The sad passing of Barbara Caruso

I was saddened last month to hear of the death of artist Barbara Caruso on December 30.

Barbara was amazing: a fascinating visual artist and the author of three important and very illuminating books from The Mercury Press — two volumes of journals and a collection of essays. I don't know if there is any more honest and telling published account of an artist's life than the two installments of A Painter's Journey.

Barbara, married to the poet Nelson Ball for 44 years, was a brilliant, lovely person.

The few times I visited with them in Paris, Ontario (I wish it had been a lot more than a few times), Barbara always had challenging and absorbing questions, about my writing, or my life, or politics. She talked with great deliberation and precision about her own work: the paintings and drawings that I got to see at a few gallery shows I made it to in Cambridge and at Toronto's Artwords Gallery, and that appeared on the covers of Nelson's legendary mimeographed weed/flower books in the 1960s and 1970s. I learned so much in those few talks: I'd never heard anyone speak so passionately and clearly about colour, about shape, about the field of the canvas.

We ate cookies, drank tea, talked. I'm going to cherish those visits, the quiet and warm hospitality Nelson and Barbara offered.

It always struck me that Barbara, in her visual art, and Nelson, in his writing, did such similar things: minimalist explorations of subtleties, and of the field of the canvas/page. All created with such care, and such commitment to their respective arts.

My most profound condolences go out to Nelson Ball on his loss.

Over and out.

Sneak peek at Gary Clement's cover for Rogue Stimulus

Coming soon from Mansfield Press. Featuring 72 poems in protest of Stephen Harper, by writers from across Canada.

Over and out.

some publishing news

So much has been happening, it's sort of paralyzed me.

My novel got accepted for publication in spring 2011. More on that another time.

Been buried in work with Mansfield Press, which has been one of the most exciting aspects of my literary career. So proud of the books I acquired and edited for the last season: poetry by Jim Smith and Robert Earl Stewart, and a new novel by Tom Walmsley. I think those books are as good as anything any Canadian press has put out in recent times. And I'm real excited about Peter Norman's debut poetry collection, coming out as part of this spring's Mansfield list.

And Stephen Brockwell and I just finished an insane two-week blitz that led the Mansfield anthology Rogue Stimulus: The Stephen Harper Holiday Anthology for a Prorogued Parliament from conception to the printer. About 350 poems poured in; we selected 72. Some of the poets included in the book, which will be released when Parliament reconvenes in early March, are George Bowering, Alice Burdick, George Elliott Clarke, Michael Dennis, Amanda Earl, Jason Heroux, Lillian Necakov, Joe Rosenblatt, Steve Venright. An amazing collection.

OK. There's this young guy in Ottawa named Cameron Anstee, and last year he started up a chapbook press called (I love this) Apt. 9. He's published some gorgeous books, by some great writers, most recently my pal Michael Dennis. And later this month he's releasing a chapbook of my new poems. The announcement on his blog is here. Poke around and see what other stuff he's done. But it's struck me that I can't even remember the last time someone else published a chapbook of mine. Was it Home Shopping by jwcurry's Room 3o2 Books? That was a decade ago or something. I don't think anyone's asked me for stuff for a chapbook since then. Well, I'm excited about this one. The other day I sent Cameron about 40 pages of poems and he selected 20 pages. I've never done that before: just send a bunch of stuff and let the editor choose from among it all. His selections surprised me. I'll be reading at the Tree Reading Series on February 23, and I'll see the book for the first time then.

Over and out.

Good night, Paul Quarrington

Paul Quarrington died today. He was a brilliant, brave, beautiful guy, so supportive of younger writers.

I'll cherish the memory of his September concert at Hugh's Room. The pure magic of the music. Paul's warmth.

Over and out.

I don't want to read another fucking limerick!

The poems for Rogue Stimulus: The Stephen Harper Holiday Anthology for a Prorogued Parliament are pouring in, with just an hour to go before the deadline. My co-editor on this project, Stephen Brockwell, was on CBC's As It Happens tonight, and somehow that triggered a friggin' avalanche of limericks. Well, actually, tons of limericks and other doggerel were already dropping into the harper@mansfieldpress.net inbox.

We've received about 200 poems so far, from all across Canada. And really, I don't want to read another limerick. Though I do think it's telling that Stephen Harper would inspire these sordid little rhymes.

It does amaze me, though, that doggerel is still what comes to mind when a huge portion of Canadian think of poetry.

There have been some amazing poems in the inbox, too, and by some very fine poets. Some I've heard of and some I haven't. It's going to be a great anthology, and I will never have to read another limerick. You can't make me!

Over and out.

PROROGUE THIS BOOK!

Ottawa poet Stephen Brockwell approached me to collaborate on a very interesting project. We talked it through, did some negotiating. I was game. I approached Mansfield Press publisher Denis De Klerck to see if wanted to be part of it. He was game. Details follow.

PROROGUE THIS BOOK!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 14, 2009
CANADIAN WRITERS TO PROTEST PROROGUED PARLIAMENT

Ottawa small business owner Stephen Brockwell, Toronto poet and editor Stuart Ross and, Denis De Klerck, the publisher of Toronto literary house Mansfield Press, will mark Stephen Harper’s Prorogation of parliament with Rogue Stimulus: The Stephen Harper Vacation Anthology for a Prorogued Parliament.

Contrary to what the Harper government would have Canadians believe about the “chattering classes,” people are expressing their outrage over Harper’s unilateralism at family dinners, in the workplace, in social media and in print. Professional and aspiring writers across the country have been invited to submit poems for the anthology which will be published by Mansfield Press just in time for the reconvening of Parliament on March 3.

A book launch and protest will be held at or near Parliament Hill on March 5, 2009.

People interested in contributing to Rogue Stimulus: The Stephen Harper Vacation Anthology for a Prorogued Parliament should send a poem of no more than 75 lines by e-mail (preferably as a Microsoft Word attachment) to: harper@mansfieldpress.net. Submissions will not be accepted after midnight Tuesday January 19 to ensure timely editing, production and distribution. For more information contact Stephen Brockwell via email or 613 728 5287.

The poems are pouring in.

Over and out.

2010

2010

It is two thousand and ten.
I look around for something
to prorogue. I decide to
prorogue the search for
something to prorogue.
— How small is it?
Wait: this minyan is so small.
That’s what I was talking about.
You can fit it in a phone booth.
It phones god. God phones
for Chinese food. Walks around
for days with fortune cookie
in pocket. Let me try
to explain another way:
“Black obelisk for sale. Barely
used in nine years.”
The primates have learned
nothing. Art has not yet
been invented. The closest thing
is a guy who stuck his head
out the window and yelled:
“This, this, this, and this!”
I am filled with tiny slips
of white paper. I open my mouth.
One flutters out. A talent scout
sees me pursuing it and thinks
I am doing a new dance.
The best thing since.
I sign contract. TV loves me.
But I prorogue my success.
Right now, I require the broadcast
of the heartbeat of everybody.



Stuart Ross
1 January 2010

A very curious gift idea: I Cut My Finger

Just found this review of my poetry book I Cut My Finger, as a last-minute 2009 holiday gift suggestion, on a site called The Internet Review of Books. I'm grateful for the reviewer's thought and enthusiasm, and glad she liked the book. It is, however, a truly odd review: I'm not sure I've ever been called "optimistic" before!

I CUT MY FINGER
By Stuart Ross

Suggested by Joanna M. Weston

This is poetry for an evening by the fireside with a bottle of wine. Give it to a friend and tell them to savour, relish, enjoy the poetry.

Ross writes of hamburgers and history, of oceans and orphans, of sonnets and self-portraits with humour. But underlying the piled on images is a realistic, often optimistic, view of the world: the prince will always kiss Sleeping Beauty into wakefulness, will always bring the glass slipper to Cinderella.

Ross links images in a dance of kaleidoscopic colour and shape. At the same time he maintains rhythm and the cohesion of felt emotion. He brings a sense of adventure and wonder to each page; the reader can never be sure what might happen next. Violence erupts occasionally into the poetry, much as it does in real life, but that keeps the reality in Ross’s surreal world. The reader may be bemused by the combinations of images, but must be prepared to suspend belief in order to be both beguiled and surprised.

With time and patience, the pleasure of reading this book will be deep and lasting. Drink the wine of Ross’ poetry, let the prince meet Cinderella and enjoy the last waltz with laughter and delight.

There's no telling how a reader is going to interpret one's work.

Over and out.