A few hours ago the Globe and Mail was rumoured to be cutting its Books section, reducing its Focus section, and laying off staff. Rapid-fire tweets followed bemoaning the end of reading and literature and civilization. 

I just want to pipe up for our own little section of the know world: London, Ontario. The Globe and other newspapers may be living in the past, and just barely hanging in there, but culture is formed and lives in the present. Culture is created hourly by us individuals doing our thing. 

Here in London the present thrives. 

(Editor: From now on we are going to ask our featured poets to let us post a set of their previously-published poems in advance of their readings. Most good poems, to be experienced fully, need to be read more than once, something that isn't done at poetry readings. Posting some here will allow interested people to get a really good taste of at least some of the poets' work in advance of their readings. ...Stan)

1.    Sabbath Bride

Those of you who have come to London Open Mic Poetry Night events at the Mykonos will be familiar with the incredible variety of people who write poems and read them at the open mic. By the time each person's five minutes are up you've just started to get used to that individual; you've deeply thought about and felt and watched, inside and out, that one of the zillions of forms that us human beings take. Then, with a clap and a few footsteps, someone entirely different is standing there. 

This is a big part of the enjoyment of our events.

It applies equally to the featured poets. So far I`ve read a book of poems by each of the four we`ve featured, as well as one by the next. And I've interviewed them and gotten to know them to some extent. And I`m amazed at how different they are from each other, in both their person and their poetry. I keep thinking the next one will compare to one of the others. Be similar. But no. How many wildly different kinds of poets can we possibly have? There are only so many directions on the compass. 

I'm really getting into this. Each book I read is a whole new world. 

The first four months of London Open Mic Poetry Night's first season have been a success, with the last event, on Jan. 3rd, featuring John Tyndall, drawing a crowd of fifty to the terrace at the Mykonos Restaurant, even more than attended the series' launch. We're optimistic that the remaining five months of the season will be just as upbeat.

We've made good use of the first four events to test out and then toss out ideas that sounded much better in an excited discussion than they actually worked on the floor. In the process we ended up with a leaner, simpler event, composed  

By Penn Kemp

(Editor: First published in Open Book Ontario, this article is reproduced here with the author's permission.)

Surrounded by placid, excellent farmland all too quickly mushrooming into  suburbs, London lays claim to many acclaimed writers, whether they were raised here, lived in the area most of their lives; left and returned; or are now here for the duration. Think Joan Barfoot, Bonnie Burnard, Emma Donoghue, Frank Davey, Don Gutteridge, Jean McKay, Orlo Miller, James Reaney, David Suzuki, Colleen

'Open Book Ontario' the online magazine that celebrates Ontario's vibrant literary scene, is launching a new series focussing on particular communities, beginning this month with none other than London!

 In their words: "This January we turn to London, the Forest City, and find a thriving ecosystem of authors, publishers, small presses and reading groups. Follow Focus On: London to hear from London's literati about their habits, hang-outs and highlights. We'll let you know about upcoming events and introduce you to local writers and organizers and publish new articles by some of London's best voices. You won't want to miss our regional Recommended Reads or our monthly contest...a $50 credit at the local bookstore of your choice!"

http://www.openbookontario.com/regions/london

You may have noticed the extraordinary beauty that comes with the wide, horizontal photos at the top of these pages, as compared to their square versions in the gallery page. Why should that be? Why should a narrow strip, essentially a smaller picture with less content, contain more beauty than the original?
  
I have a theory. Linda and I were sitting in the Keg the other day and I noticed that, even there, practically everything in my view that was of any importance or interest (until the food came) was in a narrow strip around me. Even most of the lights were hanging down into that strip so you didn’t have to look up to see them. So what I’m beginning to see is that when our eyes leave the steak they normally look just about exclusively into a narrow horizontal strip! Of course, when we’re involved in something very close, like food or words, that doesn’t apply. But nearly all things in the middle distance, from say 10 to 100 feet away, pretty much have to be inside that narrow horizontal strip around us, the centre of which is pointing at the horizon. We’re used to focussing on that strip because, in practically every situation we find ourselves, most things are inside it. Why? Because things in the intermediate distance have to be inside it. The angle below it, from the bottom of the strip to our feet, is mostly floor, or the table-top only a few inches from our eyes. Close objects, closer than the intermediate distance, are either blocking our view totally or we have to look down at them. Things in the
far distance, on the other hand, unless we’re standing out on the prairie in Saskatchewan, are up in the sky. Which, in any case, is usually blocked by a boring ceiling. And who but a jailbird studies a ceiling.

So we have developed a horizontal-strip aesthetic. We like them because that’s where the good stuff is. What we look down at we already have. What we look up at is beyond our reach. What’s in that horizontal strip is what we want. 
  
Proof of the beauty of horizontal strips is on the top of each page of the  website. 
 
All photos were taken by Poetry Night co-founder Erik Martinez Richards.

(I'm working on a Canadian list: coming soon.)

http://www.everywritersresource.com/topliterarymagazines.html

WOW, WHAT A GREAT NIGHT!

About 50 people showed up at the Mykonos for our 4th London Open Mic Poetry Night. It wasn't quite packed but it sure was nice and full.

And here I had convinced myself it was going to be a disaster, for one reason or another - the weather, the holidays, university closed, and so on - and I was pretty sure that even if anyone did show up the terrace would be too cold. 
 
But no. People just kept coming in, and the terrace was as hot as anyone could want (actually they had to turn it down), the music was incredible, the poetry awesome, and everybody had a wonderful evening. I even got to read at the open mic myself. As did Dawna, who deserved it after her great hosting.

All in all, not quite the downer I was prepared for.


Stan

In the beautiful Greek terrace at Mykonos restaurant, there will be lots of open mic, harp music like you’ve never heard before Celtic with song, and London’s own John Tyndall reading from his latest book of
poems. 

At 6:30, JENNIFER WHITE will open the evening with her incredibly lovely Celtic harp and vocals, performing her own work, accompanied   by percussionist Robert McMaster. You can hear a sample of  their music here: http://www.knockgrafton.com/contents.html

At 7:00 long-time Londoner JOHN TYNDALL comes on, reading from his latest book, ‘The Fee for Exaltation’. Tyndall’s spare, image-rich poetry reflects an interest in family, love, religion and traditions.  There will be a Q&A. Our interview with him:  http://www.londonpoetryopenmic.com/1/post/2012/12/john-tyndall-interview.html

We have doubled the length of our OPEN MIC this time to two hours. At five minutes per reader (which is roughly two big pages of poetry - but time yourself at home), that’s 24 readers. In case there aren’t that many, we will have A SECOND ROUND, so bring two five-minute batches if you would like to. If so, just write ‘yes’ in the appropriate space on your ballot when you enter.

There will be an intermission during the open mic, after which we will pick the winners of our three RAFFLE PRIZES. These will include Tyndall books and broadsheets. Everyone who donates to London Open Mic Poetry Night will receive a raffle ticket. 

WHERE: Mykonos Restaurant terrace, 572 Adelaide St. N., London. Wheelchair accessible; cover is by donation. Overflow parking available across the side street and in the large lot one block north, in front of Trad’s Furniture.

The terrace is enclosed and well-heated from above, but in cold weather there can be cool air at floor level so WEAR WARM FOOTWEAR.