Ottawan?

Posted in Uncategorized on November 17, 2011 by Abby Paige

It’s been a good long time since I’ve posted an update here. The majority of this year, since June anyway, has been taken up by a big move from Montreal to Ottawa. I hesitate to call myself an Ottawan; although they are supposedly “the happiest people in Canada,” they are also — according to one editorial that appeared not long after my move — “the trouble with Ottawa.” The editorial is persuasive. There does seem to be some deficit of vision around here. Billboards near the Ottawa International Airport declare that it is the #1 airport in the world, which seems sort of like inviting friends over to admire your driveway.

Nonetheless, I’m withholding judgment. It’s early days yet, and a lack might well be an invitation, no? My personal interactions with Ottawans have been extremely pleasant, and I’m looking forward to establishing professional and creative roots here as I continue my freelance business as a writer and editor. Stay tuned for further updates!

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Conversation with Rhino

Posted in Poetry on August 8, 2011 by Abby Paige

The solitary part of writing and freelancing isn’t something that normally bothers me. I enjoy the quiet of my work space and the independence of my routine. But every once in a while something happens to remind me of how much of my work takes place in my head and how important it is to find ways to share the work — not just through publications, readings, or performances, but through simple conversation.

I was deeply honoured earlier this summer when my poem, “The Undefended Border,” was chosen by RHINO Poetry Forum to receive their 2011 Founder’s Prize. A bit of recognition is useful fuel for my solitary work. But I was equally honoured and grateful to be interviewed by associate editor Virginia Bell for RHINO’s blog. Her insightful questions gave me the opportunity to articulate some important ideas about the poem and about my poetry, as well as the opportunity to share those ideas with you. Thanks, Virginia, for interrupting the solitude.

You can read the full interview here.

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Gabe Foreman’s “Complete Encyclopedia…”

Posted in Poetry, Publication on June 20, 2011 by Abby Paige

Poetry doesn’t have to tell a story, but I must admit, I like it better when it does. It doesn’t have to be a linear story; the story doesn’t need to have characters or an ending. But I always enjoy a poetry collection more if I feel that the poems are somehow knitted together.

Gabe Foreman’s “A Complete Encyclopedia of Different Types of People” seemed likely to be held together by a thread. I look for it in my review, up on Rover now.

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Gillian Sze’s “The Anatomy of Clay”

Posted in Publication on May 31, 2011 by Abby Paige

My first feature for the Montreal Review of Books appears in their spring issue, which is on-line now. mRb is a great resource for information about the latest books in English published in Quebec, and it’s distributed throughout Canada. It’s also exciting how much poetry they review, a precious rarity!

For my piece, entitled Polaroid Poet, I had the opportunity to talk with poet Gillian Sze about her new collection, The Anatomy of Clay. Check it out!

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Afterglow

Posted in Uncategorized on May 25, 2011 by Abby Paige

I’m basking in the afterglow of a weekend among Franco-American artists and scholars at the University of Maine in Orono. Susan Pinette, Director of the Franco-American Studies program there, organized a deeply inspiring conference, exploring the history and future of the Franco-American community. It was a great time, and the perfect place to perform my solo show, Piecework: When We Were French. For me, the show has been an extraordinary opportunity to grow professionally (nothing like 70 minutes alone on stage to develop one’s acting chops!) and personally, as I’ve gotten in touch with my heritage and come to a greater understanding of its influence on me. This weekend was another important step in this process.

As I bask, I’ve added a bunch of Franco-American organizations, people, and other resources to my Links page, and I’ll continue to add to the list. Let me know if you have any suggestions of Franco resources in your area that should be included!

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“Piecework” and “The Living Past”

Posted in Performance on May 17, 2011 by Abby Paige

I’m excited to attend a gathering of Franco-American artists this weekend at the University of Maine in Orono. It still feels a bit strange to call myself a Franco-American artist, but that’s part of what attracted me to this conference, which is entitled, The Living Past: Franco American Identity in the Modern World. Among the questions posed by the conference organizers: “How can we think and talk about Franco identity in today’s world? How does it continue to inform (or perhaps haunt) our lives?” These questions preoccupy me as an artist, a genealogist, and an immigrant, and I’m always eager to listen to how others are formulating their own answers.

I’m honored that my solo show, Piecework: When We Were French, will be part of the discussion. The performance is open to the public; donations are requested from non-attendees of the conference who wish to attend individual events. Please come and join the discussion.

Performance of “Piecework: When We Were French”
Sunday, May 22, 11am
Soderburg Center in Jenness Hall, University of Maine, Orono
See conference website for more information

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Ken Babstock’s “Methodist Hatchet”

Posted in Poetry, Publication on May 15, 2011 by Abby Paige

When I first moved to Canada, I went on a crusade to introduce myself to as much contemporary Canadian poetry as possible. Considering that I have spent the vast majority of my life less than an hour from the US/Canada border, I was a bit chagrined to realize how few Canadian writers I had ever read, and I went about remedying the problem with the kind of dedication that I think only an immigrant would be capable of. Isn’t the convert always more dogmatic than those born into the faith?

Ken Babstock’s Airstream Land Yacht was among the books that made an early impression. The poems had a strange ability to make a kind of meaning that you could only really see out of the corner of your eye; sort of like Ashbery, but less stream-of-consciousness and decidedly more Canadian. In his new (fourth) collection, Methodist Hatchet, Babstock goes deeper. The poems have less humour than I remember and greater obscurity. Are these the signs of a poet maturing into a master, or of poetry retreating further from the average reader? I dunno. My full review is up on Rover now.

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