Category: Archive

JC brought her cento “Repeatedly, now in dream” to The Poets Corner Ekphrastic Pairings online reading on November 13. This poem draws lines unaltered, apart from changes in punctuation for the sake of grammar, from a collection by Norman Dubie. She appeared in the second half of the program.

One of 10 finalists selected by The Poets Corner in Maine, JC took delight in responding to the oil on paper work by Marc Hanson, entitled “Atmospheric, I.”

JC writes centos and found poetry under the pseudonym A. Garnett Weiss.

Here’s the link to the recording of the event:
https://www.thepoetscorner.org/events/ekphrastic-pairings

Here’s the link to the exhibition at the Page Gallery in Camden, Maine, where Marc Hanson’s work is on display. An in-person get-together, in which the artists exhibiting at the Gallery choose to read a poem from among those submitted, will take place on November 19, 2022.

https://www.thepagegallery.com/exhibition/ekphrastic-pairings/artwork

JC was delighted to craft a found poem to preface research papers originally presented in May at McGill University as part of the Dean Maxwell and Isle Cohen Seminar in International Law. She attended the program virtually.

Writing as A. Garnett Weiss, the pseudonym JC uses for found poetry and her celebrated centos, the poem draws individual words and phrases unaltered from two papers which appear in Volume 2 of the research studies, just published.

Here’s a link to “A form of transparency”: https://glsars.library.mcgill.ca/article/view/250/235

JC’s family established the Seminar to honour the many contributions of her parents to McGill’s Faculty of Law where her father taught and served as Dean.

“I thank the Graduate Law Student Association and particularly outgoing VP Academic Sandrine Ampleman-Tremblay and the co-editors of the research series for their work related to the Cohen Seminar,” JC concluded.

In spite of the rain, 7 intrepid Ottawa poets read from their recent poetry collections published by Thornhill’s Aeolus House.

The one-hour event took place at Perfect Books with an enthusiastic audience of poets and poetry-lovers.

Participating authors were: Miller Adams, Mary Lee Bragg, Brian Cameron, Blaine Marchand, Colin Morton, Claudia Coutu Radmore, and JC, writing as A. Garnett Weiss.

Copies of their collections are available from the bookstore at: 613 231 6468. Many thanks to Jim and Conyer at Perfect Books for the warm welcome and the great space.

JC was very pleased that publisher Allan Briesmaster invited her to read from BRICOLAGE, A GATHERING OF CENTOS at the book launch he hosted. She read selections from her collection, published in 2021 and a finalist for the 2022 Fred Kerner Book Award from the Canadian Authors Association. She also read “I didn’t know what to do,” the cento she composed by reusing lines from BRICOLAGE, in memoriam the child victims of Kamloops Residential School as the September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approached.

Aeolus House published JC’s collection of centos in July 2021 under her pseudonym A. Garnett Weiss. The book was among five finalists for the 2022 Fred Kerner Book Award from the Canadian Authors Association.

The event launched new poetry collections from Kent Bowman, Peter Jailall, Mori McCrae, and Daniel G Scott.

“I was honoured to appear on the bill with these fine poets and to celebrate the launch of their new books,” JC explained. Books will be available for purchase at the site. BRICOLAGE also can be ordered directly from bricolage.weiss@gmail.com

The GLOBE AND MAIL published JC’s letter to the Editor on September 13. She noted that the paper chose to include several letters pro the merger of the prize categories from two into a single English category and only one letter con, hers.

Here’s the link to the Letters page. The text, as published, follows below.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/letters/article-i-hope-that-those-who-voted-for-pierre-poilievre-will-enjoy-a

I am a longtime fan of the Griffin Poetry Prize’s Canadian and international categories. To posit that Canadians are up to competing with every poet writing in or translated into English seems more smokescreen than credible rationale for a single category.

It suggests to me that the prize process to date has coddled Canadian poets, which does them a great disservice. Their achievements in even getting published, within our country’s climate of diminishing publishing houses, restrictive retailers and flavours of the month, should be celebrated and championed at every opportunity.

I regret this decision to build up an already generous prize so that, in the end, the prize itself wins more profile on the international stage.

The Puppets Up! International Festival returned to Almonte August 12-14 and JC’s story played a part in it.

Students from Almonte schools under Jenny Sheffield’s direction performed THE MAGNOLIA THIEF along a tree-lined path, an “alameda,” on both Saturday and Sunday. JC narrated the voiceover.

“I am honoured that this year’s Festival staged THE MAGNOLIA THIEF, a very urban fairy tale. Having local students as the performers added to the delight. My thanks go to the festival’s Artistic Director Noreen Young for this opportunity.”

Written for young children and families, THE MAGNOLIA THIEF was inspired by JC’s love for the Saucer Magnolia in her backyard. “The magnolia began as a shrub, a gift for Mothers’ Day when our children were small. It now measures about 40 by 40 feet. I wrote the story in rhyme as a way to honour the tree and acknowledge the pleasure its blossoms give each spring.”

This year’s Festival lineup featured performances by troupes and puppeteers from Ontario, Quebec, Indonesia, Iceland and the US, including The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, Tanglewood Marionettes and Joshua Holden.

For kids of many generations, Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene hooked them on reading. Whenever a new book came out, the local bookstore (and there were several independent! bookstores in my neighbourhood!) would sell out very quickly, as young readers couldn’t wait fo the puzzle their favourite sleuth would unravel.

Garnett is pleased that Silver Birch Press of California chose her erasure poem “With original mystery” for the anthology, published on October 1. This poem extracts words from titles of Nancy Drew books in the order they appeared on the the page preceding the inside title page of “The Hidden Staircase,” published in 1930 and reprinted in 1995. The poem and the page showing the erasure appear in the collection.

Copies of the anthology will be available through the publisher and from Amazon.com. The publisher’s price per volume is $15. Here’s the link to Silver Birch Press’s release:

New Release: NANCY DREW ANTHOLOGY

Garnett’s second poem arising from Nancy Drew sources will be posted on her own website. “Siren” This uses bon-contiguous phrases, taken unaltered from”Nancy Drew: The Secret of Mirror Bay,” published in 1972.

JC is delighted “Scales” received an Honorable Mention and will appear in the upcoming “Loves Lies Bleeding” anthology from The Ontario Poetry Society (TOPS).

“I have found it difficult to sustain my equilibrium and my writing practice during the pandemic years and the upheavals in Canada and elsewhere. Although the poem begins with a dream, it moves on from that experience to my everyday reality: how current events weigh upon me in a debilitating way and force me to create a refuge of sorts,” JC explained.

“I thank the judges and TOPS for including “Scales” in the anthology and for giving the poem this award.”

FRAMED & FAMILIAR: 101 PORTRAITS, is an international anthology of poetry and photography just published as an e-book by Hidden Brooks Press.

The collection features two of JC’s poems. Here’s a link to the book and to her poems:
“Long playing” (page 174) and “Self, imagery” (page 175.)

https://issuu.com/richardgrove1/stacks/40131a9b3e1d42b8b4a0b829dc08ec2e

“I am delighted that Poetry Editor Antony Di Nardo chose to include my work in this stunning anthology. Among such fine words and images, my poems are in good company, indeed,” JC noted.

JC’s memory of a dream prompted her to write “Sleep, hiding” which is rooted in her experience during the first year of the pandemic. She is delighted that Public Poetry (Houston, Texas) and Director Fran Sanders chose this poem as a finalist and included it in PANDEMIC POEMS, their new anthology, now available for purchase.

Public Poetry hosted a lively online launch featuring several poets reading from the new anthology on July 7, 2022.

“What struck me is how amazing it is to be ‘in the room’ with poets and poetry lovers from across the United States, to have the opportunity to hear the poems featured in Public Poetry’s new anthology read aloud, and also to share with that community thoughts and work that are memorable.”

JC was happy to receive comments and feedback on her use of the cento form after she read her cento in memoriam Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg as her second poem of the evening.

Here’s the link for a way to purchase Public Poetry’s new collection:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1087992478/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

BRICOLAGE, A GATHERING OF CENTOS, is JC’s most recent poetry book, published by Aeolus House in 2021 under her pseudonym A. Garnett Weiss. The collection was a finalist for the 2022 Fred Kerner Book Award from the Canadian Authors Association. https://canadianauthors.org/national/fred-kerner-book-awards-2022-winner-and-shortlist/

Copies of BRICOLAGE are available from Octopus Books (Ottawa, Ontario), Books & Company (Picton, Ontario) and from bricolage.weiss@gmail.com