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Poetry Month - April


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      "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

 

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To register to read at any event send an email to

Elka Ruth Enola, Coordinator

ere@bell.net

 

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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

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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:

 

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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.

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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

 

 

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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:

 

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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

 

 

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

 

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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

 

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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

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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

 

 

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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:

 

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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)

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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.