Top 5 of 2009

In the spirit of other poetry related blogs counting down their favorite collections of 2009, I thought I’d add my own top 5. Technically, this is a list of Canadian collections, as I’m unqualified to rank 2009’s international poetry releases (having read few of them). Without further ado, my preferences:

1. Carmine Starnino – This Way Out (Gaspereau Press)
2. Jason Guriel – Pure Product (Vehicule Press)
3. Shane Neilson – Meniscus (Biblioasis)
4. Tonja Gunvaldsen Klassen – Lean-To (Gaspereau Press)
5. Zach Wells – Track & Trace (Biblioasis)

Honorable Mention: Joe Denham – Windstorm (Nightwood Editions)

ARC 63

Swing over to ARC Poetry Magazine’s website to check out my Readers’ Choice Award winning poem Canadian Gothic. While I’m not huge on the Readers’ Choice Award concept, I’m delighted that Canadian Gothic was also picked as an editor’s choice by Anita Lahey. 

It’s a pleasure to be a part of ARC 63 as it includes poems from some of my favorite Canadian writers: Shane Neilson, Ian Williams and Patricia Young. It also features a review of my favorite book of 2009: Carmine Starnino’s This Way Out, and an essay by the always dynamic Zach Wells on Robyn Sarah.

 

Sandy Pool’s Exploding into Night

Some pre-press on Sandy Pool’s first collection of poetry, Exploding into Night, was recently added at Open Book Toronto. She discusses the new book, her penchant for murder and spending romantic evenings with her writing!

Join her for the official launch of Exploding into Night at 2 pm on Sunday, December 6th  at Bar Italia. 

Matt Rader’s Customs

Cactus Press is pleased to announce that Matt Rader’s latest chapbook, Customs, is hot off the press and available to order. Printed in an edition of 100 copies, Customs is saddle stitched and includes a hand-stamped dust jacket.
 

If you’d like a copy, send me an email at jim.johnstone@utoronto.ca or send $5.oo to: 

Jim Johnstone
1910 Bloor St. West Apt. 1
Toronto, Ontario
M6P 3K8 

Northern Poetry Review

Alex Boyd was kind enough to interview me recently for Northern Poetry Review. Alex asks some great questions, and I appreciate his close reading of my book. Look out for his Best Canadian Essays (edited with Carmine Starnino) this fall.

Also of note on the Northern Poetry Review site is a review of Elizabeth Bachinsky’s Curio / God of Missed Connections by Alessandro Porco. Porco delves into what he calls Bachinsky’s “Janus-like poetic praxis”, something I greatly admire in her work.

Vagabond Trust

I’ll be reading tomorrow night (Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 8 pm) with a wonderful line-up of writers at the Vagabond Trust Reading Series. Don’t miss a chance to catch Shane Neilson launching his second book, Meniscus (Biblioasis, 2009), or the prose stylings of future MM contributor Matt Leslie. Details below:
 

Coming Soon

The latest Cactus Press chapbook, Matt Rader’s Customs, is officially at the printers. The poem involves the hanging of Louis Sam, a Sto:lo boy, in 1884. I’ll post details on how to get a copy in the coming weeks.
 

Harmonics

I’m geeked to be reading at the Toronto launch for Jesse Ferguson’s first collection of verse, Harmonics, on October 15th at the Cameron House. It’s a terrific debut, but don’t take it from me - Jesse’s been getting great reviews (1 / 2).

So come grab a beer and pick up a copy of Jesse’s new book. 
 

An Invitation…

Anthologized