Editor’s Notes

Are you ready for the holidays? In between shopping trips, it’s great that you are spending a bit of time with Bywords!

This month’s issue is small but beautiful as the best gifts are. Enjoy poetry from three very talented writers. We have a special treat in the local scene section: reviews of our outing to the Sylvia Plath movie, and a fine poem by Cyril Daybedeen.

Hope you took time out to attend some of Ottawa’s marvelous readings. Charles and I enjoyed partaking in Medium Raw at its new venue, Café Nostalgica, organized by Max Middle. Max actually allowed musicians and poets to perform together. The results were fun, chaotic and inspiring. Can’t wait till Medium Raw IV.

The Christmas Tree reading was another very enjoyable treat of the season. Every year for the last reading of the year, James Moran, Tree host, invites readers to recite their favourite poems. This year we heard T.S. Elliot, Charles Baudelaire en français, Richard Brautigan,Seamus Heaney, A.M. Klein, Lorna Crozier and more.

Our final fun event before this issue was to participate in the Ottawa Independent Writers’ First Annual Book Fair. Krisha, Stephanie, Charles and I had fun chatting with all the authors and hawking Bywords/Friday Circle and local poets’ books. Here’s a few snaps of the event.

Ottawa Independent Writers First Annual Book Fair
Krisha and Stéphanie decorate	OK we are ready for business	View from a poem

Don’t forget to send your unpublished poetry to us by the 15th of each month. Stay tuned for our January 25 reading at Chapters featuring poets from our final 2003 quarter and the winter Bywords Quarterly Journal. Celebrate Robbie Burns Day with us, and help us warm the night by bringing small warm items for the Cornerstone Women’s Shelter. Stay tuned for more information!

Thanks to this month’s selection committee: Stéphanie Lafleur, Megan McGrath and Krisha Wignarajah.

If you have comments or questions, please feel free to e-mail me at editor@bywords.ca.

Thanks for your support and interest in Bywords in 2003. Poets, audience, editors, event organizers: you’ve inspired us!

Cheers

Amanda Earl