Some light housekeeping,

, in which one attempts to offer some updates,

It might be summer, but there are still things going on. Does it ever end? The young ladies are home (they even hosted a lemonade stand recently). Everyone is home.

I answered five questions from Finnian Burnett recently, which was fun. We focused on my short story collection, On Beauty (University of Alberta Press, 2024) [a book we aren’t sending for Giller Prize consideration, by the by], which will be out in mere weeks. I mean, you’ve already pre-ordered a copy, haven’t you? I’m starting to think about how I might launch such a thing in Ottawa. Most likely in September, hosted by my pal, poet, fiction writer and editor Rhonda Douglas. We shall see. And Megan Nichols featured me on her podcast as well, What We Aim To Do, which was pretty entertaining. Apparently immediately before our scheduled e-meeting to record the interview, she warmed up by listening to the interview Han VanderHart did with me for the On Poetry podcast, so she was pretty well prepared.

You probably noticed I didn’t make that reading in Picton we talked about earlier, given I broke my foot on Father’s Day. By the time you’re reading this, we’re in Picton to hang out with father in law, allowing the kids some time at the pool (my lack of ability to drive stymied our New England genealogical jaunt, which is frustrating). But at least we should be at the reading at the bookstore there on Thursday, most likely (in the same series I was supposed to read at; Christine reads for same in September). Oh, but I am reading in Toronto on July 30 as part of Shab-e She’r, in case you’re around for that.

Back home, I’ve organized another edition of The Factory Reading Series, hosting Vancouver writer Clint Burnham and Kemptville writer Chris Turnbull at ten toes coffeehouse (Somerset Street West at Rochester) at 7pm on Monday, July 22^nd. Given above/ground press turned THIRTY-ONE YEARS OLD last week, I’m hosting a MASSIVE SALE on titles until the end of August, as well as organizing an anniversary reading/launch/party, with readings and chapbook launches by Chris Banks (Kitchener ON), Mahaila Smith (Ottawa ON), Gil McElroy (North Bay ON), Pearl Pirie (rural QC), Carlos A. Pittella (Montreal QC) and Shane Rhodes (Ottawa ON) on Saturday, August 10 at RedBird, down there in Old Ottawa South. Tickets are available (and includes copies of two recent chapbooks)! You should come out for that.

As for my writing, I’m attempting to re-enter the novel I began during the Covid-era, which directly follows a couple of threads from On Beauty, as well as attempt to work edits on the subsequent short story collection. I would like to think I could finish both by the new year, but that might be overly ambitious, but who knows? There’s always a part of me excited to get a project completed and out the door, as well as excited for the thought of what might come next. What might come next? I mean, I’ve been poking at a poetry project since November, which slowly sees itself cohering into shape, which is kind of fun; I’ve been working on “the green notebook” since April, as well as attempting to circle the ends of “the genealogy book” for potentially sending out into the world. Maybe that’s enough for now, yes? And the poetry collection the book of sentences is forthcoming with University of Calgary Press (either late 2025 or early 2026), a follow-up to the book of smaller (University of Calgary Press, 2022). Watch, also, for new chapbooks forthcoming with Gap Riot Press, Ethel Zine and № Press!

Oh, and if you need a pick-up, you can always check out the YouTube channel, which hosts the ‘virtual reading series’ I’ve been doing since the onset of Covid, via periodicities: a journal of poetry and poetics. There are more than one hundred poets doing short reads of their work!

Mark your calendars, also: the fall edition of the ottawa small press book fair will be held on November 16, 2024 at Tom Brown Arena (the thirtieth anniversary of the ottawa small press book fair!); and the fall VERSeFest dates will be November 28-December 1, 2024. If you want to keep up with Ottawa-ish small press, may I suggest checking out the (ottawa) small press almanac blog? There’s always lots going on.

Was there anything else?