Sandy Lam

Poetry across Canada

For many authors, the words “book tour” inspire groans and shudders, evoking images of lumpy motel mattresses and unfamiliar, unforgiving audiences.

Not so for three local authors who hit the road this week to launch their debut books across the country: ryan fitzpatrick with Fake Math, a book of poetry that interrogates the profit motive; William Neil Scott with Wonderfull, an autobiography of lies in the forgotten town of Garfax; and Natalie Zina Walschots with Thumbscrews, which explores the esthetics of consensual pain. “Poetry is basically language under pressure,” she says. “What happens when you put text in place of the body and poetry in place of the dominatrix? It’s an extended metaphor: poetry as S&M.”

The trio starts their tour — Snaring the New West, in honour of their publishers, Snare Books and NeWest Press — in Montreal on October 28, then whip out their CanRail passes for a wild ride through Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria before returning home. “Thank God for CanRail,” says Walschots. “It’s saving us billions of dollars.”

The tour is an exercise in DIY: it’s self-funded, and they’re relying on the kindness (and couches) of friends across the country to get them through. “We’ve never done a tour before,” says Walschots. “This is the closest I will ever feel to being a rock star.” And, unlike most tours backed by big publishers, this one isn’t about selling books. “It’s much more about community-building,” says fitzpatrick. “I’d be angry if I sold 1,000 copies and no one read them, they just sat on shelves. I’d rather sell 100 copies to people who will read them.”

For the authors, part of the tour’s fun is reverse autographing. “If you come up and ask me to sign your book, you have to sign mine,” Walschots explains. “We’re each going to keep a copy of our books to fill with signatures, so by the end of the tour, we’ll have this artifact of everyone we interacted with!”

Walschots launches Thumbscrews at Pages Books on October 26 at 7:30 p.m. Catch her there before she wings off to Montreal.

Halloween is upon us, and what better way to get your little one in the mood than a Boo Brunch? With freaky food, scary stories and craft-making, it’s family fun at McNally Robinson on October 27, 9 a.m. Call 538-1798 to reserve your ticket for $12.

Rick Ranson and John Van Landeghem had just finished high school when they hopped in a canoe and paddled from Winnipeg, Manitoba to New Orleans, Louisiana. In Paddling South: Winnipeg to New Orleans by Canoe, Ranson tells their tale of dodging bullets and whirlpools, working on a Mississippi tow boat, and cooling their heels in the Fargo city jail. Join him at McNally Robinson on October 29, 6 p.m.

Vince Maguire spends his days in Warsaw, an uninspired journalist with a comfortable lifestyle. When his estranged brother comes to him for help, though, Vince is spirited to the oilfields of northern Alberta to investigate a murder. Calgary author Stephen Owad launches his new book, Brother’s Keeper, at McNally Robinson on October 30, 6 p.m.

Take a trip to Whitechapel, 1888, where Jack the Ripper stalks the streets. Angels & Devils, a chilling two-part performance creation, includes Angel Alley, a series of poetic monologues based on the writings of local author Vivian Hansen. But first, you must brave the shadows of Devil’s Lane, an immersive performance that follows a man in search of his missing sister. The performances, featuring Emily Elder, Karen Garth, Mark Hopkins, Jennifer Roberts and Ila Fay Turley take place in birds & stone (204 16 Ave. N.W.) from October 31 to November 3, 8 p.m., $10.

It’s the Day of the Dead at the flywheel reading series, and a quartet of writerly gentlemen are ready to celebrate. Glen Dresser, Doug Ferguson, Ian Kinney and Andre Rodrigues team up for an evening of vibrant text. Check out the action at McNally Robinson on November 1, 7 p.m.