You may know the name from the annual award, now in its 21st year. Who was she? Betty Drevniok was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1917 and died in Ontario in 1997. Between those dates, Miranda Baker at Millikin University reports that Drevniok was a nurse. She was also an organizer. Betty Drevniok was ..read more

VF is coming in a week. We don’t know much yet but I did get this much information: The Ottawa VerseFest Festival will run from March 18-26, 2023.   As part of the festival,  KaDo will be hosting a haiku readings on Wednesday, March 22nd at Knox United Church at 7:30PM.  The church is located on ..read more

Not really. I’ve been in an editing bout, intercut with reading jags. Here to remind you that today is the last day to enter 3 haiku for the Betty Drevniok Award ..read more

Factory Reading Series: Covid-era poet memorial. 233 Armstrong Avenue (at Parkdale Market, Ottawa)Friday, January 13, 2023doors 7pm, reading 7:30pmlovingly hosted by rob mclennan, Also, The Peter F Yacht Club #31; “The Factory Reading Series 30th anniversary” issue launch. Readings and recollections by Cameron Anstee, Rhonda Douglas, James Moran, natalie hanna, rob mclennan, AJ Dolman, Chris Johnson ..read more

Cameron’s Apt 9 Press has 7 left and I have several as well. If you haven’t already, watch the whole presentation at the Nelson Ball Prize site ..read more

The Betty Drevniok award for English haiku has no entry fee and is open to all, except the Haiku Canada executive board. Enter by Feb 15. Hundreds of haiku have been entered. Winners, HM and judge to be announced at Haiku Canada in Montreal, the long weekend in May. Pour haïku en français,essayez ici: Prix ..read more

In 2022 I did 11 book reviews, interviewed 63 poets, read 266 titles and finished writing one book 3x so far. I have done 12 “loved then, loved now” poems on this pesbo blog and #TodaysPoem on Instagram 72 times. Of books read, there’s what I thought was amazing, and then there’s what I found ..read more

The 2022 Nelson Ball Prize will be announced Friday, Dec 30 at 9 a.m. ET via a recorded presentation on YouTube. Enjoy readings by the shortlisted authors and news about Nelson’s legacy. Stay tuned ..read more

As I mentioned in a previous post, I do an analysis of what I consume each year to be accountable to myself and see patterns I want to change. (Be the change.) This tracking allows me to identify trends and gaps. From this I can direct my reading and intentions for the future. By default ..read more

EARLY IN THE MORNING While the long grain is softening in the water, gurgling over a low stove flame, before the salted Winter Vegetable is sliced for breakfast, before the birds, my mother glides an ivory comb through her hair, heavy and black as calligrapher’s ink. She sits at the foot of the bed. My ..read more