I had an absolutely amazing time on Monday (June 29) at the Frog Hollow Press launch of City Series: Number One – Vancouver. The launch was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery Café, and it may have been the most beautiful location for a poetry reading within which I’ve yet had the pleasure of performing. I can’t think of a better way of spending a late June Monday evening—hanging out in a sunny patio, drinking rosé, and listening to poetry! Thank you to everyone who came out and supported me and my fellow Vancouver poets!
For those who missed it, it was a magical evening. Almost all of the contributors to the anthology were able to be in town and make it out to the launch; we missed the presences of Darius Kinney, Alessandra Naccarato, and Sugar le Fae—not to mention Michael Prior, our editor—but we enjoyed performances by Emily Davidson, Shazia Hafiz Ramji, Laura Ritland, Megan Jones, Shaun Robinson, and Emily Chou. If you haven’t done so yet, you can still order one of the limited edition chapbooks by visiting the Frog Hollow Press website.
The evening was hosted by the hilarious and fashionable Dina Del Bucchia and the charismatic, lemonade-loving Sean Cranbury. Dina introduced me as a “fierce, sensual Disney princess.” I must admit my outfit that evening was quite appropriate for that label—although you may notice that I’m wearing very un-princess-like Birkenstocks. For a literary collision of fairy tales and Birkenstocks, check out my poem “Swans,” which is forthcoming in Qwerty. I performed “Swans” for the lovely audience at the Vancouver Art Gallery Café, in addition to my two poems in the Frog Hollow chapbook: “You’re living in a big city now” and “April 17:“.
My next performance will be on July 12, as part of the Dead Poets Reading Series, a smart Vancouver series that celebrates the work of poets who’ve graced the world. The event goes from 3-5 PM at the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library! I’ll be reading poems by P. K. Page, and some other really wonderful deceased poets will be represented, including e.e. cummings and John Keats! I hope to see you there.
You can also watch for some new work by me this summer! The summer issue of Arc with my poem “Sorrow Halved” is hitting shelves right now and I can’t wait to get my hands on my contributor’s copy—I’m just thrilled! And the kind folks at (parenthetical) have just announced the contributors of their next issue, which launches in two weeks—and I’m pleased to count myself among them! Look for some new magical (mermaid!) fiction by me available online and in print on July 16!
(Pssssst! Also check out this exciting news in children’s literature.)
Ruth Daniell 