Time is condensed! Three months gone by like three weeks. Jam packed weeks they’ve been (I’ve made jam, I know how much fruit is condensed in a small jar)… five readings from January 30 to March 6, as well as lots of activity with various poetry organizations and cultural groups.
I was so moved when Katherine Hill told me afterwards that she needed her hanky during Poetry and Dance at the Bouman Studio on January 30. The young dancers were exquisite in their improv—moving surely from one poem to the next, grasping each one’s cadence and rhythm.
The audience at the Tower Poetry Society’s Poet Study on February 12 was so attentive that two hours flew by. I loved reading the longer poems and fielding their questions. Valerie took M.L. –who drove to Hamilton – and me to a wonderful Italian restaurant that was totally unfazed with my dietary peculiarities. A rare treat.
The very next day I launched Risks at The Ontario Poetry Society’s “For the Love of Poetry.” Twelve readers made for an unexpectedly long afternoon and I was lucky to be among the first to read since I had to leave before the end. It was a diverse group of poetic voices and Bunny Iskov did a great job of introductions and gently shepherding us into our allotted times.
Unleashed Words on February 22 at the Older Women’s Network was marvelous. I know Olive Senior’s work and it was a pleasure to meet her and to appreciate her humor first hand. Dorothy Rath was a delightful surprise—at 89 “reading” her worldly-wise poems from memory. In the first part of the afternoon I responded to some of her poems to create a poetic conversation –and to pay tribute to a distinguished poet. I felt honoured to read with her. And there will soon be more Dorothy Rath! On May 12 she will read excerpts from her book, An Unlikely Affair, chronicling her correspondence with Irving Layton. Place and time t.b.a. by Tina Conlon of Old Town ArtBeat.
Old Town Art beat met on February 24th to begin a discussion about where this burgeoning local arts group wants to go. They have had seven arts events. # 8 is the Wellesley singers on March 28. There are more events coming up looking for venues and it was great to have Sandie from commffest there to talk about her experiences in building an arts organization.
Thanks to Meg who chauffeured, I was back in Hamilton on March 6 for a delicious Lebanese dinner at La Luna with Valerie and Bob Nielsen before an evening with four other readers at LiTLiVe at the Sky Dome Café. I’m having fun choosing poems around a theme—sometimes I find a theme I didn’t realize was there! – this time how to keep our connections (or not) to the natural world in the midst of so much city.
In between I’ve been filling out endless forms for web pages for the LCP, TPS, OPS, working on some submissions, studying for my driver’s license re-test (I passed with only one error) taking care of health issues, going to concerts—highlight were Tafelmusic’s Galileo Project and Lucia di Laammermoor at Cineplex- and even managing to read the selections for 2 book clubs. Not much writing though—The Writer’s Almanac from Chicago gives me a poem every morning—if I can’t write ‘em I can at least read ‘em…has me dreaming of Manitoulin already.
Before that there will be “Celebrating Poetry Month” on April 9 at the Beach Branch of the TPL. A multi-media afternoon with Allan and Holly Briesmaster, a poet/artist team, Julie McNiell, poet and artist, Kent Bowman, poet/musician and me, poet and sometime sculptor. We met today for a planning session. Looking forward to Holly’s response to everyone’s poems with her abstract painted fans, Julie’s hats, (a poem underneath?) Kent’s poems and songs – and the lyrics to some of my poems … we’re just getting started!