Sunday, November 09, 2008

25 POETS TO COMMIT ‘RANDOM ACTS OF POETRY’ ACROSS CANADA



Random Acts of Poetry, a celebration of poetry and literacy, begins its fifth year during the week of October 1st to 5th, 2008.



Random Acts of Poetry is a project of the Victoria READ Society, a non-profit literacy organization, established in 1976. Random Acts of Poetry is funded by The Canada Council for the Arts.

During the week, 25 acclaimed poets across Canada, from Victoria to Newfoundland, will commit Random Acts of Poetry in their cities and adjacent small towns. On buses and subways, in donut shops and cafes, police stations, grocery stores, shelters, curling rinks, on city streets and country lanes, poets will read poems to strangers and give them their books. Poets will also read their poems in ESL and Adult Literacy classes and, as well, will present poetry in middle school classes, and give the students a book of poetry written by middle school students, We Can Say This, published with support from of the TD Bank Financial Group.

Patrick Lane, one of Canada’s premier poets, says of Random Acts of Poetry, "There are no accidents. Nothing is random. A poem sits in a poet’s pocket and jumps out when you least expect it. It can nestle in a mechanic’s ear, a politician’s hand, a waitress’s bright eye, somewhere, anywhere. You look up from work and there’s a poem. It reads itself to you. It asks you to take a break. It says: Right here. Right now."

"Poetry," says Wendy Morton, founder of Random Acts of Poetry, "is the shortest distance between two hearts. I have read poems to hundreds of people, many of whom hadn’t heard a poem in thirty years, and watched their eyes fill up with tears. Some burst into laughter or laid a hand on my shoulder, hugged me, took my hand. Poetry can connect us with each other as humans as no other art form I know. Poetry is a gift that we can create from whatever life has in store for us."

Across Canada poets will commit random acts in: Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Pickering, Trenton, Ottawa, Port McNicoll, Windsor, Montreal, Laval, Fredericton, Edmundston, Charlottetown, Halifax, and St. John’s.

Saskatoon RAP photos

Poeming at a TD bank in Saskatoon.

Saskatoon RAP photos

Randomly poeming a gang of girls who already had a predisposition to poetry.

Saskatoon RAP photos

Reading to a couple on their wedding day. They said this was their first wedding gift!

Saskatoon RAP photos

Sharing No Apologies for the Weather with a young couple in Kiwanis Park.

Saskatoon RAP photos

Kamikaze poet. Enjoying the leaf pile in Kiwanis Park.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Danielle Shelton shares a haiku with Mexican/Uruguay poet Victor Sosa.


Patrick Coppens poems a few internet cafe users.


Élizabeth Robert poems François Tardif.


Agathe Brisebois se fait coller un poème.


Patrick and Élizabeth both poeming.


Patrick, Danielle and Élizabeth kick off this year's edition of les Randonnées aléatoires de poésie (RAP), with Agathe Brisebois.


Élizabeth Robert poems Cristina Rascon Castro.


Marian White


Marian White
Originally uploaded by random acts of poetry
This group photo was taken during an ESL class. These students were reading my poetry and then translating into Chinese. A great week all around.

Laurence Hutchman

Laurence Hutchman reads to future teachers at Edmundston Campus of the Université de Moncton.

Laurence Hutchman

Laurence Hutchman reads to Jean Francois Pinel at Radio CFAI in Edmundston.

Laurence Hutchman

Laurence Hutchman reads in the Sullivan Esso Station to Bill Sullivan.

Laurence Hutchman

Laurence Hutchman reads as Louise Fife dances holding a jar of exotic tea at Café Lotus Bleu

Carmelo Militano

A man, his motorcycle and a poet and his poems.

Carmelo Militano

A lovely lady in an Asian shop reading my poems upside down as I read to her. Amazing!

Carmelo Militano

Family out for a sandwich for lunch & a poem for dessert.

Carmelo Militano

Couple enjoying a fall day & a poem down by the river.

Carmelo Militano

The amazing kitchen staff at 'Oui' Restaurant pause to listen and enjoy a
Poem.

RAP 2008 pics from Kim Goldberg in Nanaimo.

Kim Goldberg lays some rhymes on a bronze likeness of Nanaimo¹s longtime mayor of yesteryear, Frank Ney, who was fond of donning a pirate costume and proclaiming "Here in Nanaimo, we prefer corn to culture!" Random Acts of Poetry may change his mind.

RAP 2008 pics from Kim Goldberg in Nanaimo.

Kim Goldberg takes it to the airwaves on Nanaimo¹s Radio CHLY, poeming show host Dirk Becker.

RAP 2008 pics from Kim Goldberg in Nanaimo.

Dorothy Mandy and Larry Whaley get poemed by Kim Goldberg at the a farmer's market in Nanaimo.

RAP 2008 pics from Kim Goldberg in Nanaimo.

Sarah de Bakker and a friendly totem turn an ear to roving poet Kim Goldberg in Nanaimo¹s Bowen Park.

RAP 2008 pics from Kim Goldberg in Nanaimo.

7-month-old Nathan Nakagawa takes time out from teething to catch a poem from Kim Goldberg. Future poet-in-the making?

RAP from Edmonton

RAP 2008 was a blast.

It started with a CBC Radio morning show interview where I read Billy Collins' "Introduction to Poetry," Amazing how many people heard the interview and said they hoped they would be poemed.

From there, I went to Lis Cressey's Grade 6 class at Parkdale School where I took We Can Say This and did a poetry workshop with the kids.

Here are some excerpts from the poems:

If my poem were a superhero it would be my mom,
because she loves me and that is her power.

If my poem were a laugh it would be a laugh with a snort in the middle,
because I love the sound of a pig.

If my poem were a hairdo it would be a funky spiky pink
because it reminds me of myself.

If my poem were the end of a story, it would be mysterious
because it makes me think of what will happen next.

We had fun.

Friday was a beautiful day--sunny and golden--and my able poetry assistant Kirstin Mayo and I poemed all kinds of people in Churchill Square and City Hall. Some memorable moments:
Bill the underground parking attendant who was delighted to get a poem and a book.
Tom, a homeless man who played the grand piano in City Hall beautifully, and who traded me for my poem and book with his playing and with a spirited rendition of Hamlet's To Be or Not To Be soliliquy.
Glen, a folkie busker in the underground causeway, who read one of my poems--"The Debt Tango"--amazingly well.
Margo, who laughed with such gusto.
The Mayor, Stephen Mandel, who is a big poetry supporter.

Saturday I poemed at the Carrot Cafe on 118 Avenue and at the Anarchist Book Fair in the Ukrainian Hall, an event that draws activists from all over Canada and the States.

Monday, I visited Amiskiciy Academy, an aboriginal school, where I joined the community for morning drumming circle and prayers, before visiting a Grade 10 and Grade 8 class.

Thank you for the opportunity!

Jannie Edwards

RAP from Edmonton


RAP from Edmonton


Pictures of Mary Ann Mulhern.


Pictures of Mary Ann Mulhern.


Pictures of Mary Ann Mulhern.


Susan McMaster photos in gym.


Susan McMaster photos in gym.


Wendy Morton


Wendy Morton
Originally uploaded by random acts of poetry
Students at Journey Middle School, Sooke, B.C. discover poetry .

Wendy Morton


Wendy Morton
Originally uploaded by random acts of poetry

Wendy Morton reads to the manager of Save on Foods in Victoria and his twin.


Janet Rogers


Janet Rogers
Originally uploaded by random acts of poetry
Hi All;
It was a lot of work! For poets and Wendy our (tireless?) organizer.

I shared poetry with the executive board members of the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres in Victoria B.C. and did this in the Family Literacy room - what could be more appropriate. There were some families there too.

Conducted a writing class at the Tribal School on the Tsarlip Reserve on Vancouver Island. Some of the students in this class were contributors in the "We Can Say This" publication and read their poems to the class when they received the booklets.

Then I committed Random Acts of Poetry at an event called "Shop the Wild B.C. at the Royal Roads University, but dang-it, forgot to bring my camera that day as I was selling my crafts and had too much to pack. But during that weekend, read to Elders, teachers, moms-to-be and a Band council contingent from Haida Gwai.

As a result, my books are now in a variety of communities throughout British Columbia, such as Prince Rupert, The Queen Charlotte Islands, Penticton, Cowichan etc.

Janet Rogers