I’ll be signing copies of Gulch, After the Fires and Green Music at the Stellar Litfest in Oshawa tomorrow afternoon.
The Stellar Litfest aims to “promote the pleasure and discovery of reading by bringing together local, national and international authors with public audiences of all ages, creating an annual celebration of words. The Stellar Literary Festival is a celebration of the “word”, whether in printed, audio and visual media, presented for everyone in the community in an informal atmosphere designed to encourage discussion and conversation among all of those in attendance. Although we do not see ourselves as an academic festival, the Stellar Literary Festival seeks to advance authors of literary quality.”

My talented friends Tapanga Koe and Ruth Clarke will be reading from their contributions to That Not Forgotten, edited by Bruce Kauffman. That Not Fogotten is an eclectic anthology about to be released by Richard Grove’s Hidden Book Press. The purpose is to fundraise for the refurbishing of Al Purdy’s house in Ameliasburg, with the final goal of opening the house as a writer’s residence. I have two pieces of flash fiction in the book, including the short-short “My Mother’s Skeleton,” but won’t be reading at this pre-launch event so there will be more time for others at the podium. I’ve read enough in the first half of 2012! That being said, I’m looking forward to hearing from Ruth and Tapanga, and from John B. Lee, the festival’s featured poet. There will also be presentations by writers from the Canada Cuba Literary Alliance, as well as other groups.

All royalties from post-release book sales will go to The Al Purdy A-Frame Trust.

The launch party will take place on September 9 at The Kingston Yacht Club, between 12:45 and 4 pm. If you have any questions about the anthology please contact Bruce Kauffman, anthology editor/coordinator, at bruce.kauffman@hotmail.com Please put “Anthology Questions” in the subject box. According to the website, That Not Forgotten is to be “a collection of work from writers with ties to an area along the north shore of Lake Ontario, from Kingston to Port Hope, north to #7 Highway. The mission of the anthology is to paint, with an eclectic brush, reflections of, reaction to, hope within – pieces of ourselves found, pieces of ourselves lost here in this place. The book, more than thematically specific, will be a collage of voice and style from poets and prose writers, who either still or at some point in their lives, shared this place, this soil.”

Bruce Kauffman was research editor/volunteer coordinator for a poetry reference manual (Poiesis Poetry Guide, 1998). His poetry chapbook, seed (The Plowman), was published in 2005. A stand-alone poem, streets (thee hellbox press), was published in 2009. In 2010, his book review for John Pigeau’s The Nothing Waltz (Hidden Brook Press) was published in The Antigonish Review. His poetry has also appeared in five compilations. He currently hosts a monthly open mic poetry reading series, poetry @ the artel, in Kingston, Ontario. He also hosts a weekly poetry radio show, finding a voice, on CFRC 101.9fm (Queen’s University).