Editor’s Notes

Happy October, gentle readers,

I hope you enjoy this month's issue with the poetry of three former residents: Kane X. Faucher, Nick Power and Gregory Myers. It's a good reminder that even if you no longer live, work or study in Ottawa, you can still contribute to Bywords.ca and the Bywords Quarterly Journal.

Speaking of the BQJ, please note that the launch of the autumn issue will take place on November 9, 2008. Performing at the launch will be the drum circle Earth*Tones; readers will include Jamie Bradley, Rob Friday, Colleen Pellatt, Ronald Seatter and Carol A. Stephen.

Before that I hope you'll take in the fall edition of the Ottawa International Writers Circle, which includes the mini small press fair on October 18 and the Bywords John Newlove Poetry Award reading on October 21 at 7:00pm. Marie-Josée Houle will start the evening off with her lively accordion and melifluous voice, followed by Sean Moreland who will be launching his chapbook, Lupercalia, published as part of the John Newlove Chapbook Series. Then we'll get a chance to hear the honourable mentions and the winner of this year's award selected by George Bowering.

The winning poem "is witty and thoughtful, mysterious and competent. It does not sacrifice prosody and notation to affect. It shows confidence and practised skill on the part of its author."
                George Bowering

Thanks to this month's selection committee:

Andrew Faulkner, Gwen Guth, Stéphanie Lafleur, Megan McGrath, Leigh Nash, Pearl Pirie, and Victoria Vernell.

I hope to see you at an upcoming event or to read your poetry in an upcoming edition of Bywords.ca or the Bywords Quarterly Journal.

If you have comments, questions or a good bottle of wine to share, please contact me at editor@bywords.ca

Amanda Earl