Editor’s Notes

Dear Readers,

Welcome to our first issue of 2018. The three poems selected for our January issue give us apples and God, Jesus and booze, Picasso and unicycles; they invite us to let our words be daring, to consider the nature of cruelty and hypocrisy. They are zany, contemplative, celebratory and rebuking. A good way to start the year, don't you think?

The issue also contains a thoughtful review of Joshua Whitehead's Full-Metal Indigiqueer by Bywords selector, Wes Babcock. I highly recommend you add this book to your poetry reading list for 2018, if you haven't read it already.

Did you make any resolutions for 2018? I hope they included enriching your life with more poetry, as both a reader and a writer. Don't forget to send us your poems and your reviews of recent Canadian poetry books and chapbooks. Guidelines are on the site and you can always contact me if you have questions. If you're new to sending your work out for publication, it can be a daunting experience, or even when you aren't new to sending out your work. I am happy to offer advice, or point you in the direction of others.

You can go to the In/Words Writers' Circle to workshop your writing amongst friends. You can join and attend meetings of the National Capital Region chapter of the Canadian Authors' Association, or, if you want to learn about self-publishing, the Ottawa Independent Writers' Association. If you write mystery or crime fiction, you can join Capital Crime Writers and if you write romance, there's a group for you too: the Ottawa Romance Writers Association. There are meet up groups to talk about books and there are book exchanges where you can socialize and trade well-loved books. Through the Bywords.ca calendar and news, you can find out about these various groups and their activities. Take the opportunity to connect with fellow writers and readers, especially at this time of year, when the cold weather can isolate us and make us feel lonely.

There are lots of literary, spoken word, storytelling and nonfiction events coming up this year to look forward to. I hope your resolutions included attending more of these in 2018. You can find out about events through the Bywords.ca calendar and, for daily updates, through our FaceBook page and our Twitter account. And if you are organizing an event, don't forget to let me know so that I can include it on the calendar and spread the word.

Thanks to our selection committee this month:

Wes Babcock
Robert Martin Evans
Jason Lamantia
Tanya Mead
Kemisha Newman
Jade Riordan
Leslie Smith
Carol A. Stephen
JC Sulzenko
Rob Thomas

If you have questions, comments, suggestions or are in need of a friendly ear, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca or chat with me at a reading.

I wish you a joyous and productive 2018.

Amanda Earl

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