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Matrix PresentsIssue 80: The Gallows Humour IssueMatrix magazine is now accepting submissions for its Gallows Humour dossier. We are looking for your darkest, most absurd and sardonic, witty, acerbic, ironic and sarcastic unpublished writing. Edited by Mike Spry. Poetry: (3-5 poems). Fiction: (3500 words max.). Deadline: April 11th, 2008.Electronic Submissions Preferred: [...]

The latest Matrix is at press now, with poems by Stuart Ross, fiction by Sarah Steinberg, and a special section, the New Underground, with writing by some of the best emerging writers (glad to see an excerpt of Jenny Sampirisi’s forthcoming novel, Iswas, included there). In this issue, there’s also my piece on writing spaces [...]

REDUX: Here in Vangroovy, winter’s set in, which means rain. The current issue of the McGill News has a great review of Delible. Rita Wong and Robert Majzels have thoughtful responses up on rob mclennan’s ‘12 or 20.’ (I’m sure I should get why they’re called ‘12 or 20,’ but don’t.) Can’t wait to read [...]

Zoe Whittall (author of Bottle Rocket Hearts) chose Delible as her book of the year for the Globe! — along with Elizabeth Bachinski’s Home of Sudden Service and Emily Holton’s Little Lessons in Safety. (Nice company to be in, all round.)    

On Rabble, Amber Dean reflects on what the Pickton trial has and has not told us about “what really happened” to the women who were murdered. Writes Dean:I thought I was prepared that day for what I was about to hear, as I was no stranger to the circumstances surrounding the trial. But as I listened [...]

“People drive by in their nice cars and stare because, like an accident, they realize it could happen to them. So for that brief moment, they can’t take their eyes away from that person’s tragedy because for that brief moment, they understand it could be them, and for that long moment it is them, and [...]

MATRIX MAGAZINE presents…Issue 79: THE NEW UNDERGROUND.We are looking for the best unpublished writers in Canada for our 79th issue.We are looking for innovative short fiction and poetry by young or emerging writers.Eligible applicants include Canadian citizens who have NOT published a trade book. People who have published chapbooks or have been published in anthologies [...]

Tonight, Louis Rastelli launches his new novel A Fine Ending (Insomniac Press, 2007). Louis has been doing amazing cultural work out of Montreal for many many years (distroboto, Expozine, Fish Piss). Last spring, Jon Paul Fiorentino (who was the editor of my novel Delible) suggested that we trade off on the fiction imprint he had at Insomniac. So, springtime sees the launch of a book out with Fiorentino’s imprint, Serotonin, and the fall sees the launch of a book out with mine, Wayside Editions. My plan with Wayside Editions is to focus on exciting first books. Louis was the first of these, and I’m very happy to see this long over-due book come into existence. When I approached him last spring, I had his shorts in mind, those lovely little “true stories” books he’d put out over the 90s, like “Fly vs. Kitten.” Louis, though, had something a little more ambitious in mind. If you’re in or around Montreal, don’t miss this launch. October 23rd.6 to 10 p.m. (followed by special guest DJs)Casa del Popolo4873 St. LaurentThe Montreal Review of Books has a big profile of Louis and his book. Check it out. If you’re in Vancouver, though, you might want to drop by Spartacus at 7 p.m. and hear Reg Johanson, Larissa Lai, Lora McElhinney, Sachiko Murakami, and Renee Rodin. They’ll be reading as part of the launch of West Coast Line 53: Representations of Murdered and Missing Women. As for the imprint, next fall will see the publication of a brilliant and experimental novel by Jenny Sampirisi. Can’t wait.

The shortline reading series kicks off this Monday October 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Railway Club. With readings by

Anne Stone
Matt Hogan
Rhoda Hodjati
Rita Wong
Garry Morse
Donato Mancini

I’m excited to read with such a stellar line up, including my old student Matt Hogan, whose non-fiction can be seen in recent issues of the Republic of East Van, the Peak and the Cap Courier.

I feel like I never get a chance to get out anymore, what with teaching & grad school. So this’ll be my night off! I’ll be there at 6:30, if you want to come by for a beer…

Please join us for the launch of …

West Coast Line 53
Representations of
Murdered and Missing Women

Edited by Anne Stone and Amber Dean

With presentations or readings by
Reg Johanson, Larissa Lai, Sachiko Murakami, Lora McElhinney, Renee Rodin, and others…

Tuesday, October 23rd at 7pm
Spartacus Books
319 West Hastings, 2nd Floor
Free! All welcome.

For more information write to westline@telus.net

Stephen Henighan has a piece in Geist about Rob Allen, his one-time teacher, my good friend. The direction of the piece is pretty much apparent in the title, “Traitor’s Dirge,” and byline (Henighan’s name has been made less for his literary fiction than for the way, in short essay style, he strafes Can Lit’s no-fly zones.) It’s not that Henighan doesn’t have a point. He does. Rob did love America and pop-culture and he loved a good literary line, however long. At times, the esoteric quality of his writing landed its punches far from the gut. Preferring the eye, say. Or what’s behind it.

For a study in the local, emotional power, and quiet perfection, I’d recommend Henighan play catch up by reading the sonnets in Standing Wave, a collection that’s among Rob’s best.

While Henighan does have his point, it’s trivial and expressed meanly: the form Henighan’s dirge takes is a funnel, and all of the broad and generous observations he has about Rob spiral down into a final dismissal of much of Rob’s work. “Traitor’s Dirge” doesn’t strike me as particularly honest or fair. Reading it, I get the same sense I do when reading much of Henighan’s work. Whatever Henighan looks at is an excuse for him to further elaborate himself.

It’s unfortunate that Rob died early. If he’d lived longer, maybe Henighan would have had the chance, and the grace, to kill his mentor off before the man himself died.

Well, it was a miserable rained-out day in Vancouver, with scraggly looking and soppy wet people huddling around piles of books, covers curling in the damp. But man, hard core book people are always great to talk to (except when they’re crazy).

Stuck around for a few hours with Dan, manning the Insomniac Press table. Am really happy to know Insomniac publishes Marian Engel, Jane Rule, Gwendolyn MacEwen. Picked up a couple of newer Insomniac titles: Whatever Happens by Tim Conley and The Grammar Architect by Chris Eaton and Julian the Magician by Gwendolyn MacEwen.

And now, for a hot bath…

CBC’s North by Northwest will air an interview about Delible Sunday morning between 8 & 9 a.m. (I think it’ll be archived on site later). I liked Sheryl MacKay right away. It was one of those interviews that morphs into a conversation (in a good way), the context falling away.

There have been a few new reviews this month: Now Magazine calls Delible “inventive and lushly rendered,” January Magazine likes the title, and Canadian Literature reviews Delible alongside Shani Mootoo’s He Drown She in the Sea.

Word on the Street is next weekend. I’ll going to be there all day (hanging out at the Insomniac Press book table, if you want to come by). Here’s to hoping that Louis Rastelli’s more-than-fine debut, A Fine Ending, is back from the printer in time for WOTS!

The Delible bookshort is up:

(Click here to play).

The video captures part of a really great interview Amy Logan Holmes conducted with me at Book Expo. I can see this being really useful as an intro at readings, and also, to offer anyone who picks up the book a sense of the thinking behind the novel, which is very cool. Judith Keenan, who creates these Bookshorts, did an amazing job.

The song they used is haunting and beautiful and, the way it’s cut in, couldn’t fit better if it was written for the short. (Thank you to Pangaea music and the lovely vocal stylings of Jessica Rhaye).

I’ve put up the Table of Contents, the Prefaces (one & two) and the Introduction to West Coast Line 53: Representations of Murdered and Missing Women.

The issue will be on stands (and sent out to subscribers) mid-September.

Thanks to Blaine Kyllo for the layout (minimalist and very elegant). Thanks also to Glen Lowry and Michael Barnholden for their support and hard work.