For the first time in my life, I’ve been reading entire books of poetry that are written by only one writer. I set myself this task partly to help me prepare for interviews with the featured poets at our monthly events. But mainly just to get myself to do it.

It’s been interesting. Not only have I learned a fair bit about writing poetry, and about the poets themselves (to say nothing of the various things they actually wrote about), but, when I was reading our fifth poet’s book (‘Ani’ by D’vorh Elias) I also stumbled across a valuable little trick to help me read poems. 

...but when some of our really sharp poets get wound up at the mic the main thing I experience is a dull sinking feeling. And the need for another cup of coffee.

Well, we at ‘Open Mic Night’ (I’ve ...heard that term floating around lately), and the people over at Brick Books, have come up with two different solutions to this one hurdle that’s very common at poetry readings like ours.

Our’s is to post a batch of our featured poet’s poems on the internet (here and on our Facebook page) before the reading so everyone can read at least some of the poet’s poems as many times as they want to. And deeply.

Brick books has a totally different solution, but one just about as good. Podcasts. Put your headphones on and listen to Canada’s major poets read some of their poems, over and over and over...as many times as it takes. You can even stop them mid-stride and tell them to reread that bit. Anything -- run it through a voice analyzer. It’s like learning a language from a CD. Replay it till you get it:   Brick Books Podcasts
Here’s a fantasy of mine, just to take it to the limit. Tell me what you think: We bring a projector to the reading and have each poem, exactly as it was written, on a big screen behind the poet. You read the poem and at the same time hear the poet read it as it was intended to be read.

(For those who skipped the previous post, we are planning to do an online launch of every book of poetry (or chapbook) released in the London area by all poets who have been previously published in two discriminating journals. The launches will include a batch of their previously-published poems, an interview, a bio and a photo,all posted here on our website  as well as 'promoted' on our Facebook page.

One thing I didn't specify in the main post about the launches was what I meant by local poets. I may as well define that here. Since the whole effort will depend on the time and energy of one person, yours truly, then for the first few months I will limit the area served to London and the immediate surrounding towns, as far out as St. Thomas and Ingersoll. If it turns out that not too many books are being turned out in that area (I think I can handle about one a month on average without going into cardiac arrest), then I will probably expand the area to include Sarnia, Stratford and Woodstock. 

Our very first launch, at least that I know of right now, will be for Penn Kemp, who is launching her next book, From Dream Sequins, at London Open Mic Poetry Night's special National Poetry Month Reading on April 24th at Landon Library. We will precede the event with our online book launch. 

If you, or anyone you know, will be releasing a poetry book or chapbook, definitely get ahold of me. Poets only have to fulfill one requirement, that they have previously been published in two discriminating literary journals. If they are unknown to me they will have to provide evidence that that requirement has been fulfilled. Otherwise, there are no requirements in terms of the book itself. It can be self-published or commercial, online-only or made out of paper. Because, let's face it, not even the best Canadian poets can walk into a big publishing house and expect to be greeted with a big smile. 

My email: burfield@live.com

Stan Burfield, organizer

We are about to begin a new project, one which may be much more useful to the local poetry community than are our monthly events: We are going to do a free online launch of everyone’s new book release. 

The book can be of any kind, real paper or online-only, commercial or self-published. We only have one restriction: The poet must have been published in two mainstream journals, by which we mean journals that are discriminating. 

Our launches may prove to be more effective than are the traditional restaurant or library launches, for several reasons. 

First, we will post a batch of the poet’s previously-published poems so that readers can really sink their teeth into the author’s work, as opposed to only hearing them once as at a normal launch. And these poems will be linked directly to whomever is selling the books - a publisher or the poet’s own website. 

Second, the launch will include, along with a photo and bio, an interview with the poet, which will also be linked to the poems and to the book source. 

The Feb. 6th reading/open mic was another great success. Fourty five poets and aficianados attended.

Bill Paul, the London Town Crier, opened the event. D'vorah Elias, the featured poet, read and answered questions to tremendous applause, and then a huge variety of poets read at the open mic until 9:00 pm, including two who traveled all the way from Windsor, excited to start their own reading/open mic series there. 

Photos of the event will be up Friday.  

A LITTLE MUSIC WITH YOUR POETRY

At our launch last October, we were excited to have Bernie Koenig and Emma Wise play vibrophones and cello before the poets took over the microphone.  That incredible mixture of sounds will be back Feb. 6th at our 5th event at the Mykonos Restaurant. 

Imagine: Bernie hovers over his vibraphone with a yarn-covered mallet in each hand, sometimes two. They bounce off the metal bars producing bright, room-filling notes that vibrate, slowly dissipate and tremble out into each other. Sitting in a chair to one side, Emma Wise touches the bow to her strings and draws up into that lightness from the depths of the cello the most exquisitely melancholy vibrations. 

Koenig and Wise will be playing from 6:30 to 7:00, followed by featured poet D’vorah Elias and an hour and a half of open mic. 

Bernie Koenig has long taught philosophy and music at Fanshawe and is the author of two books of philosophy, one on the philosophy of art. Emma Wise is a part-time professor of psychology at Fanshawe and has studied cello formally.

Both will again be features as part of a musical trio including Dennis Siren at our special National Poetry Month event on April 24th at the Landon Library in Wortley Village.  That event will feature some of London's best poets: Canadian legend Frank Davey, our next Poet Laureate (as yet unnamed), our inaugural Poet Laureate, Penn Kemp, and a new poet on the London scene, Tom Cull.

Mykonos Restaurant terrace, 572 Adelaide St. N., London. Admission 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. 

D’vorah Elias will be the featured poet at the Feb. 6th, 2013  (Wed.) London Open Mic Poetry Night. As usual, it will be held in the terrace of Mykonos Restaurant at 572 Adelaide St. N. London, from 6:30 to 9:00. The first half hour will feature the sounds of vibraphones and classical cello, played by Bernie Koenig  and Emma Wise. Ms Elias' reading and Q&A will be followed by about 1.5 hrs of open mic until 9:00. Those who donate at the door will receive raffle tickets for three prizes, including special broadsheets of D’vorah Elias' poetry, her book ‘Ani’, and others donated by Brick Books.

Ms Elias was born in Korea, abandoned by her mother there, and subsequently adopted to America, where she married the late physicist Vic Elias. Raising four children in London, Ms Elias has also, for her 25 years here, been a member of the Sheila Martindale poetry workshop, which includes some of the best poets of the area, including John Tyndall, who was our featured poet in January, and David J. Paul who will read on June 5th. She is also a playwright.

For a sample of her poems, see: Seven Poems by D’vorah Elias.

(Editor: I’ve read the latest book by most of our featured poets so far, in preparation for their interviews, and, as an amateur poet, have been privileged to learn from all of them. Some have affected me, personally, more than others have. If I sound in my questions to Ms Elias more effusive than I have in other interviews, please take that with a grain of salt. Her poetry happens to suit me. Another poet would suit a different interviewer better. If only we had as many interviewers as interviewees, life would be a breeze!  ....Stan Burfield, Poetry Night organizer.) 

SB:    The biggest emotional traumas in your life had a huge influence on your poetry. What were they? Did you have relatively happy interludes?

DE:     I think the biggest trauma I suffered in my life was being abandoned as an infant by my biological mother. So much more is known today about the