All Will Be Well -- Meg Barnhouse with Lyrics

Calling all poets in the Nanaimo area

The Nanaimo Poet Laureate’s project, the Nanaimo City poetry map, is flourishing. The link is www.nanaimo.ca/goto/PoetryMap. As parts of the map are filling up, we are sending out this second call for specific places that need a poem attached. We have listed them below. Please send your map poems to the e-mail address below. A team of anonymous poet judges will look through the submissions and choose site-specific poems. The rules are simple:

1.      You should be a resident of the Greater Nanaimo area;

2. The poem should be solely written by you (If your poem is selected you will be asked to sign a declaration that the poem is your work alone and that you have the rights to it. Submissions from people under 18 will require a parent’s signature)

3. The poem must be about site-specific Nanaimo places and should be no more than 30 lines (200 words). The places we still need for the poetry map at the moment include: the hospital, schools, Mudge Island, Snake Island, Linley Valley, Long Lake, Brannen Lake, Morden Colliery Provincial Park, Chase Estuary Park, Petroglyph Park, Morel Nature Sanctuary, Ammonite Falls, Shack Island, sports fields and arenas, Vancouver Island University. We will still consider other spots, but will give preference to places on the map not yet covered with poetry.

4. The poems can be touching, funny, insightful, bitingly witty or angry, but will not be considered if they contain obscenities or promote hatred or prejudice

5. E-mail two copies of your poem as a pdf attachment (in Times New Roman, 12 point). One copy should have your name, address, e-mail, and phone # written above the poem; the other should contain only the poem

6. Send them to callingallpoets@nanaimo.ca with the words “poetry map” in the subject line

7. There is no deadline, so just keep those Nanaimo poems coming in whenever creativity strikes.

8 If your poem is chosen for the map and we need to publish it elsewhere, we will, of course, contact you for permission. The rights stay with you.

We thank all poets in advance for their submissions, but only those poets whose poems have been selected will be contacted. Keep a copy of your submission as it will not be returned to you. So calling all Nanaimo poets – Let’s celebrate poetry. Let’s hear your voices. Get creative about Nanaimo and send us your results.

Planet Earth Poetry’s 2nd annual two-day poetry retreat

A FEW PLACES LEFT! DON’T MISS THIS CHANCE TO WORK WITH

2014 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S POETRY AWARD WINNER

ARLEEN PARÉ

Planet Earth Poetry’s 2^nd annual two-day poetry retreat

THE HABIT OF ART

Arleen writes, “For me, the habit of art indicates a way of being in the world, a way of seeing, of sensing, with curiosity, interest, awareness.  It is a habit, a mantra, an orientation, a possibility, a practice.  It is noticing details, patterns, colours, wonder, what is wow-ful, which is almost anything, everything, outside and inside, pleasant and unpleasant.  It is a way of heightening experience as artists, poets or painters, writers or mosaisists, opening ourselves to what’s there.  It is a point of view, a way of inclining our minds, a stillness.  Just saying ‘the habit of art’ can shift the view. In this workshop we will employ ‘the habit of art’ to expand our practice as writers, as artists, and as individuals interested in the world.” 

This non-residential June retreat will focus on participants’ writing practice. Poets of all levels are welcome, though an understanding of poetry and some experience of writing poems are helpful. Arleen will lead discussions and provide writing exercises, including an assigned poem, to be written before the retreat. Over the two days, participants will compose a sequence of poems, share work in readings, and have an opportunity for one-on-one sessions with Arleen.

DATE/TIME:       Saturday, June 4:  10:00-5:00   Sunday, June 5:  9:00-3:00

LOCATION:         A comfortable and welcoming home in the Gorge area of Victoria. Details and directions upon registration.

TO REGISTER or for more information, please contact Julie at planetearthreg@gmail.com Please use this subject line: PEP poetry retreat. 

Register early!  The poet will send out a prep assignment several weeks early. Maximum 10 participants. Your cheque will hold your place.

Fee: $225.00.*

*Cancellation policy: No refunds after May 23. After that time, a participant who has paid but cannot attend may invite a friend to take her/his place, provided Planet Earth Poetry is notified a week in advance.

Hidden Architecture of the Poem

Book launch for David Fraser - May 14