Editor’s Notes

Happy heat wave readers,

This month's issue is jam packed with poetry from nine, yes nine! writers; some we've seen before, some we haven't. Enjoy the seasonal variety of fresh words.

We also include D.L. Kingsley's play by play of the Capital Slam Semi Finals, which took place recently. As this issue goes live, the finals just finished and we're anxiously waiting to find out which four will represent Ottawa in Halifax at the Canadian SpokenWordlympics.

Also on the cusp of this issue's release is the Ottawa Small Press Fair. I hope you attend or did attend. Let's pretend that time is relative. Bywords has a table alongside other small presses in the region and beyond.

Other exciting upcoming events include the Dusty Owl's fundraiser book sale and Mid Summer Night's Dream reading on June 17; the launch of Arc Magazine's Lost and Found issue on the 23; the Max Middle Sound Project on the 26th, when the Tree Reading Series goes al fresco; and of course, the Bywords Summer Quarterly Journal launch on July 15 with the sultry acoustic blues of John Carroll and the sticky or cooling words of readers from the BQJ. The calendar of events has all the info.

If you thought you could relax and just go to the cottage this summer, you were wildly mistaken. There are more events, more great poetry to read, more concerts to attend, more patio festivities to be had right here in Ottawa to give you a buzz better than flies on a still lake.

Have a great summer. I'll see you at the numerous events.

Thanks to this month's selection committee:

Kelly Clarke, Megan McGrath, Kemisha Newman, and Victoria Vernell.

If you have comments, concerns, or breezy chats to offer, please drop me a line: editor@bywords.ca.

Amanda Earl