| Are they huddling together for protection against the cold, or do they just like each other? For whatever reason, this week is the time for literary and dramatic groups to join together for joint events.
On Sunday, February 2, it’s the second annual Writers Guild of Alberta and Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society joint reading. CBC entertainment and drama producer Allan Boss hosts authors Shirley Black, Susan Calder-Arnold, Vivian Hansen, Betty Jane Hegerat, Gordon Neufeld and Barb Scott at Annie's Book Company (912 - 16 Ave. N.W.) The event runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and admission is by a suggested donation.
Then next Saturday, February 8, Suzette Mayr, Jason Christie, Will Buchan and Jan Houston are all getting together for "ex's and oh's: a reading with heart." The reading is at the Truck Gallery and celebrates new issues from both dANDelion and filling Station magazines. The reading starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are available at the door. You can find the Truck Gallery in the basement of the Grain Exchange building (815 - 1 St S.W.) Need more info? Mail Chris Blais (for filling Station) at christopherblais@shaw.ca, or derek beaulieu (for dANDelion) at Derek@housepress.ca.
Lack of space last week meant few details on POETaster, yet another fruitful collaboration. This time it’s WordFest and Alberta Theatre Projects teaming up to bring together Ivan Coyote, Raj Pal and Kirk Miles on February 1; Blake Brooker, Mark Krozub and Sheri-D Wilson on February 15; and Ian Samuels, Gregory Scofield and Karen Solie on February 22. All readings are in the Martha Cohen Theatre lobby at 9:30 p.m.
Also at Annie’s on the first Tuesday of every month, the Society of Poets, Bards and Storytellers holds readings of poetry and prose at 7 p.m. And to fill those Thursday evenings, drop by Pages every Thursday in February at 7:30 p.m. for ATP’s Brief New Works, featuring actors from ATP reading new Canadian plays –and it’s free.
Did you know there were books being published at the University of Calgary? You can hear a passel of U of C Press authors read at McNally Robinson’s U of C Press author showcase on Thursday, February 6 at 7 p.m. Readers include David Jones (Empire of Dust); Henry Klassen (Eye on the Future); Ian Adam (As I Remember Them) and Shaobo Xie (Dialogues on Cultural Studies).
This marks the last Bookends I’ll be writing for a few months, since I’m off to the old world to learn more about writing from the last century. While toiling away in the dusty libraries and archives of France, I’ll spare a thought for the readers and writers here in the foothills. And I’ll even spread the word about Alberta writing at a couple of "colloques," as they call them, on Canadian lit. Meanwhile, this space rests in the capable hands of Jason Hammond, who knows the who, what, when and where as well as anyone. Keep reading, and à bientôt. |
