McFadden shortlisted for the GG Award!

I was thrilled to hear that David McFadden's latest book of poetry, Be Calm, Honey, has been shortlisted for the Governor General's Award. It's a book I acquired and edited for Mansfield Press, where I'm the poetry editor.

Dave has been nominated before, but he's never won. This crazy and wise book of sonnets just might be the winner. Dave's in his fifth decade of writing poetry, and my admiration for him never stops growing. He was a huge inspiration to me when I was a teenager and found his book Knight of Dried Plums on the shelf at North York Central Library. You could write about serious stuff and be goofy! He's one of my all-time favourite poets!



Here's a picture of David, alongside John Ashbery, both of them signing their books at the 2008 Griffin Prize for Poetry reading. Dave had been shortlisted for the Canadian prize there, for his book Why Are You So Sad? Selected Poems of David W. McFadden. I edited that one for Insomniac Press, at the request of dear Paul Vermeersch. Robin Blaser ended up winning, and John Ashbery in the International category.

Got my fingers and toes crossed this time.

Over and out.