Issue 18 Vol. 1 Spring 2021 18.1 | Spring 2021 In this issue: 2-4 Announcing the Pavlick Winners 5-6 News from the League 7-9 Bill Arnott’s Beat 9-15 Poetry Parlour 17-20 Book Review: Locked in Different Alphabets 20-25 New League Members 25-33 Member News 34-41 Writing Opportunities 42-50 In Memoriam For full details, juror comments, and more visit poets.ca The Pavlick Poetry Prize 2021 Winners The Leon E. & Ann M. Pavlick Poetry Prize seeks to honour and encourage a Canadian poet whose work displays ample creativity and promise as well as an outstanding poetry group or collective with a positive and ongoing im- pact on poetry in Canada. Two prizes of $10,000 were awarded. Congratulations to Group Winner Canthius and Individual Winner Andrea Thompson! Canthius celebrates poetry and prose by women, trans men, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming writers. The maga- zine is published bi-annually, and over 8 issues, has displayed its committed to publishing diverse perspectives and experiences. Since its very first issue, Canthius has also committed to paying its contributors, before any funding had been secured. Their hard work and dedication to representation, diversi- ty, and quality has seen them grow into a municipally- and provincially-fund- ed literary magazine that highlights art, fiction, poetry, and non-fiction by some of Canada’s most historically oppressed communities. Their commit- ment to producing a beautiful print edition of the journal rewards readers and contributors alike. This prize has been presented to Canthius to allow them not just to con- tinue the great work they are already doing, but to encourage and en- able them to push boundaries, working towards moving beyond the language of diversity and representation toward a truly equitable, joyful, and welcoming literary space. We look forward to seeing how this invest- ment will enrich Canada’s poetry landscape. From the jurors: “Only to explain difference must no longer be the require- ment of our artistic labours. What is needed are avenues that can allow for exposure and examination with fullness, that gesture towards both criticality and care. Canthius is able to be one such avenue.” Runner up for the Group Prize is Poets’ Corner Reading Series Andrea Thompson is an artist. Her spoken word albums and performanc- es have been critically acclaimed, and her work in Canada’s spoken word community has been foundational and trail-blazing. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to nurturing and supporting youth and emerging artists of all ages, sometimes putting her own work on a back burner to do so. With a passion for using poetry and performance as a tool for empower- ment, Thompson has helped hundreds of vulnerable and disenfranchised students to develop their craft and literacy skills while increasing their emo- tional well-being and self-esteem. Throughout the 90s, she worked to help Canadian spoken word gain national and international recognition through radio, documentary, performance, and more. This prize is being awarded to Andrea Thompson because an investment in Andrea Thompson is an investment in the future of Canadian poetry. Thompson’s work will continue to change hearts and minds, and giving her the opportunity to focus on her own work will allow us all to reap the benefits when the work makes it out into the world. We are excited to see what Andrea Thompson will bring us next. From the jurors: “It’s about time spoken word artists begin to receive the recognition they deserve. Thompson’s work is powerful and critical. I look forward to not only her new work but the inspirational ripples it will cause throughout the community.” Runner up for the Individual Prize is Armand Garnet Ruffo Honorable mentions: The jurors for this award were: Canisia Lubrin Chelene Knight, Joseph Dan- Cicely Belle Blain durand and Zarmina Rafi Cristalle Smith David Ly For full details on the winners, Faith Paré including statements, and juror George Elliott Clarke bios, visit our announcement jaye simpson page joelle baron Louise Bernice Melanie Power Michael Fraser Phoebe Wang Tanis McDonald News from the League Leon E. and Ann M. Pavlick Poetry funding and select “CPT Reading Prize We are thrilled to celebrate the Series” as the program choice. Please selected winners of the Pavlick prize: request to reserve only as much as Canthius and Andrea Thompson! you believe you will need. Check out the full details, juror New: Host Database In order comments and more. to submit a funding application on behalf of an organization, a National Poetry Month Just around reading series, a school, a festival, the corner! Download social media or another official organizer (ie. not graphics, our official NPM2021 an individual), they will need to be poster, and more. in our new host database. View the database or Add a host Send a poem to a pocket Fundraiser The LCP wants to put a poem in Eden Mills Writers’ Festival every pocket this year! Sign up a Showcase: National Poetry Month loved one to recieve a poecket poem Celebration Thursday April 8, 8:00 - (Pay-What-You-Can) 9:00 p.m. EST (online) In celebration of National Poetry Month, we’ve Book Awards The League will be curated a showcase featuring some announcing the longlists of the 2021 of the most dynamic poetry to be Book Awards on April 6! Stay tuned! published in Canada this year. Take a break from pandemic life and Funding with the League For join these poets on a journey that Reading Series and Festivals: will explore the depth and breadth Reading Series and literary festivals of the human experience. Grab may be eligible to reserve up your favourite beverage, pull up a to $2,000 in honoraria for 8-16 chair and enjoy the ride. Featuring: unconfirmed readers for events Roxanna Bennett, Selina Boan, before March 31, 2022. Honoraria Leanne Dunic, Therese Estacion, can be disbursed in $125 (less than Louise B. Halfe, Steven Heighton, 10-minute reading) or $250 (solo, Dallas Hunt, Larissa Lai, Grace Lau, or greater than 15-minute reading) Jen Sookfong Lee, Garry Thomas increments, and readers must be Morse, Ken Norris, Arleen Paré, Full members of the League to Rebecca Salazar and Ian Williams. receive the funding, but do not RSVP to this event have to be confirmed at the time of reservation. Complete the event The LCP Chapbook Series Order a funding application at poets.ca/ chapbook today and know that you are supporting the continued success Stursberg. The prize accepts of the Series that brings publication submissions from young poets all opportunites to underrepresented across Canada, with three prizes poets as well as some new, top-notch awarded in both the Junior (grades poetry for your bookshelf. 7 to 9) and Senior (grades 10 to 12) Available now for order: categories. Deadline is April 30, 2021. • Voices of Quebec / Les voix du Find out more Quebec • The Time After: Poetry from Atlantic Member survey Thank you to Canada everyone who took the time to fill • The Next Generation Vol 1: Poems out our member survey. Congrats to from Young Poets the winners of the survey giveaway: • i am what becomes of broken Britta B, Natalee Caple, Greg Santos branch: A Collection of Voices by Indigenous Poets in Canada Poetry Pause Spoken Word • These Lands: A Collection of Voices The LCP is happy to share that by Black Poets in Canada spoken word poetry has a home in Poetry Pause. If you are a spoken Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize word poet, send us your poetry to be for Canadian Youth Established to featured! foster a lifelong relationship between Canadian youth and the literary Donate to the League arts, specifically poetry. The prize is Support poets and poetry in Canada. supported through a generous Please consider donating monthly donation from the Stursberg family to the League of Canadian Poets. and other donors in honour of Jessamy Donate via Canada Helps Bill Arnott’s Beat Poetry’s New Normal We live, you see, in a space the size of a hotel room—a queen-sized bed, bath, and my closet-cum-con- ference-room/performance space. I had earbuds with mic on, my feet wedged amidst out-of-season foot- wear, ready for a poetry event like no other. Most of my festival friends who were eight hours ahead of me had their G&Ts while I, at eleven a.m., not wanting to feel excluded, clutched a juice glass of morning Malbec. Pri- or to this, I didn’t know such a thing existed. Turns out it does and may, I suspect, catch on. Part 1: Pre-Pandemic Normally these events occur annu- It was morning where I was, over- ally in St Ives, Cornwall—England’s looking Canada’s west coast, evening southwest corner, near Land’s End for pals in Europe, and teatime for and Penzance—the end of the line another few dozen buddies around for rail and bus, and obviously, where the UK. Together we were recreat- pirates come from. Each day for ing, virtually, a literature festival held the week-long festival, this eclectic in Britain each spring. This partial it- group converged for evening read- eration of the annual reading series ings along with daytime events held took place via Zoom, a collection of in a tiny park called Norway Square, a poets, musicians, and one librettist, pocket of windswept greenery with the man we love who began this fes- peekaboo views of the Celtic Sea. I’m tival years ago—the in-person ver- one of a number of “regulars” who sion.