A Constellation of Support

Today seems a good day to post this little article from 2015. A Constellation of Support  It was a rare pleasure to meet the various people I interviewed for this, and I came away feeling uplifted. The thing is, nobody does anything in this world without support, whether we see and acknowledge it or not….

The Polyglot: Adventures in Many Tongues

Really great artists hold the door. My amazing friend Luciana Erregue-Sacchi is one of those, and this past spring, she collaborated with another, the lovely Adriana Onita, who spearheads the editorial collective that produces The Polyglot. Luciana, as an art historian, wanted to explore the connection between visual and literary aspects of our Canadian canon,…

Poster Child

How about that? I’m a poster child, at my well-established age. It hadn’t been a career ambition, but it is an honour, to have my face (for better or worse, my own) out there in support of a really great cultural program. Want to know who we are as Canadians? Bring Canadian authors to your…

For the Changing Moon: thoughts on Poems&Songs

My new book is out. The publisher-endorsed launch happened Wednesday, October 24th, 7 PM at Audrey’s Books, with special guests Edmonton’s own Spoken Word Youth Choir, under the direction of the fabulous Gail Sobat. This is book number two, yes, only number two. The long years of discussion and consideration of what it costs to…

Heart Throb

We are all children of the drum. Life begins and ends to that primal one-two heartbeat, and drums have always been the most powerful of the instruments. We don’t always know that, though, don’t always consciously recognise it, any more, i suppose, than we recognise our own heart beating most of the time. It comes…

Death Tango for Three: the Podcast

Last winter, Argentinian born poet and art historian Luciana Erregue-Sacchi invited two writers – myself and the fabulous Nermeen Youssef – to join her on a quest, to encounter, perform and respond to Paul Célan’s masterpiece, the Todesfuge/Death Tango. Over the course of an incredible night, we shared our hearts and minds, resonating like bells…

Bake Bread, Make Friends – article up at New Trail magazine

This summer, I had the delightful task of researching and writing a little article for my alma mater,  University of Alberta. It’s the home page opener at their site, and I couldn’t be more chuffed. Our Daily Bread Now, I’m off to bake bread.

Life + 70

So, the word in trade negotiations today is that the new agreement for North America, whatever else it may entail, affirms copyright as extending for the life of the author, plus 70 years. Life + 70   I find myself wondering what that means for Indigenous communities, where the concepts of copyright are stringent in their…