Dog Star

Really pleasurable readings in Montreal and Kingston this past week. In Montreal, at the Green Room, as part of an ongoing series by Matrix litmag: read with Elizabeth Bachinsky and Michael V. Smith, both of whom were fabulous. Nice times hanging out with them, and with Jason Camlot, David McGimpsey, J-P Fiorentino, Mike Spry and others, including Carolyn Smart, who happened to be in town from Kingston.

And then on Saturday, read for Bob Mackenzie's Chameleon Nation series at an art gallery of the same name in Kingston. Again with Liz and Michael, but this time joined by Jason Heroux, who gave the best reading I've seen him do, from his two Mansfield books and from other stuff.

After we all read, there was a nearly unbearable open-mic set. I've wondered this over and over: do most of the people who read at open mics ever pass their eyeballs over a decent book of contemporary poetry? Are they stuck back at Robert Service and Ogden Nash (which they imitate very badly)? Man.

Today, Patricia Robertson reviewed Buying Cigarettes for the Dog in the Toronto Star. It's over here. I'll post the text another time. Very curious headline: "Kicking against them" — could it have been "Kicking against the pricks" originally? I'm baffled. Happy for the review, though.

OK, the book has been out fewer than three weeks and there have been reviews in at least five major venues. Why would that be? Is it the great and upstart brand of Freehand Books? Their promo chops (I'm sure having a beautiful ARC musta helped)? The collection's dorky title? The brilliant cover?

Over and out.