Antler River Poetry (formerly Poetry London)
Antler River Poetry Open Mic
TAP Centre for Creativity, Wednesday June 29 2022 at 6:00pm
In partnership with the Words Festival, Antler River Poetry presents our Spring Event, Open Mic poetry, featuring our 2022 ARP Poetry Prize-winners Brian Baker, Sana Mufti, and Tom Prime. Our evening will also feature a reading by UWO’s new Student Writer-in-Residence, Matthew Dawkins, and a community open mic for all genres of writing. Share the invitation widely: bring a poem, bring a friend!
- 29 June, 6:00PM – 7:30PM
- TAP: Centre for Creativity
- Masks are required for this event
- Facebook: https://fb.me/e/3k3Qr56Lw
- Sign-up onsite that evening
A community book table will also be available for cash and debit purchases of titles from 845 Press, Baseline Press, Edna Press, and many of London’s writers.
To ensure the well-being of all of our community members, our event will be a mask-mandatory event.
This event is made possible by the support of the London Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, the London Public Library, and TAP: Centre for Creativity.
Antler River Poetry 2022 Poetry Contest Winning Poems Are Here
We are delighted to publish the winning poems of our 2022 poetry contest judged by Klara du Plessis. Along with the winning poems, we are including the poets’ photos and bios and the judge’s notes.
1st Prize “Mechlorethamine and his temporary absence” – Brian Baker
Mechlorethamine and his temporary absence Five molecules of carbon. This treatment room’s walls, antiseptic and shadow-streaked, watch him falter daily, elbows in another’s arms, bed-to-door, door- to-bed. Eleven molecules of hydrogen. Raises a palm up in both protest and supplication, will wrest himself from most protection. White linens embank, cold rails secure. Two molecules of chlorine. Above him, the squalid drip, offering up the mechlorethamine, its nitrogen mustard mix and tiny atoms, necrotizing. One molecule of nitrogen The sheer intricacy: all the bone and every nucleate lacuna weathering the chemical stain. He hears the windows flex, looks away to the vagrant clouds, becomes in almost every way both shifting and spectral, leaving this room, exiting this body and, from all things temporary and temporal, almost vanishing.
Brian Baker is a London, Ontario poet who began his writing journey back in the late eighties and is now on his first re-imagining. His work has appeared both in print and online in the States and Canada and he was also the 2020 winner of what is now the Antler River Poetry Contest.
Judge’s Notes
“Mechlorethamine and his temporary absence”: Formally precise and cross-disciplinary in scope, this poem offers a terse exploration of loneliness in a clinical medical institution and cancer ward. Isolation itself becomes a relational form of connection, however, as body, objects, and open space fuse into a site of peace and healing.
2nd Prize “Student Housing” – Tom Prime
Student Housing ~ For Amelia
what did you eat yesterday? a handful
of pistachios and nori. that’s fucked up
I am reading Milton: “sulphur
and strange fire
his own
invented torments
...perhaps”
and think to turn on
the a/c. you have left—the sucking rattle
irritates as does the sporadic
clicks from the water
heater—eyes spilling out of a can,
cachalot ultrasound—the glare of frosted
pots is compound
interest. we shower in shifts
when you get home, moonlight snake-
grasses the marrow-stuffed curtilage
Tom Prime is a PhD candidate in English Literature at Western University. His debut solo collection of poetry Mouthfuls of Space was released by Anvil Press last year and was shortlisted for the 2022 Gerald Lampert Memorial award. His latest collaborative collection, Bird Arsonist, written with Gary Barwin, was released by New Star books earlier this year.
Judge’s Notes
“Student Housing”: A misleadingly simple text that moves along a poetic axis of sound and assonance. Studenthood functions as an enclosure that delimits the speaker’s lived experience, while curiosity perforates constraints, daringly intertextual.
3rd Prize: “They have my voice” – Sana Mufti
They have my voice. ami, when the sunlight begins to disappear at three in the afternoon, slipping carelessly behind invisible horizons, drawing reckless, orange-yellow lines through thick, dying trees, fluttering leaves, landing like burning scars over the withering green grounds where my black shoe will crumble remaining life under its heavy, ignorant sole, in this moment, in the thoughtful inhalation of autumn breath, i am reminded of death. the sharp sting of it, at least, that swift folding of the heart as it is torn unequally into ragged twos, fours, sixes... and i find myself holding my lungs with both hands, pushing them back inside of me as i trip forward over lost words, thinking of the things i have spoken, wondering how loss can be so profound as to remove me from myself without my knowledge, knowledge is tragedy, when i fall over colonized thoughts, i bruise my knee and hip, my teeth do not recognize who i have become, so they reject me with a bite so hard against the inside of my cheek it bleeds. for years on end. crunch of a rotting leaf. i am reminded of loss. the sensation of it. loss of a life i will never live, life i will eternally lose, my birth a dwindling light, forever goodbye, orange and yellow was the colour of fight in my ancestor’s eyes, in your eyes—ami, where is my rage? i am ashamed, too much confusion, blue and white, pacifies me—sometimes it is easier to not think, to look at a dead brown leaf for what it is, i think knowledge has condemned me to a life of thinking— i think all the time, and too much, ami, now i understand the brutality of watching how quickly i adjust, stand upright and limp to alleviate the pain, and the limp becomes my habitual tread— the way one loses a tongue, a voice, a language, the sting becomes home inside of my mouth, poured out in arrogant academic opinions and poor poetry— sometimes, i forget what has been lost. the teetering sun reminds me in its cold chill, it pushes me back into the night where your leathery hands found the dial to the phone to call me out of habit because you forgot, sometimes, too, that i had left and you are displaced—we are reminded together when you ask me if i am okay, and i cannot remember the words.
Sana Mufti is a creative writer with a double degree in English and Psychology from the University of Toronto and is currently completing her Master’s in English at the University of Western Ontario. Sana strives to explore themes of identity and the philosophy of time and motion. She comments on the personal struggle of defining the self and finding stability in a constantly changing world.
Judge’s Notes
“They have my voice”: A moving, meta-narrative reflection on the act of self-expression through poetry, this poem dramatizes affect (so often the driving force of lyric poetry) to eventually question the ability to create at all.
Antler River Poetry Presents Khashayar Mohammadi, Klara du Plessis & Local Opener Miriam Cummings
Wednesday April 20th
Antler River Poetry is pleased to present an evening of poetry featuring Khashayar Mohammadi and Klara du Plessis with local opener Miriam Cummings.
Also, hear the winners of our 2022 Open Theme Poetry Contest read their pieces! 1st Prize: “Mechlorethamine and his temporary absence” by Brian Baker; 2nd Prize: “Student Housing” by Tom Prime; 3rd Prize: “They have my voice” by Sana Mufti.
- LIVE on ZOOM 7:00pm EDT, FREE w/ registration: Zoom Link
- Pre-reading Workshop at 5:30pm *
* To join our pre-reading workshop at 5:30pm, free and open to the public, communicate your interest to poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com.
Thank you to our generous event sponsors: London Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The League of Canadian Poets, The London Public Library, Gordon Hill Press, Palimpsest Press, and digibee.net.
Announcing Our 2022 Contest Winners Selected by Klara du Plessis!
Antler River Poetry is very pleased to announce the winners of our 2022 Open Theme Poetry Contest judged by Klara du Plessis. A big thank you to Klara for judging and to all poets for submitting their work.
1st Prize: “Mechlorethamine and his temporary absence” – Brian Baker
2nd Prize: “Student Housing” – Tom Prime
3rd Prize: “They have my voice” – Sana Mufti
Congrats Brian, Tom, & Sana!
REVIEW: Waking Ground by shalan joudry (Gaspereau Press, 2020)
by Erin Turnbull
Shalan joudry’s second book of poetry, Waking Ground, expertly weaves together Mi’kmaq with English, ecosystems with community, and the injustices of the past with the hope of the future. Using Two-Eyed Seeing to combine Indigenous and western epistemologies, this collection flows freely between the two perspectives, embarking on a continuous journey through them towards resurgence and reconciliation. Joudry is a poet, storyteller, singer, and artist who shares Mi’kmaw culture and oral tradition through her work as a creator and ecologist. Her choice to use lowercase orthography for her name in all circumstances except for the beginning of a sentence to “not over-emphasize the self in relation to the collective” is brilliantly displayed in Waking Ground—place names and personal pronouns remain in lowercase, equalizing the individual with the natural world.
Waking Ground exemplifies harmony with nature through poems such as “Sweet Grassing” while also addressing the impact of European settlement upon Indigenous land through poems such as “Institutions.” In “Sweet Grassing,” where the narrative voice is “pleasured by the long-awaited reunion” with the sweetgrass plant and is “losing myself in the green,” the reader is thrust into a sensual and calm atmosphere where mud smells like cinnamon and the plant is greeted as a relative and equal. Here, joudry demonstrates her ability to craft fresh and evocative images through vivid descriptions of the ground “drawing my feet into deep embrace.” This poem emphasizes the importance of a connection to nature and the cultural significance of sweetgrass as one of the herbs sacred to the Mi’kmaw community. Through “Sweet Grassing,” joudry educates the reader on this endangered and sacred plant and the respectful attitude it merits.
In “Institutions,” joudry turns to examine the restrictions and trials imposed upon Indigenous peoples who have been forced to “create an economy with you / like you / for you”—the “you” here speaking directly to settlers—by accommodating settler appropriation of the land while undergoing attacks on Indigenous cultures and beliefs. The voice of a disembodied settler asks “why do you want so much? / it had been so lovely, so quiet / without your crying,” exposing the settler’s ignorance to both their own and theirancestors’ injustices. The hypocrisy of this question is revealed by joudry: “generations later we still sit on our hectarage / sorting debts/ rebuilding institutions” while settlers demand they simply ‘move on.’ Joudry refers to the settlers’ attempts to silence Indigenous voices from speaking about oppression, but she rejects this by granting Indigenous people “asylum from saying yes” to settler demands.
The final poem in this collection is “Rebirth,” a reminder that amongst the “chaos” of a forest “broken” by colonization, Indigenous people “still burst from the soil / in full bloom / mightier than what we thought reconcilable.” This poem speaks to resurgence in the face of ongoing oppression and to revitalization through community, the sharing of knowledge and culture, and of “lines branched out” in learning from each other. Despite the efforts of colonizers, joudry shows that the story of Indigeneity is not one overwhelmed by tragedy, as Indigenous people “have learned how to walk / less a limb” and maintain resilience in the wake of “a whole generation / missing.” Waking Ground as a collection beautifully demonstrates the idea of Indigenous resurgence and challenges the unresolved and ongoing injustices enacted by Canadian settlers upon Indigenous land.
Shalan joudry graduated from Dalhousie University in 2016 with a Master of Environmental Studies and was nominated for a Governor General Gold Medal award for her thesis work on Mi’kmaw ways of knowing about fire on the land. Waking Ground was deservedly shortlisted for the 2021 J.M. Abraham Atlantic Poetry Award, the 2021 Maxine Tynes Nova Scotia Poetry Award, the 2021 Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Poetry in English. She continues to work towards conservation by facilitating eco-cultural and ecological professional development workshops.
Antler River Poetry Presents Charlie Petch, shalan joudry, & Jennifer Mustapha
Wednesday March 23rd
March event will feature Charlie Petch and shalan joudry with local opener Jennifer Mustapha.
- Join us on Zoom at 7pm EST
- Pre-reading Workshop 5:30pm
To join our pre-reading workshop at 5:30pm, free and open to the public, communicate your interest to poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com.
Thank you to our generous event sponsors: London Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The League of Canadian Poets, The London Public Library, Gaspereau Press, Brick Books, and digibee.net.
Antler River Poetry 2022 Open Theme Contest
DEADLINE March 15th, 2022 Extended to March 20th, 2022
Antler River Poetry Contest 2022
Submit your best work to Antler River Poetry’s 2022 Open Theme Poetry Contest, judged by acclaimed poet Klara du Plessis! Contest entries must be one poem of no more than 40 lines, on any topic, in any style; only submit original work that has not been previously published in print or online.
Send poems in PDF format by email only to AntlerRiverPoetryContest@gmail.com. Please include your name, your complete contact information (including mailing address) and the title of your poem in the body of the email. Poems will be presented anonymously to our judge. Do not include your name in the PDF file of your poem. You must be a resident of (or attending school in) London, ON and surrounding area to enter. Winners will be announced in mid-April 2022 (only winners will be contacted).
- First Prize is $100
- Second Prize is $75
- Third Prize is $50
The winning poets will have their work published on Antler River Poetry’s website and will be invited to read their winning pieces at an upcoming live Zoom event.
Antler River Poetry Presents Sile Englert , Jason Heroux, & Kit Roffey!
Wednesday February 16th
On Wednesday February 16th at 7pm, we are launching our video event featuring readings by Sile Englert, Jason Heroux and local opener Kit Roffey. Jason Heroux will read poetry from his collections, including Hard Work Cheering Up Sad Machines, as well as new work, published by Mansfield Press. Sile Englert will read from her book The Lost Time Accidents, published by Goose Lane.
- Digital Event: Poetry Readings at 7pm EST on our YouTube Channel
- Workshop: Zoom 5:30pm. To register, communicate your interest to poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com.
- Join us for great online poetry!
Thank you to our generous event sponsors: London Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The League of Canadian Poets, The London Public Library, Mansfield Press, Goose Lane Press, and digibee.net.
Our first event of the new year will feature Elana Wolff and Sadiqa de Meijer with local opener Shannon Arntfield!
Wednesday January 19th
- Wed Jan 19 at 7:00pm EDT
- LIVE ZOOM event
- FREE w/ registration here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register…
Join us for our pre-reading workshop at 5:30pm, free and open to the public, by communicating your interest through poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com.
Sadiqa de Meijer‘s most recent books are The Outer Wards (Vehicule Press) and alfabet / alphabet (Palimpsest Press). Her poetry, essays, and short fiction have appeared in journals internationally, and been awarded the CBC Poetry Prize, Arc‘s Poem of the Year award, and other honours. Her first book of poetry was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Literature.
Elana Wolff is the author of seven collections of poetry and a collection of essays on poems. She has also co-authored, with the late Malca Litovitz, a collection of rengas; co-authored, with Susie Petersiel Berg, a limited-edition chapbook of poems; and co-translated, with Menachem Wolff, poems from the Hebrew by Georg Mordechai Langer; part of a joint Franz Kafka-Georg Mordechai Langer flipside book. Elana’s poems and creative nonfiction pieces are widely published in Canada and internationally, and have garnered awards. She has taught English for Academic Purposes at York University in Toronto and at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She currently lives and works in Thornhill, Ontario. Elana’s sixth collection, Swoon (Guernica Editions, 2020), received the 2020 Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Poetry. Shape Taking, her seventh book of poems, is newly-released with Ekstasis Editions, and Faithfully Seeking Franz, a hybrid prose-and-poetry collection, is forthcoming with Guernica Editions in 2023.
Thank you to our generous event sponsors: London Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, The League of Canadian Poets, The London Public Library, Guernica Editions, Vehicule Press, Palimpsest Press, and digibee.net.
Antler River Poetry Presents Marilyn Dumont
Wednesday November 24th
On Wednesday November 24th, please join us for digital readings by Marilyn Dumont! As usual, will also be hosting a pre-reading Workshop.
- Digital Reading 7:00pm ET
- This will be a live Zoom reading.
- ***For Zoom links, email poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com
- FREE w/ registration at Eventbrite.
- Zoom Workshop 5:30pm ET
- Limited enrolment, restricted to London residents.
- To register, email poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com
Join us for a poetry-packed evening!
Antler River Poetry Presents Rebecca Salazar, James Lindsay & Ashley Li
Wednesday October 20th
On Wednesday October 20th, we host a LIVE digital event featuring James Lindsay and Rebecca Salazar with local opener Ashley Li.
- LIVE Zoom Reading 7:00pm ET
- Zoom Workshop 5:30 EDT (enrollment limited, London residents only)
- ***For Zoom links, email poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com
Join us for fantastic online poetry!
Antler River Poetry Presents Dominik Parisien, Sonnet L’Abbé & Amelia Does
Wednesday September 22nd
On Wednesday September 22nd, 2021, we start our new season with a LIVE digital event featuring: Dominik Parisien and Sonnet L’Abbé! Sonnet will read poetry from Sonnet’s Shakespeare, published by Penguin Random House Canada. Dominik will read from Side Effects May Include Strangers published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Local opener Amelia Does will join Dominik and Sonnet. Amelia Does is an artist and writer. She has published six books, academic writing and poetry. For more about Amelia visit ameliadoes.com.
- LIVE Zoom Reading 7:00pm EDT
- Zoom Workshop 5:30 EDT
- ***For Zoom links, email poetrylondon.ca@gmail.com
- Register for this LIVE Zoom event at eventbrite.ca/e/zoom-reading-and-workshop…
Join us for fantastic online poetry!
Antler River Poetry (formerly Poetry London) 2021-2022 Season
We are delighted to announce the readers for our upcoming 18th season!
Antler River Poetry (formerly Poetry London) is eager to provide our online audience with a line-up of excellent poets during live Zoom workshops and events taking place through the remainder of 2021, with the possibility of in-person events in 2022 remaining subject to restrictions and guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- September 22nd, 2021: Dominik Parisien / Sonnet L’Abbé
- October 20th, 2021: Rebecca Salazar / James Lindsay
- November 24th, 2021: Marilyn Dumont
- January 19th, 2022: Sadiqa de Meijer / Elana Wolff
- February 16th, 2022: Síle Englert / Jason Heroux
- March 23rd, 2022: Charlie Petch / shalan joudry
- April 20th, 2022: Khashayar Mohammadi / Klara du Plessis
Archived “Current Events” Content From Years Past
Past Seasons Page
Questions?
Email us at poetrylondon[dot]ca[at]gmail[dot]com