Switching Gears: CNQ

Back from Vancouver, which proved to be much too short and far too long: too short, because it was beautiful and I wanted to see so much more of it. Also, because I had so little time with Patricia and Terence Young -- who put me up in Victoria for a night -- and Zach Wells, who did the same in Vancouver. It was wonderful to meet finally Michele Adams and her partner Ryszard Dubanski, who had me over for supper for an evening, a wonderful meal of B.C. salmon (melamine free, I hope), and Lorna Jackson, who was in mourning because her beloved Canucks ... well, let's just say they did not play tonight. Others as well, Sandy and her partner John Gould, of Kilter fame, who I'll be reading as soon as I find the right box.

But the work on my return. Difficulties at the printer, as a book cover bleed was missed and will have to be reprinted, pushing us razor close to launch deadline. A SALM grant for CNQ, due Tuesday. Bibliographic miscues. Correspondence, a week's worth. Copy-editing some fall titles.

Mainly though, CNQ 71, now within a few days of being at the printer. It will be a hell of an issue, 104 pages, our best by far. Robyn Sarah on publishing (too much) poetry, Mike Barnes on Libraculture, Alex Good on the state of book reviewing in Canada, Matthew Fox on last year's Giller, Roy MacSkimming interviewing Jack McClelland (yes, from the grave), Zach Wells on Peter Sanger, a profile of Caroline Adderson, and the first of a series of columns by Andrew Steeves of Gaspereau fame on book design. Poetry by Craig Poile (of Collected Works fame). A fabulous piece by Mark Callanan on Thaddeus Holownia, David Balzer on the crisis in Canadian art criticism, and Liz Wylie. Reviews by Carmine Starnino -- a fabulous piece, this -- on Karen Solie, accompanied by a host of other fine reviews and reviewers: Patricia Young on Sharon English, Steven Laird on the 06 G-G Poetry shortlist, Patricia Robertson on Clark Blaise. Asa Boxer, James Pollock, Shane Neilson. If this isn't the best literary bargain in the land at 7.95, I really don't know what is. Subscribe folks, or at least pester your newstand to get you a copy.

Incidentally, we'll be relaunching the new CNQ site to coincide with Issue 71. It can be found at www.notesandqueries.ca. There will be additional articles, archives, interviews, reviews. Also another blog, at www.canadiannotesandqueries.blogspot.com. So please keep an eye out.