Editor’s Notes

This month's issue features poetry by two former Ottawa residents and rob mclennan's review of Robert Swereda's " re: verbs." I hope you enjoy the issue. If you're a current or former Ottawa resident, student or worker who writes poetry, don't forget to send us your poems. Please consult the guidelines.

On a sad note, we learned recently that Robin Kelsey, one of our cover photographers for the Bywords Quarterly Journal (Volume 6, Number 3, Fall 2008), died this month in Peterborough. Robin was a regular documenter of Ottawa life through his excellent photography blog, Watawa Life. Our condolences to Robin's friends and family.

While the summer months are definitely quieter with a number of literary series on hiatus, there are still a number of readings, book signings, storytelling and spoken word events you can attend, including PostScript to Darkness' A Midsummer Night's Screams in early August, the Pedlar Press launch of Annie McClurg's novel "No Angel" and the readings of husband and wife poetry dynamos Christine McNair and rob mclennan at the In/Words Reading Series at the end of July. Please consult the Bywords.ca calendar of literary events. And if you have any literary events or news items of your own to add, please let me know.

I am pleased to announce that Bywords.ca is once again the recipient of funding from the City of Ottawa for which we are extremely grateful. Faith Seltzer who has been our cultural liaison with the City is retiring in August. We are sorry to see her go, but wish her a fun and joyful retirement from public service. She's been a great help to us over the years.

Thanks to our selection committee:

Janie Beriault
Beth Ann Hubbert
Fiona Mitchell
Pamela Mosher
Claudia Coutu Radmore
Sarah-Grace Ross
Carol A. Stephen
JC Sulzenko

I hope you are enjoying the summer heat and making time to read, write and share poetry.

If you have comments, questions, suggestions or a bowl of coconut gelato to offer, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca.

For regular event updates, please follow us on Twitter or join our FaceBook fan page.

Amanda Earl