Editor's Notes

Greetings Dear Readers,

This month’s issue features sibilance, whistling, singing, and whispers. I hope you enjoy the issue.

Poetry readings are in abundance in Ottawa: The Riverbed Reading Series has four, sometimes five readings a year and they include an open mic; Urban Legends has four spoken word showcases. There’s a monthly slam in Gatineau. The Association des Auteurs et Auteures de l’Outaoais also has poetry on its 5 à 7 soirées. In Our Tongues Reading and Art Series features BIPOC artists and the readings include an open mic; rob mclennan runs the Factory Reading Series which blooms when visiting authors come to town or before the ottawa small press book fair. There are several open mics that include poetry, such as the Art House Cafe open mic on Monday nights or Nostalgica Pub on Thursdays and the Carleton Poetics Society open mic on the first Wednesday of the month during school terms and Sumac Literary Magazine which has readings when the issues launch. The University f Ottawa has Blue Moon, a series that runs out of Nostalgica, and Commonhouse when the issue launches. VERSeFEST is the annual poetry festival in March. Ottawa International Writers Festival happens in spring and fall. Bookstores such as Perfect Books, the Spaniel's Tale, Librairie du Soleil and Octopus Books also hold poetry readings on occasion for book launches. The Library and Archives Canada sometimes includes poetry as part of its event programing. You have a lot of opportunity to enjoy local and visiting poets read from their work in Ottawa and you can share your own poetry at open mics. I hope to see you at an event soon.

Thanks to our selection committee this month:

Dan Boland
Maya Chorney
Sarah Kabamba
Andrew Lafleche
Kemisha Newman
Jade Riordan
Marjorie Silverman
Carol A. Stephen
JC Sulzenko

If you have questions, comments, suggestions or a long walk in the tulips to offer, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca.

Amanda Earl
Managing Editor

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