Trouble in the wild. Thanks to Briony Hughes for the photo! If you pick up Trouble, please share your pix on social media or with yrs truly.
This month THREE more reasons to be grateful: the publication and launch of Trouble on October 7 and a podcast chat with Wendy Allen and Charley Barnes of What We’ve Been Reading. I will let you know when the episode is online. In the meantime, I highly recommend you listen to the podcast if you like books. Their focus so far has been on publications with a sexy bent, hence we are discussing Trouble. Connect with them on Twitter: @wevebeenreading.
Here are the details for the Zoom launch on Friday, October 7, 2022
Time: 15h EST; 20h GMT
Please register in advance to attend:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hem-press-launch-of-trouble-and-angry-starlings-tickets-427112674507
Cost: free!
Readers: Jane Burn, Susie Campbell and Chris Kerr; Amanda Earl
Additional info: Susie and Chris are the first contributors to the new Hem Press Imprint, Angry Starlings, which will focus on sound poetry. Isn’t the name Angry Starlings delightful?
Connect with Hem Press on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hem_press and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hempresswriting/
September has been a busy and productive month, for which I am grateful. I worked on a pitch for 33 1/3, which publishes little books about albums. I love music and writing a whole book about music would be a dream come true for me.
I’ve been working on the reading, prepping my set, which includes writing a new poem which seems to be part of Beast Body Epic, the poetry manuscript I began in 2012/2013. I intend to self-publish it next year as part of my 60th birthday celebrations and my 14th rebirth(day) celebration. On November 12, 2009, I did not die as expected. And here I am! I am going to spend a few more months editing the manuscript (again for the umpteenth time), before I hand it off to a dear friend to proofread, other dear friends who will do the blurbs and the printer, Coach House Printing. I am hoping to schedule some readings and make a site and video as well. Watch this page for all the info.
Thank you to Vallum Magazine for republishing rob mclennan’s wonderful review of Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry. And thanks to rob for writing it and being the first to review Judith. You can read the review here.
I have the seeds of a new project in mind. I’m going to read André Gide’s Les nourritures terrestres and Je Nathanaël by Nathanaël. It will be a queer hybrid of essay, poetry, visual poetry, drawings and who knows what else. I will conjure lovers in costume and strap ons. It will be a hedonistic delight to make. With the weather getting dark and dreary, I need an uplift. Do you?
Tip: work on stuff that gives you pleasure. You’ll be circling the drain soon enough.
On October 20 at 7pm, I will once again host the Bywords John Newlove Poetry Award and this year I will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the delightful Ottawa International Writers Festival. We will have music by one of my favourite singer/songwriters, Subhraj Singh. We will launch How to Be Human by Richard-Yves Sitoski, which is available at for pre-order from the Bywords.ca store. We will announce the recipient and honourable mentions of this year’s award and they will read. It’s always a thrilling and festive event and it’s free! This year it is in-person and masked but you can also livestream it or watch the video later. For more information, click here.
I also plan to attend several events, especially the reading and conversation with Anne-Marie MacDonald who has a new novel out that I’m dying to read. I love the OIWF and have been a fan for many years. To see their full schedule and watch videos and listen to podcast episodes, visit their site.
At the end of September, I attended the 2 for 1 open mic night at Happy Goat Café at 35 Laurel. It was wonderful as always. Many great readers and a friendly environment provided by the Goat and hosts Jeff Blackman and Bardia Sinaee. It takes place on the last Thursday of every month (except December). The next will be on October 27 with a sign up at 7pm and the event at 7:30pm. Given the season, it is going to be a Boo for One event, so wear a costume. I will be going as a poet or maybe a publisher.
Have a splendid October, darlings.
your friend,
Amanda Earl, Ottawa, October 6, 2022