The first post-launch reading of The Risks of Remembrance was on Dec 9 at the Beach Branch of the TPL. It was a multi-media happening with Valerie Nielsen, Stoney Creek poet and author of Green Light, and Heather Glerum, Toronto musician and poet. Valerie and I started the evening with a poetic conversation, exchanging poem ideas and images about nature, writing, artists and our messy world. Several of Heather’s poems are in response to music and painting. She rounded off the first part of the program with a Schubert piece and the poem it inspired. Valerie and I read longer pieces and then Heather read her poetic response to Sheila Maki’s painting “Thru’ Quiet Water”, which Sheila brought to the library. We finished with 3 Christmas poems and then an open mic with Allan Briesmaster, Julie McNeill, Marilyn Smith and Brad Skiffenton. Valerie and I were pleased to sell a few books as well, and then we went home to tea and cookies and a long chat that evening, and again in the morning before she went back to Stoney Creek.
Valerie is this year’s president of The Tower Poetry Society in Hamilton and I am delighted that she has asked me to be the guest reader/speaker at their annual Poet Study on February 12/11. At first, 2 hours seemed a bit daunting until I realized that I’d have the time to read some of the longer narrative poems in Risks. Before then Pia Bouman, her dancers and I will be collaborating again, this time, Poetry and Dance, on January 30/11 at her studio on 6 Noble St. (I remember the wonderful afternoon of poetry drumming and dance in 2008 with poet, singer and healer Karen Manitowabi. Those young dancers were mesmerized by Karen, they had never heard anyone like her before).
Other readings coming up are with Olive Senior and Dorothy Rath at OWN on Febraury 22, LiT LiV in Hamilton on March 6 and Celebrating Poetry month in April with another multi-media jamboree. I’m having a great time–hope everyone else is too!