Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Western Canada Poetry Tour, part 4: Edmonton Poetry Festival

So I'm getting really good at this time travel stuff. It was February when I got to Edmonton. I stayed, free of charge, at the Sutton place hotel, there was a jacuzzi. yes, I went in my boxers. I'm not ashamed.

I like the readings and the free shampoo, but my favourite thing about the festival was meeting the other poets. There were a lot so I won't list them all. Instead I am going to more or less steal from another blog" - http://www.twoonachoochoo.blogspot.com/ ... and do some unorthodox name dropping - staying at the hotel were: Elizabeth Dodds, Matthew O'Meara Bachinksy and David Tierney. When the names are arranged correctly - all really fine poets - and an honor to read (albeit at different places from each other in the city), and more importantly, drink with them.

I confess I had just read Bachinsky's Home of Sudden Service and loved it, and may have made a gushing ass out of myself upon meeting her.

On thursday night I read at a Turkish restaurant, which gave me a chance to practice the 3 words I still remember from when I lived in Istanbul seven years ago. I also read my istanbul poems - including a new one. I felt kind of bad that two of the poems mention the brib-ability of turkish officials, but its a metaphor for my love life at that time... so that's makes it okay, right?

I also did what's called a master class with several poets where we critique each other's work in front of an audience. fortunately I know how to hyper ventilate silently.

One of my 'favourite' experiences was walking down Jasper Avenue, which should be a tom waits song. on the aforementioned blog there is a shot of a store I am pretty sure we definitely did not go into. (the words "peep" and "25 cents" may have appeared on a sign - what a bargain).

I took the train to Vancouver with Jeramy Matthews and Dodd Tierney. it's a 24 or so train ride - and absolutely stunning, as the train swerves through the mountain and the rockies surround - and whatever I can't do it justice (what am I a writer?... poets present, don't describe, right?). but I really recommend it - i had a lot of ideas and lines for poems throughout the trip. I think Dodds wrote his next book... the landscape is poetically palpable is what I'm getting at.

I arrived in Vancouver yesterday morning. everything is in bloom. the weather is so perfect here it makes me sick. wonderfully sick.

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