The Factory Reading Series at Gallery 101

"The Factory Reading Series at Gallery 101 - featuring some of the best writers in Canada" sure lived up to its billing. We were treated to two interesting writers last night. Well, I have to be honest, there were only two people that made up the audience at the reading... myself included, who were not involved in writing as a 'profession'. There were about 6 or 7 in all at the reading from the Ottawa writing community. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Michael Blouin's novel in progress. It is the story of two children of alcoholic abusive parents. Seem that he is up to over 25,000 words so far in the process, and the chapters or 'vignettes' he read last night show that they are very polished pieces. He certainly has found the voices for his characters. The audience even reacted with hoots and laughter at certain humours passages throughout (which is funny in itself in that the subject is about an alcholic - abusive - family... not much to laugh at I admit, but trust me it was a knee-slapper.) I am sure that a publishing deal would be sure thing (no jinx) for this book.

_________________
span-o (the small press action network - ottawa)
presents

The Factory Reading Series at Gallery 101
featuring some of the best writers
in Canada

Thursday, March 25th, 2004 at 7:30pm

readings by Michael Blouin (Ottawa)
& Andy Brown (Montreal)

Gallery 101, 236 Nepean Street, Ottawa (1/2 block west of Bank Street)
lovingly hosted by rob mclennan

bios:

Michael Blouin was born the same year that Marty Robins had a hit single
with El Paso and Pittsburgh beat the Yankees 4 games to 3 to win the
World Series. He has taught for many years and is presently a Principal
with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario. He has had a
play workshopped at the Stratford Festival as well as numerous magazine
publications for poetry and short stories, including Grain, Queen's
Quarterly, Descant, and Arc. In 2003, he won the Diana Brebner Prize for
poetry, sponsored by Arc magazine.. He is currently at work on a third
novel for which he holds much higher publication hopes than he did for
the first two. He enjoys the Tree reading series, and disagreeing with
small children and large dogs which, as a father of three and the owner
of a large dog, he finds a surprising amount of time for.

Andy Brown is the sole proprietor of conundrum press. He co-edited You &
Your Bright Ideas: New Montreal Writing (Vehicule) with rob mclennan, and
Running with Scissors (Cumulus) with Meg Sircom. He has performed his
stories and chapbooks in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal. He is a
contributing editor for Matrix magazine, and recently edited their "Public
Domain" issue. I can see you being invisible is his debut "real" book.