a review mentioning some of Pearl Pirie's non-Chaudiere works,

a brief review of some recent of her works, including her Obvious Epiphanies chapbook, and The Dusty Owl Quarterly, here;

Pearl Pirie's (etc) random acts of poetry; a report by Kathryn Hunt;

Pearl Pirie [photo credit: Brian Pirie] & others' random acts of poetry; a report by Kathryn Hunt.

new from chaudiere books: Joe Blades' Casemate Poems (Collected)

Casemate Poems (Collected)
by Joe Blades

published by Chaudiere Books
May 2011

An earlier, much smaller edition appeared as a limited-edition book produced by Waterloo, Ontario publisher Widows and orphans in 2004 as casemate poems, later translated and published in Belgrade. As Blades himself wrote of that earlier edition:

The two suites of “casemate poems” were written during two one-week artist-in-residence stints in 2003 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. These were public, interactive, residencies with visitors passing though the casemate workspace with two concurrent artists-in-residence scheduled for any given week. During his residency, Blades had a typewriter set up on a table facing the open doorway of the casemate. It was always primed with a sheet of paper. In the tradition of writers in storefronts, as Blades finished composing each poem, it was attached to the casemate wall. Blades also took photographs inside and from within the casemate looking outward: images of the casemate itself, of his art in progress, photographs of the weaving looms, of the potter and pottery turned.

In this volume, Blades’ poems and photographs are combined to produce a work that reflects the immediacy of their composition while enabling the reader to experience Blades' writing at their own pace.

From: Pesme iz kazamata (Beograd: Rad, 2005)

To read Canadian poet and artist Joe Blades’ book of poetry casemate poems means to get knowledge about one very specific way of understanding poetry today. […] Blades’ poetry is written by activating different layers of human knowledge and by articulation of this knowledge, for example, in narrations of history and geography. He moves in time (historical perspective) and in space (for example, actual events in the world at the time, such as the attack on the World Trade Center, or pointing to the contemporary racist attitudes of specific countercultures.

—Dubravka Đurić
(translated from the Serbian by Dubravka Đurić.)

author bio:
Joe Blades has been giving readings, performing and publishing his poetry since 1980.

Blades was born and raised in Nova Scotia. He's a graduate of NSCAD (BFA (Studio Major: Intermedia), 1988), and he recently completed a Film & Television Certificate Program through the NB Filmmakers' Cooperative. He is also an alumni of the Banff Centre, Maritime Writers Workshop, Sage Hill Writing Experience, and the Simon Fraser University Book Publishing Immersion Workshop.

His poetry and art have appeared in over 50 trade and chapbook anthologies and CDs, and in numerous periodicals. Blades has authored or edited 30 poetry chapbooks and limited edition artist books. His five full-length poetry books are Cover Makes a Set (SpareTime Editions, 1990), River Suite (Insomniac Press, 1998), Open Road West (Broken Jaw Press, 2000, 2001) and Casemate Poems (Widows & Orphans, 2004). Serbian translations of River Suite as Recna svita in the Slike iz kanade: Tri kanadska pesnika (SKC Nis), and Casemate Poems as Pesme iz kazamata (i.p. Rad), were published in 2005.

various upcoming Joe Blades readings/lectures/residencies:
 
June 1, 7:30 pm: Joe Blades reads at Literary Translators' Association of Canada members &
friends. Congress 2011. Alden Nowlan House/Windsor Castle Bar, 676 Windsor St, Fredericton, NB.
 
June, 3-4:15 pm. Panel/paper presentation. Poetry of Place: The Confluence of Coasts, Continents and Consciousness by Jennifer Pazienza & Joe Blades. Congress 2011. Rm 210, Marshall d’Avray Hall, Room/Salle 210, UNB Fredericton, Fredericton, NB.

June 9-20: Toronto, Brno, Berlin (unfortunately no scheduled readings, as yet)
  
July 9-15: Fredericton Arts Alliance Artists in Residence 2011 Summer Series, at the Barracks Fine Craft Shops, Queen St, Fredericton, NB. A week-long residency. Joe Blades, writer/book artist, paired with Leigh Merritt, emerging potter. Will include reading(s).
  
October 1: Joe Blades and Broken Jaw Press at Feria Latinoamericana de Libros y Revistas/Latinamerican Fair of Books and Journals. Ottawa, ON. Para más información o registrarse enviar un correo electrónico a info@artemapale.com o llamar al 613-828-8151.

check here for updates from the author.


$18.00 CAN/$18.00 US
isbn 978-097834281-4
available to bookstores through LitDisCo
or directly through the publisher at rob_mclennan@hotmail.com

or send $20 (payable to rob mclennan; outside Canada, $20 US) directly to the press at:
Chaudiere Books
858 Somerset Street West, main floor
Ottawa ON Canada K1R 6R7


check out the link here at chaudierebooks.com

3 Chaudiere poets at mother tongue books (Ottawa),

Thursday, June 16, 2011;
1067 Bank Street (at Sunnyside)
doors 7pm, reading 7:30
lovingly hosted by Christine McNair

author bios:

Monty Reid is an Ottawa writer and gardener, with recent trade collections from Chaudiere Books and Brick Books.  His most recent publications are Site Conditions (Apt 9 Press) and Garden unit chapbooks from obvious epiphanies press, above/ground press, Laurel ReedBooks and others. 

Pearl Pirie rides trains when she can. Watch for her books, chapbooks and leaflets at the Ottawa small press fair.

rob mclennan is the author of many things. His most recent book is the long poem Glengarry (Talonbooks).

Amanda Earl on Pearl Pirie (from her recent Sasquatch Reading Series appearance);

Ottawa poet/publisher/blogger Amanda Earl's report on Chaudiere Books author Pearl Pirie's recent reading at the Sasquatch Reading Series.

Chaudiere Books participating in Niagara Falls, Toronto + Ottawa small press fairs;

Chaudiere Books will be participating in small press book fairs (with perhaps a new surprise or two) in:

Niagara Falls, ON: A Book Affair, Saturday, June 4th, 2011, hosted by The Niagara Literary Arts Festival. information here.

Toronto ON: The Toronto Small Press Book Fair, Sunday, June 19,2011. information here.

Ottawa ON: the ottawa small press book fair, Saturday, June 25, 2011, hosted by the small press action network - ottawa (span-o). information here.

for further information on small press book fairs across Canada, check out the small press book fair blog.

hopefully we will see you at one, if not all of these! best,

Marcus McCann interviewed by Kevin Spenst;

an interview with Marcus McCann now up on Kevin Spenst's website, alongside various other Chaudiere & non-Chaudiere authors; thanks, Kevin!

Chaudiere authors Monty Reid + rob mclennan read at The Niagara Literary Arts Festival, June 3, 2011;

Friday, June, 3, 2011 7pm; This event is part of THE NIAGARA LITERARY ARTS FESTIVAL; http://www.greyborders.jigsy.com/the-niagara-literary-arts-festival • rob mclennan (The Ottawa City Project)• Monty Reid (Disappointment Island)• Kees Kaptyn • James Takeo • Sami’s , 87 East Main Street, Welland with a small press book fair happening the following day: http://smallpressbookfair.blogspot.com/2011/05/niagara-literary-arts-festival-presents.html

Chaudiere Books mourns Gatineau author John Lavery (Dec 31, 1949-May 8, 2011);

[John Lavery, left, with Stephen Brockwell; a group of us having drinks at The Carleton Tavern last year, for no reason] an obit posted today here, on rob mclennan's blog;

Monty Reid on Poemaday, 9;

posted here;

Monty Reid a poetry finalist for National Magazine Awards;

Chaudiere Books author Monty Reid (Disappointment Island / Decalogue: Ten Ottawa Poets) is a poetry finalist for the National Magazine Awards for three poems published in Event magazine, alongside eight other poets including Ottawa poets Shane Rhodes (Decalogue: Ten Ottawa Poets) and David O'Meara. Congrats Monty! Congratulations all! The Gold, Silver and Honourable Mentions will be announced in Toronto on June 10, 2011 at a big gala (of course). Tickets for said gala can be purchased here.

Pearl Pirie: two poems posted for National Poetry Month;

Our Pearl Pirie [photo by rob mclennan] has two new poems posted for National Poetry Month, with a visual piece posted at Amanda Earl's AngelHousePress National Poetry Month page, and her poem "Sandwiched," up at a similar site hosted by The League of Canadian Poets, lovingly curated by Winnipeg poet Ariel Gordon.

A little tiny interview with Monty Reid

a little tiny interview with Chaudiere Books author Monty Reid by Kevin Spenst. Check out the entire (ongoing) series, which focuses on Spenst's Vancouver, but with plenty of interesting Ottawa content, including Christine McNair, Pearl Pirie + rob mclennan.

Brockton Writers: article on Marcus McCann

An article on Marcus McCann following his reading through the Brockton Writers Series, by Timothy Connors.

Chaudiere Books author Pearl Pirie at the Ottawa Festival, May 1, 2011

Pearl Pirie reads alongside Gillian Sze and Lorna Crozier at the spring edition of the Ottawa International Writers Festival; the poetry cabaret is hosted by Ottawa poet Sandra Ridley; details at the festival website, here.

rob mclennan's The Ottawa City Project (2007); "an old poem embedded in thoughts on my mother"

A piece I wrote on one of the poems from my poetry collection, The Ottawa City Project (Chaudiere Books, 2007) now up at Open Book Toronto;

Chaudiere Books at VERSeFest

with my full report, here;

Pearl Pirie interviewed

by Vancouver's Kevin Spenst on editing;

Marcus McCann interviewed (posted online) on CKCU's Literary Landscapes;

Chaudiere Books author Marcus McCann was interviewed on CKCU's Literary Landscapes yesterday (posted online) by Christine McNair for tonight's McCann/Reid lecture as part of Ottawa's VERSeFest;

Pearl Pirie wins 2011 Robert Kroetsch Award!

details here; congratulations Pearl!