retreat only, with no accommodation and breakfast provided, for $300.

Poetry Slam: Semifinals in March, Toronto Please note it's our SEMIFINALS in March, the moment many have been waiting for in our poetry slam scene here in the GTA.

March 10: Toronto Poetry Slam hosts its first semifinals event of the season, featuring the top 8 poets from the 12/13 season. Featuring Magpie Ulysses from Vancouver. Drake Hotel Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. 8pm. $5. 416‐312‐3865

March 30: Toronto Poetry Slam hosts its second semifinals event of the season, featuring the top 8 poets from the 12/13 season. Featuring Robbie Q from Chicago. Drake Hotel Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. 8pm. $5. 416‐312‐3865

Workshop: Sound Poets' Circle ‐ A Free Weekly Hip‐Hop and Spoken Word Workshop, Toronto Academy of the Impossible, Impossible Arts and the Toronto Street Writers are thrilled to announce the new Sound Poets’ Circle, a free hip‐hop and spoken word workshop series for youth ages 16‐29!

Sound Poets’ Circle runs on Monday evenings starting March 11, 2013 at the Academy of the Impossible. This is a three‐month workshop on creating and recording sound and music, writing hip hop lyrics and spoken‐word poetry. This is a "use what you got to get what you want" program that will inspire group participation, creativity and resistance through art.

Participants will work with established and emerging facilitators and artists: rosina kazi (lal), Mindbender Supreme, The Grimace, and producer Nicholas Murray (lal/da grassroots). You will work individually and collectively in groups, edit and record work, polish our live performances, perform on stage, and create finished MP3s of our work. 9

We encourage everyone between the ages of 16 and 29 to apply. This program is geared towards anyone interested in words and sounds! Please note that we will place emphasis on marginalized, diverse voices and experiences. Space is limited. To join, please register by sending an email to [email protected] or calling 416‐779‐1448

Poetry Slam: Hullabaloo is the BC Youth Poetry Slam Championships, Vancouver Hullabaloo is the BC Youth Poetry Slam Championships happening in Vancouver April 3rd to 6th at the Roundhouse Community Centre The BC Youth/High School Poetry Slam Championships are back for a third year and this time we are partnering up with the Roundhouse Community Centre as our venue for the entire festival. April 3‐6th are the dates for the 2013 festival which will feature 16 senior secondary schools from around Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Returning to defend their 2012 title are South Delta Secondary along with Reynolds Secondary from Victoria who won the inaugural poetry tournament. Of course there are many other teams and you can check out the full details at www.youthslam.ca

Our features this year include 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, Amy Everhart and Ted‐X featured poet Truth Is from Guelph/Toronto, Ontario. We will also be having plenty of daytime events for school groups featuring other amazing poets including the All Star Slam and Adventures in Poetry land poetry workshops.

Reading: Rowers Reading Series, Toronto March is magnificent at the Rowers Reading Series! Join us for a stellar night of poetry and prose featuring: Andrew J Borkowski, Karleen Pendleton Jimenez, Nyla Matuk and Carmine Starnino. Monday, March 4, 7:30 pm, upstairs at The Victory Café, 581 Markham St, Toronto. For more info: http://rowerspubreadingseries.com.

Reading: Saturdays at the Portobello, Toronto We have another stellar afternoon lined up for you. Featured Musician ‐ Fred Gardiner; Featured Poet ‐ Charlene Jones; Guest Musicians ‐ Bob Cohen & Charmain Louis; Guest Poet ‐ Kent Bowman; Guest Author ‐ Carol Malyon; Guest Storyteller ‐ Diz Altschul. Saturday, March 2nd, 2013, from 1:30 ‐ 4:30 p.m. at Portobello Restaurant & Bar, 995 Bay St., Toronto ON M5S 3C4, 416 926‐1800.

Reading: DRAFT 8.5, Toronto Please join us for DRAFT 8.5 on Sunday, March 3rd ‐ 3pm at The Merchants of Green Coffee (2 Matilda St., Toronto, ON). With new work by: Dayle Furlong, Richard Greene, Benjamin Hackman, Jack Hannan, and Lindy Moses. Make sure to pick up your copy of Draft, a limited‐edition publication available only at these readings. For further information call: 416‐433‐4170, email: [email protected] or visit: www.draftreadings.wordpress.com or visit us on Facebook.

NEW MEMBERS

Stella Body Stella Body is an international Canadian, born of a Tanganyikan father and Scots mother. Poems about Africa, Canada, and the relationship between them, have appeared in ARC, Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire and broadcast as finalists in the CBC Literary awards.

Her first book, Keeping the Earth Alive, was published in 2006 with eight original artworks donated by Robert Bateman. Amnesiac will be launched by LyricalMyrical Press in April 2013. A new work, The Watcher Who Disappears, is currently with Quattro Press.

10 MEMBERS NEWS

Rebecca Anne Banks Announcing! Subterranean Blue Poetry Volume I Issue I. Featuring “Dame de Bourgogne” painting by Lucie Chicoine and Confessions of a Soldier: when love is war and other insouciancies by Rebecca Anne Banks. Break out the champagne! Visit: www.subterraneanbluepoetry.com.

Louise Carson To celebrate International Women's Day ‐ SHEELA ‐ Performance Poetry featuring Louise Carson, Czandra, Julie Hamel, Nathalyrmene Rousseau and erika n. white, followed by open mic. Wednesday, March 6th, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the Omnicentre, 375 boulevard Cardinal Leger, Pincourt, Quebec. 514‐425‐ 1104 #6244.

Louise Carson will be reading on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at The Black Swan, 154 Danforth Ave., 2nd floor, Toronto, in the evening, as part of Carousel Magazine's Summer/Fall launch hosted by Livewords Poetry Reading Series.

April 18th, 2013 at 7 pm, Louise Carson will host a reading by the Greenwood Poets at the St‐Lazare Community Centre, St‐Lazare, Quebec.

Sue Chenette I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be appearing at the Art Bar on Tuesday, March 5, along with Daniel Kolos and Christine Spinder. I’ll read some new work, as well poems from The Bones of His Being.

The Art Bar now takes place at Q Space, a bookstore café at 382 College Street – on the northwest corner of College and Borden, just north of the Kensington Market. It’s a great space: clean and bright, with local art on the walls, books on the shelves, and food, wine and beer for sale at the front counter. The readings start at 8 pm, and admission is free. Voluntary contributions are gratefully accepted.

Dina E. Cox I’m reading from my debut collection, small flames (Signature Editions, Winnipeg, 2012), on Saturday afternoon April 6th 2013, as part of National Poetry Month, at the Markham Village Library 6031 Highway #7 E, in the city of Markham, Ontario. The event begins at 2 p.m. (officially it’s 2:00 to 3:30, but it may not take that long, so best just to give start time) and will begin with music by a brass quintet made up of members of the Markham Concert Band. I will be playing with the quintet, then will give a reading from my small flames. After, there will be time for questions (for the quintet or me), and I will have copies of my book available.

Keith Inman Keith Inman will be reading from ‘An Unfinished War’ (Black Moss Press, 2012) at the following events:

March 20th, 7:30 pm, at Mahtay Cafe, St Paul and Court St in St.Catharines, ON

April 3rd, 7:30pm, in the Mills Room, St. Catharines Public Library, as part of National Poetry Month. This reading, hosted by ‘Canadian Authors in Action’, will include young poets from the St Catharines Library's ‘Fresh Ink’ contest, and students from Brock University’s writing program;

June 8th, 10am‐2pm, during the Niagara Literacy Arts Festival at the Welland Community Wellness Complex.

11 Susan McCaslin Susan McCaslin will be reading at the following upcoming launches and literary events:

Sat. April 6, reading at the launch of Jack Layton: Art in Action, Semiahmoo Arts, with editor of the anthology Penn Kemp, and Heidi Greco. Contact: Barbara Cooper, President, Semiahmoo Arts, 7:30‐9 [email protected]

Sun. April 7, reading at the launch of Jack Layton: Art in Action, ed. Penn Kemp (Quattro Books) Poetic Justice Series, New Westminster, BC, The Heritage Grill (backroom), 447 Columbia St., New Westminster, BC, 3‐5 pm, contact: Franci Louann, [email protected]

Mon. April 8, reading at the launch of Jack Layton: Art in Action, ed. Penn Kemp (Quattro Books), New Westminster Public Library, 716 6th Avenue, New Westminster, host, "Candice James" [email protected] Contact: Debra Nelson, Community Services Librarian , 604‐527‐4670.

Sat. April 13, launch of the anthology Forcefield: 75 BC Women Poets, Mother Tongue Publishing, ed. Susan Musgrave, VPL, Alma Van Dusen, Peter Kaye Room, 3:30‐4:30 pm.

Sat. May 4, launch of the anthology Forcefield: 75 BC Women Poets, Mother Tongue Publishing, ed. Susan Musgrave, The Fort Gallery, 9048 Glover road, Fort Langley, 7 pm, 604‐888‐7411, email: [email protected]

Liz Zetlin Liz Zetlin, at the Owen Sound Cultural Awards ceremony in February, received the Outstanding Individual Award, which recognizes individual achievement in any discipline — literary, visual, media or multi arts, dance, theatre, music. Liz has recently retired, after nine years, from being Artistic Director of the Words Aloud Festival and is pleased to announce the appointment of poet Meaghan Strimas as the new director.

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The League of Canadian Poets receives operating funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.