Join Aritha Van Herk for a workshop based on Glenbow's War Brides exhibition.

January sucks. Sure, it’s a time for new beginnings, but that glorious sense of rebirth only goes so far. With so many winter months still to go, January makes Mother Earth seem like a bit of an ice queen, giving us the cold shoulder. Well then, slip into this cozy sweater of comfort: December snow brings January po’. You know, as in poetry. As in poetry readings. And fiction readings too. A bit of a stretch?

Let’s get 2010 warmed up with a look at local lit this month.

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Single Onion puts poets on The Marquee Room’s sparkly rock ’n’ roll stage for Single Onion #70 — DRAW. Longtime Vancouver poet T. Crane and local poets Cecilia Frey and Lori D. Roadhouse are ready to prove that poetry rocks. By the way, T. Crane just moved to Calgary, so come help Single Onion give him a big white-hat welcome. Thursday, January 21, 7 p.m.

Kudos to clever Kirk Ramdath, host of Passion Pitch Poetry. With The Passion Pitch Facebook Contest 2010, you can win free books from Frontenac Press and help Passion Pitch build its membership. Join the group, be among the members to invite the most friends, and you can get your hands on free titles from Frontenac’s impressive backlist of local lit. Search Passion Pitch Poetry on Facebook for more details. Contest closes January 23.

The Writers Guild of Alberta presents a rare opportunity to workshop with author, critic and University of Calgary professor Aritha Van Herk. This workshop is presented in conjunction with the Glenbow Museum’s exhibition War Brides: One-Way Passage, which features images of British women who followed their Canadian soldier husbands home across the Atlantic after the Second World War. This writing workshop is for writers of fiction, non-fiction or poetry who would like to respond to this unique historical situation while working with a fantastic instructor and published author. For more info visit glenbow.org/programs/adult/continuing.cfm. The workshop takes place January 23 and 24 at the Glenbow.

Pages Books on Kensington is a busy place once again this month. Here’s a quick rundown: January 14 features Susanne Alexander-Heaton’s fundraiser for The ABC Field Guide to Fairies (which is, of course, a work of non-fiction). On January 15, poet Richard Harrison launches his new book of essays, Now is the Winter: Thinking About Hockey. On January 21, Pages presents three events: Dymphny Dronyk (poetry book launch at John Dutton Theatre), Jim Ellis (fiction book launch at the Plaza Theatre including a screening of the film Caravaggio), and Candace Bushnell (the Sex in the City author discusses sex, success and sensibility at the Jack Singer Concert Hall). Some of these events are ticketed. For more information, contact Pages at 403-283-6655.

Look for a new Lit city every second and fourth Thursday of the month. Send literary events info to litcity.ffwd@gmail.com. Also, don’t forget to check literary event listings toward the back of this paper.

Comment on this story at ffwdweekly.com.

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SKINNY ARMS

by Lori D. Roadhouse

I loved you until

I saw your skinny arms

frail and hairless

how could they save

a damsel in distress

or guide her in a lovers’ dance

wrestle with imaginary giants

or fend off dragons?

Not that I require

steroid-induced muscles

or he-man heroics

just the knowledge that

if we are eventually doomed

to be hurt

you’ll be able to

pick yourself up

dust off your pants

and open new doors

I loved you until

I saw your skinny arms

Some knights should keep

their armour on

at all times