Force Field
Posted by Daniela Elza on Apr 19 2013
Last Saturday we launched Force Field anthology here in Vancouver.
This is an anthology of BC women writers, 77 of them to be precise. The book was conceived by Mona Fertig and published by Mother Tongue Publishing. The editor is Susan Musgrave. Each poet has four printed pages with a page with bio and photo. I have four poems in it, one of which is a series of haikus form the time when I was travelling in Bulgaria and half of my trip I could not write anything else but haikus. (Yes, it was puzzling to me too.)
Here are over thirty women who read on the day of the launch in Vancouver.
(photo courtesy of Paul Nelson)
Paul Nelson also did a bit of a write up of the event which you can read here. He also has the audio of all the poets reading. See at the bottom of the post.
One of things he talks about is the importance of crossing borders and cross pollination between Seattle and Vancouver poets. (Paul Nelson himself had to cross the border to come to the launch of Force Field.) This is double credit for Paul. I was looking around to see how many men came to support the reading that day.
This crossing of borders excites me to the point that I agreed to be one of the regional editors of the Alive at the Centre anthology, which we launched last Friday at the Rhizome cafe in Vancouver. So yes, Cascadia, lets do that. Lets cross borders back and forth and let them become, if not political, at least the poetic permeable membranes they should be.
I also got intrigued with the Organic Poetry page on Paul Nelson’s site. Will look more carefully to see if what I mean by organic in poetry is the same as what is meant by organic.:-)
And tomorrow we launch Poems from Planet Earth (Leaf Press, 2013).
So that is Saturday, April 20th, 2-4pm, at Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue. Contributors will read from the book. Books for sale and signing by the authors. Light refreshments will be served. Mix and mingle and view the Cherry Blossoms: A Textile Translation fibre arts exhibit on display at this time. Suggested donation: $5.
Also if you still want to catch a Force Field launch I will be at the Burnaby one. Here are the details. There are a couple of others planned as well.
April 26th, 2013, 7pm.
FORCE FIELD Anthology Launch, Burnby
Force Field – 77 Women Poets of British Columbia. The first of its kind in thirty-four years, this anthology strongly celebrates women poets, from the emerging, mid-career to the established. Friday, April 26th, 7-10pm. @ the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby. Free.
Hosted by Shauna Paull
Click on the poster for the line up of readers.