Brecken Hancock's above/ground chapbook, The Art of Plumbing, is reviewed in Broken Pencil #64

Scott Bryson was good enough to review Brecken Hancock’s above/ground chapbook, The Art of Plumbing (above/ground press, 2013) in Broken Pencil #64. Thanks, Scott! This is actually the fifth review of Brecken’s chapbook, after recent reviews by Joseph LaBine (here), JM Francheteau (here), Michael Dennis (here) and Ryan Pratt (here). There are a few copies of Hancock’s chapbook still available, here, or you can simply pick up her first trade collection, Broom Broom (Coach House Books, 2014), which also includes the piece.

Plumbing, let alone the history of plumbing, is not typically considered enticing subject matter. The recounting of ancient pipes that’s presented here – organized in date-stamped anecdotes – is mostly pretext, mercifully (though even when it’s not, these anecdotes are rarely mundane).

            At its core, Brecken Hancock’s The Art of Plumbing is a study of human relationships, some mythical, through time – between family members, men and women, husbands and wives, citizens and The Church. In 1183 BCE, “Clytemnestra guts Agamemnon in the bath,” for his infidelities. In 415 CD, “anxious that nudity nurtures licentiousness, early Christian fathers preach against public bathing.”

            Bathtubs and bathing are the most consistent fixtures in this timeline, and an anecdote from 2323 BCE seems particularly relevant to its undercurrent: “Archimedes stumbles into a method for gauging the volume of irregular objects. Stepping into the bath, he spots water rise…” The lesson typically taken from this tale is to be patient and await a breakthrough, but a different interpretation here proves apt. The same story was relayed at a crucial point in the 1998 movie, Pi, with an unusual take on its moral: “You need a break, you have to take a bath or you will get nowhere,” warns the film’s mathematician Sol Robson.

            In a moment of abrupt, autobiographical lucidity at the chapbook’s end, Hancock comes to the same conclusion: “I need to soak. Gathering my split hair from the pillow, I ruse from the television news, from the navalia proelia [simulated naval battles] on our sheets.” It’s a fitting conclusion; there are hints of a veiled personal journal throughout this narrative.

            The Art of Plumbing is a moving read, less for what we see on the pages – though these are eloquently-written historical sketches – than for the subtext that emerges from between its stanzas.

STANZAS magazine, bibliography: 1993-2006

Perhaps I should finally admit that my long poem magazine STANZAS is in the past tense. I’d long been hoping that the journal would make it to fifty issues, but that doesn’t seem to have happened. Although I haven’t given up the idea that I might produce one further, final issue as a trade anthology, keeping with the model the journal originally had of George Bowering’s twice a year IMAGO (1964-1974).

When I originally started above/ground press, I wanted to produce both magazine and chapbooks, and couldn’t imagine attempting to sell two different series; the idea was that if I had the journal as gratis, then it might help publicize the chapbooks, therefore the far larger print runs. I could mail a box of issues to anyone, anywhere (which happened far less than I would have liked, given the state of my finances) for distribution.

Over the past few months, thanks to our move last year into a house, I’ve been finally able to start digging through dozens of boxes, attempting to put together a single set of the whole run for possible inclusion as a perk for our big Chaudiere Books Indiegogo campaign (I’m hoping to add one or three items over the next week or so, to acknowledge the mid-way point of our current campaign). There are some issues I have a surprising number of copies of, still, and some that I have yet to locate. For the sake of interest, here is a rough bibliography of the entire run:

Volume 1, issue #1. edited by rob mclennan. 500 copies. November 1993. issue dedicated to George Bowering and IMAGO. “Garden I-V” and “Gardening Tips” by Clare Latremouille, “THE LAPIDARY 1-9” by Heather Ferguson (sic), “Where Once There Were 5 Million” by Joy Hewitt Mann, and “Brahms, 1993” for Henry Beissel by rob mclennan. distributed free. folded and stapled, 8 1/2 by 11. 12 pages.

Issue #2. 500 copies, January 1994. issue dedicated to Frank Zappa. “VIGIL” by Maggie Helwig. distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #3. 500 copies, May 1994. issue dedicated to Roy Kiyooka. “DON JUAN ON HIS DEATHBED” by Henry Beissel. distributed free. 8 pages.

Issue #4. 500 copies, October 1994. “Sketches of Hands” by Shannon Cowan, “Forgotten Photographs” by Colin Morton, “hockey night in canada,” for patrick hunt, by michael dennis. distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #5. larger print run, 750 copies, April 1995. Coast-to-coast issue. 650 sandstone covers for general distribution, 100 grey covers for the Spring Toronto Small Press Fair. “Echolocations” by Gil McElroy and “In Which Alice Meets Laura Palmer” by Stephanie Bolster. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #6. 750 copies, July/August 1995. issue gleefully dedicated to George Bowering’s IMAGO magazine from the 70’s. “stiltman” by C.J. Lockett, “love & the automatic bank teller” by Brian Burke. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #7. 750 copies, November 1995. “When” by rob mclennan & “REMEMBERING FRANK O'HARA” by Ken Norris. distributed free. 20 pages.

Issue #8. 750 copies, May 28, 1996. “The Big Fuck” by Judith Fitzgerald and “HOW TO SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME ALONE AND STILL WRITE CONVINCINGLY ABOUT SEX” by R.M. Vaughan. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #9. 750 copies, August 1, 1996. this issue mourns the loss of Coach House Press 1965-1996 and first saw light at the first National Conference of Canadian Small and Micro Presses in Sechelt, B.C., August 2-4, 1996. “MOUTH or PLACE NAMES” by Ian Whistle. His first solo publication. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #10. 750 copies, October 1996. “Crashing Out” by I.M. Wiley, a(n obvious) pseudonym from Winnipeg. the same piece (slightly altered) was also published at the same time under another name in Zygote magazine, Winnipeg. distributed free. 12 pages. 76.

Issue #11. 750 copies, February 1997. “Re: Crossing” by Colin Morton and “Ferries Taken” by Aidan Baker. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #12. 750 copies, April 1997. “BLONDES ON BIKES: 1-20” by George Bowering. distributed free. 28 pages.

Issue #13. 750 copies, June 1997. “inside     first floor         at the randomization factory” by meghan lynch (who later became Meghan Jackson). distributed free. 12 pages. cover image by Emily Whist.

Issue #14. 750 copies, September 1997. “A Medical History of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan” by Carla Milo (who later became Carla Barkman). distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #15. 750 copies, March 1998. “last leaves II” by rob mclennan. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #16. 750 copies, April 1998. “POEM BOOOOOOOK” by Gerry Gilbert. cover photos by the author. distributed free. 28 pages.

Issue #17. 750 copies, May 1998. “from COAST ALL JOURN ALL” by Jay MillAr. published in Ottawa (at Carleton University and at Gallery 101) and Fredericton (at Gallery Connexion). distributed free. 16 pages. cover illustration by the author.

Issue #18. 750 copies, September 1998. “TWELVE POEMS FOR HUMAN BUTTERFLIES” by Greg Evason. distributed free. 16 pages. cover illustration, “The Sacral Butterfly,” by Nicholas Power.

Issue #19. 750 copies, February 1999. “t sea ache” by Joe Blades. distributed free. 20 pages.

Issue #20. 750 copies, May 1999. “Eulogistics” by Victor Coleman. released in Winnipeg, May 8, 1999. distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #21. 750 copies, October 1999. “this evidence against you” by Natalie Hanna. distributed free. 24 pages.

Issue #22. 750 copies, January 2000. “an unnatural history of the sexes” by Anne Stone. originally appeared in the Contemporary Feminist Baroque issue of Tessera. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #23. 1000 copies, March 2000 date, although not published until April 9. “cooleys key” by rob mclennan. “renga” page originally appeared in mo’ gumbo. distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #24. 750 copies, May 2000. “Aequanimitas” by Chris McCreary. sections originally appeared in Lost & Found Times, Rhizome and COMBO. distributed free. 20 pages.

Issue #25. July 2001. “further revisions” by ryan fitzpatrick. cover artwork by Emily Whist. 16 pages. $4.

Issue #26. 750 copies, March 2001. “SYNONYMS FOR FISH” by Gary Barwin. three poems, “SYNONYMS FOR FISH”, “CRUMB FALL” and “THE LOOKOUT MAN”. cover image by Joe Blades, signed “for mclennan, the only poet I know whose name is in magnetic poetry 8, 15 NOV 1998.” distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #27. 750 copies, April 2001. “summations : travels through Italy” by Helen Zisimatos. two long poems, “rome” and “siena”. distributed free. 34 pages.

Issue #28. 750 copies, August 2001. “Strange Days” by Paul Hardacre. cover artwork collage by rob mclennan. distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #29. 750 copies. “what exile   this” by nathalie stephens (now Nathanaël). distributed free. 28 pages.

Issue #30. 750 copies. “Continuations I-III” by Douglas Barbour and Sheila E. Murphy. distributed free. 24 pages.

Issue #31. 750 copies. “Meteor Showers” by Gil McElroy. distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #32. 1000 copies, “irregular heartbeats” by rob mclennan. distributed free. 12 pages.

Issue #33. 1000 copies, “The Museum of Perception” by Lisa Samuels. subtitled “American takeover issue.” distributed free. 16 pages.

Issue #35. 1000 copies, “Highway 99” by Meredith Quartermain. subtitled “10th anniversary issue.” distributed free. 8 2 x 7. pages

Issue #36. 1000 copies, “all sets go” by Daniel f. Bradley. distributed free. 20 pages.

Issue #37. 1000 copies, “Americasual” by Rob Budde. distributed free. 20 pages

Issue #38. 1000 copies, “calcite gours 1-19” by derek beaulieu. distributed free.

Issue #39. 1000 copies, “Dream Songs” by J.L. Jacobs. distributed free.

Issue #40. 1000 copies, “the naked & the nude” by Rachel Zolf. distributed free. 20 pages.

Issue #41. 1300 copies, “ottawa poems (blue notes)” by rob mclennan. distributed free.

Issue #42. 1000 copies, “personal peripherals 1-30” by Jan Allen. distributed free.

Issue #43. 1000 copies, “more fun with ‘pataphysics” by Sharon Harris. distributed free.

Issue #44. 1000 copies, “THE CELEBRITY RAG; Opá” by Stan Rogal. March 2006. distributed free.

Issue #45 (mis-numbered on cover as #44). 1000 copies. April 2006. “two poems” by Dennis Cooley. distributed free.

some author activity: eckhoff, Kaminski, Hancock, Barwin, Irwin + Stewart,

kevin mcpherson eckhoff emerges from the west to perform in Toronto on August 21 as part of "poems to be performed by kevin mcpherson eckhoff (with or without a green elfin mask)"; Megan Kaminski has a new poem up at Finery; Brecken Hancock answers the Canadian Poetries questionnaire; Gary Barwin has a "Red Letter Day" over at 49th Shelf; and Marilyn Irwin and Christine Stewart both have new work in the tenth issue of seventeen seconds: a journal of poetry and poetics.

Poets in Profile: Janice Tokar,

Janice Tokar recently discussed her chapbook Arrhythmia (2014) as part of her "Poets in Profile" questionnaire over at Open Book: Toronto, and even managed to gain the attention of someone south of the border. Lovely!

Brecken Hancock at Open Book: Toronto

In case you missed it, Ottawa poet (and above/ground press author) Brecken Hancock was writer-in-residence over at Open Book: Toronto for the month of July, and wrote a series of incredible essays on writing "confession". You can find individual links to them here: Our Lives of No Interest: The Compulsion to Confess (July 4), Tending Toward Liquid (July 7), His Gravity (July 10), A Story That No One Owns (July 11), Modest Portraits of My Mother (July 13), Grounds For Communion (July 18), Craving A Talent Not My Own (July 20), Trash (July 24) and Still Illegitimate (July 28).

some author activity: Landman, mclennan, Barwin, Kaminski, Hajnoczky + Gordon,

Seth Landman has some new work up in Coconut #19; rob mclennan's "Reading Recommendations" were posted recently by Susan M. Toy; Gary Barwin has some new work on an international blog of concrete and visual poetry; forthcoming above/ground press author Megan Kaminski had some collaborative pieces (composed with Bonnie Roy) in a recent issue of ILK; Noah Eli Gordon "On Scaffolding, Surrounding Auras, Authenticity, and Artfulness" at The Volta; and Helen Hajnoczky's 2011 chapbook "Tight-Lacing," "A rare example of contemporary feminist concrete poetry," appears for free pdf download at ubu web: visual poetry.

above/ground press twenty-first anniversary reading and launch: Christie, Dolman + Weaver,

above/ground press twenty-first anniversary reading and launch

with readings by:
Jason Christie (Ottawa)
Anita Dolman (Ottawa)
+ Andy Weaver (Toronto)

Thursday, August 14, 2014
7pm door / 7:30pm reading
Raw Sugar Cafe
692 Somerset St W, Ottawa
lovingly hosted by rob mclennan
$6 at the door / includes a copy of a recent above/ground press chapbook, or a copy of either the first or second issue of the new poetry journal Touch the Donkey!

author bios:

New Ottawa resident (temporary) Jason Christie's [pictured] poems have appeared in many journals and magazines, including N/A, filling Station, dANDelion, Poetry is Dead, Action, Yes!, The Capilano Review, West Coast Line and Interim. He is the author of several chapbooks. Jason is the author of i-ROBOT Poetry (http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/irobotpoetry/ir-catalog.html), Canada Post (http://snarebooks.wordpress.com/books/jason-christie/) and Unknown Actor (http://www.insomniacpress.com/title.php?id=978-1-55483-101-2). He is also an editor alongside angela rawlings and derek beaulieu of the anthology Shift & Switch: New Canadian Poetry (http://www.themercurypress.ca/?q=books/shift_switch). Jason has lived in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and now Ottawa. He is currently writing poems about a fictitious forest, a tongue-in-cheek take on Jason and The Argonauts, and Money.

His most recent above/ground press publication is the chapbook GOVERNMENT (2013).

Anita Dolman’s poetry and flash fiction have appeared in journals and magazines throughout Canada and the United States, including, most recently, in Grain, Bywords.ca, The Antigonish Review, Ottawater and The Peter F. Yacht Club. Her short story “Happy Enough” is available as an e-book (Morning Rain Publishing, Burlington, 2014). above/ground has published her poetry in various broadsides and chapbooks, and her translations in the 2013 chapbook Two Dutch Poets: Hélène Gelens and Erik Lindner.

Her most recent above/ground press publication is the "poem" broadside “jwcurry’s Map Drawers” (#328).

Andy Weaver has published two books of poetry, Were the bees (NeWest, 2005) and Gangson (NeWest, 2011). He teaches contemporary poetry and poetics at York University.

He will be launching the chapbook concatenations (above/ground press), his fifth above/ground press publication and third chapbook publication, after Three Ghazals to the constellation Corvus (The Crow) (2001) and Other Work for your Hands (2004).