Editor’s Notes

Come luxuriate in the sensorial splendour of early spring with our featured poems this month. Our writers give you the rarity of comets, the danger of lightning, and the joys of a blue martini. They ask you to contemplate the preciousness of life and growth. They offer you the swiftness of the Ottawa river and the stillness of a snow-covered field.

Take some moments to sample the variety of poetry in this month’s issue. Let it incite you to hear more at various readings around town. Share your own poems and stories at Sasquatch, Tree, Nostalgica and the recently reborn old favourite Dusty Owl Reading Series. Don’t stop there! Come out to hear published authors Brunhuber, Helwig, Morton and Vassanji at various special literary events planned in celebration of World Poetry Day.

Bywords welcomes new members of the team: Joe Goski and Betty Warrington-Kearsley who are current students of Seymour Mayne’s. You can catch Betty Warrington-Kearsley along with Sarah Ruffolo as part of the March 28 Sasquatch reading of Seymour Mayne's 2003-2004 creative writing class. Come out to discover Ottawa’s emerging poets.

Spring in Ottawa will be filled with music, art and literature. Thanks to the City of Ottawa, this may be the last Spring for such activities. We are in danger of having silent Springs in future with the lack of commitment to fund arts and culture. For now, let’s celebrate and make such a loud noise, these politicians will be forced to listen, and maybe even join in!

Thanks to this month’s selection committee: Joe Goski, Megan McGrath, Sarah Ruffolo and Betty Warrington-Kearsley.

I will see you at the various readings around town. Stop by and say hi! Don’t forget to pick up the last few copies of the winter issue of the Bywords Quarterly Journal at your local bookstore.

Amanda Earl