Poetry of Everday Life Marathon
April 17, 2009

Photo Gallery

10 am, Nanaimo - The Dianna Krall Plaza in front of the downtown branch VIR LlB<br /><br />Winona Baker<br /><br />Before I did my half hour this morning I pasted your poster on a cardboard, colored it a bit and hung it in front of me to let people see/ read information about Cooked and Eaten's day of poetry.<br /><br />Today it was one of those 'looks like rain days' in Nanaimo, but except for a few drops it stayed away when I read outdoors in the Diana Krall plaza.<br /><br />Not like my first time in 2007 when I was slated to read in Bowen Park under the big trees, but it poured. The manager of the Bowen Centre there offered a room inside. Very nice, the executive meeting room with great leather chairs.<br /><br />My time slot today was from 10 am to 10:30 for Cooked and Eaten's Cross Canada day of poetry.<br /><br />The people place plaza is downtown in front of our new library so it gave me a chance to read for people going in and out. I brought a couple of my books and asked if they'd like to hear a poem from them.<br /><br />They did, except for a few who shied away I don't know if they thought I was a snake oil salesman or somebody of that ilk.<br /><br />I don't have a digital camera but Kim Goldberg who read later in the day was with me during my stint. She took some pictures and offered to send some on to you of me reading.<br /><br />One little girl there with her family seemed very shy, Kim offered her one of her mini- books. so she was content to let the family listen.<br /><br />Maybe she will be a Cooked and Eaten reader in about 20 years.<br /><br />The head Librarian Abbas put information about my reading on the PA system inside the library to let people inside know what was going on. He then came out and I read a poem for him.<br /><br />Here's to many more Poetry Marathons! I have read at all of them. 10 am, Nanaimo - The Dianna Krall Plaza in front of the downtown branch VIR LlB<br /><br />Winona Baker 11 am, Toronto, MCS Fitness<br /><br />Kate Marshall Flaherty<br /><br />One of my favourite places to read poetry is when my yoga class is in sivasana, when they are relaxed, open and receptive. They say they like it too! What a privelege for me :) 11 am, Toronto, MCS Fitness<br /><br />Kate Marshall Flaherty 11 am, Toronto, MCS Fitness<br /><br />Kate Marshall Flaherty 1pm, Parry Sound, West Parry Sound District Museum<br /><br />Katarina Fretwell<br /><br />Katerina Fretwell read from her fifth poetry, which includes her art, book, Samsara: Canadian in Asia, and recently published poems to an enthusiastic audience of 11 writers, artists and sundry friends at the aptly named Mad Hatter Cafe. 1pm, Parry Sound, West Parry Sound District Museum<br /><br />Katarina Fretwell 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street<br /><br />12 poets including: Louise Lukianchuk, Lloyd Graham, Rhonda Lee Stephenson, Jeremy Cork, claire Sullivan, Val Crowley, Debbie Minnema, James Wilson 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street<br /><br />Claire Sullivan 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street<br /><br />JR Maclean 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street<br /><br />Lloyd Graham 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street<br /><br />Louise Lukianchuk 1-4pm, Peterborough, Electric City Gardens Restaurant, Queen Street<br /><br />RL Stephenson 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />David Fraser<br /><br />Poets in the Underpass<br /><br />More than 20 people turned out (or strolled by and stopped) to hear our poetry in the Pearson Bridge underpass in downtown Nanaimo. The underpass, on the backside of Howard Johnson's Hotel, serves as a sleeping space for some of Nanaimo's homeless population. It is also part of Nanaimo's Scenic Harbourside Walkway, and is flanked by the Millstone River estuary. The sun was bright and the wind strong as we read our poems of urban reality and handed out free booklets and broadsides of our poems. Four members of the audience shared poems of their own during the open stage portion: Willow Chandler, Margaret Doyle, Cj, & Winona Baker. <br /><br />I live near this underpass in a 1930s cottage in Nanaimo's historic Old Quarter. I walk through the underpass daily, and have gotten to know some of the denizens who call it home at night. It was important to me to bring poetry (and people) to this location. I believe poetry is about taking risks and excavating truth from life's rubble. Poetry is everywhere - the cathedral of the underpass, the beer & wine store spawing ground around the corner, the wayward shopping cart with its torn blanket snapping in the wind... So this is where I wanted to cook & eat my poetry this year.<br />-Kim Goldberg 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />David Fraser - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Kim Goldberg - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Kim Goldberg - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Leanne, Kim and David - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Leanne, Kim and David - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Leanne McIntosh - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Leanne McIntosh - Poets in the Underpass 2:00-3:00 pm, Nanaimo, BC<br /><br />Poets in the Underpass 2pm, London, by the Thames<br /><br />Penn Kemp 2pm, London, by the Thames<br /><br />Penn Kemp 2pm, London, by the Thames<br /><br />Penn Kemp 4pm, Peterborough, Artspace/Greyhound station<br /><br />Wayne Elliot 4pm, Peterborough, Artspace/Greyhound station<br /><br />Wayne Elliot 4pm, Peterborough, Artspace/Greyhound station<br /><br />Wayne Elliot 5pm, London, The Art Exchange<br /><br />Penn Kemp 5pm, London, The Art Exchange<br /><br />Penn Kemp 6pm, Peterborough, patio of the Only Cafe<br /><br />Jo Jayward Haines 6 pm, Peterborough<br />Jo Hayward Haines<br /><br />Renee and Pepe Castro-Pozo and I descended on the Only Cafe at 6 pm and emoted for a good 20 minutes to a spell-bound crowd. I introduced Pepe as a great Peruvian poet! We read some poems of his plus the translations, a few Rumi pieces , a couple of Paul Haines and one of mine. As a grand finale I distributed some paperbacks of Paul's Third World Two as freebies. It was grand - photos to follow. 6pm, Peterborough, patio of the Only Cafe<br /><br />Jo Hayward Haines 6pm, Peterborough, patio of the Only Cafe<br /><br />Jo Hayward Haines 6pm, Peterborough, patio of the Only Cafe<br /><br />Jose (Pepe) Castro Pozo 6pm, Peterborough, patio of the Only Cafe<br /><br />Jose (Pepe) Castro Pozo 6pm, Peterborough, patio of the Only Cafe<br /><br />Jose (Pepe) Castro Pozo