Reprint: Furbaby

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So, two years ago, Kerry Clare's mothering anthology, The M Word, was published.

Kerry asked contributors to write updates to their M Word essays. My essay, "Primipara," was about my decision to only have one child.

"Primipara" was my first published essay. Though I was really very glad that Kerry asked me to write something, the actual writing-something process was excruciating. I was worried about what I had to say and how I was saying it. The essay seemed so long compared to a poem or even a suite of poems. And I distrusted double spacing: it looked flabby and weird.

But I persevered and got through both Kerry's and Goose Lane's edits. And then we launched it at McNally's, with Kerry Clare and Kerry Ryan and a visual artist/mother and jam-filled imperial cookies in the shape of a baby's head. (WE ATE BABY HEADS!)

Though I'm more comfortable with the essay form now, I wasn't sure what I wanted to write about this time. My daughter is almost ten but her status and is still an only child. What had changed was that we added another dependant to our household, which was a big step for us, being leery of dependents generally.

So: this essay is about kittens and daughters and love and claws. And I wrote it in an afternoon when I was avoiding another essay.

Reprint: Gory

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So my poem "Gory"—my period poem, my menstruation glosa— is ALSO in the 10th anniversary issue of The Goose, a critical/creative web journal published by the Association for Literature, Environment, and Culture in Canada (or ALECC).

The poem glosses “Seas” by Erin Robinsong, which appeared in Vol. 13, Issue 2 of The Goose.

Here's what poetry editor Camilla Nelson had to say about the poem:

"In “Gory,” Robinsong’s work inspires Ariel Gordon to address the sea of blood through, by and from which we all—not just the “leaky collection of wives & daughters” she initially references—travel."

There's lots of great work in this issue, including poems by Jenna Butler, Gary Barwin, Basma Kavanagh, Don McKay, Ken Belford, and gillian harding-russell.

Thanks to Camilla and to The Goose editors for including me!

Reprint: Hilarity, Wit and Tenderness

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So Regina poet Gillian Harding-Russell reviewed Stowaways for the 10th anniversary issue of The Goose, which is the creative/critical journal run by ALECC (Association for Literature, Environment, and Culture in Canada).

Harding-Russell's review opens with the following:

"In Stowaways, Ariel Gordon reflects a feminist and often a mother's perspective in which zany metaphor and unusual collage are poised to startle and challenge the reader. And if this imagery and meaning brought about through juxtaposition are not enough to disrupt the reader's ordinary
senses, surreal angles and surprise turns are guaranteed to dislocate sensibility and overturn old ways of seeing. At the heart of Gordon's postmodern view, comedy and cleverness and an intrinsically parodic inventiveness reign, as witness the slew of 'how to' survive poems that make up the
last half of the collection."

It should go without saying that any poet appreciates close readings of her work. But in this case, I deeply appreciate that it was Harding-Russell, a senior female poet from the prairies, who provided that close reading. She seems to have 'gotten' many of my aims and efforts, which is always nifty...

You can read the rest of the review here and, if you'd also like to read reviews of books by my Palimpsest pressmates Yvonne Blomer, Patricia Young, and Ruth Roach Pierson, they're also reviewed in this issue.

Reprint: Brushfire

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So the first essay from my ms. focusing on Winnipeg's urban forest has made its way into the world, specifically in ALECC's critical/creative journal The Goose.

My abstract for the piece is as follows: "“Brushfire” concerns itself with how people use urban forests, from indecent exposure to poaching to teenage drinking party-bonfires that get out of control. Though it could be construed as a manifesto on walking-in-the-woods, it also touches on some of the conflicts inherent in urban/nature experiences."

In their Editor's Notebook, Lisa Szabo-Jones and Paul Huebener had this to say about my piece:

"Ariel Gordon’s darkly humorous creative nonfiction piece “Brushfire” illuminates the uneasy  existence of how we use natural spaces, and the transgressive behaviours that urban wild spaces evoke in local residents. Gordon reminds us that we enter these shared spaces each for different reasons, some less salubrious than others."

Also of interest is Deer in Their Own Coats by Daniel Coleman, about how "urban deer are requiring a renegotiation of settler-Six Nations relations in Hamilton, Ontario." There's also an entire section of Audioecopoetics.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also note that there's a review of Merle Massie's Forest Prairie Edge: Place History in Saskatchewan by Matthew Zantingh.

It's been great to get feedback from friends and colleagues about "Brushfire." It feels like I'm in dialogue with people around ideas of human/nature interactions, about public green spaces, and that's exactly what I've always wanted for my writing.

Reprint: Write out of Wolseley

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So I was interviewed a few weeks ago by Meg Crane for The Leaf, whose slogan is "Serving Winnipeg's Wolseley Neighbourhood."

We met at the Neighbourhood Cafe, where I slurped on loose-leaf tea while chatting with Meg about Stowaways and the Manitoba Book Awards.

My thanks to Meg & the Leaf!

Reprint: Book-launch venue hop

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Over the last two weeks of April, I wrote four articles for Quill & Quire. Three were web-only interviews with poets launching books for National Poetry Month: Bren Simmers, Elena Johnson & K.I. Press.

The final article, which was slated to run in the June print edition of the magazine, was to be part of their series called Book-launch Venue Hop, i.e. profiles of popular venues in which to launch books.

So far, they've written about an artsy performance space in Halifax & a poetry-hosting tavern in Ottawa. But in Winnipeg, aside from the Millennium Library, our non-traditional venues have only lasted a few  years each. So: McNally's, which is big and bright and hosts most every launch in town.

It was an easy decision, and, in the service of writing the article, I got to interview Rob Budde, Guy Gavriel Kay & Perry Grosshans. And a bunch of other people too, but when you've only got 600 words, well...people and their quotes get cut.

I also got to include a picture of Chantal Fiola launching her Rekindling the Sacred Fire, which is an UMP title. This wasn't only self-serving. It turns out I only bother taking hi-res photos at events I'm reading at or are working, so the selection was limited...
 
Fun!

Reprint: Brain, Child

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So I got a simultaneous tweet from The M Word editor Kerry Clare & email from Hilary Levey Friedman mid-afternoon. The e-hubbub was because Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers had just posted an article that referred to Clare's collection of conversations about mothering.

I clicked through, which lead me to a "Top 10 Humour Books" list. I expected to see my name mentioned in passing, as is usually the case with anthology reviews, but was surprised/pleased to see that the book was listed because of my essay.

Which is sort of fun. Anyways, if you can't be bothered to click through—even though the article also includes references to Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year by Anne Lamott & Porn for New Moms From the Cambridge Women’s Pornography Collective—here's the section that deals with The M Word:

The M Word: Conversations about Motherhood Edited by Kerry Clare
In trying to summarize the intention of the anthology editor Clare writes that it’s about life with a uterus, in all stages of life. This collection by Canadian women isn’t all funny—far from it in some cases. But one of the essays, “Primipara” by Ariel Gordon, made me laugh so hard when I read it, and it stayed with me for a long time. In the piece she reveals a poem to a coworker she wrote that says that if she had had twins, she would have eaten one or sent it back. Gordon’s honest take on why having only one child was the right choice for her is elevated by her language choices (“I regret, too, that the girl won’t know the burnt caramel of loving and hating a sibling.”) and her insight (“People mostly ask me when my next book is coming out instead of when my next child is due. It’s a relief to have the poetry and the parenting separate again, though really they’re not separate at all.”). Proof that humor comes to us all individually in different forms.

Reprint: Lemon Hound's New Winnipeg Poets Folio

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So I have two new poems included in Lemon Hound's New Winnipeg Poets Folio, "Hairshirt" and "Goose egg."

The poems are about hairballs and getting a booter and both contain in-poem swearing. (Ahem.)

Jonathan Ball, professional smart-ass, selected the poems. And his new Winnipeg poets folio includes both colleagues and friends and new-to-me poets, which is exactly as it should be:

Candice G. Ball, Michelle Daly, Kristian Enright, Joanne Epp, j robert ferguson, Ariel Gordon, Hannah Green, Luann Hiebert, Eileen Mary Holowka, Adam Kroeker, Kevin Kvas, Laura Lamont, Ted Landrum, Matthew Legall, Louella Lester, Jenn Angela Lopes, Chris Macalino, Janis Maudlin, Kegan McFadden, Maurice Mierau, Carmelo Militano, Adam Petrash, Davis Plett, Marika Prokosh, Kerry Ryan, Angeline Schellenberg, Cam Scott, Aaron Simm, John Stintzi, Chimwemwe Undi, Melanie Dennis Unrau, Joshua Whitehead

Reprint: M-K 2015 Artist and Storytelling Retreats

Announcing the Muskwa-Kechika 2015 Artist and Storytelling Retreats

Imagine sitting around a fire deep in the wilds and experiencing the spine-tingling stories of Ivan Coyote and Art Napoleon amidst moose and caribou while listening to the calls of loons or splashes of otters.

Copyright go2mc.ca

Or how about feeling your creative juices flow after spirited talks with award winning poets Ariel Gordon and Melanie Siebert on the shoulder of a mountain where few humans have walked?

Wayne Sawchuk of Muskwa-Kechika Adventures and Donna Kane of Writing on the Ridge are working to make this happen.

In the summer of 2015, artists will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the greatest wilderness in the Rocky Mountains while honing their craft in the company of exceptional mentors.

From August 9-16, artists working in a wide variety of disciplines (e.g. visual art, writing, photography, video, music) will fly from Muncho Lake to Mayfield Lake, deep in the heart of the Muskwa-Kechika, to explore their craft against the backdrop of nature and wilderness.

Under the mentorship of acclaimed Winnipeg writer, Ariel Gordon, author of two books of nature poetry and winner of the John Lent Poetry-Prose Award, and poet and backcountry guide Melanie Siebert, whose first book of poetry, Deepwater Vee, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, artists will broaden their perceptions of nature and wilderness.

“The artist retreats that ran from 2006-2009 produced a wonderful variety of work that has been shown in galleries and published in books and journals across the country,” says Donna Kane, director of Writing on the Ridge. “We are delighted to be able to provide another opportunity in 2015.”

In all, over 50 artists have taken part in past retreats, including internationally renowned artist Brian Jungen and poets Don McKay, Elizabeth Bachinsky, and Sue Sinclair.

From August 16-23, storytellers will gather at Mayfield Lake under the inspired mentorship of storytellers Ivan Coyote and Art Napoleon.

“Getting the chance to hear stories from Art and Ivan around a campfire will be a highlight for me—it’s going to be an incredible experience!” says Wayne Sawchuk.

Art Napoleon is an award-winning songwriter, storyteller and humorist with a mystic's heart. Former Chief of the Saulteau First Nations, Art also stars in the television show, Moosemeat and Marmalade, which premiered in January of 2015. This revolutionary new cooking show contrasts traditional First Nations’ and World Cuisine cooking styles.

Copyright go2mc.ca

Ivan Coyote was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. An award-winning author and a renowned performer, Ivan’s first love is live storytelling and over the last nineteen years has become an audience favourite at sold out shows from Anchorage to Amsterdam. Ivan Coyote’s newest book “Gender Failure,” co- authored with Rae Spoon, is a poignant collection of autobiographical essays, lyrics, and images that reveal that gender comes in more than two sizes.

All in all, it’s an impressive line-up. Add the setting of pristine wilderness, friendly horses, and like-minded campmates, and the 2015 retreats promise an unforgettable experience.

The goal of the retreats, besides sheer enjoyment and honing one’s skills as an artist, is to raise awareness of the Muskwa-Kechika. The greatest wilderness in the Rockies, it boasts more species of large mammals, in greater abundance, than anywhere else in North America. Participants will be asked to contribute a story or written piece that features the MK to a web-based site, as a means of bringing this globally important area to a wider audience.

For more information on the retreats visit www.go2mk.ca or contact Wayne Sawchuk at (250) 759-4993 or wsawchuk@pris.ca .

Reprint: Humpday

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McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg posted this yesterday, which for the record was a Wednesday.

And it was just what I needed to get over that PARTICULAR hump.

Reprint: Writer's Block

Back in September, I was in Calgary, attending the Under Western Skies conference at Mount Royal.

In addition to the two poetry panels I was invited to participate in, there were panel discussions and keynotes filling the days and then performances most evenings. And there had been a massive and unseasonable snowfall the first day of the conference, which was overwhelming most of Calgary's trees, which were still in leaf.

I would drive my rental car every morning and every evening through all this snow, around the curbside downed trees, whilst attempting Calgary's freeways.

All of which was good but tiring.

I'd set up the interview with Calgary poet Emily Ursuliak for her CJSW radio show Writers' Block, which meant driving to an entirely new area of town. And boomtown Calgary traffic as well as my shock that it would take more than a half hour to get anywhere (which is a very Winnipeg idea...) almost made me late.

Once I got there, once I'd found parking and also the building where I was meant to meet Emily, it was lovely to have a chance to think on the ways Stowaways moved. To describe it but also think on what I was trying to do in the poems.

It was interesting, as always, to see the book from the point of view of another person. But it was especially nice to see it from Emily's POV. She's bright and bold and even though she's fairly young, she's spent a lot of time in Calgary's literary community.

I'd also highly recommend listening to some of the other recent Writer's Block interviews, including Sandy Pool, Micheline Maylor, Nikki Reimer, Natalie Simpson, Erina Harris, and Nathan Dueck.

Fun!

Reprint: Canadian Poetries

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I nearly forgot! The inestimable Kimmy Beach reviewed Stowaways for Canadian Poetries just before the Xmas descended!

This is the third review to date, after Jonathan Ball's for the Winnipeg Free Press and Mark Sampson's for his Free-Range Reading.

It should go without saying, but: my thanks to Kimmy and Shawna Lemay for all the good work they do. 

Reprint: P.I. New Poetry

So I was interviewed Sunday afternoon on CKUW, the campus and community radio station at the University of Winnipeg.

It was blizzard-y out and I was headed to the MWG's fundraising dinner at McNally's afterwards, so I was wearing my big faux-fur jacket as I walked down Ellice to the uni.

The most notable feature of the jacket is its hood, which is enormous. (I figure two faux-fur beasties died for its sake...)

All of which is to say, I looked suitably dramatic for the interview, which was for Winnipeg poet Carmelo Militano's new spoken word/poetry show, P.I. New Poetry.

Here's Carmelo's description of the show:

"P.I. New Poetry is where we investigate, interrogate and speculate poetry by the usual and unusual suspects. Hosted by poet and novelist, Carmelo Militano, man of cafes and cabarets, flaneur and general doppleganger."

(P.I. apparently stands for Post-Imperium.)(You'll have to ask Carmelo what, precisely, that means....)

Now the previous show, about all things comic book-related, went long, so our interview didn't start on time. But then the host of the show that followed Carmelo's was late—probably because it was blizzard-y out—so we went long in the interest of filling the dead air.

You can listen to the interview here, if you want, and then follow that up with the archive of interviews with other Winnipeg poets, such as Steve Snyder (October 26), Kristian Enright (November 2), and Brenda Sciberras (November 9).

Suffice to say, it was nice to gnaw away at the connective tissue between the different sections of Stowaways with Carmelo.

It was also pleasant to sit on the couch before the interview and contemplate CKUW's offices. Which, of course, were once the Uniter's offices, back when I was a student at the University of Winnipeg and worked as A&E Editor for the student newspaper.

CKUW had always had their offices/studios in the basement (I had a show one year and discovered that it really wasn't my thing...) and one year staff decided that they wanted our offices, which were on the fourth floor, up a set of stairs in the middle of the cafeteria.

They attempted to take our offices at the next UWSA AGM by stacking the meeting with their volunteers, but we got word of it and attended too. In the end, we registered our anger at the fact that they hadn't just asked to trade offices...and then shrugged and agreed to trade.

Despite all the new bricks and mortar that has expanded the University of Winnipeg's footprint into the surrounding community, the main buildings persist in looking the same way they did in 1991, my first year of university.

And I sort of like that. I also like spending a blizzard-y Sunday afternoon talking poetry, especially if it's MY poetry.

Ahem.

Reprint: Firelight Interview Series

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So Lauren Carter, who is a apocalyptic novelist and poet currently living in The Pas, MB, recently asked me to be a part of her Firelight Interview Series, which has also included Marguerite Pigeon, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, and Nancy Jo Cullen.

Here's Lauren's Firelight-y mission statement: "The series gives writers a chance to answer questions they wish they were asked but aren’t. A few others from me will also be throw in." 
 
Whatever the series' raison-d'etre, it was fun to swing at a few meatballs, to attempt to talk about some of my recent preoccupations around my work.

Fun! And many thanks to Lauren...

Reprint: Free Range Reading

Here's a snippet from Toronto-based poet and novelist Mark Sampson's recent review of Stowaways for his blog, Free Range Reading:

"The poems in this collection grapple with both the wild and the mundane, the animalistic nature of nature and relentless responsibilities of parenthood. Many of these pieces, especially in the first two parts, are in fact about collisions between the feral world and the domestic one. In poems like “Wingless Females”, “Little Pig,” and the collection’s title poem, Gordon shows us how the natural world can insinuate itself into small, household moments."

Mark is in the process of launching his latest novel, Sad Peninsula, and will publish a collection of poetry with Palimpsest in the coming year or two.

Yay! Fun!

Reprint: Behind the Poem

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Writing this was, as is normal with these sorts of things, both nerve-wracking and sort-of-great.

Nerve-wracking because I want to come off as reasonably intelligent/aware of my process. And writing, though usually joyful, isn't easy.

Sort-of-great because I'm enjoying stretching my first-person-narrative muscles in preparation for working on my manuscript of creative non-fiction about urban forests this fall.

Also, like most writers, I don't always know how I feel about things until I write about them. So these pieces help to link up my conscious and my sub-conscious thoughts about what and why I write...though I don't want them getting too cozy. I'm not sure if I'd be able to write poems if I was always completely aware of the whys/wherefores.

Reprint: With Proper Care

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I was interviewed by poet Steve Locke for the spring issue of Prairie books Now, which has been completely reformatted...

Reprint: Singing along

 

 

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This last Afterword piece was the most fun to compile. I got to interview musicians whose music I'd listened to over and over while I was writing the poems that would find their way into Stowaways...

So, if you're a fan of Amelia Curran, Craig Cardiff, and either of Stan or Nathan Rogers, I'd suggest...well, reading this piece. And then getting to work.

Reprint: Not only local, but recognizable

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My third Afterword piece was a meli-melo of all the books and movies and artworks that made me happy in my twenties. Which is to say, a wobbly list of influences...

Reprint: Steamrollering the other Ariel Gordons

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It was great fun writing my second Afterword piece, which was mostly about poets Googling themselves and my Internet dopplegangers.