What a fun, exciting reading we had this month! From time to time Poets Corner hosts a themed reading and that was exactly what October’s event was all about. It was our very first ekphrastic poetry reading and 12 poets read poems inspired by the visual art of Deborah DeJong.
Out of an exhibition of 14 pieces of stunning photographic art, no less than 11 pieces ‘spoke’ to our lineup of 12 poets. Some of them presented a second poem. This is a stunningly huge compliment to the appeal and excellence of Deb’s work.
Our Next Poetry Reading
In November we return to our more traditional format of two featured poets preceded by our Open Mic segment. In keeping with our commitment to showcasing both established as well as emerging poets, we have the veteran, John Donlan paired with a very talented newcomer, Karen Shklanka. Here is a little background on each of them.
John Donlan’s collections of poetry are Domestic Economy (Brick Books, 1990), Baysville (House of Anansi, 1993), Green Man (Ronsdale Press, 1999), Spirit Engine (Brick Books, 2008) , Call Me the Breeze (Alfred Gustav Press, 2013), and Out All Day (Ronsdale Press, 2018). He is an editor with Brick Books and was the 2012-2013 Barbara Moon Editorial Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto, the 2014-2015 Writer-in-Residence at Saskatoon Public Library, and the 2016-17 Haig-Brown Writer-in-Residence in Campbell River.
Karen Shklanka is a Vancouver physician who works as an Addiction Medicine consultant. She also teaches clinical communication skills to resident physicians in the Department of Family Practice at UBC. Previously, she was a family physician on Salt Spring Island and in Moose Factory, ON. She also has an MFA in Creative Writing. Her first book, Sumac’s Red Arms (Coteau, 2009), was a finalist in the Foreward Review Book of the Year prize. Two long poems from her second book, Ceremony for Touching (Coteau, 2016) were longlisted for the 2012 CBC Poetry Prize.
Our full Open Mic segment is back for this reading! Please arrive at least 15 minutes before we get underway to ensure you land a spot on the list. We will be starting at 7pm sharp on Wednesday, November 20. Looking forward to seeing you!
