Sent the finished draft of my novel to a couple of writer friends, Jason Heroux and Heather Hogan. One has so far reported back with great enthusiasm; the other is still reading. I'm already chomping at the bit to knock off a bunch of revisions. Maybe in Banff next month, where I get a few days at the retreat after Wordfest.
Finished working with Lillian Necakov on her forthcoming Mansfield Press poetry book, The Bone Broker. It's her strongest and most adventurous collection. Meanwhile, Steve Venright is coming down the home stretch with his own Mansfield title, Floors of Enduring Beauty. It's really felt like a book in the latest incarnation. Again, this one is a real departure for Steve: fans of his stuff will be happy with it, but they will also be challenged. And I think Steve'll get a heap of new readers.
Both these books due out this fall. They are my first two acquisitions for Mansfield. I implore everyone to buy stacks of copies, not only because they're great books, but also so Denis de Klerck will keep me on as a poetry acquirer and editor for the press.
Meanwhile, Jason Camlot has invited me to kick off his own poetry imprint through DC Books. Dead Cars In Managua comes out this spring -- the first time I'll have poetry books out in consecutive years. Makes me a bit nervous. And this book will be a departure for me. It doesn't follow the trajectory of my first five spiney poembooks.
Toronto writer Lisa Young recent wrote a review of I Cut My Finger online at Gadzooks. A pretty surprising take on my poetry, I think. Nice when people put a lot of thought towards your writing.
Looking forward to this Sunday's Poetry Boot Camp. Really interesting mix of participants so far. And it's the first one I'm running out of the boardroom of the co-op where I live. It's going to be very relaxed for me: and it'll be nice to be so close to my poetry collection. Still a few spaces left....
Last week, got my latest Hunkamooga column off to sub-Terrain for their "Student" issue. Again, a departure. No yuks in this one. Very heavy, personal stuff. Nice to have that kinda flexibility with the column.
Excited about the current issue of This Magazine: the Fiction & Poetry section features 16 amazing haiku by Tom Walmsley, and very short stories by Sandra Alland and Michael Boyce. (Sandra's blog from Scotland continues to be brave and provocative. Sort of like Sandra herself.)
Over and out.
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