some author activity: Mody, Berlatsky, Johnson, Rogal, Morton, Boyle + Kronovet,

Monica Mody has a substack now, and has work featured at Scroll India; five fleas has published a short poem by Noah Berlatsky; Chris Johnson is interviewed by Andrew French for the Page Fright Podcast; Stan Rogal, Colin Morton and Frances Boyle each have new work in the latest issue of Pinhole Poetry; and Jennifer Kronovet has new work up at Zocalo: Public Square.

some author activity: Unsworth, Weaver, Bell, Morton, Bowering, Hogg + mclennan,

Lydia Unsworth has a poem up as part of the Tuesday poem series; Andy Weaver is interviewed over at Touch the Donkey; Wade Bell, Colin Morton, George Bowering and others all have new pieces as part of the "Remembering Bob Hogg" feature at The Typescript; and rob mclennan answers one question for Hollay Ghadery at River Street Writing.

some author activity: Paige, Morton, Beaulieu, Ross, Dennis + Earl,

Abby Paige participates in the "Six Questions" interview series over at Chaudiere Books; Colin Morton responds to same; Derek Beaulieu has a new essay in the "Talking Poetics" series over at the ottawa poetry newsletter; Stuart Ross interviews Michael Dennis; and Amanda Earl has a photo essay at Watch Your Head.

“poem” broadside #346 : “Riposte” by Colin Morton

Right here in the middle of the street,

the passenger door slamming shut on his gun hand

as the car sped away.

Right here on the white solid line,

blood pooling around the base of his skull.

Here, years ago, beneath the new interchange,

waiting at the parkway’s one red light.

With a pistol brought in by diplomatic bag,

rushed out of the country hours later.

Right here face down in the November slush.

Here on the strip while leaving a bistro.

In a scuffle at this tavern door.

In a downtown crosswalk with a crossbow.

With a nine-inch blade across the bar.

The city remembers its private scars.

For others there’s a plaque – one on the mall

where an MP took a bullet in the head.

Another at the jail where someone swung for it.

A stone laid for workers killed on the job.

Statues for those in uniform.

Monuments uncounted, all to the dead.

Heroes’ highways, walks of fame, listed houses

reassure that some are kept in mind.

Even poets have their garden and their path,

echoes nearly lost in corridors of the dead.

Right here, right now, we persist, we speak.

While we can, we have our day.

And in a lab beside the rushing river

someone’s plotting to kill you, death.

We’ve seen the impossible happen before.

Riposte, by Colin Morton

produced in part as a handout during the sixth Arc Poetry Walk, curated and hosted by rob mclennan, walking around the Byward Market, December 8, 2018

above/ground press broadside #346

Twice winner of the Archibald Lampman Award for poetry, Ottawa poet Colin Morton has published more than ten books, ranging from visual and sound poetry (Printed Matter; Two Decades) to historical narratives (The Merzbook: Kurt Schwitters Poems; The Hundred Cuts: Sitting Bull and the Major). His other work includes a novel, an animated film, and many reviews and essays. He has collaborated with poets, artists, and musicians in the poetry performance group First Draft and with film-maker Ed Ackerman in the award-winning animated poetry film Primiti Too Taa. www.colinmorton.net

above/ground press 25th anniversary essay: Colin Morton

This is the eleventh in a series of short essays/reminiscences by a variety of authors and friends of the press to help mark the quarter century mark of above/ground. See links to the whole series here.

Staying above/ground

Around 1993, the books editor of the Citizen phoned me to ask, for an article, who were to most promising Ottawa poets under 25. I waffled a minute, saying that 25 is young to be judging a poet, it takes years to develop, then named the most active young poet I knew, rob mclennan. “But isn’t he mainly an impresario?” replied the editor, who had been talking to others before me. I admitted that may be true, but rob got his own back a few years later, winning a national award as most promising under 30. He has not slowed down since, showing what I’ve always said: that persistence, stubbornness, is half of what it takes to be any kind of artist.

I don’t remember at what Ottawa reading or literary event I first met rob, but first he wasn’t there, and then he was everywhere, organizing readings, handing out poems on single sheets of folded coloured paper, publishing magazines and chapbooks, often of his own lines and verses, but including everyone from the established and the iconic (George Bowering) to the newly arrived (Stephanie Bolster) and the aspiring student at Canterbury high school.

On the tenth anniversary of above/ground press, rob organized a reading and asked those of us reading to write a poem for an instant anthology. My poem was called “Ten Reasons for Staying Above Ground” and included, among the ten, “to see what rob gets up to next.” He hasn’t disappointed. There’s always something new, and the Internet has only amplified the range of his hyperactivity.

Mainly an impresario? It’s hard to maintain that about a writer with such a bibliography, but even if so, isn’t that great for the many he has helped? I’m still curious about what he’ll do next.

Ottawa poet Colin Morton [photo credit: Pearl Pirie] has published over a dozen books and chapbooks (including Coastlines, above/ground, 1999) ranging from visual and sound poetry to historical narratives. His other work includes stories and reviews, a novel (Oceans Apart) and an animated film (Primiti Too Taa).  www.colinmorton.net

Morton is the author of the above/ground press chapbook COASTLINES (1999). He also appeared in two issues of the long poem magazine STANZAS—issue #4 with Shannon Cowan (October 1994) and issue #11 with Aiden Baker (February 1997).

His poem “Ten Reasons for Staying Above Ground” appeared in the above/ground press anthology TEN (August 28, 2003), produced for the tenth anniversary reading/launch/party at 3 Kings Pub, Holland Avenue, Ottawa (other contributors included Eleni Zisimatos Auerbach, Aidan Baker, John Barton, John M. Bennett, Stephen Brockwell, George Elliott Clarke, Shannon Cowan, Michael Dennis, Anita Dolman, Susan Elmslie, m erskine, Jon Paul Fiorentino, ryan fitzpatrick, Natalie Hanna, Matthew Holmes, Warren Layberry, A.J. Levin, Gil McElroy, rob mclennan, Sheila E. Murphy, Sharon H. Nelson, Ken Norris, Meredith Quartermain and Andy Weaver).

some author activity: Abel, McCann, Morton, mclennan + Archer,

Jordan Abel is part of a new editorial board at Wolsak and Wynn; Marcus McCann has a poem, "Sex at thirty-one," over at Lemonhound; Colin Morton and rob mclennan participate in "my (small press) writing day"; and Sacha Archer has a new visual poem up at h&.

Anstee, Hogg, Folsom, Morton, Praamsma, Best etc at Kingston, Ontario's Artfest, July 1-3, 2016

above/ground press authors Cameron Anstee, Robert Hogg, Eric Folsom, Colin Morton, Wanda Praamsma and Ashley-Elizabeth Best, among a mound of others, perform as part of "Poets at Artfest II" at Kingston, Ontario's Artfest, from July 1 to 3, 2016. For more information, check out the Facebook event page, here.

Amanda Earl reviews ottawater #10

Amanda Earl was good enough to write a review of the tenth issue of the Ottawa poetry pdf journal ottawater over at her fine blog, focusing on submissions by Patti Normand, Scott Fairchild, Sylvia Adams, George Elliott Clarke, JM Francheteau, Richard Froude, Karen Massey, Justin Million, Colin Morton, Roland Prevost, Armand Garnet Ruffo and Matthew Walsh. Thanks, Amanda!