Editor’s Notes

Greetings Dear Readers,

In this issue, Heather Babcock reviews the feisty poems of Rhonda Ganz's Frequent, small loads of laundry published by Mother Tongue Books in BC. The feistiness continues with poems by four women writers. Hope you enjoy the issue.

Feisty is the word of the month as Ottawa begins its five-month deep freeze. Pick up some poetry to keep your brain warm during the cold season. Visit Perfect Books on Elgin, Octopus Books in the Glebe or in Centretown or check out Black Squirrel Books, the Book Bazaar and Troubadour Books on Bank for previously loved poetry and more. It's already time to start shopping for holiday gifts for your fellow poetry pals.

Thanks to all participants involved in the John Newlove Poetry Award Reading and Ceremony held last month at the Ottawa International Writers Festival and congratulations to this year's award recipient Doris Fiszer and the honourable mentions Colin Morton and Peter Norman. The editing team will have an opportunity to work on Doris's chapbook manuscript in 2018 with its launch occurring at the next autumn Writers Festival.

If you are a current or former Ottawa student, resident or worker, please send us poems by the 15th of each month for consideration for publication in the next month's issue of Bywords.ca. Poets receive an honorarium of $40 per published poem. All poems published between September, 2017 and August, 2018 will be considered for the 2018 John Newlove Poetry Award. Our judge for 2018 is professor and poet, Gregory Betts.

If you write reviews of recent Canadian poetry books and chapbooks, please send me queries and pitch ideas anytime. The payment for published reviews is $75. You don't have to be a former or current Ottawan to send us your review.

If you're in Ottawa or want to come to Ottawa, don't forget to attend the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on November 25 to meet vendors of small press books and chapbooks, and buy the books. If you are a writer or small press enthusiast, it's not to be missed.

Thanks to our selection committee this month:

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

If you have comments, questions, suggestions or a way to slow down time so we can get everything done, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca.

Amanda Earl

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