A self-centred stock-taking of things literary and academic at the end of 2014.
On the academic side, I published my first peer-reviewed article (“‘I made my great entry–flanked’: Irving Layton’s Collaborators at McClelland & Stewart (1959-1964).” Canadian Poetry: Studies, Documents, Reviews 73 (Fall/Winter 2013): 102-122.). Another has been accepted and is forthcoming in the online journal Amodern sometime in January (“‘setting widespread precedent’: The Canada Council for the Arts and the Funding of Poetry Readings in Canada (1957-1977)).” A third has just gone through revise and resubmit and I sit here waiting on news. My dissertation proposal was accepted (“Make Contact: Contributive Bookselling and the Small Press in Canada after the Second World War”). I made some measurable progress on the first chapter and feel optimistic about writing in 2015. I co-organized UofO’s Department of English Graduate Conference (The Page: Visual and Material Literature) where I presented a paper on Barbara Caruso and her Seripress collaborations with bpNichol. I presented two other conference papers–one on Nelson Ball‘s poetry and book selling at ACCUTE/Congress, and one on William Hoffer‘s book catalogues at The Prestige of Literature (Carleton University). Those two were the first times I have presented work from the future dissertation. I also taught my own course for the first time.
On the literary side, the year started out with a number of short poems being published in the 10th issue of ottawater (the 11th should be along any day now). I participated in Michèle Provost’s Roman Feuilleton show in June, and more recently read at the NAC Fourth Stage as part of the Tonight on our Stage variety show. Both were wonderful (and new) experiences. I went on tour with Jeff Blackman, jesslyn delia smith, Rachael Simpson, and Justin Million, and published a first trade book through Apt. 9 to mark the occasion: Five. Apt. 9 also published amazing chapbooks from Nelson Ball, Beth Follett, Ben Ladouceur, and Dave Currie. Christine McNair’s Apt. 9 chapbook from 2013 also landed on the bpNichol Chapbook Award shortlist. Baseline Press accepted a chapbook of mine for publication in Fall 2015. Chaudiere Books accepted The Collected Poems of William Hawkins, a book I edited gradually over the last four years, for publication in Spring 2015. And just last week, I received my contributor copies of illiterature from Puddles of Sky. I love this little magazine and am thrilled to finish off 2014 with an appearance in it. Poems were slow, but do still arrive.
Thanks for everything 2014. See you on the other side.
Cameron Anstee 