THE SUNDAY EDITION: BOOKS FOR SOLACE, PERSPECTIVE, AND CONNECTION DURING SELF-ISOLATION

Inspired by the #TolstoyTogether reading project hosted by writer YiYun in collaboration with New York’s A Public Space, CBC Radio’s Michael Enright canvassed Canadian writers for their book recommendations in a time of crisis. This weekend, at home, I recorded my thoughts on returning to Juan Ramón Jiménez’s The Invisible Reality during the corona virus

THE SUNDAY EDITION: BOOKS FOR SOLACE, PERSPECTIVE, AND CONNECTION DURING SELF-ISOLATION Read More »

Poetry & Healing, A League Fundraiser for Sick Kids Hospital [MOVING ONLINE!]

THIS EVENT WILL BE MOVING ONLINE. CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES! Mark your calendars for Sunday April 5th! And please join me for “Poetry and Healing,” the League of Canadian Poets’ inaugural fundraiser for Sick Kids Hospital. This event will take place from 1:00 to 4:00pm at The Supermarket [268 Augusta Avenue] in Kensington Market, Toronto.

Poetry & Healing, A League Fundraiser for Sick Kids Hospital [MOVING ONLINE!] Read More »

Poetry in Union

The League of Canadian Poets and Toronto’s Union Station are excited to present Poetry in Union 2020, a public art experience. At this event, a selection of Toronto’s strongest, most diverse and most talented poets will provide personalized poetry on request to reflect participants’ own experiences and stories. This is a unique opportunity to interact directly

Poetry in Union Read More »

Poetry at the Manor

On Tuesday, October 8, I represented the City of Toronto in the Seventh Annual “Poetry at the Manor” event in Windsor. There, I had the pleasure of reading poetry at Windsor’s Willistead Manor along with fellow Poets Laureate Steven Ross Smith (Banff), Victoria Butler (Barrie), Micheline Maylor (Calgary) and Windsor’s Youth Poet Laureate Samantha Badaoa.

Poetry at the Manor Read More »

Danforth Tragedy Commemoration

Please join me at The City of Toronto’s commemoration of the Danforth Tragedy on Sunday, July 21, at 1:30 pm in Withrow Park (725 Logan Ave). This solemn ceremony acknowledges those who lost their lives and those who were injured during the July 22, 2018 shooting on Danforth Ave. The event will include the reading

Danforth Tragedy Commemoration Read More »

“Their Charge of Love”

In April, I was honoured to write and read a poem for the one-year memorial (23 April 2019) of the Yonge Street tragedy. And The Toronto Star very kindly reprinted the poem. Two months from the memorial, and 14 months from the tragedy, I have included both my preparatory remarks and the full text of

“Their Charge of Love” Read More »

“The Current of the Sugar”

In my role as Poet Laureate, I received a commission to write a poem for the 60th anniversary of Redpath Sugar’s residency on Toronto’s waterfront, to be read at Doors Open Toronto. While my poem, “The Current of the Sugar,” was dropped from the roster of the event, the poem will be considered for inclusion

“The Current of the Sugar” Read More »

Scarborough Poetry Slam!

This afternoon, Friday, May 17, I will be attending the Scarborough Slam, a spoken word event hosted by Wexford C. I. School for the Arts. The slam includes performances by student artists from Wexford C.I. School for the Arts, David and Mary Thompson, SATEC, and Porter.  I will be one of the judges, as will

Scarborough Poetry Slam! Read More »

“Art of Surgery” Chapbook Launching with Vallum 16:1 “Connections” in Toronto and Montreal

Please join me in celebrating the launch of my new Art of Surgery chapbook, part of the Vallum Chapbook Series, alongside of the writers featured in Vallum 16:1 Connections. For both venues, the event is free with $5 suggested donation. Pay $10 for entry and get a copy of issue 16:1! All proceeds go towards

“Art of Surgery” Chapbook Launching with Vallum 16:1 “Connections” in Toronto and Montreal Read More »

A Remembrance of Joe Rosenblatt

The Remembrance below was written at the invitation of Joe Rosenblatt’s friends Sharon Drache, Marci Katz, Peter Millroy, and Allan Safarik, for a celebration of Joe, held on 6 April, at Qualicum Beach, BC, where he lived. Joe died on 11 March 2019. Hearing of Joe Rosenblatt’s death, and having the chance to write a

A Remembrance of Joe Rosenblatt Read More »

Toronto’s Sixth Poet Laureate

On Thursday, March 28, I will be named Toronto’s Sixth Poet Laureate at Toronto’s City hall. I will be officially recognized at Toronto’s City Council at 9:30 am sharp. The introduction will include remarks by Mayor John Tory. Then, I’ll briefly address Council and read one poem. This will also mark the launch of the

Toronto’s Sixth Poet Laureate Read More »

CP24 Interview

I’ll be heading over to CP24 this Sunday afternoon, March 10, to be interviewed about my new role as Toronto’s Poet Laureate. The interview will take place in studio around 3:00pm. Tune in to CP24 Toronto via your television provider, stream on CP24.com/now [you might need a cable subscription to access this feed] or check

CP24 Interview Read More »

CBC Metro Morning Interview

On Friday, March 8, I spoke with CBC Metro Morning’s Matt Galloway about my new role as the City of Toronto’s Poet Laureate. And I read my poem, “The Worm Picker.” You can listen to the segment here. CBC Metro Morning airs on CBC Radio One 99.1 Toronto, Weekdays from 5:30-8:30 am.

CBC Metro Morning Interview Read More »

Toronto’s Next Poet Laureate

This morning, at a meeting of the Economic and Community Development Committee at City Hall, I was honoured to be chosen as the next Poet Laureate of the City of Toronto. This appointment must still be made official in a meeting of City Council on March 28, 2019. Per the City’s Press Release: “The position

Toronto’s Next Poet Laureate Read More »

Tamaracks Anthology Now Available!

This fall, Lummox Press released Tamaracks: Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century, an anthology edited by James Deahl. Tamaracks presents the work of 113 Canadian poets from Halifax (Brian Purdy) to Vancouver (Daniel Eliza). The anthology contains 183 pages of poetry and 54 pages of full bibliographies and biographies. Included are many new and veteran

Tamaracks Anthology Now Available! Read More »

Translations by Ann Yin in Poetry East West and Poetry Sky

Fellow poet Anna Yin has translated five of my poems into Chinese for Poetry East West. You can read them HERE. Two of these translations also appear side-by-side in the quarterly, Poetry Sky. You can read those HERE. You can find Anna Yin online at annapoetry.com. Enjoy! 他们为何祈祷 他们所祈祷的似乎并不多,已有的一份领地,尽管尘土飞扬的杂草延伸到天空:一片草地,树木轻微环绕,起伏着,错综复杂的斜坡由溪流穿过,再在湖泊,水域和芦苇沼泽旁平静歇息。微风吹过,波纹泛漾如音乐;海洋,在高处可见,从树林丛中闪闪发光,近得就像当你沉默时在内心深处可以听得见。阴处和影子:那是被大地的绿树手指保护着和湿润着的向太阳和天空的开放。然后在这些先决条件下将有一些事情发生:女人在满堂的光亮中和黄昏水面投影前歌唱;并且以某种方式一起生活不成为一个丑闻和一个耻辱。

Translations by Ann Yin in Poetry East West and Poetry Sky Read More »

Art Bar Reading – Tonight!

I’ll be reading, tonight, Tuesday, October 16, at the Art Bar, alongside poets Linda Frank and Marvyne Jenoff. The Art Bar Poetry Series is held at the Free Times Cafe, 320 College Street in Toronto. The event begins at 8:00pm. And, there is a $5 charge at the door. Terry Trowbridge will be the evening’s

Art Bar Reading – Tonight! Read More »

East Coast Poetry Tour

I am about to take The Sparrow on an East Coast Poetry Tour. This Thursday, September 27, I will read at the Atwater Library in Westmount, Quebec, alongside poets Rebecca Păpucaru, and Moez Surani. On Saturday and Sunday, September 29-30, I join an all-star line-up at Poetry Weekend at the University of New Brunswick. On Monday,

East Coast Poetry Tour Read More »

Someone Editions Launches Noctograms

Please join me this Friday night at 7:00pm at the Free Times Cafe (320 College Street, Toronto) to celebrate the launch of Someone Editions’ Noctograms, poems by Luciano Iacobelli, art by Deborah Barnett. Noctograms is the second in Someone Editions’ Little Letterpress series. I will be reading alongside of Beatriz Hausner. Luciano Iacobelli and Deborah Barnett will

Someone Editions Launches Noctograms Read More »

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival!

On Sunday, September 9, I will be reading at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival alongside poets Carol Rose Daniels and Billy-Ray Belcourt in the “Visceral Verse” division. The festival takes place in the Village of Eden Mills, 12 km east of Guelph and 90 km west of Toronto. Our reading is at 2:30 pm in The

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival! Read More »

Open Book Interview

When reading The Sparrow, Moritz’s latest selected poems, I was taken aback by how fluid it all seemed—it felt like reading a single, very long, very old sequence that is determined to smoke-out something from a thick, thorny brush…its target unknowable, yet still set in its ways. I have an interview with James Linsday available

Open Book Interview Read More »

Come Celebrate Big Al’s Lovefest!

Mark your calendars! On Friday, May 25th, at 7:00 pm, Kirby from knife | fork | book is throwing Big Al’s Lovefest. To celebrate the launch of my selected poems, The Sparrow, several poets will gather together to read their favourite poems from the book. I’ll also take the floor and read some poems myself. Readers include: Jessica

Come Celebrate Big Al’s Lovefest! Read More »

#AnansiPoetryProject Essay

The poet is privileged to remember that sometimes, dark times, poetry is under the sign of hope, and hope only exists in any true sense when there is hopelessness. As part of their month-long #anansipoetryproject, Anansi is published a blog post or interview with each of the three poets on their spring roster. My short

#AnansiPoetryProject Essay Read More »

Scroll to Top