The Small Machine Talks: Recent Episodes
The Small Machine Talks
The Small Machine Talks is a monthly conversation that explores the poetry scene of Central Canada and beyond. Its hosts are Ottawa poets, Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak. The podcast features interviews with poets, publishers, and literary event organizers, discussions of recent and upcoming poetry events, calls for submission, talks on poetics, recent issues of online and print journals, books and chapbooks and sometime in the future, topics of interest to writers and readers of poetry. The podcast is part of AngelHousePress, a Canadian micropress that publishes raw talent, ragged edges and rebels in the form of chapbooks, two online magazines, a transgressive prose imprint, DevilHouse, and an essay series.
Ottawa poet and fiction writer, Frances Boyle and I discuss the poetry of favourite novels and read excerpts from the novels. This is the fourth instalment of a thread that began in 2020 in which I invite a guest to discuss the poetic elements of a genre or type of creative work that is not classified as poetry. In 2020, I discussed the poetry of music with Subhraj Singh, in 2021, the poetry of film with Jennifer Mulligan and in 2022 the poetry of photography with Charles Earl.
Ariel is on the podcast as part of the thread we’ve been having this year: off-page, extra literary, which has included discussions of artists’ books with Barrie Tullett and Sarah Bodman, recording studios with Gareth Auden-Hole, Pakistani folklore with Nimra and Manahil Bandukwala, the alphabet with Johanna Drucker, and book conservation with Christine McNair. This is the last episode on this thread.In this episode, I speak with Ariel about her practice of mudlarking. We read together from her collaborative poetry book with Brenda Schmidt, Siteseeing.
On Tuesday, October 24, 2023 I spoke with Christine McNair and Elee Kraljii Gardiner about writing into health trauma. All 3 of us have written of our personal health traumas and ongoing experiences.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 109: Dennis Cooleyrecorded on September 28, 2023 1pm CST; 2pm ESTbody works, University of Calgary Press, 2023:
Recorded on August 24, 2023I speak for the 2nd time on the show with Barrie Tullett, Senior Lecturer – University of Lincoln. Freelance Graphic Designer. Co-founder of The Caseroom Press. Author of Typewriter Art: A Modern Anthology.
recorded on Thursday, July 27, 2023 I talk to artists and writers Manahil and Nimra Bandukwala about their project to share the folkore of Pakistan through art, poetry and storytelling
Recorded on Thursday, July 6, 2023 I speak with Gareth Auden Hole, producer and proprietor of La La Studio in Gatineau, Quebec as part of the extra-literary / off-page series. This is the Season 8 opener
Recorded On Thursday, June 15, 2023. I had a great conversation with James Knight, poet, visual poet and publisher of UK's Steel Incisors
On May 30, 2023 I had the pleasure of speaking with literary podcast host, David Naimon about Between the Covers, my favourite and most-listened to podcast
On May 12, 2023 i spoke with visual poet, poet and small press publisher Shloka Shankar about her writing, visual poetry and the work of her press, Yavanika Press.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 102 with Sarah BodmanRecorded on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 I talk to Sarah about artists' books, various projects she's been involved in
on Friday, March 17, 2023 I spoke with Christine McNair, book conservator, writer and dear friend about her job, book binding, artists' books and more
On February 23, 2023, I talked to writer, artist, scholar, Johanna Drucker about her latest book, Inventing the Alphabet: The Origins of Letters from Antiquity to Present. We also discussed artists' books, visual poetry and gender representation
The Small Machine Talks to Karenjit SandhuEpisode 98, Recorded on Thursday, January 26, 2023I speak with writer, researcher, artist Karenjit Sandhu about her work, Poetic Fragments from the Irritating Archive. We also discuss artists' books.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 97The Poetics of Photography with Charles Earl, December 25, 20223rd in my series of the poetics of... in which we try to figure out what poetry is by looking at other disciplines.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 96 Hem Press with Richard Capener Recorded on Thursday, November 24, 2022
Recorded on Thursday, September 29, 2022. I talk to Vicki Ziegler about her Silent Book Club and #todayspoem
The Small Machine Talks to above/ground press Recorded on Thursday, August 25, 2022 Episode 93, Season 7
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 92: Hesterglock Press Recorded on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 1st episode of Season 7
recorded on Thursday, June 23, 2022 I speak with Kirby about the bookstore and the press located in Toronto, Ontario
my conversation with Aaron Kent, the publisher of Broken Sleep Books, recorded on Thursday, May 26, 2022
Recorded on April 21, 2022. My conversation with Kyle Flemmer of Alberta small press, the Blasted Tree
I spoke to Joakim Norling of Timglaset Editions about the evolution of the press, which publishes visual poetry wordlwide from Sweden.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 87: Gap Riot Press Recorded on Thursday, February 24, 2022 I speak to Kate Siklosi and Dani Spinosa
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 86: Riverbed Reading Series with Nina Jane Drystek and Ellen Chang-Richardson Recorded on Saturday, January 22, 2022
Recorded on January 3, 2022, Amanda Earl talks about plans for the press in 2022 from NationalPoetryMonth.ca to a crowd funding campaign, to a new project toward compassion in art, to the podcasts and more.
Recorded on December 30, 2021 We discuss various films and their poetic elements from Arrival to Candyland to the Juniper Tree and more.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 83 – Kristine Snodgrass, WAAVe Gallery Recorded on December 22 , 2021 I speak with Kristine about the recently published Women Asemic Artists and Visual Poets Global Gallery anthology.
Recorded on November 29, 2021, my conversation with Stephanie Meloche and Emilia Morgan of Coven Editions, a small press formerly located in Ottawa, Ontario, now in Waterloo.
Episode 81: The Small Machine Talks to Barrie Tullett Recorded on Thursday, October 28, 2021 We discuss the Typographic Dante, Typewriter Art and more.
The Small Machine Talks to Concetta Principe Episode 80 Recorded on Thursday, September 30, 2021
Stars Need Counting – Essays on Suicide (Gordon Hill Press, 2021)
CW: In this episode, we discuss suicide. If you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide, please reach out to the Canadian Suicide Prevention Service - toll free number 1.833.456.4566. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 79 with Jennifer Mulligan Recorded on Thursday, August 26, 2021 I chat with local filmmaker Jennifer Mulligan about her start in film, the various roles she’s had. We discuss the importance of community and mentorship and Jennifer offers some tips to those who want to get started in film.
Recorded on July 27, 2021. I had an in-depth conversation with Lisa about her latest poetry collection, Nautilus and Bone, an Auto/biography of poems which centers on the life of Anna Margolin, a poet who lived at the end of the 19th century.
I speak with Dominik Parisien about his poetry collection "Side Effects May Include Strangers" on June 24, 2021
I talk to Rasiqra Revulva about her poetry collection, Cephalopography 2.0 published by Wolsak and Wynn in 2020.
On January 10, 2021 I spoke with Conor Mc Donnell about his first poetry collection, Recovery Community
Recorded on Sunday, December 27, 2020 I talk to musician Subhraj Sing about the connection between poetry and music
The Small Machine Talks to Frances Boyle, Episode 72 Recorded on December 17, 2020. We discuss her short fiction collection, Seeking Shade (Porcupine's Quill) by way of shuffling a playlist of music from the book.
I spoke with Pearl Pirie about her most recent poetry collection, footlights (Radiant Press, 2020). The episode was recorded on November 26, 2020
Sacha Archer lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and two daughters. He is the editor of Simulacrum Press. Archer’s latest chapbooks are Lines of Sight (nOIR:Z, 2020) and Houses (no press, 2020). Forthcoming chapbooks include Models (Simulacrum Press) and Framing Poems (Timglaset). His concrete poetry has been exhibited in the USA, Italy, and Canada. Find him on Facebook and Instagram @sachaarcher.
On November 12, 2020 I speak with Manitoba poet Dennis Cooley about his new poetry books published by Turnstone Press and At Bay Press.
The Small Machine Talks to Klara Du Plessis about Hell Light Flesh, her new poetry collection with Palimpsest Press
On Wednesday September 29, I conduct my first overseas interview with Richard Capener, the editor of a new online literary journal, the Babel Tower Notice Board, which began only a month ago and is garnering a lot of interest and attention for its focus on play, pleasure and revelry.
The Small Machine Talks Interviews James Lindsay Episode 65, Sunday, September 27, 2020. 3pm James Lindsay is the author of Double Self-Portrait, Our Inland Sea and the chapbook Ekphrasis! Ekphrasis!. He is the co-founder of Pleasence Records and works in book publishing.
We discuss Double Self-Portrait, doubling, cicadas, bees, community and more.
Recorded on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 via Zoom. We talk about Sachiko's new poetry collection Render (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2020)
The Small Machine Talks – Episode 63 Amanda Earl interviews Dani Spinosa Recorded on July 29, 2020, 11 a.m.
THE SMALL MACHINE TALKS 5th season opener Hosted by Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak EPISODE 62 - INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN MILLION
Recorded on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 3pm over Zoom
The final of the three episodes featuring readers from Experiment-O: Volodymyr Bilyk, Joel Chace, Marco Giovanele, Pearl Pirie, James Sanders, and Steve Venright. A discussion of one of the contributors in each issue and a teaser from the forthcoming issue 12
the Small Machine Talks featuring readings by Anita Dolman, Sanita Fejzić, Jennifer LoveGrove, Sandra Ridley, Chris Turnbull and Ewan Whyte
Recorded May 24, 2020 via Zoom co-hosts Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak discuss how Covid-19 has affected their writing and reading habits, writing poetry as witness, virtual events and current reads.
For this episode I invited contributors to Experiment-O to send me their audio readings of their poetry. This episode features Gary Barwin, JC Bouchard, Jason Christie, Concetta Principe and Elaine Woo.
Reading poems and prose about stuff we aren't getting enough of during the Covid-19 shutdown.
Amanda Earl does a deep dive into Adele Barclay's poetry collections, Renaissance Normcore and If I Were In A Cage I'd Reach Out For You.
The Small Machine Talks with Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak Episode 55, February 23, 2020 We talk about the micropress with its publisher.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 54 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl. We talk to Monty Reid, director of VERSeFest, a literary festival in downtown Ottawa that takes place this year from March 24 to 29, 2020.
Episode 53: The Small Machine Talks with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Interview with Ellen Chang-Richardson Recorded on Sunday, December 8, 2019, 2pm
Ellen Chang-Richardson is an emerging poet, writer and copyeditor based in Ottawa & Toronto. Recipient of the 2019 Vallum Award for Poetry, her work has appeared or is forthcoming in publications such as Ricepaper Magazine, my (small press) writing day, the Lit Mag Love Anthology 1: Blood & Water, Coven Editions: Grimoire and the Hart House Review. Ellen is the founder of Little Birds Poetry, an editing workshop for poets and creative writers. Her first chapbook, Unlucky Fours, is forthcoming this spring with Anstruther Press. https://ehjchang.com/ and https://littlebirdspoetry.ca/
We talk with Ellen Chang-Richardson about her poetry and Little Birds Poetry, the editing process, future plans for the workshop.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 52 Book Club with a.m. kozak, Fiona Mitchell, Helen Robertson, Amanda Earl and Hiram Larew, recorded on Sunday, November 17, 2019 Visit SmallMachineTalks.com for show notes
The Small Machine Talks Episode 51 Recorded on Sunday, October 6, 2019 with a.m kozak and Amanda Earl We talk to Shery and Mailyne about their new series for BIPOC writers and musicians beginning on October 8, 2019 at the Origin at 7pm.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 50 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Interview with Justin Louis Labelle
Justin Louis Labelle's completed projects explore the possibilities of sequenced visual storytelling and the polysemous nature of symbols and signs. His work has been shown in Canada, Sweden and Italy. He currently resides in Uppsala, Sweden and teaches art. In this episode. a.m. kozak talks with photographer Justin Louis Labelle around a campfire in Quebec about being relevant in the age of Instagram when the average person has access to high-quality cameras, photographing places as a tourist vs. as a resident, and the transformation of suburbia.
The Small Machine Talks with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Episode 49 – Interview with Jason Christie
With humour, humility, intelligence and hope, Jason shares his thoughts on his book, poetry, chaos as creativity generator, nature, technology and the Monster at the End of This Book.
The Small Machine Talks co-hosted by Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak Episode 48: Interview with Nina Jane Drystek Recorded on August 15, 2019, Ward 14
We speak about early influences, collaborations, workshops, performance, and the theatre. http://smallmachinetalks.com/
The Small Machine Talks Episode 47 co-hosted by Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak Interview with Anita Dolman and James K. Moran Recorded on August 8, 2019
The Small Machine Talks Episode 45 Interview with Hugh Thomas Hosted by Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak Sunday, June 23, 2019
The Small Machine Talks with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Episode 44 – Interview with Ben Ladouceur Recorded on Sunday, May 26, 2019, We talk about Mad Long Emotion, Ben's new poetry collection from Coach House Books, his chapbooks, form, composition, the macabre, the body, his influences, such as John Barton and more.
The Small Machine Talks with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Sunday, April 28, 2019, 12:30 pm
Danielle tells us about her plans to start a venue in Almonte called Curious and Kind, which will be a space for storytelling, spoken word, comedy, eclectic workshops and more. We learn about her vision built on her philosophies of transcending genre and supporting and helping others achieve their goals and visions. it's an inspiring episode. Tune in!
The Small Machine Talks Episode 42 - Visual Poetry Part 2 Recorded on Sunday, March 3, 2019 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl a discussion of Amanda Earl's Vispo Bible and her synaesthesia
In this episode we discuss visual poetry, its history, defining the genre, the question of meaning, reading, asemic writing, communication, universality, the role of visual poetry in politics and counterculture.
The Small Machine Talks Interview with Mariah Horner In this episode, a.m. kozak interviews friend and collaborator Mariah Horner on how space interacts with performance and art-creation and how space impacts the audience's (or the reader's) interpretation of the content. They talk mostly in the context of theatre, but most of the ideas they discuss are applicable to all art forms.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 39 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl recorded on Sunday, December 9, 2018 we discuss the Meet the Presses and Ottawa Small Press Book fairs and a.m. kozak's recent reads, how to end a poem and other interesting stuff.
On the 38th episode of The Small Machine Talks, a.m. kozak interviewed co-editors of BAD NUDES magazine and BAD BOOKS press, Thomas Molander and Fawn Parker. They talked about their personas as publishers, how that differs from them in real life, the discarding of genre boundaries in their creative approaches, and the last haircuts they received.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 36 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl recorded Sunday, August 12, 2018 we interview Conyer Clayton and Nathanael Larochette about their collaborative project Mitosis/If The River Stood Still, their music and poetry activities and backgrounds.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 35 recorded on July 15, 2018 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl We discuss recent events in Ottawa and Montreal, including Glow Fair,the Montreal Jazz Festival, a wild herb walk and readings at Sawdust, Tree, Avant Garde Bar, Pressed and more.
We discuss Cameron Anstee's debut trade collection, Book of Annotations (Invisible Publishing, 2018), minimalism, influences, ephemera, podcast tension, beard stroking, the little Engine that Could, books as material objects, micropress vs small press, and more as we celebrate the start of the third season of the Small Machine Talks with local poet, Cameron Anstee.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 33 Recorded on Sunday, May 13, 2018 with a.m. kozak, Amanda Earl and Manahil Bandukwala
Manahil Bandukwala is a Pakistani born-and-raised writer and artist currently living and studying in Ottawa. Her work has appeared in or is forthcoming in the Puritan, Bywords.ca, Room Magazine, Ricepaper, Coven Editions, In/Words, battleaxe press and others. She is currently an editor for In/Words Magazine & Press. She has joined the editorial team for Canthius.
Recorded on Sunday, May 13, 2018. We speak of recent and forthcoming events, current reads, calls for submissions and contests.
the Small Machine Talks Episode 31 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Recorded on April 8, 2018 We discuss Black History Month, recent poetry events, International Women's Day in Ottawa, Indigenous writers, various poetry books and magazines, the blur of genre, jazz and more.
Episode 29 – The Small Machine Talks (and Walks!) – Interview with Jennifer LoveGrove and Amanda Earl Recorded on February 28, 2018 This is the first in what I hope to be a series of interviews with poets in the wild, Jennifer and Amanda begin at Ottawa's ArtHouse Cafe, go to Darling Vintage and Bellweather's Vintage.
a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl talk poetry in Ottawa and beyond, including readings, recent reads, recent and upcoming events, calls for submission and contests.
Before their featured appearance at the Tree Reading Series on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, I speak with Kirby at Patty's Pub in Old Ottawa South. Over pints and truffle fries we speak about their journey into writing, and the evolution of Knife, Fork, Book, Canada's only poetry book store.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 26 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Round up of favourites from 2017 Recorded Saturday, December 30, 2017
We begin by offering some stats for the podcast. We talk about favourite books, chapbooks, poems, readings and other events that we enjoyed in 2017.
We discuss the concept of best of lists and favourites. We urge Lagavulin to sponsor us once again.
We wish everyone a happy new year.
The Small Machine Talks with Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak, special guest - Guillaume Morissette, 2nd half of interview ecorded Sunday, December 3, 2017. We discuss Guillaume's novel The Original Face.
The Small Machine Talks with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl recorded on Sunday, December 3, 2017 Guillaume, who is in Ottawa for a reading, talks to us about events he's attended in NYC and Montreal and recommends the latest issue of Granta Magazine, the Canadian issue, along with other books.
We discuss upcoming literary events, current reads and upcoming events and calls for submission. We celebrate Amanda 2.0's 8th birthday with scotch.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 22 Recorded September 4, 2017 a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Ottawa area recent literary events, current reads, upcoming events and calls.
a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl have a great conversation with Joe Ianni, organizer of Toronto's poetry show, Facilitate and poet.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 20 Recorded Sunday, July 30, 2017 w/ a.m. kozak, Amanda Earl and special guest Jamaal Jackson Rogers
The Small Machine Talks Episode 19 with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Recorded on Sunday, July 30, 2017 Recent events, current reads, upcoming events, calls for submission
recorded Monday, June 26. in which a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl toast the first year anniversary of the podcast with scotch, talk about recent and upcoming poetry readings. a.m. kozak does on-site interviews with numerous small presses at the spring edition of the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair
We discuss recent poetry readings and launches in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, current reads and upcoming events.
The Small Machine Talks – Episode 16 a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl with special guest Klara du Plessis Interview – Part Two
We discuss creative review writing, words that brush up against one another, resistance, otherness and more in part two of our interview.
The Small Machine Talks Episode 15 with Amanda Earl and a.m. kozak and special guest Klara du Plessis recorded April 27, 2017
Klara read the night before at the In/Words Reading Series, with Clare Farley, who we interviewed previously. We had the joy of sitting down with her the next day at SMT headquarters to chat with her. Part one talks about her chapbook "Wax Lyrical," scientific language, removal from intimacy, working in multiple genres.
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 14, the VERSeFest Special including interviews with Jamaal Jackson Rogers, Stephen Collis, Chris Johnson, bill bissett, Paisley Rekdal, Brandon Wint, Ben Ladouceur, Eva HD, Michael Dennis, Kayla Czaga Recorded Sunday, April 9, 2017
The Small Machine Talks with a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl Recorded on February 12, 2017 Interview with Natalie Hanna Natalie is an Ottawa poet, a lawyer, administrative director of the Sawdust Reading Series and a board member of Arc Poetry Magazine. She runs the small press, battleaxe press.
Upcoming events, current reads, events wish list, recent events, calls for submission with a.m.kozak, Amanda Earl, Natalie Hanna
The Small Machine Talks Interview with a.m. kozak, Amanda Earl and Ian Martin Recorded on February 5, 2017
See AngelHousePress.com for details
The Small Machine Talks, Episode 10 a.m. kozak, Amanda Earl Recorded February 5, 2017 with special guest, Ian Martin
Episode 9 – Interview with Sarah MacDonell The Clock Tower Pub, January 25, 2017
We discuss Sarah’s chapbook “The Lithium Body” published by In/Words Press, her collaboration with American artist Evy Borkan, large and small geologies, the relationship with language, what it’s like working with editor, a.m. kozak. Sarah talks about the way the work is a safer space to think about the personal where people become characters and being mindful of their representation. Amanda talked about confessional poetry.
We discussed the long poem and poem sequences, Robert Kroetsch, Sandra Ridley, Sarah’s mentor Brent Armendinger, Brenda Hillman. Amanda talks about the anti-epic as a way of reclaiming the epic as a feminine space. Sarah talks about her new work, which deals with the performance of gender as sound. We talk about Sarah’s use of the second person and how it interrogates the characters and the weird, complicated and healing aspects of working metapoetically. Sarah discusses CA Conrad’s somatic rituals in “Ecodeviance” (Wave Books, 2014) and Amanda mentions the upcoming Occult Poetics Symposium in Montreal in February. Amanda asks about the role of the footnotes in the chapbook as poetic asides, which leads to the thought of a Greek chorus and multiple voices in a poem. Sarah talks about ways of disrupting the poem to force an intimacy. We discuss the collaboration with Evy Borkan.
In/Words Magazine and Press: https://inwordsmagazine.wordpress.com/
Evy Borkan: http://www.evyborkan.com/
We talk to Claire Farley about her poetry and editing duties and the mandate for Canthius, a feminist magazine exclusive to women and nonbinary contributors. We discuss expansive and inclusive feminism. We talk about the role of alcohol in the creation of any literary endeavour, passion projects, magazine as community. We talk about the idiosyncrasies of poets’ layouts, the joys of the launch, non-traditional spaces used for art. Claire talks about the editorial process and working with members of the board (Puneet Dutt and Chuqiao Yang) and with Cira, her co-editor. Aaron wonders about the reasons for putting out a print vs digital magazine and discusses the problems with print in terms of materialism and accessibility. Claire talks about the physical journal as an art object.
We discuss the impact of publishing on Claire’s writing and the importance of her academic studies. Claire talks about the confluence of theory and poetry in the work of Erín Moure and Lisa Robertson. Claire mentions writers who are also able to work as critics, such as Erin Wunker and Larissa Lai. Claire discusses the inherent politics of language and her former job as a political writer.
Claire talks about the goals for Canthius; the funding of its third issue via Indigogo; her goals as a writer, including having a chapbook published. We talk about the fear that comes with having our work published and the validity of doing so. Aaron worries about taking up too much space as a white male as a performer.
We talk about influences, including Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and John K. Sampson, lyric poetry, poetry of the everyday, Dale Smith’s Skanky Possum Press, The Language of Inquiry by Lyn Hejinian and how she brings poetry and poetics together. Claire talks about her master’s thesis on Don McKay’s scientific vocabulary, Charles Olson’s view of poetry as a saturation job. We talk about the unattainable sense, the perfection that comes from lyric poetry. Claire talks about composition as a thinking through process.
We discuss Claire’s poems of place/space, her being an Anglo Quebecker, poetry as a public activity, politics in poetry, instability, the privilege of place and its socio-economic role, colonization, a revelatory trip to Iqaluit, being a white settler, weighing guilt with action, Canada’s appropriation of the image of the North.
Amanda’s interview with Dalton Derkson at the ClockTower Pub before his featured reading at the In/Words Reading Series on Wednesday, November 30, 2016
With pub & In/Words noise in the background, & Aaron busy setting up for the reading, Dalton and I talk about Guinness, the Worst Case Ontario Tour, JC Bouchard, the theme of the outsider within Dalton’s poems, the role of geography, Andrew Suknaski, the co-opting of punk by corporate culture, burning the Sex Pistols memorabilia, Dalton as grindcore poet, the sources of Dalton’s performance style and cadences, including hardcore metal, professional wrestlers, persona, gaining & keeping the audience’s attention. Poets into wrestling: Spencer Gordon, Nathaniel G. Moore, Broken Pencil’s Death Match, the Puritan, Will Kemp. We discuss Lorca’s idea of duende, the internal driving force of creativity, with the knowledge that death is present. Jessica Bebinek’s interview in the Town Crier about Poets and Place. Dalton’s poems as representing placelessness. How Toronto has affected his writing. The surreal turn. Robert Kroetsch and the role of voice in the Hornbooks of Rita K: trying to write in a different voice. Dalton has written in the voice of Ed Mirvish. The final Worst Case Ontario reading at Black Squirrel Books, the poem “Juiced” about a wrestler blading himself, drawing blood. We also speak of William Henry Drummond and making poetry that replicates speech: Cormac McCarthy, bill bissett. We talk about Dalton’s boyhood dream of reading with bill bissett, which he did at VERSeFest, Daniel Jones as an influence. His new chapbook with Phafours Press.
a.m. kozak and Amanda Earl discuss recent and upcoming poetry events, events they would have liked to have attended, pataphysics, glitch poetry, glitch hop, accessibility in poetry, interactive art events, calls for submission, contests, the death of Leonard Cohen, the latest issue of the Puritan
Recent and upcoming poetry events and calls for submission in Central Canada and beyond.
Interview with Ronald Seatter, recipient of the Bywords 2015 John Newlove Poetry Award; Current Reads; Recent News
Introduction (0.00) Jennifer Pederson interview (01:55) Recent Events (27:00) Internet Round Up/Recent News (43:37) Podcast: Commonplace (46:30) The Maynard (49:55) Current Reads (57:05) Upcoming Events/Calls for Submission (1:02:25)
Interview with Chris Johnson (.38) Recent events (46.38) Fall Releases: Chapbooks (1:00:10) Fall Releases: Books (1:02:49) Podcast of the Month - On the Line (1:06:08) Plenitude Magazine (1:07.25) Current Reads (1:08:57) Upcoming Events in Ottawa and Toronto (1:14:52) Sign-off - (1:20:33)
We discuss past & upcoming poetry events in Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and Ottawa. Amanda talks about her small press booty. We highlight Margaret Christakos “Her Paraphernalia: On Motherlines, Sex/Blood/Loss & Selfies,” We answer Sachiko Murikami’s question “What’s The Hardest Thing About Being a Writer?” We chat about listening to music while writing, inspired by Damian Roger’s Smoky Gardens Playlist. We praise “PULSE:” DrunkenBoat’s space for queer latinx writers.
We ponder the following questions: how can poetry events be enlivened or enriched? how do readings we’ve attended in Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa differ? how can small press fair vendors make attendees more comfortable? how can writers deal with isolation? do you listen to music when you write? what else does a.m. kozak do while writing and listening to music? what’s coming up? further info: angelhousepress.com