On May 7, Lois Donovan, author of Winds of L’Acadie, will be presenting at the English Language Arts Council Conference in Banff, Alberta.

Here’s poet Pamela Porter‘s reading at the Hearthside Hearings reading series on March 24, 2011. She’s reading from her new manuscript. (Pamela’s first poetry book with Ronsdale was Cathedral (2010).

Unfortunately, a snowstorm made for some not-so-delightful conditions for her reading at the St Catharines public library the day before. Virus Readings organizer Priscilla Brett said “Niagara Falls had one of the worst storms of the year yesterday, out of nowhere (it had been sunny the day before). So our usual crowd and even one of our readers were a no show. Which was crappy, though even our buses were cancelled, so it was understandable. But mother nature’s wrath aside, we all had a wonderful time, and I hope Pam enjoyed seeing the falls, albeit through a blizzard.” Niagara Falls through a blizzard! It makes me cold just thinking about it!

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On March 24 at 1pm, poet Pamela Porter, author of Cathedral, will be reading as part of the Hearthside Hearings reading series. The event will be live broadcast at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-hearthside-hearings.

Hearthside Hearings is an introspective literary reading and discussion series, brought to you by greyborders magazine.

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On March 23, Pamela Porter, author of Cathedral, will be reading, along with Gregory Betts, Terry Trowbridge, Jade Alyssa and James Millhaven, as part of the Grey Borders Reading Series, at the Niagara Falls Public Library, Victoria Branch, 4848 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario. The event is free, and begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Rosberg Gallery. Grey Borders will be providing coffee and snacks.

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On 7 May 2011, Jean Rae Baxter, author of The Way Lies North and Broken Trail, will be signing books at Chapters, Stone Road Mall, 435 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario. The event will run from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

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On 23 April 2011, Jean Rae Baxter, author of The Way Lies North and Broken Trail, will be signing books at Indigo Books & Music, 1783 Stone Church Rd. East, Stoney Creek, Ontario. The event will run from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

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The Stake

Of the mother tongue, so aptly
named, every syllable pulls
and tugs till, desperate, you can
only think: Away!

away to another language
with no strings.
A clean break. That’s far enough,
you think, enough is plenty

but find it isn’t, for you go on
looking under the bed, outside
your door, scanning the night
beyond for freedom
like a goat still tied
to its stake though it has pulled
it up and now must drag it along
at every step.

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From Beckett Soundings by Inge Israel, published by Ronsdale Press in 2011

Beckett Soundings will be launched in Vancouver on March 20, 2011, at Ardea Books & Art, 2025 W 4th Ave., beginning at 5pm. See our events listings for details.

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On Friday, March 25, poet Barbara Pelman (author of Borrowed Rooms) will read at Moka House (formerly Black Stilt Coffee House), 1633 Hillside Ave, Victoria, starting at 7:30 p.m. Barbara will be reading along with Barry Dempster. I believe it’s part of the Planet Earth Reading Series. For more on the series, see their blog.

Remember

Remember that you are
a good woman
grown from a perfect child
remember
all of your hopes and reams
not forsaken
still possible

Remember that you are
completely deserving
all of the love in the world
is the web
that you stand upon

Remember that you are
a smart person, and wise
your feelings are an essential guide
the clear heart of matter
beating out a rhythm
we can all dance to
you are the groundwork
a house, a loom:
all of us are weaving
our lives around you

Remember that you are
a full woman
remember
you are not
all alone in this place
remember
all of your needs
all of your hopes
all of your dreams
are a potent fire
warming the world
lighting your face

From Mother Time by Joanne Arnott

Posted in honour of International Women’s Day, 2011.

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Joanne Arnott will be reading at Play Chthonics reading series at UBC Green College, Vancouver, on March 16. It’s free! For more information, see the Play Chthonics blog.

This weekend, poet Garry Gottfriedson (author of Whiskey Bullets and Skin Like Mine) will be reading at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival. This is a four-day event featuring music, poetry, dance and more. Take a look at the festival’s website for more information on this year’s performers — I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many cowboy hats and moustaches on one page for some time… What a fantastic idea for a festival!