| Rhyme every mountain
This weekend might be a good time for writers to get out of town – at least as far as the Front Range of the Rockies anyway. Saturday afternoon sees The Society of Poets, Bards and Storytellers celebrating Mountain Poetry from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Banff Centre for the Arts. What is Mountain Poetry? The pertinent Sid Marty asked that question last November at the Banff Mountain Book Festival, then proceeded to read a poem about his fridge, "because my fridge is in the mountains." So there you go. This being UNESCO's Year of Mountains and all, it makes sense to attend what looks like "the only known Canadian Mountain Poetry Celebration" – according to Calgary bards, poets etc., anyway. The Poetry on the Peak readings take place in the TransCanada Pipeline Pavilion. Pat has more info at 516-0846.
East of the National Park gate, the mountains will be alive with the sound of... writers sucking on their pens. Eww. Ken Rivard's creative writing workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Canmore Public Library. To find out how to register and what it will cost you, call Jason at the Writers Guild of Alberta (265-2226). The WGA also presents a playwriting workshop with Calgary's Governor General nominee Clem Martini, on March 23 at the Old Y from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. For info and registration, e-mail hansonk@cadvision.com.
The acclaimed author of Cereus Blooms at Night, Irish-Trinidadian-Canadian filmmaker turned novelist Shani Mootoo is the University of Alberta's Writer in Residence this year. Thanks to the gracious Markin-Flanagan Distinguished Writers Programme at the University of Calgary, Mootoo will read in Calgary this Friday, March 22 at noon at the U of C, in Social Sciences 1339. (Social Sciences is the big beige building near the LRT. Take the LRT if at all possible – there is little chance of finding parking at the U of C at noon on a weekday.) The University's Faculty of Humanities helped sponsor the event, too. For info call Leigh Hurst at 220-8177. And for further author info, Mootoo's own Web site is at www.ucalgary.ca/~kdmulatz/bio.html.
Next Tuesday, March 26, local poets will "face off" on CBC Radio's national Poetry Face-Off Challenge. Here's how it works (you'll need to take notes): Poets Sid Marty, Erin Michie, Bob Stallworthy, Bryn Thiessen and Sheri-D Wilson will read at Karma Café at 7 p.m. That event will be hosted by Sharon Edwards, among others, and recorded for CBC's RadioActive. Then on Wednesday, April 10, the CBC's Richardson's Roundup show will broadcast a one-hour special final round with the winners from nine regions of the country. Then the Roundup audience votes by phone and e-mail, and their chosen winner gets announced Wednesday, April 17. Confused? Just show up at the Karma reading and don't worry about it.
The Single Onion Poetry Collective must have spring fever. The group is hosting two events this month, starting with an open mic session on Thursday, March 21 to celebrate National Poetry Day. A week later, on March 28, the collective returns to regularly scheduled programming (as dictated by the full moon) with an evening featuring visiting poet Glen Sorestad along with Roberta Rees, Ian Samuels and Dave Martins. Both events begin at 8 p.m. at the Daniel Sponagle Centre of Contemporary Art and Mischief (22 - 4 St. N.E.). |
