Eva Avila

Eva Avila rehearses one of her songs in preparation for Canada Day in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. She is from Gatineau, Quebec and the winner of the 2006 season of Canadian Idol.

Jill Greenberg

Former Montrealer and photographer, Jill Greenberg, celebrates her 40th birthday this July. Visit her website, Manipulator, for some awesome images.

jwcurry Reads bpNichol's The Martyrology

reader, audience & setting


On Sunday 17 June 2007 jwcurry read the entire text of Book 4 of bpNichol's magnum opus, The Martyrology. The reading event took place in a shady nook of Richmond Landing on the Ottawa River. jwcurry is attempting to raise funds "for the publication of an exhaustive bibliography of bpNichol's works --- possibly the most massive undertaking (approx. 4000 pages) dedicated to a single artist ever (certainly in Canada)." [from event flyer] His last reading of bpNichol in Ottawa took place in July 2006 where he completed a public reading of books 1 to 3. Later on that summer he completed the whole opus in a marathon reading in Toronto. Late Sunday afternoon and evening he was also scheduled to perform book 5 but I had Father's Day obligations to attend to. The background music to this slide show is a bpNichol performance of 'pome poem'.

129 Seconds of Funkhouser

Normally, I carefully edit my photos, and post just one or two on my blog. However, I thought I would show a complete photoshoot from a reading - warts and all so to speak. Here are all 101 photos in the order I took them Friday evening. The slide show is all set to 129 seconds of Chris Funkhouser. Why Funkhouser? Well, as Lloyd Lindsey once said, "It's a trip, it's got a funky beat, and I can bug out to it". The main readers that evening in the Carleton Tavern were Stuart Ross, Jennifer Hill-Kaucher, Dan Waber although a few others were caught in the camera's eye.

Lucy of The Carleton Tavern

This is Lucy of The Carleton Tavern. She was our server at the Jennifer Hill-Kaucher, Stuart Ross & Dan Waber poetry reading last night.

Lucy, thanks for all your patience and hard work, especially since it was your second day on the job. I will get to posting photos of the actual poetry reading later on...

small press book fair

will be happening Saturday, June 16, 2007 in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre.

Michael V. Smith

[via bookninja.com and cbc.ca] Vancouver poet Michael V. Smith, author of What You Can't Have, is the inaugural winner of The Dayne Ogilvie Memorial Grant, a $4,000 prize.

Smith was in Ottawa along with Elizabeth Bachinsky, author of Home of Sudden Service and Jennica Harper, author of The Octopus at Ottawa's Collected Works Bookstore on May 21st 2006 when this photo was taken.

Capital Slam Champs

'Free Will' hoists the hefty steel belt high after a lengthy three-rounds of poetry. Free Will along with Nathanael, One, Rusty Priske makes up the team who will represent Ottawa at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word this October in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The alternate slam poet is Danielle Gregoire. The Capital Slam Finals was hosted 14 June 2007 by CBC Radio's Alan Neal at The Mercury Lounge at 56 Byward in the Market.

Alan Neal announces the poet's scores of the five audience judges who mark on their white boards on scale from 0 to 10. Most of the scores ranged in the high 9.5 range.
From the Capital Poetry Collective website:

Capital Slam is Ottawa's monthly slam poetry series. It was founded in October 2004 by Elissa Molino and Greg "Ritallin" Frankson, two members of the team that represented Ottawa at the 2004 Canadian Spoken Wordlympics. A small group of volunteers (the Capital Poetry Collective) runs the monthly Capital Slam shows.

A typical monthly show begins with a short open mic session, followed by one round of slam poetry (maximum 12 poets per night). After a short intermission, the featured performer entertains the audience, then the final round of slam is held to crown the Monthly Champion. The winner of the slam claims a cash prize.

Capital Slam Finals

The Capital Slam Finals Finals at The Mercury Lounge at 56 Byward in the Market.
With special guest John Akpata, and host Alan Neal as well as a surprise sacrificial poet. 7:00pm Thursday, June 14th at The Mercury Lounge, $10 at the door

Barry Dempster & Susan Elmslie

Poets Barry Dempster and Susan Elmslie read at the Tree Reading Series in Ottawa 12 June 2007.

Classic. Canadian. Music.

Hollywood by Streetheart

TED is cool

Changes Hair Studio

As I was about to take my Pulitzer Prize winning photo of the three lovely ladies standing in front of Changes Hair Studio in Westboro, a little boy (not mine) darted up to the live mannequins to pick up a business card. Smart little dude. He was so proud of his bold accomplishment, he came back to show it off to me. I snapped away. Here's a tiny slide show for your amusement.

Mayor of Westboro

Neil of Westboro may as well be de facto mayor of this fine village. Standing proudly with his glossy tummy in the wind, Neil just finished a tube steak when I spotted him. I stopped and had a chat with this tanned, gregarious fellow about his shirt and the weather. He pointed out that he got his shirt in the store behind him, 'FabGear 64'. I immediately went there and bought a similar shirt. Thanks for the heads-up, Neil.

Kathleen Edwards

Kathleen Edwards performed in Ottawa at WestFEST 9 June 2007

Lily Frost

Lily Frost performed in Ottawa at WestFEST 9 June 2007

Lindsay Ferguson

Lindsay Ferguson performed in Ottawa at WestFEST 9 June 2007

Sandra Alland Scream

Poet Sandra Alland gets her poetry across to the audience at the recent spring edition of the Ottawa International Writers Festival - 18 April 2007. I see she posted a couple of my photos of herself in performance on her blog (without telling me) hehehe. We'll see how long before she notices this pic. Seriously, if you see her on a bill go see her live in performance, she's awesome.

Alistair MacLeod

In December 2005, Alistair MacLeod was in Ottawa at the viewing of his eponymously-named documentary film, Reading Alistair MacLeod, directed by William D. MacGillivray.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced 29 June 2007 Alistair MacLeod was to be appointed as Officer, the Order of Canada.

Don McKay wins Griffin Prize

Poet Don McKay in photo when he recently read in Ottawa on 27 March 2007 at the Tree Reading Series. Last evening, he won the $50,000 prize and U.S. poet Charles Wright, took the Griffin for best International Poetry, also worth $50,000.

Andrew Cohen

Andrew Cohen articulates his opinions on the Canadian identity question.


Andrew Cohen at the book launch of his The Unfinished Canadian, at an Ottawa International Writers Festival event at the Library & Archives Canada, 5 June 2007.

via OIWF blurb:
"In The Unfinished Canadian, Andrew Cohen delves into our past and present in search of our defining national characteristics. He questions hoary shibboleths, soothing mythologies, and old saws with irreverence, humour, and flintiness, unencumbered by our proverbial politeness (itself a great misperception) and our suffocating political correctness. We are so much, in so many shades, and it’s time we took an honest look at ourselves. In this provocative, passionate, and elegant book, Cohen argues that our mythology, our jealousy, our complacency, our apathy, our amnesia, and our moderation are all part of the unbearable lightness of being Canadian."

Trillium Award Winners

(via bookninja.com)
"Ken Babstock has won the Trillium Book Award for poetry. Mark Frutkin wins for fiction. Congratulations all around."

iris - the morning after

iris - much prettier than a dandelion

Thunder & Lightning

31 May, 2007 - Greely, Ontario.