Hot Ottawa Voices

But seriously, it was an appropriate heat-related metaphor. I like the Tree Reading Series, I heartily support it, but how much longer will we have to suffer the stifling tudor-basement heat, the brown water dripping from the stained ceiling in buckets on the sticky benches and floor? I vote for another venue free from the noise of bar stools upstairs so the voices can be heard. The sweltering humidity loses it's poetic charm real fast. Maybe it's just fussy old me. The evening's readers and open mike session was pleasing to listen to in any case. Good to see such a large turn out despite the other musical events which are happening in the city at the moment.

Assistant director, Dean Steadman also announced to the evening's crowded basement bar that the recent Governor General Literary Award winning poet, Anne Compton would not be able to commit to her scheduled appearance August 22nd due to a "lack of funding from a Canada Council grant", but an alternate reader will be selected. In November 2005 poet, critic, and anthologist Anne Compton won the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry with her book Processional. Up next on July 27th – A Midsummer Night’s Tree (all open-mike night). Come out and perform your best Max Middle sound poem. The newly-designed website features some of my photos of past readers at Tree. Yeah! A new website!


Gwendolyn Guth


Jesse Ferguson, Nicholas Lea (right) is hot "like Gitanes after mouth surgery".


Robyn Jeffrey