Talking Fresh kicks off

...this afternoon. I won't be there. No doubt I'll spend the next while wondering what I'm missing.

UPDATE:

March 30 - I mentioned our lucky horseshoe in a comment on this post this morning. H found it in the yard and hung it on a tree in September 1989 and it's been our lucky horseshoe ever since. A little while ago I decided to go outside and make sure it's still hanging the right way. Sometimes it needs straightening. I took the camera along to get a pic. This is where our horseshoe hangs.


It's gone.

H, who had been watching the goings on from the house, came out and grabbed a shovel, thinking it had just fallen off the tree. While he dug I went on about what this means for our luck.


He dug and dug.


No horseshoe.

Today I met the choir

...and heard the pieces that are based on my poems for the first time, pieces they will perform in the Grand Tipi in May. I spent the rest of the day saying wow. Both works are beautiful. Hats off to the composers. Bravo to the choir. It was so moving to sit there. I wasn't prepared for that. I'm glad H was there to hear as well. We stayed for the entire practice, during which they concentrated on "Night on an Old Trade Route." It was amazing. I stared, transfixed, at Crystal Kolt's hands as she conducted the choir. What an ear she has. To hear the soprano, alto, tenor and bass practice a section separately and then hear the whole choir become one as they sing it together gave me a deeper sense of what I'd initially heard. The word emerging, for example, somehow seemed to find a way through to what I, in vain, had reached for with the poem.

Before the choir performed the work, I talked a bit about the poems, mainly "Night on an Old Trade Route." I had spent a fair bit of time thinking about what I'd say about that poem before it occurred to me that perhaps in this case I was not the best one to speak to it. I emailed Gerry, who had commented previously that he had included the poem in course material, and explained the situation. I asked him to explain why he had picked that poem and told him that I'd read his reply to the choir. And that I did. It was a great reply. Many thanks to Gerry. Discussion followed. And then the choir sang. And I'll say it again. Wow.

The latest tool for the poet's toolbox

UPDATE:
Dani Couture, the poet whose work inspired this video, has posted her wonderful Ringolo Snow Art on her blog.

Surely not

...Moses!

At the post office today

...was Calling Texas, a collection of poems by Bert Almon. I'm delighted!


In a recent post I mentioned I brought home a number of books, including A Ghost in Waterloo Station, the latest by Bert Almon. One of the many perks of going to the winter colony at St. Peter's Abbey is that St. Peter's College usually hosts a reading from its Canada Council for the Arts series at that time. This year we enjoyed readings by Bert Almon and Olga Costopoulos. The readings are always held in the college library. Rhona has some photos of the event at the end of this post on her blog. Behind Bert Almon in the first of Rhona's photos is the Anne Szumigalski Collection, a collection of books that I've spent much time with. To the right of the collection, just beyond the photo, is a watercolour portrait of Anne Szumigalski, the renowned poet and community builder. I always find it moving to sit at a reading there and see her smiling at us. Anyway, it's great to add this book to my collection. In return, I'll slip a copy of my last book in the envelope and mail it off to him tomorrow.

Also in the mail was this postcard from my pop culture mentor.


I love it when she sends me postcards. As usual, I experienced a moment of confusion before the light came on. Well, the light came on thanks to the little nudge she gave me on the other side. Sometimes I require more than nudges. The suicidal bunnies, for example, required much time and explanation. I just didn't get them.

UPDATE:
Yes, that's chocolate on the plate in the bottom right corner. Two squares of Lindt.

Here's a recap

...of the Fernie Writers Conference last year. I decided to gather these in one post to make it easier for those who are coming over from the Fernie Writers Conference website. A link to this post will remain on this blog under News & Events until after this year's conference.

Here are my posts from last year's fabulous conference:

Look out Fernie
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

I'm happy to say I'll be leading the poetry workshop again this year. I'm really looking forward to it. Fernie is awesome.