Shag

Listen to Shag -- adapted and sung by Andrew Steinmetz -- from Carmine Starnino's This Way Out, published by Gaspereau Press.

Anatomy of a literary debate

Start with this, add this, throw in this, and you end up here.

Take a Shot, Don't Deny Yourself

The Winnipeg Free Press reviews Sundre:

EXTRAORDINARY is too mild a word for Sundre. But in a sense the novel offers its own best insight into its richness when one of its narrators, Sandra, describes her daughter's birth: "There was originality in her birth in the way that perfect originality is found in the usual if only you take the time to look."

Full review here.

Da non perdere!

Celebration

Good news on every front. Jason Guriel, author of Pure Product, was awarded Poetry magazine's editors prize for his reviews in the October 2008 and March 2009 issues. Esplanade editor Andrew Steinmetz’s novel, Eva’s Threepenny Theatre, is a finalist for the 2009 Ottawa Book Awards. Winner will be announced October 20.

Money is Also a Kind of Music

Andrew Steinmetz, editor of Esplanade Books, recently has been setting music to the lyrics of Carmine Starnino's poems (published by Gaspereau Press) and Jason Guriel's poems (published by Signal Poetry).

"When Carmine came out with his book this spring, I started playing guitar again, and wrote a series of songs to his poems in a flash."

Listen to The Hard to Get Rid Of, from Jason Guriel's spring poetry collection, Pure Product.

Richardson Redux

A great new interview with Peter Richardson. "Everything influences my work. Music. A walk. Something heard on the radio. What people have said beside me on a street corner. I’m part starling."

Don't forget to check out Richardson's reading for The Montreal Gazette's series of summer videos.

Gurielmania

It's been a quiet summer for our Google Alerts, except when it comes to Jason Guriel.

He has an essay well worth reading over at Contemporary Poetry Review.

Maisonneuve posted an interview with him and invited poets Mark Callanan and Michael Lista to discuss his new book Pure Product.

Lastly, Canadian trend-setters Gloss think he's the bee's knees.

Bird Spotting

Poetryreviews.ca praises Asa Boxer's The Mechanical Bird for its "shining brilliance" and Grasshopper Reads likes the way Boxer "discovers delight in the darndest of corners."

Seeing Double

Pop Culture Junkie on "lookalike" book covers.

Relit Twofer

Well blow me down. Vehicule has TWO books in the running for the Relit Awards. Penny Dreadful by Shannon Stewart (poetry) and Anna's Shadow by David Manicom (Fiction). Heartiest congratulations to both authors. Winners announced next month.