Quill and Quire

Poetry

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By Elizabeth Bachinsky

It’s rare to encounter a book of poetry that so nimbly balances accessibility and craft as this second collection by Elizabeth Bachinsky. Drawing on apparently vast reserves of hipster angst, Bachinsky portrays the struggles of ... Read More »

July 10, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

Aiken Drum

By Peter Sanger

Nova Scotia-based poet and critic Peter Sanger is the author or editor of some 15 books. In Aiken Drum, his sixth collection of poetry, he continues his engagement with the subjects of his previous works ... Read More »

June 5, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

Fathom

By Tim Bowling

Mercy, what a book. Fathom, the seventh volume of poetry from B.C. poet Tim Bowling, is easily one of the most powerful books of Canadian poetry in recent memory, less a collection than a poetic ... Read More »

June 5, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

Liar

By Lynn Crosbie

Toronto-based writer and teacher Lynn Crosbie’s latest book is a long poem chronicling the disintegration of a relationship. As such, Liar is generically related to such high-profile works as Anne Carson’s The Beauty of the ... Read More »

May 30, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

Black

By George Elliott Clarke

George Elliott Clarke is one of Canada’s most prominent literary citizens. His work to date has garnered praise and prizes galore. And justly so. The problem with being a prominent literary citizen, however, is that ... Read More »

May 30, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

Momentary Dark

By Margaret Avison

Coming on the heels of Always Now, the monumental three-volume edition of Margaret Avison’s collected works, and the awarding of the 2003 Griffin Poetry Prize to her previous collection, Concrete and Wild Carrot, the bar ... Read More »

May 30, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

The Sleep of Four Cities

By Jen Currin

The Sleep of Four Cities is the first poetry collection from Jen Currin, an expat American and now Vancouver resident. The poems show the signs of much hard work. They are full of startling images, ... Read More »

April 7, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

The Clichéist

By Amanda Lamarche

The title of B.C. poet Amanda Lamarche’s debut collection is an open invitation to critics. Fortunately, there are few clichés of the glaring variety to be found here.If there is a too-standard element to Lamarche’s ... Read More »

April 7, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry

Gutted

By Evie Christie

While it’s not yet clear whether confession is, in fact, good for the soul (the eschatological jury is still out), one thing is clear: the confessional mode has resulted in a lot of bad poetry. ... Read More »

April 7, 2006 | Filed under: Poetry