The Factory Reading Series pre-small press book fair reading, June 19: Bebenek, carisse, Currie, MARTIN + Saklikar,

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents

The Factory Reading Series
the pre-small press book fair reading

featuring readings by:

Jessica Bebenek (Montreal)
russell carisse (NB)
David Currie (Ottawa)
IAN MARTIN (Ottawa)
+
Renée Sarojini Saklikar (Vancouver)

lovingly hosted by rob mclennan
Friday, June 19, 2026
doors 7pm; reading 7:30pm
Anina’s Café, 280 Joffre-Bélanger Way

[And don’t forget the ottawa small press book fair, held the following day at the Glebe Community Centre]

Jessica Bebenek is a queer interdisciplinary poet, bookmaker, and educator living between Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) and an off-grid shack on unceded Anishinaabe territory. Her most recent chapbook, You Don’t Get Out Much (2024), is a memoir of chronic illness & her first ‘real’ book, No One Knows Us There (Book*hug Press, 2025), was a finalist for two Quebec Writer’s Federation Awards and was named a CBC Books Best Book of the Year. @notyrmuse www.jessicabebenek.art

russell carisse is currently living on unceded Wolastoqiyik/Mi’kmaw territory in New Brunswick. Here they live in an off-grid trailer in the woods with their partner and animals, growing food and practicing other forms of underconsumption. Author of five chapbooks, their work appears in the anthology On Occasion: Poems for the People, and ARC Poetry, Queen’s Quarterly, The Temz Review, Touch the Donkey, Website: russellcarisse.carrd.co Mastodon: @russellcarisse@writing.exchange Bluesky: @russellcarisse.bsky.social 

David Currie is not IAN MARTIN. He is a different writer with whom IAN MARTIN is collaborating. David’s work has appeared in various places - he wishes he could be more specific, but he forgot to write them down, and has been collected into six chapbooks. Heat a neutral oil to a boil before turning it to medium-low. Add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, and a nub of ginger. Simmer for an hour, but make sure not to burn. strain the oil into a mason jar with about a cup to a cup and a half of chili pepper powder (the more varieties the better). Oil can be used immediately and kept for about 6 months. He currently resides in Ottawa. Currie and MARTIN are launching a collaborative above/ground press chapbook at this event, so be warned.

IAN MARTIN [pictured] is large and barely in charge. Their work has appeared recently in BAD DOG Mag, Discordia Review, and Sumac Literary Magazine. IAN has published six chapbooks, most recently EVERYONE IS MY ENEMY (2022). When not writing, IAN makes small video games and complains. Visit WWW.IANMARTIN.ROCKS at your own risk.

Renée Sarojini Saklikar is the author of six books, including the award-winning Children of Air India and Listening to the Bees. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies, including Exile Editions, Chatelaine, The Capilano Review, and Pulp Literature. She was Poet Laureate for the City of Surrey (2015-2018), co-founded Lunch Poems at SFU, and teaches Creative Writing at Douglas College. Bramah’s Discovery is the third volume of her epic fantasy in verse series, THOTJBAP. Renee Sarojini is grateful to work, create, and live in East Vancouver on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples.

new from above/ground press: That H uman E ffluence A nd P lastic, by russell carisse

That H uman E ffluence A nd P lastic
russell carisse
$6

§1.078

Does your recombine-harvester’s entropy drive knock under stress? Are you able to hear the subtle differences in trash density? Have you even considered harmonic relativity? If not, then you’re missing what looks to be the next Water Rush, but you can still act if you act now! The HEAP can proto-fit your’s, and all we ask is that you preform your operations in accordance with our corporate philosophy: it’s always about the process, and may your’s complicate the process infinitely. Proto-fit now!

§1.934

Summer awoke in yesterday’s clothes, sweaty from fever induced dreams. After struggling with the soaked clothes, it was the usual swish into the neé 3003 model water extractor’s hopper. The inefficiency of changing burned the much needed time to do nothing. Doing nothing burned in the back of their mind, while their calculated motions worked for sufficient gains. New clothes from the receptacle unwrapped, with less struggle put on muttering,”I’ll get that new model yet, then you'll see me here!”

§1.009

What began before The Great Coagulation as a modest family septic-tank company, Human Effluents And Plastic (HEAP), has become the only name of trust. If it wasn’t for Sum deGuy’s micro-water extraction technique, we would be distilling landfill juice, for our water needs to this day. With discovery that plastic harbours microscopic amounts water, Sum began a patented process to squeeze the water out before landfill. A most complicated process employing the largest supply chains employing us all.

published in Ottawa by above/ground press
October 2025
a/g subscribers receive a complimentary copy

russell carisse is currently living on unceded Wolastoqiyik/Mi’kmaw territory in New Brunswick. Here they have resettled from Tkaronto (Treaty 13) to an off-grid trailer in the woods, with their family of people and animals, to grow food and practice other forms of underconsumption. Author of five chapbooks, their work forthcoming or in, ARC Poetry, Queen’s Quarterly, The Temz Review, Touch the Donkey, also online. Website: russellcarisse.carrd.co Mastodon: @russellcarisse@writing.exchange Bluesky: @russellcarisse.bsky.social

This is carisse's fourth title through above/ground press, after English Garden Bondage (2022), In The Margins. . . . . .of french translations found and remixed by russell carisse (2024) and poetry and labour / is concrete (2024).

To order, send cheques (add $2 for postage; in US, add $3; outside North America, add $7) to: rob mclennan, 2423 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7M9. E-transfer or PayPal at rob_mclennan (at) hotmail.com or the PayPal button at www.robmclennan.blogspot.com

some author activity: Rosenthal, carisse, Ballard, Niespodziany + Kelly,

Sarah Rosenthal has three poems up as part of LAdige Review's "California Series"; russell carisse has new work up at The Pi Review; Micah Ballard has new work up at the Spotlight series; Benjamin Niespodziany has new work at Bennington Review; and forthcoming author J-T Kelly is interviewed over at Touch the Donkey.

some author activity: carisse, Ebbitt, Sikkema, fitzpatrick + McNair,

russell carisse is interviewed over at Touch the Donkey; Katie Ebbitt is interviewed by Nadia Prupis over at Hobart, and by Emily Roll over at BOMB; Michael Sikkema has a handful of new poems up at Broken Lens Journal; ryan fitzpatrick has some poems online at The Capilano Review; and Christine McNair offers "A List for Lost Words" over at 49th Shelf.

new from above/ground press: poetry and labour / is concrete, by russell carisse

poetry and labour / is concrete
russell carisse
$5

published in Ottawa by above/ground press
October 2024
a/g subscribers receive a complimentary copy

russell carisse is currently living on unceded Wolastoqiyik/Mi’kmaw territory in New Brunswick. Here they have resettled from Tkaronto to an off-grid trailer in the woods, with their family of people and animals, to grow food and practice other forms of underconsumption. Work recently forthcoming or in, Queen’s Quarterly, The Temz Review, Touch the Donkey, also online: website: russellcarisse.carrd.co Mastodon: @russellcarisse@writing.exchange

This is carisse’s third above/ground press title, after English Garden Bondage (2022) and In The Margins. . . . . .of french translations found and remixed by russell carisse (2024).

To order, send cheques (add $1 for postage; in US, add $2; outside North America, add $5) to: rob mclennan, 2423 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7M9. E-transfer or PayPal at rob_mclennan (at) hotmail.com or the PayPal button at www.robmclennan.blogspot.com

some author activity: Solomon, Berlatsky, Rogal, carisse, Baus + Dreiblatt,

Misha Solomon wrote on the late Ian Stephens for The Fiddlehead; Noah Berlatsky is interviewed over at talking about strawberries all of the time, where Stan Rogal and russell carisse also have poems; and the video from Eric Baus and Ian Dreiblatt's zoom-reading in Jack Krick's Hugely Popular series is now online.

some author activity: Mohammadi, Robinson, carisse, Campanello + Williams,

Khashayar "Kess" Mohammadi is interviewed with Klara du Plessis in the latest issue of The Temz Review, where Ben Robinson is also interviewed, and russell carisse also has new work; Kimberly Campanello and Wayne A. Gilbert's 2023 conversation "Moving Nowhere Here" is up on YouTube; and Evan Williams has some new work up at Tyger Quarterly.

new from above/ground press: In The Margins. . . . . .of french translations found and remixed by russell carisse, by russell carisse

In The Margins. . . . . .of french translations found and remixed by russell carisse
russell carisse
$5

draws me toward the
“ego”
  away

without a sign
a crying out

* * *

I expel myself
motion
perhaps
it is thus
an other
which “I”
of sobs, of vomit
the
tears and
perspire
makes me balk at
father who
desires
I expel
who am only
myself

but one that
turns me inside
that “I” am
my own death

* * *

published in Ottawa by above/ground press
February 2024
a/g subscribers receive a complimentary copy

russell carisse is currently living on unceded Wolastoqiyik and Mig’maw territory in New Brunswick. Here they have resettled from Tkaronto into an off-grid trailer in the woods, with their family of people and animals, to grow food and practice other forms of underconsumption. russell is the author of chapbooks, BRICKWORKS (Frog Hollow Press 2021), and English Garden Bondage (above/ground press 2022). Their work can be found online and in print.

This is carisse’s second above/ground press title, after English Garden Bondage (2022).

To order, send cheques (add $1 for postage; in US, add $2; outside North America, add $5) to: rob mclennan, 2423 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7M9. E-transfer or PayPal at rob_mclennan (at) hotmail.com or the PayPal button at www.robmclennan.blogspot.com

some author activity: carisse, Armantrout, Scroggins, Logan + Reid,

russell carisse has a new poem up at dadakuku; Rae Armantrout has a poem up in The New Yorker; Mark Scroggins' work gets some good critical attention by James Berger over at Jacket2; Nate Logan is featured over at Leavings; and Monty Reid is interviewed by Pinhole Poetry, which also includes a new poem.

some author activity: Carisse, Sparling + Pirie,

Russell Carisse has a new poem up in the Tuesday poem series; Ken Sparling displays his handmade books at the Coach House Books website; and Pearl Pirie posted a report on the pre-small press fair reading the other night, as well as receiving her festschrift!

some author activity: Scroggins, Norris, Carisse, Hawes, Tracy, Mohammadi + Cadsby,

Mark Scroggins has a new poem up at talking about strawberries all of the time; Ken Norris is interviewed there, as is Russell Carisse, and so is James Hawes; Dale Tracy is interviewed in the '12 or 20 questions' series; Khashayar Mohammadi has a poem up on the Chaudiere Books blog as part of National Poetry Month, and so does forthcoming author Heather Cadsby!

some author activity: Carisse, Mohammadi, Logan, Hyland, Moritz + Barwin,

Russell Carisse is featured over at IceFloe Press; Khashayar Mohammadi has new work in the latest issue of the ex-puritan; Nate Logan, MC Hyland and Rachel Moritz have new work up at Concision; and Gary Barwin has donated his chapbook collection (including a whole slew of above/ground press stuff) to McMaster University.

new from above/ground press: English Garden Bondage, by Russell Carisse

English Garden Bondage
Russell Carisse
$5

1.Brickwall

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published in Ottawa by above/ground press
May 2022
a/g subscribers receive a complimentary copy

Russell Carisse is currently living on unceded Mi'kmaw territory in New Brunswick. Here they have resettled off-grid with their family of people and animals, to grow food and practice other forms of underconsuption. Their writing can be found or forthcoming in Poetry Pause, The Anti-Langorous Project, The Quarantine Review, Funicular, The Utopia Project, The Pi Review, STILL: The Journal, Periodicities, The Paragon Journal, The Babel Tower Board, Talking About Strawberries, as well as in their self-published book, NOMOGRAPHY, on Google Books and New Brunswick Chapbook Series #18, BRICKWORKS from Frog Hollow Press.

To order, send cheques (add $1 for postage; in US, add $2; outside North America, add $5) to: rob mclennan, 2423 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7M9. E-transfer or PayPal at rob_mclennan (at) hotmail.com or the PayPal button at www.robmclennan.blogspot.com

Russell Carisse reviews Amanda Deutch’s Bodega Night Pigeon Riot (2020) in antilang

Russell Carisse was good enough to provide the first review for Amanda Deutch’s Bodega Night Pigeon Riot (2020) in antilang #8. Thanks so much! You can see his original review here. As he writes:

Arrivals<>Departures

 

Rummaging around Brooklyn’s streetscape with Amanda Deutch’s Bodega Night Pigeon Riot, from above/gound press, one is drawn along and through the accoutrements and fashions of late-capital’s urban millieux. This chap of haiku rattles off with arhythmic comparisons made by the witness in the window of a moving train with words that embark on the dichotomous unrest of jarring the traditional fair of petals, lurching suddenly against the ossified detritus of economic growth - the final excrements of replicative production. There’s a moment hanging on a bridge reaching for itself, but the lul of progress, the lul of onomatopoeic security, of the flashing signs, the monetary venture to work arrives fully stationed for a fresh departure from tradition, again, but with touch of that temporal inflexibility and constraint incorporated in conjunction with the police state - America's cultural soul, as approved religiously over and over again. A soul that is expressed by civil iconographics and neon churches posing in stolen clothes. Pulling into a solipsism that is triggered by the act of naming, a feigned escape materializes from personal reminiscence but tempered with its assurances of willful forgetting and itemized appropriations - the valorized garb of existential valuation. And then it’s off again, with the cycle of storefront-church-mural, uninterupted and augmented by humanity’s popular refrain singing its tune of wealth appreciation. The destination arrives with the traditional fair now blooming and employed with a future naturally littering itself for an immanent return, as one will keep coming back to these poems. Oh, and FUCK the POL(ICE)!