| For the average book buyer, often it’s a striking title that will determine a purchase. For poet Natalie Simpson, author of accrete or crumble, that’s a decidedly mixed blessing. "I’m so horrible at titles, it’s not even funny," says Simpson. "I’ll write a poem and then just tack on some word that doesn’t really mean anything. One of the best things my editors at Line Books did was take the titles away from most of the poems," she laughs. "Accrete or crumble was just a phrase in a poem, but it has more resonance as the title of a book. It’s interesting to think about how language works – how words accrete to form into something, or how sentences and paragraphs crumble into individual words."
Fans of Calgary’s literary scene will recognize Simpson as a mainstay in the community who dropped somewhat off the map two years ago, when she travelled to Vancouver to complete a bachelor of laws at the University of British Columbia. "Law school is a very strange educational experience," she muses. "It’s traumatic in the sense that you need some distance from it before you can approach it in any other way. I hope I’ll be able to draw some artistic work from it. The law is absurd in a lot of ways."
Now, Simpson is back in town and celebrates her return with a public reading. "I could read the whole book, because it would probably only take about 45 minutes, but I don’t know if I’ll inflict that on the audience," she laughs. "There’s a section in the book called Chump that is made up of my favourite poems. They have a very ragtime rhythm, a good natural flow to the language."
After spending two years knee-deep in legalese, Simpson is back at the writing table, but isn’t sure if her current work will lead into a second book. "I don’t really plan projects, I just write and see what happens," she says. "Spontaneity is important to the way I write, and to poetry in general. A lot of poetry is about discovery, about finding out something you were unaware of in language."
Simpson reads from accrete or crumble at McNally Robinson on June 12, 6:00 p.m.
It’s flywheel time again. This month, I’m thrilled to host Emily Cargan, Emily Elder, Tom Muir and Sharanpal Ruprai in an assorted evening of prose and poetry. They’ll be sharing their words and adding their signatures to Sandy Lam’s limited edition flywheel poster, up for auction in July. Join us at McNally Robinson on June 7, 7:30 p.m.
In 1962, track and field runner Harry Jerome suffered an injury at the Perth Commonwealth Games and was told he would never walk again. He recovered, went on to set seven world records and was awarded the Order of Canada in 1971. Fil Fraser serves up a biography for this unsung hero of Canadian sports at McNally Robinson on June 9, 1:00 p.m.
Between 1869 and 1948, over 100,000 children were forcibly emigrated from Great Britain to work on farms in Canada’s growing rural communities. In Searching for Billie, Freda Jackson examines the lives of these Home Children and their place in Canadian history. She reads from her novel at McNally Robinson on June 9, 7:00 p.m.
United Nations consultant Derek Evans has traversed the globe on a campaign against injustice and violence. He’s met with everyone from African warlords to the Dalai Lama, and this week he’s in Calgary to read from his book, Dispatches from the Global Village. You’ll find him at McNally Robinson on June 11, 2:00 p.m.
Every month, the Soundlines reading series highlights the wide diversity of Calgary’s literary scene. Hosted by Rhett Soveran, this evening gives poets from every corner of the city a chance to take the stage and share their words. Join the fun at the Studio Café (922 Centre Street N.W.) on June 11, 7:00 p.m.
Ahoy, sailboat lovers! Fred VanZuiden takes you behind the scenes with boatbuilders, sailors and sellers in The Sailing Game, an in-depth examination of small sailboating. He docks at McNally Robinson at noon, June 13.
It’s a busy week for Rhett Soveran as he joins the Writer’s Guild of Alberta for Invasion of the Blog, a romp through the digital landscape that asks how blogs can change the way writers look at their words. Check out his blog at www.rockstarpoet.ca, then meet him in person at the Rose & Crown Pub on June 13, 7:00 p.m.
Sick of crossword puzzles that require an in-depth knowledge of American senators? Gwen Sjogren has the cure with Cross Canada Crosswords 3, a collection of 28 new crosswords with a distinctly Canadian flavour. Meet the face behind the puzzles at McNally Robinson at noon, June 14.
dANDelion Magazine has a long tradition of literary excellence and social rowdiness, and both traditions will be upheld with the launch of issue 33.1. With live readings by Patrick Friesen, Marilyn Lerner and Andrew Wedderburn, musical interludes by Jay Coda Walker and a bar that flows all night long, this will be a raucous evening of artistic enjoyment. The party hits the Cantos Music Foundation (134 11 Avenue S.W.) on June 14, doors at 5:30 p.m., show at 7:00 p.m.
A chance encounter between three teenagers leads to a blood feud that spans generations. Peter Rainier paints a world of emerald mines, Spitfires and drug cartels in The Bogota Connection, a blood-soaked international thriller. He reads at McNally Robinson on June 14, 7:00 p.m.
If the Calgary events aren’t enough to hold your attention, turn your gaze mountainward. The Banff Centre’s Mountain Culture Speakers’ Series presents Jerry Kobalenko, veteran of 25 Arctic expeditions, including two self-propelled voyages across the 600 kilometres from Churchill Falls to Nain. He presents his latest book, The Horizontal Everest: Extreme Journeys on Ellesmere Island. at the Banff Centre’s Max Bell Auditorium on June 14, 7:30 p.m.
October is still a whole season away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about WordFest. The 2007 festival lineup has started to leak out with confirmation of Governor General’s Award winner Nancy Huston and Lloyd Jones, winner of the Commonwealth Writer’s Overall Best Book Award. Watch this space for more updates. |
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