photo by Charles Earl
August was a busy month, mainly because I was taking part in the Sealey Challenge to read a poetry book or chapbook daily. I ended up somehow reading more than 31, but I won’t list them all here. It was a good experience because it forced me to prioritize reading poetry. I always buy more books than I should. There’s that damn “should” again! However, I found that the speed at which I had to read to ensure I read a book/chapbook a day was too fast for me to really dwell on the work, in many cases. Is there a happy medium? Maybe a book/chapbook a week? Regardless I am grateful for the experience and it made me realize how important it is for me to read poetry. I enjoy it and it inspires my writing, and keeps me in touch with the poetry community in North America and UK.
One of the publishers whose works I read several of during the Sealey Challenge was Nine Arches Press, a UK press that I first learned about when I purchased the amazing anthology, Stairs and Whispers: D/deaf and Disabled Poets Write Back edited by Sandra Alland, Khairani Barokka & Daniel Sluman. That was the start of a beautiful friendship, you might say, in that I’ve tried to keep up with the releases of the last few years and purchase the titles that intrigue me. Of note in particular were Jane Burn’s Be Feared and Daniel Sluman’s Single Window. May I also say that the covers are always freaking gorgeous, so that’s a good enough reason right there for me to be lured into purchasing a book.
My advice for all writers, newly published, never published or often published is to read more than you write. This is an important reminder for me. Everything I’ve ever written has been provoked/inspired by reading and other creative work. Read more than you write; go to art galleries more than you write; watch films more than you write; listen to music more than you write. Ok, maybe spend a little time writing too!
We are in the third year of the pandemic and I have been very cautiously returning to in-person literary events. I attended the August 2 for 1 open mic at Ottawa’s Happy Goat Café in Hintonburg (west of downtown) hosted by Jeff Blackman and Bardia Sinaee. It was a friendly and fun evening with at least 30 open mic participants and a room of friends I haven’t seen in person for … a long time. I loved being there. Participants read one of their poems and a poem by someone else. I read from “Hood” the Jane Burn Be Feared book I mentioned earlier because I love it, especially it’s opening line, “There is always a wolf.” I read a companion poem of my own called Little Red Ghost. I hope to make this a regular thing, depending on what Covid has in store for us this fall.
Trouble, my UK pamphlet (I do like saying that “UK pamphlet.” it makes me sound so continental.) is available for pre-order from my publisher, Hem Press. It is a long poem I originally wrote in 2013 that has received the loving editing attention of Richard Capener. He has made vast improvements. We are hoping to do a Zoom reading to launch Trouble in early October. Stay tuned!
PURPLE, a long poem about a woman with thoughts of suicide, had its video debut in August. I am quite proud of this video reading, which was sponsored by the Writers Union of Canada (once the cheque arrives). Please watch it if you have a chance, and are ok with hearing about suicidal thoughts.
Through AngelHousePress, I published an interview by Kate Siklosi with an introduction by Johanna Druker. I and a few of the contributors to Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry (Timglaset Editions, 2021) had a chance to talk more after the book was in print or perhaps in its final editing phases.
rob mclennan published a visual poetry round table interview I had with numerous amazing visual poets on Periodicities. We begin by discussing our work through the lens of the long poem, but end up having a good gab session about all kinds of things: faith, slow stitching, virtual reality.
The idea of a round table interview is that instead of one-on-one, it is a multiple person conversation with many possibilities for creative and uproarious discussion. I love the idea of a round table interview, but in modern times, I conduct them electronically. See earlier round tables I’ve done, such as this one with several local women and non-binary poets.
Kristine Snodgrass, a dear friend, editor and visual poet wrote these loving words about Genesis (Timglaset Editions, 2022):
“Feathery and ethereal is not how I would describe Genesis in The Bible, but Let There Be Light! The Vispo Bible, published by Timglaset Editions from Sweden—a press that creates extraordinary artifacts—flaunts Earl’s bravadA because engaging the Bible as a visual poem, destroyed and yet fashioned, is no weak undertaking. There is an unearthly roar to the reader that superimposes the groundings of the black text on a white page. Each visual is masterpiece in aesthetic vicissitude of the meaning. But we welcome it. And that is the magic here--you can think or not think. These visual poems center the reader in an action—not just disintegration. In cartwheels and flourishes. In dance and pure precious gall. That is Amanda Earl's calling card.”
So that was August. September is already a week gone. It started with a mad weekend of writing a novel for the 3-day-novel contest, but more about that later.
I hope you are enjoying the new slant of light and the fresh cool air. I adore cardigan weather.
Please drop me a line to let me know how you’re coping or if anything in this missive strikes a chord.
your friend in Ottawa,
Amanda Earl, September 8, 2022
ps: Oh! I forgot! I’ve started to exchange postcards. Do you want to exchange postcards with me? Mail not e-mail. Send an e-mail with your address to amanda at amandaearl dot com and i’ll send you one. My handwriting is deplorable but the few readable words may be entertaining.