Shut Up Slow Down Let Go Breathe: An Interview with Marcus McCann

Interview by Matthew Walsh

Over last summer, during Toronto Pride season, I got to have a conversation over Twitter with poet and lawyer Marcus McCann about his new collection of poetry, Shut Up Slow Down Let Go Breathe published with Invisible Publishing. McCann’s collection focuses on gay relationships, dating, homophobia, but it doesn’t stop there, moving from very serious material to tender and funny anecdotes about dating and acceptance of one’s identity. We got to talk about the poetry scene in Toronto, the Naked Heart reading series, and Glad Day Bookstore and Café, where Marcus is part-owner.

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March 22, 2018 at 9:00 am Molly Cross-Blanchard read more

Table Manners: An Interview with Catriona Wright

Table Manners

Catriona Wright

Véhicule Press, 2017

Interview by Matthew Walsh

Catriona Wright, poetry editor for The Puritan, an online magazine based out of Toronto, came to Vancouver recently to promote her debut poetry collection, Table Manners, at the Tonic Reading Series in June. The poems in this collection move with amazing precision and never go stale, leaving the reader with a richer vocabulary. Wright is a poet with a sharp eye and endless imagination. In this interview, we talked about food, inspiration, and how this book came together in what can only be described as a poetic feast for the mind.

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July 25, 2017 at 12:00 pm Molly Cross-Blanchard read more

These Dreams Are Actually from Other People: An Interview with Poet Michael V. Smith

Bad Ideas
Michael V. Smith
Nightwood Editions, 2017

Interview by Matthew Walsh

Bad Ideas, Michael V. Smith’s newest collection of poetry was just released with Nightwood Editions this year. Described on the first inner page as a “book of anxieties,” the book is full of little things: prayers and dreams that examine identity, queerness, and politics. It was great to catch up with the Lambda Literary Award finalist about his new work, and all his bad ideas.

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June 22, 2017 at 6:00 am Molly Cross-Blanchard read more

“We Can’t Ever Do This Again”: An Interview with Amber McMillan

Interview by Matthew Walsh Amber McMillan’s recent collection of poetry, We Can’t Ever Do This Again was released with Wolsak and Wynn last year. Split into three sections, the poems cover a lot of emotional ground. It’s easy to...

June 15, 2016 at 11:40 am Anita Bedell read more

“Play-Poem-Ash, A Cabaret”: An Interview with Erín Moure

Interview by Matthew Walsh Erín Moure’s latest project, Kapusta, was released by House of Anansi Press in 2015. It follows the character, E., in what is described as a “play-poem ash, a cabaret,” placing E. in the smallest of places,...

May 6, 2016 at 11:40 am Anita Bedell read more

The Passage of Time: Catching Up With Poet Robyn Sarah

Interview by Matthew Walsh Robyn Sarah’s most recent collection of poetry, My Shoes Are Killing Me, won the Governor General’s award for poetry in 2015. The poems touch on themes of nature, motherhood, and time, and allude to poets...

January 29, 2016 at 11:40 am Anita Bedell read more

A fierce book of poetry: “The Polymers” by Adam Dickinson

by Matthew Walsh The Polymers Adam Dickinson House of Anansi, 2013 Adam Dickinson’s most recent collection, The Polymers, is a fierce book of poetry. Inventive with language and form, it doesn’t shy away from a poetic experiment. Dickinson’s collection...

January 5, 2015 at 9:30 am Clara Kumagai read more

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