poetry

Tonight I’m reading for an Art Dean’s conference hosted by the University of Victoria. I’ll be promoting The Malahat Review by reading from “Apiculture”

This story grew from a poem I wrote, though looking at the poem now it seems I cut all but two images. You can read “Apiculture” in the forthcoming edition of the Malahat Review, but for now here’s the poem.

Water – hosed at a wasp nest – Speaks

Shot through clear air
I grip pulp,

pull, rip,
toss sentries
tear entries,
renovate.

I tunnel
grey hive,
tremolo graves –
cadence.

Joy in expansion,
cohesion; my stretched skin
pools, sweetens in
honeyed catacombs.

Swollen, heavy,
I sog paper,
onion off layers
to adhere to, to blur into,

many: I damp the fur
of a thousand furious vibratos

UPDATE: The reading was great fun! Bob MacDonald, Rhonda Ganz, and many many Deans.

PRISM says:

This year we received over two-hundred and fifty short stories and over three-hundred and fifty poems! Needless to say, the decisions were difficult and the quality of the work was phenomenal. But after weeks and weeks of deliberation, the editorial board and the editors decided on the final shortlists. The poetry shortlist went to Brad Cran — the poet laureate of Vancouver. And the fiction shortlist went to John K. Samson — musician, fiction enthusiast and publisher.

The winners of 2011 PRISM international poetry and fiction contest are —

Poetry Grand Prize Winner — $1,000
“My Father in his garden, depicted in the woodblock print of the Taishō dynasty” by Pamela Porter

Poetry First Runner-up — $300
“Reincarnation Study 1982″ by Sheryda Warrener

Poetry Second Runner-up — $200
“Pop Quiz” by Scott Ramsay

Fiction Grand Prize Winner — $2,000
“Bridges” by Erin Frances Fisher

Fiction First Runner-up — $200
“Squatters” by Robert James Hicks

Fiction Second Runner-up — $200
“The Ghost” by Mark Jacquemain

Congratulations to all of the winners! Thank you to everyone who entered! And thanks to our judges Brad Cran and John K. Samson! The winning entries and runners-up will be published in the Summer 2011 issue of PRISM (49.4).

ALSO: The New Malahat Review Launches tonight! I’m teaching but it should be a fun thing!

Friday 13th Reading/Poem Time

PRISM international posts 2011 Fiction/Poetry Winners