Editor’s Notes

Greetings dear readers,

Welcome to the September issue in which we feast on dysfunction and gulab jaman. In this month's review, Carl Watt's examines the poetry of two former Concordia students, Alex Manley and Jessica Bebenek. I hope you enjoy the issue.

We are one month away from the John Newlove Poetry Award, which will take place at the Ottawa International Writers Festival on October 20. We will hear the music of James Missen, followed by poetry by our 2016 award winner, Andrew Lafleche, who will be launching his chapbook, "Ashes." Then we will hear the names of this year's honourable mentions and winner, who will read for us. We are pleased once more to be part of the Ottawa International Writers Festival and we wish the festival a happy twentieth anniversary. It is a vital part of Ottawa's thriving literary community.

Have you sent us poems? Have you sent us reviews? Do you know of any literary, spoken word, story telling or nonfiction events on the horizon? Please check the guidelines on the site and submit reviews, poems and events after you finish reading this month's issue. I see Bywords as a quilt made up of readers who need to know about what's going on in the City and writers who inhabitants and visitors need to know about. The more you contribute, the stronger the quilt is. You do this by sending us your poetry, writing reviews of current Canadian poetry books and chapbooks, sending us event information and sharing the contents of the site with others who may be interested.

Thanks to our selection committee this month:

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

If you have questions, suggestions or a slice of pecan pie to offer, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca.

Amanda Earl

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