Poetry Month

Every April, Poetry Month Oakville celebrates all things poetic with a variety of events for poets and lovers of poetry held throughout Oakville.

Events include readings by outstanding poets, open mic opportunities for the public, workshops for poets, events integrating the arts, readings for seniors and in-school events for youth. Keep checking back for updates!

If you wish to read at any event marked **, send your poetry submissions to Elka at ere@bell.net before March 15.

Each email message should be for a particular event. So, for example, your poems for The Poetry & Pasta Party will all be in one email and the ones for Multiculturalism will be in another email.

Once all the submissions are in, we will have a better idea of the time to allot to each poet and we will contact every participant with full details.

OBJECTIONABLE TOPICS SUCH AS SUPPORT FOR RACISM, MISOGYNY OR HOMOPHOBIA WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

_____________________________________

To register to read at any event send an email to

Elka Ruth Enola, Coordinator

ere@bell.net

Come to hear poetry or to read. Come and meet Oakville area poets. There is no topic for poems read this evening, so this is a good place for your poems that won't fit the set topics.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We will concentrate on the involvement of the audience. How to reach the audience with our poetry and not just talk at them."

This workshop is designed to help poets of all levels to improve their public presentation of their poetry.

Poems relating to the environment, human rights, war and peace, social equality etc are appropriate topics.

Ellen Jaffe is an award winning poet and teacher. In order for her to give personal attention to each poet, numbers are limited.

This workshop is designed to help poets of all levels to improve their written craft

"We'll look at the initial inspiration for our poetry and then at the process shaping our words and sense-images into written poems. We'll discuss when to hold on to our first ideas rather than over editing."

Brian Henderson is the author of 9 poetry collections and holds a PhD in Canadian literature. He is the director of Wilfrid Laurier University press.

-Canada Council Jury Citation, finalist 2007 Governor General’s Award for Poetry

The workshop will have 2 components. In the first part participants will take part in group activities and writing exercises. The second part will be one-on-one consultations.

Bring your work for consideration. Bring material that is giving you problems. If you have not been able to create, then come prepared to discuss what might be causing the writer's block.

When paying your fee, please email the works you will be working with and they will be forwarded to Brian.

Randall Maggs’ book Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems won the 2008 Winterset Award, the 2009 E.J. Pratt Poetry Award, and the $25,000 Kobzar 2010 Literary Award.

In “Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems " . . . Randall Maggs gets closer than any biographer to the heart of the darkest, most troubled figure in the history of our national game [Terry Sawchuk]. This may be the truest hockey book ever written." – Stephen Brunt, Globe and Mail and SportsNet

Shelagh Rogers interviewed him on "The Next Chapter" on CBC on February 21. Randall Maggs tells Shelagh why hockey goalie Terry Sawchuk inspired him to write poetry. This was re-broadcast on August 21.

He is also the author or Timely Departures and co-editor of two anthologies pairing Newfoundland and Canadian poems with those of Ireland. He is the artistic director of Newfoundland's March Hare Festival of Music and Literature, and he teaches literature at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University in Cornerbrook.

Admission $5 cash at the door includes chapbook of poems read by Feature Grand Organizing Poets (as long as quantities last).

How to Contact Publishers and how to Get Manuscripts Properly Ready for Submission

Barry Dempster is the author of Love Outlandish, a new volume of poetry published in April 2009. He is also the author of two volumes of short stories, a novel, a children's book and nine previous collections of poetry, the most recent of which, The Burning Alphabet, won the 2006 Canadian Authors' Association Jack Chalmers Award and was nominated for the 2005 Governor General's Award for Poetry.

Norman Brown, a retired high school English teacher, is President of The Tower Poetry Society (Hamilton). He is also active in theatre, photography and music.

This is a very special event where members of any poetry group can attend. Find out about other poetry groups, not just in Oakville but in the surrounding area.

ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND THE GROUP WITH WHICH YOU ARE AFFILIATED.

Important Note: Membership is loosely interpreted. You don’t have to be a card carrying membership paid poet. For example, if you attend the Poetry Café, list the Poetry Café as your affiliation. If you attend TOPS, but are not a paid member, list TOPS as your affiliation.

10 Barry Dempster & Kitty Lewis

Poets read their poems

12-1:30 Lunch

Paradiso Restaurant which is at the corner of Navy & Lakeshore

will give 20% off lunch for all workshop participants

1:30-5 Discussion Topics TBA

Oakville has a rich tapestry of people with many different cultural roots. We hope to be able to present a broad sampling of many different backgrounds.

Poems relating to life in other cultures or to Canadian culture(s) are appropriate. It can be as a tourist or an immigrant or as a Canadian with roots in other cultures.

The term 'culture' will be broadly interpreted, so for example, there is the culture of the rich and the culture of the poor. There are also religious and secular cultures.

There will also be in-school events for students as well as special programs in Residences for Seniors.

You can also ask to be put on the Poetry Emailing list for advance notice of all poetry events.

Oakville Poetry Alliance
Home Poetry Month - April Poetry Cafe Contests Event Calendar		"The sun and stars that float in the open air....the appleshaped earth and we upon it ....surely the drift of them is something grand; I do not know what it is except that it is grand, and that it is happiness,...." Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
Become an OPA Member		Poetry Month Oakville
LOCAL POETRY GROUPS Pelicans The Canadian Federation of Poets (CFP) Oakville The Inkwell The Ontario Poetry Society (TOPS) Oakville REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Oakville Arts Council The Ontario Poetry Society Hamilton Poetry Centre		Every April, Poetry Month Oakville celebrates all things poetic with a variety of events for poets and lovers of poetry held throughout Oakville. Events include readings by outstanding poets, open mic opportunities for the public, workshops for poets, events integrating the arts, readings for seniors and in-school events for youth. Keep checking back for updates! POETRY MONTH OAKVILLE 2010 is grateful for Literary Sponsoship by Brick Books Generosity of The Oakville Public Libraries Moonshine Cafe Paradiso Restaurant Oakville Beaver Oakville Today Powell Insurance Brokers Timothy's World Coffee on Lakeshore Staples (North Service Rd) and for the Financial Support of The Town of Oakville Cultural Grants If you wish to read at any event marked , send your poetry submissions to Elka at ere@bell.net before March 15. Each email message should be for a particular event. So, for example, your poems for The Poetry & Pasta Party will all be in one email and the ones for Multiculturalism will be in another email. Once all the submissions are in, we will have a better idea of the time to allot to each poet and we will contact every participant with full details. OBJECTIONABLE TOPICS SUCH AS SUPPORT FOR RACISM, MISOGYNY OR HOMOPHOBIA WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED _____________________________________ To register to read at any event send an email to Elka Ruth Enola, Coordinator ere@bell.net _________________________________________________________ Preregistraion for events with a charge. Make payment by PayPal or Make cheque payable to Oakville Poetry Alliance and send to 2124 Towne Blvd Oakville, ON L6H 5G7 Write name of event (s) on cheque Envelopes must be received 4 business days prior to the event. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Events will be continually updated _______________________________________ ARIL 1-24 Timothy's, 321 Lakeshore Rd East Display of POETIC ART Poetry by students of Gladys Speers PS inspired by art produced by students of Dawn-Angela Seeley Free Official Opening April 11 3-6 pm Chapbook of poetry and art will be available for purchase. THURSDAY APRIL 1 6-9 PM POETRY PIZZA & PASTA EXTRAVAGANZA sponsored by Paradiso Restaurant 125Lakeshore Rd. East in downtown Oakville It's a Party!! We are kicking off Poetry Month with a celebration of poetry. Come to hear poetry or to read. Come and meet Oakville area poets. There is no topic for poems read this evening, so this is a good place for your poems that won't fit the set topics. $10 advance or $12 cash at the door Admission includes a pizza, pasta and salad buffet. Drinks extra. Poets: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THURSDAYS 7-9 PM APRIL 8 15 22 29 Location to be determined OPEN MIC Free Everyone welcome Bring poetry to read or just come to listen. _____________________________________________________________ SATURDAY APRIL 10 10:00 AM-4 PM Central Library Navy corner Lakeshore Rd WORKSHOP WITH YO MUSTAFA Beyond the Podium Yo is an outstanding drama teacher, actor and director. His workshops for poets consistently elicit rave reviews. We are privilaged to present this workshop to you. "We will concentrate on the involvement of the audience. How to reach the audience with our poetry and not just talk at them." This workshop is designed to help poets of all levels to improve their public presentation of their poetry. In order for Yo to give personal attention to each poet, numbers are limited. Places are reserved for those who pay $5 in advance. $8 cash at the door ONLY IF SPACE IS AVAILABLE Paradiso Restaurant which is at the corner of Navy & Lakeshore will give 20% off lunch for all workshop participants ___________________________________________________________ SUNDAY, APRIL 11 Noon - 2pm Moonshine Cafe, 137 Kerr St at Rebecca POETRY WITH A CONSCIENCE** Poems relating to the environment, human rights, war and peace, social equality etc are appropriate topics. Free Poets: ____________________________________________________ SUNDAY, APRIL 11 3 - 6 pm Timothy's, 321 Lakeshore Rd East OFFICIAL OPENING POETIC ART Poetry by students of Gladys Speers PS inspired by art produced by students of Dawn-Angela Seeley Poetry and Art will be on display from April 1-24 Free Chapbook of poetry and art will be available for purchase. SATURDAY APRIL 17 9:30 - noon Woodside Public Library, 1274 Rebecca WORKSHOP WITH ELLEN JAFFE Poetry: Vison and Revision Ellen Jaffe is an award winning poet and teacher. In order for her to give personal attention to each poet, numbers are limited. This workshop is designed to help poets of all levels to improve their written craft "We'll look at the initial inspiration for our poetry and then at the process shaping our words and sense-images into written poems. We'll discuss when to hold on to our first ideas rather than over editing." Places are reserved for those who pay $5 in advance. $8 cash at the door ONLY IF SPACE IS AVAILABLE ___________________________________________________________ SATURDAY APRIL 17 1-5 PM Woodside Public Library, 1274 Rebecca WORKSHOP WITH BRIAN HENDERSON Unlocking Writers Block Brian Henderson is the author of 9 poetry collections and holds a PhD in Canadian literature. He is the director of Wilfrid Laurier University press. Nerve Language by Brian Henderson Terrifying and beautiful, the language in this book is an incendiary crossing of wires. These poems are as likely to break you open as they are to explode. -Canada Council Jury Citation, finalist 2007 Governor General’s Award for Poetry The workshop will have 2 components. In the first part participants will take part in group activities and writing exercises. The second part will be one-on-one consultations. Bring your work for consideration. Bring material that is giving you problems. If you have not been able to create, then come prepared to discuss what might be causing the writer's block. When paying your fee, please email the works you will be working with and they will be forwarded to Brian. Space is very limited Places are reserved for those who pay $5 in advance. $8 cash at the door ONLY IF SPACE IS AVAILABLE Special Thanks to Brick Books for making this workshop possible. _______________________________ SUNDAY APRIL 18 NOON-2PM Moonshine Cafe, 137 Kerr St at Rebecca POETRY CAFE FEATURE POET: RANDALL MAGGS Randall Maggs’ book *Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems* won the 2008 Winterset Award, the 2009 E.J. Pratt Poetry Award, and the $25,000 Kobzar 2010 Literary Award. In “Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems " . . . Randall Maggs gets closer than any biographer to the heart of the darkest, most troubled figure in the history of our national game [Terry Sawchuk]. This may be the truest hockey book ever written." – Stephen Brunt, Globe and Mail and SportsNet Shelagh Rogers interviewed him on "The Next Chapter" on CBC on February 21. Randall Maggs tells Shelagh why hockey goalie Terry Sawchuk inspired him to write poetry. This was re-broadcast on August 21. http://www.hockeybookreviews.com/2008/03/night-work-sawchuk-poems.html You can right click to download the podcast right here, or visit http://www.cbc.ca/thenextchapter/http://www.cbc.ca/thenextchapter/podcast.html and go to February 21. Randall Maggs is the first interview in this podcast. He is also the author or Timely Departures and co-editor of two anthologies pairing Newfoundland and Canadian poems with those of Ireland. He is the artistic director of Newfoundland's March Hare Festival of Music and Literature, and he teaches literature at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University in Cornerbrook. Admission $5 cash at the door includes chapbook of poems read by Feature Grand Organizing Poets (as long as quantities last). ADVANCE PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO GUARANTEE CHAPBOOK Many thanks to Brick Books for making this event possible. _________________________________________________________________ SUNDAY APRIL 18 7-9 PM Blueheel Dance Studio 284 Church St Poetry in Motion A very special treat. Ballroom dancing (swing, rumba and tango) blended with poetry. followed by a free group swing lesson Everyone welcome. Free ________________________________________________________________- WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 10 AM - 8 PM Oakville Central Library, Navy corner Lakeshore Auditorium OAKVILLE POETS READ Come and hear members of the Oakville Poetry Alliance read their poetry. Come and go as you please Support our poets! Free _______________________________ SATURDAY APRIL 24 9:30 AM - 5 PM Oakville Central Library, Navy corner Lakeshore Auditorium WORKSHOP: POETIC CROSS-POLLINATION : Guest Speakers: BARRY DEMPSTER KITTY LEWIS Facilitator NORMAN BROWN How to Contact Publishers and how to Get Manuscripts Properly Ready for Submission Barry Dempster is the author of Love Outlandish, a new volume of poetry published in April 2009. He is also the author of two volumes of short stories, a novel, a children's book and nine previous collections of poetry, the most recent of which, The Burning Alphabet, won the 2006 Canadian Authors' Association Jack Chalmers Award and was nominated for the 2005 Governor General's Award for Poetry. Kitty Lewis is the General Manager of Brick Books Norman Brown, a retired high school English teacher, is President of The Tower Poetry Society (Hamilton). He is also active in theatre, photography and music. This is a very special event where members of any poetry group can attend. Find out about other poetry groups, not just in Oakville but in the surrounding area. Read your poetry and listen to the poems of other. Places are reserved for those who pay $5 in advance. $8 cash at the door ONLY IF SPACE IS AVAILABLE Special Thanks to Brick Books for making this workshop possible. ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND THE GROUP WITH WHICH YOU ARE AFFILIATED. Important Note: Membership is loosely interpreted. You don’t have to be a card carrying membership paid poet. For example, if you attend the Poetry Café, list the Poetry Café as your affiliation. If you attend TOPS, but are not a paid member, list TOPS as your affiliation. TENTATIVE AGENDA 9:30-10 Registering and mingling 10 Barry Dempster & Kitty Lewis Poets read their poems 12-1:30 Lunch Paradiso Restaurant which is at the corner of Navy & Lakeshore will give 20% off lunch for all workshop participants 1:30-5 Discussion Topics TBA Poets read their poems __________________________________________________ SUNDAY APRIL 25 NOON-2 PM Moonshine Cafe, 137 Kerr St at Rebecca POETIC MULTICULTURALISM Oakville has a rich tapestry of people with many different cultural roots. We hope to be able to present a broad sampling of many different backgrounds. Poems relating to life in other cultures or to Canadian culture(s) are appropriate. It can be as a tourist or an immigrant or as a Canadian with roots in other cultures. The term 'culture' will be broadly interpreted, so for example, there is the culture of the rich and the culture of the poor. There are also religious and secular cultures. Free Poets: ________________________________________________________ There will also be in-school events for students as well as special programs in Residences for Seniors. Participating Seniors Programs Palermo Centre (Dundas W) Seneca Day Care (Bond St) Sunrise Seniors Centre (Trafalgar) ___________________________________________________ For more information contact Elka Ruth Enola, Coordinator at ere@bell.net. You can also ask to be put on the Poetry Emailing list for advance notice of all poetry events.