Say What?

In the photo above is the desk of Vancouver poet Rob Taylor, as seen by his left big toe. But it's this statement, on our own Signal poet Shannon Stewart, that really caught my attention:

"I’ve read Penny Dreadful three times, I know all about Shannon Stewart’s computer monitor, but I’ve never seen an assortment of her rumpled blouses piled in a hamper. Can I really call myself a fan?” To me, these are the kinds of questions any real lit nerd must ask in this day and age.

Read the rest of what this kook has to say here

"Robert Frost of the Supermarket Aisle"

The Vehicule office is abuzz: major tabloid Weekly World News has featured a poem from Shannon Stewart's Penny Dreadful on their website!

Of course, the attention is utterly appropriate. Penny Dreadful is partially inspired by the bizarre headlines Stewart would scan while standing in the checkout at Safeway.

For more on the book, read her interview with Newfoundland poet Danielle Devereaux on the Maisonneuve website.

Beating the Monday Blues

A mini-deluge of good news for Signal poets. First, a couple of excellent notices for Shannon Stewart's Penny Dreadful. One from Brian Campbell, who reviewed it for Rover ("many of these poems," he says "have a mordant, singsong quality; though penny-sized, they pack a powerful punch"). The other from the Utne Blog ("Rather than disengage from the horrific news, Stewart used her poetry to engage with it through humor").

We also just learned that Jason Guriel squeaked into the inner sanctum of the IFOA. He is one of five poets who, following last week's "verse-off," has been extended an invitation to read in the festival in October. The winner was Jacob McArthur Mooney.

The photo to the left features a "good luck charm shelf" from Stewart's home. You can read all about it here.