a collection of interesting and not-so-interesting things. including information on current & upcoming projects.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

FINAL Martian Press Chapbook!!!

Yes, it's worth all three exclamation marks. I'm closing the book on The Martian Press, as I simply don't have the proper amount of time to devote to making chapbooks anymore. Mark the date July 19 on your calender: there will be a going-out-gala at McNally Robinson in Calgary on that date. More info closer to the date.

The final MP book is Ken Kowal's Ripley Retreats. The book is a odd collection of poems --- imagine Tom Ripley (from Patricia Highsmith's Ripley books) visiting a writer's colony and leaving a manuscript behind. It's presented very simply, as if I had found Ripley's manuscript cleanly laid out on a bare desk. A clever little set of poems.

Like all MP books, Ripley Retreats is a mere $5 + $2 shipping = $7. E-mail jonathan[at]jonathanball[dot]com to order your copy.

Or, you can get the 5 books for $20 deal I always offer (shipping waived in this case). The following books are still available (the rest are out of print):

* Call & Response by derek beaulieu & Jonathan Ball
Generations by rob mclennan
Aberrant Lounges by Kimmy Beach
On Stealing Lips by Lars Palm
Full On Jabber by Chris Rizzo & Jess Mynes
Of Quixote's Lap by ryan fitzpatrick

* indicates almost-out-of-print titles you should order immediately

Thursday, June 21, 2007

My New Favourite Song/Video

Monday, June 18, 2007

Spoony B on MySpace!!!

Although I have deleted my MySpace site, Spoony B still has his own MySpace site.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Your To-Do List

1. Read these Dinosaur Comics:

http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=1003
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=1004
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=1008

2. Go to the dANDelion launch party (see below).

Sunday, June 10, 2007

June 14 -- dANDelion launches 33.1

The dANDelion launch is coming right up! Don't miss it!!! FREE admission and FREE food and FOUR great performers!!! Here's the info:

Thursday, June 14
33.1 Launch with Patrick Friesen, Marilyn Lerner, Andrew Wedderburn, and Jay Coda Walker


When: June 14th, 2007

Where: Cantos Music Foundation, 134 – 11th Avenue S.E.

Who: All those interested in supporting and participating in the literary community

Why: Raise awareness, support dANDelion and expose Canadian talent

Time: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. to the public.


Calgary’s oldest literary journal, dANDelion, is celebrating the release of their latest issue (33.1) with poet Patrick Friesen accompanied by pianist Marilyn Lerner, author Andrew Wedderburn, and musical guest Jay Coda Walker.

Patrick Friesen’s latest work, Earth's Crude Gravities, is both a meditation and an argument, a compelling series of poems on the world of matter and the world of spirit. Acclaimed poet Patrick Friesen muses on the religion that has been such a key part of his own background—but he also raises uncertainties. Whether he is discussing his love of the material world or the fictional creation of a narrative in religion, Friesen’s poetry is elegant, eloquent and imagistic. Patrick Friesen, a resident of Winnipeg for thirty years, now lives in Vancouver, teaching at Kwantlen University College. He has written numerous books of poetry and has also worked on translations of Danish poets, including A Sudden Sky (2001), a collaborative translation with Per Brask of selected poems by Ulrikka S. Gernes. Friesen has also written several stage and radio plays, and has collaborated with choreographers, dancers, musicians and composers. His books have been shortlisted for the BC Book Prize and the Governor General's Award.

Exhilarating jazz pianist/improviser Marilyn Lerner performs to acclaim internationally, from her native Montreal to Havana, from Jerusalem to Amsterdam and the Ukraine. Her groundbreaking recordings have garnered recognition, including “Best Western Jazz Recording 2004” for her “Special Angel” duo with legendary guitarist Sonny Greenwich. Lerner conducts workshops on improvisation and on Jewish music throughout North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union. Current projects include both a recording and performances of "Shake My Heart Like a Copper Bell, Lerner's contemporary Yiddish song cycle on the poetry of Anna Margolin, scored for piano, cello, clarinet and singer Adrienne Cooper, for which she received a Hadassah-Brandeis research award, ongoing collaborations with poet Patrick Friesen, a new trio project with cellist Matt Brubeck and drummer Nick Fraser and numerous solo concerts.

Andrew Wedderburn has worked in community radio and co-operative bookstores, slung martinis and was briefly a moderately successful Name That Tune host. Now he explains stock photography for a living. His rock’n’roll outfit, Hot Little Rocket, has played across Canada more times than he can keep track of and performed for two weeks in Beijing in 2005. The Milk Chicken Bomb is his first novel. He lives in Calgary.

Jay Coda Walker has been performing for audiences for over 15 years. He is the National Project Discovery Winner of 2001, Budweiser Talent Contest Winner of 1999 and the Shaw Television Video/Showcase Recipient of 1998.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Cormac McCarthy (on Oprah)

Cormac McCarthy's only television interview was of course with Oprah. He's a strange pick for the Oprah Book Club, since the novel (The Road) is a touching story about a father and son trying to survive in a postapocalyptic future America (complete with cannibals).

A rather bland interview, owing partly to McCarthy's indifference and Oprah's utter lack of interviewing skill. Nevertheless, a great quote from McCarthy (on becoming one of the world's greatest living novelists):

I always knew that I didn’t want to work