Editor’s Notes

Greetings Dear Readers,

This month's issue features four poems of transgression, investigation, celebration, and reflection. I hope you enjoy the issue.

When Covid-19 caused the cancellation of events, it was difficult to figure out how to maintain the calendar. We added the proviso, "all events cancelled unless online." That was a hard thing to do. Cancellations of events and festivals, the closures of venues, and in some cases, the shutting down of these venues who couldn't afford to keep going was dispiriting. After a while though, organizers began to come up with creative ways to hold virtual readings.

Now a few organizers are beginning to offer in-person events again, making sure that all the necessary Covid-19 risk mitigation is in place for those who feel comfortable attending and participating. On August 19, The Riverbed Reading Series will offer a hybrid event on August 18, featuring performers at the Saw Gallery and via Zoom. The reading will also be live streamed. This is Riverbed's first in-person event after launching the series on Zoom in May, 2020.

VERSeOttawa, which had to postpone its 2020 festival to November as a virtual series, is holding an outdoor event at Strathcona Park on August 28. There will food, readings and music. The 2020 festival can still be accessed online at versefest.ca.

The Ottawa International Writers Festival has its entire spring events available on video and audio on its site as well.

Virtual events also continue, such as The House of Paint's OG Slam, an annual event that offers slam participants the chance to compete for $500. This year it takes place on August 18.

We will continue to keep the calendar updated for both online and in-person events. Please consult organizers for full details about their Covid-19 safety procedures and guidelines and any other concerns you might have. Consult the calendar for details of the events and contact info.

If there are literary, spoken word, story telling and nonfiction events that are not on the calendar, please let me know.

Thanks to our selection committee this month:

Jesse Aubin
Ellen Chang-Richardson
Dan Boland
Margo Lapierre
Stephanie Mason
Kemisha Newman
Jade Riordan
Helen Robertson
Marjorie Silverman
Carol A. Stephen

If you have questions, comments, suggestions or calm and reassuring words to offer, please feel free to e-mail me amanda@bywords.ca.

Amanda Earl

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