Two translations

...of the same Neruda poem are offered here by John MacKenzie. I could spend my days comparing translations.

Speaking of translations, The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova finally arrived. I ordered it ages ago. It's translated by Judith Hemschemeyer. I look forward to comparing it to Lyn Coffin's translations in Anna Akhmatova: Poems, a book I borrowed this spring from the writer who first introduced me to Akhmatova's work.

Notions of the individual

...are explored in "New Solutions to New Problems Might be New Problems: The Individual as Social Process: Writer and Self in the Work of Nick Piombino" by Mark Wallace. Here's more on Nick Piombino.

Hear Neruda

...here. Actually it's a translation read by John MacKenzie, but it's still Neruda I hear.

I've been hanging around

...Stuart Ross' blog ever since I discovered it in May. Toronto's Book Expo, the Ottawa Small Press Fair, the Art Bar, and the League of Canadian Poets AGM have all been subjects of recent posts.

The Art of Science Competition

...at Princeton University is a must see. Here's the online exhibition. I may never eat Smarties again thanks to Stephen Pratt's Individually Marked Ants. (Initial link via Hassenpfeffer.)

My next post should appear on June 29.

My book tour

...wrapped up in Churchill, Manitoba. Even though I said I wouldn't post again until June 29, I had to stop by to thank the organizers and audience. Thank you. Churchill is just as amazing as I had been led to believe. The train ride there and back was incredible.

Tonight's reading in Thompson

...at the Thompson Public Library was wonderful. Thanks to Trevor Surgenor for organizing the event. When I walked in I was amazed to see copies of Anne Szumigalski's Rapture of the Deep and Voice (by Szumigalski and Marie Elyse St. George) and a tape of Szumigalski's On Glassy Wings waiting on every chair. How moving to find the work of a great poet sitting there, waiting for us to arrive.

The Thompson Public Library sports not only a great collection of poetry, but very soon people will be able to sign out tools. We had a peek at the tools, which include stud finders, shovels, saws, hammers, extension cords, clamps... Apparently there's only a couple other libraries that carry tools -- one in Vancouver, BC and the other in Berkley, CA. I could go on and on about the exciting things going on at the Thompson Public Library, but I think the tools are a good example of the forward thinking happening there.

Thanks again to Trevor and to everyone who came out. It was great to meet you all.

From the periphery, the outside

...is where "economies, ecosystems, and writing all begin" says Rob Budde in "Writing the Place Awake: Culture in a Northern City." I love the Wallace Stegner quote in this piece.

Tomorrow I'm off on the final leg of the Northern Manitoba tour. I haven't visited Thompson in years and I've never been to Churchill. I look forward to the readings and the train ride, not to mention the birds and the whales and everything else. My next post should appear on June 29.

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A painting by Marilyn Monroe

...was auctioned off the other day. It and her personal phone book. I learned this tonight as I was looking around for a painting of a phone.

My next post should appear on June 14.

Canadian science fiction

...is currently featured on CBC.ca. Here is Peter Darbyshire's article. Here is what Hassenpfeffer has to say about it.

The final issue of an Australian poetry journal

...called Salt is posted on Verse. The latest post is a Salt metrical poetry feature. (Thanks, K)

Day Jobs, Night Shifts: Surviving on Poetry

...is the title of the latest issue of CV2. In "Words from the Editor", managing editor Clarise Foster talks about being a poet and making a living.

A poem is just a little machine

... according to Don Paterson. In "T.S. Eliot Lecture 2004, The Dark Art of Poetry" Paterson says "a poem is just a little machine for remembering itself." Though Paterson says far far more in this lecture, including nifty bits about silence and risk, I found myself caught up in a little machine. Where's Doctor Who when you need him?

nthposition

...has included one of my poems in its June issue.

A wonderful quote

...from Fred Wah's Alley Alley Home Free can be found on Writing Way North.

The UbuWeb Project

...is done. That's too bad. I spent a fair bit of time on UbuWeb.

Here's an irresistible invitation

...to read and re-order John MacKenzie's stanzas.

The Winnipeg leg

...of my road trip was wonderful. The reading at McNally Robinson Grant Park in Winnipeg with Ariel Gordon was capped off with a terrific chocolate cake with More Than Three Feet of Icing!

The next day we had a great time at the North-South Summit, an event organized by Ariel Gordon. The fun noon gathering consisted of dim sum and conversation at the Kum-Koon Garden. See Anita Daher's post.

Among all the great people I met were Jonathan Ball and Polly Washburn. I mention them specifically because they're part of May Day, the tremendous marathon of poetry that just wrapped up yesterday. Hats off to you all!