new from above/ground press: The Winter Circus, by Conal Smiley

The Winter Circus
Conal Smiley
$5

It’s normal to
fear your mind

I’m afraid

that people
will discover

a note on the
xylophone

that when
repeatedly hit

will drill itself
into my skull

like construction
out the bedroom

window
early in

the morning

all detours
leading to a single

congested street
stucco falling

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

Conal Smiley was born in London, ON. His childhood was spent combing the aisles of bookstores, video stores and record shops, which is where his passion for the arts began. He is mostly self-taught, and after some creative writing classes at UofT, he decided to pursue poetry. He currently lives in Toronto and works in bookstores.

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

new from above/ground press: ANTHRONOISE, by Brook Houglum

ANTHRONOISE
Brook Houglum
$5

Ocean-based scenario:

blue growth / in-depth

abundance. Future case:

private—industrial—government

opportunity: marine

minerals / cobalt-rich aquaculture

Global offshore balance /

PROMOTION OCEAN

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

Brook Houglum has previously published poems in magazines such as Tinfish, Event, and Interim. She teaches at Capilano University and lives near Sen̓áḵw, now known as False Creek, Vancouver, on unceded Skwxwú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ lands. A second title through above/ground press is forthcoming.

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

Ottawa Small Press Book Fair 1995 : interviews with rob mclennan, John Barton, etc

David Scrimshaw recently posted this video segment over at his blog; this is something he produced for Rogers 22's Community Magazine on the second edition of the ottawa small press book fair, which was held on September 16 and 17, 1995 at the Glebe Community Centre. This was the second fair, and the first one fully hosted by myself, as co-founder James Spyker had moved to Toronto not long after the first fair occurred in November 1994. See an interview with young me! And John Barton, talking about Arc Poetry Magazine! And others! with folk such as Victoria Vernell and Joe Blades in the background, as well.

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

new from above/ground press: SIDEWALK NATURALIST, by Sue Landers

SIDEWALK NATURALIST
Sue Landers
$5

Here, at the Avenue H subway stop, an oddity: bronze rocking chairs, engraved to look like wood and wicker, bolted to the floor of the above-ground station, which takes the shape of a small house with a wrapping porch.

The station agent comes outside for a smoke and turns to where I’m sitting on a bronze chair and says, you know, the men who sit here on the porch all day and drink—they pee on those seats.

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

Susan (Sue) Landers is a Brooklyn-based, Philly-bred poet. Her books include What to Carry Into the Future, Franklinstein, Covers, and 248 mgs., a panic picnic. Her poems have appeared in Poem-A-Day, The Brooklyn Rail, The Offing, and elsewhere. Sue served as executive director of Lambda Literary from 2018-2021. More at www.susanlanders.com

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: mclennan, Robertson, Caporaso, Jirgens, van Vliet, Armantrout + Robinson,

rob mclennan has a new poem up at Amsterdam Review, and is interviewed by Stan Rogal for periodicities: a journal of poetry and poetics; Lisa Robertson is Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet for 2024-25 and is giving the Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet lecture on October 24 from 7 to 8:30 pm on the Nanaimo campus; Angela Caporaso is interviewed over at talking about strawberries all of the time, where Karl Jirgens also has poems, and Robert van Vliet is also interviewed; Rae Armantrout has a poem up at the Poetry Foundation; and Elizabeth Robinson has new work up at Big Other.