Two nifty lit events

Hey all,

I'm agog about the long weekend I'm going to have. And so should you be. OR ELSE.

Yours,

Ariel

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Interruptions in Glass LAUNCH:
Featuring Jonathan Ball, John Toone & Tracy Hamon

Date: December 2, Thursday
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Aqua Books (274 Garry Street, between Graham and Portage)
Cost: Free!

Please help Aqua Books - and two poets named Jo(h)n - welcome Regina poet Tracy Hamon to our fine city.

Interruptions in Glass bites down on the metaphors memory stores, exploring perceptions of everyday exchanges, familial relationships, loves, and losses. Is the language of our aging hysterical or historical? These poems supply a manual of conversations, studying the present by peeling back the past, letter by letter. Snowmen, plays, rice and even disappointment are some of the images that provide places for readers to park and devour the connections. It talks us through the metallic moments we continue to consume on the journey. A subtly powerful collection that celebrates the shape and detail of a full life and its memories.

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Jonathan Ball is the author of the poetry books Ex Machina (BookThug, 2009) and Clockfire (Coach House, 2010). He holds a Ph.D. in English with a focus in Creative Writing from the University of Calgary. His film Spoony B appeared on The Comedy Network, and his writing has appeared in The Believer and Harper’s. He is the former editor of dandelion and the former short films programmer for the Gimli Film Festival.

John Toone’s first collection of poetry, From Out of Nowhere, was published by Turnstone Press in spring 2009. He published two kids’ books in fall 2009, Catch that Catfish! and Hope and the Walleye. His poems also appear in the story Sixgun Quixote in book one and book two of The Imagination Manifesto (Alchemical Press). John is a past president of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild.

Tracy Hamon was born in Regina, SK and grew up traveling between Regina and her parents' farm near Edenwold, Saskatchewan. She holds a BA Hon and a MA in English. She is currently the Program Officer for the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. Her poetry has appeared in numerous Canadian literary magazines including Grain, Wascana Review, A Room of One's Own, sub-TERRAIN, and Event as well as numerous anthologies. Her first book of poetry This Is Not Eden (Thistledown Press) was released in April 2005 and was a finalist for two Saskatchewan Book Awards. Portions of Interruptions in Glass (Coteau Books, 2010) won the 2005 City of Regina Writing Award and was been shortlisted for two awards in the 2010 Saskatchewan Book Awards.

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Nestallation: A reading & book presentation
with Jennifer Still & Jennifer Beaudry

When: Saturday, December 4, 11 am - 5 pm
Location: Aqua Books (274 Garry Street, between Graham and Portage)
Cost: FREE!

As a part of Aqua Books' Crafty Minions Handmade and Vintage Craft Sale, Jennifer Still & Jennifer Beaudry will take over one of the writers' studios and create a "nestallation" that draws from their recent collaboration, Nest (JackPine Press, 2010).
Screenprinted in a laced concertina design, Nest is hand-assembled with salvaged 1970s vintage materials including kitchen wallpaper, couch upholstery, owl needlepoints and baby yarn. Each limited-edition copy is wrapped in a needle-felted slipcover.

Guests are invited to join in a sewing-circle style reading and book talk with the opportunity to add their own stitches/layers to the room.

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Jennifer Beaudry and Jennifer Still were born in Winnipeg in 1973 and have been crafting together since learning how to tie rollerskate shoelaces. Jennifer B. applies her nimble hand to photography, willow furniture building, knitting, bookbinding, sewing, felting, and most recently, quilt-making. Jennifer S. writes poetry and papers her walls in a tall yellow house in Winnipeg. NEST will appear in her second collection, Girlwood in spring 2011, with Brick Books.