The first of our Spring poetry titles arrived on Friday afternoon. David Hickey's second collection, and second with the press, Open Air Bindery offers as our own cover bumpf says "a tight fantastic collection of songs, stories and covenants, whose subjects range across art, astronomy, snowflakes and suburbia." I'll have more to say about this book shortly; I was rereading it last evening and was quite moved by many of the poems, one of which I'll leave you with at the end of this post. For now it serves as a reminder to let Thirsty readers in on a few upcoming poetry events (before I turn my attention to accountants: see last evening's post).
Wednesday, March 30th (the day before a certain dreaded deadline): The IFOA Poetry Slam. Despite the images this conjures, mainly of Zach Wells head-butting David Hickey, this promises to be a civil affair, and there will be three Biblioasis poets in attendance: the aforementioned David Hickey and Zach Wells; and Robyn Sarah, author of, most recently, Pause For Breath. I wish I could be there. I trust all Toronto-area Biblioasis-o-philes will be in the area to cheer our crew on.
Monday, April 4th: David Hickey, Josh Trotter & Zach Wells descend on Phog Lounge (7:30 PM) in Windsor, Ontario for a night of poetry and (surely) wine. Last time I was at Phog Lounge with Zach I nearly got beat up. (And no, he had nothing to do with it.)
Tuesday, April 5th: The same trio descend on the Central Branch of the London Public Library: 7 PM-8:30 PM. Come early to this one, as it looks like it will be a packed house.
Wednesday, April 6th: The same trio, again, descend on Toronto, and the Dora Keogh on Danforth, 7-9 pm.
Monday, April 11th: For those of you in Rome (yes, that Rome), David Starkey will be reading at the fittingly named John Cabot University in that city. (NB: to all Biblioasis poets: We had nothing to do with that one, so don't get your hopes up.)
Thursday April 14th: Marsha Pomerantz reads as part of the Poetic Justice Series at the Liberty Hotel (fittingly, a former prison)
Saturday, April 16th: David Hickey will be reading at the always fabulous Cobourg Poetry Festival
Sunday, April 17th: Joshua Trotter and David Hickey will be reading as part of of six poet/3 press night in Montreal at the Sparrow on St. Laurent. Doors open at 7:30.
More, quite likely, to follow.
For now, Hickey's The Astronomer's Apology
Sorry for the sound of my steps
on the floor—wherever I
walked, it creaked. There was a new
moon above and I swallowed the dark
(it still comes out now as I speak).
Sorry, too, for the door, I didn't quite close;
the cold pulled you out of your sleep.
It's what the new moon does: it
deals out the stars; it dances, it drinks
and it cheats. All day long,
the planet revolved; it turned in
the troposphere's keep. With new moon
above, I swept through the dark. Then
I swept the dark off my feet. Still
I'm sorry, this morning, when
I came back to bed, if my hands had lost
all their heat. It’s an old tune, love,
what you lose in the dark,
what follows you back to the sheets.
2 comments:
Ha! I'd near forgot about that. Little known fact that Dan is far more belligerent in person than I am...
That's true. Try to keep that under wraps, though.
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