Cover Options
June 28th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
October is slowly approaching (though yet far off) and I’m currently in the process of looking at possible covers for my book. There are a number of angles and views on theme the cover designer has taken and I’ve been given five or six current options to look at. I know what I don’t want, but articulating what I do want is not always easy. There are so many things to keep in mind that it can seem overwhelming. I realize too that it’s the designer’s work and it might not come out exactly how I want it, but that’s part of the reason I went into this without a fixed idea in mind. I want to see all the possibilities and be surprised. So far there are a couple options I’m quite excited about. We’ll see how that goes.
I guess Michael Jackson is big in the news lately, since his death last Thursday. I must admit to never being a large fan of Jackson himself, but some of his songs are incredible; in particular, my favourites would be “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, “Smooth Criminal”, and “Beat It”. Beyond this I’m not as aware of his music, but am aware of his massive impact on North America and even world pop culture. Incredible man.
Final note: I’ve recently acquired a new domain name making this an even more official website. From now on you can get here by keying in www.stephenrowe.ca. Have at it!
Review of James Langer’s Collection by Carmine Starnino
June 19th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
James Langer, Gun Dogs (Anansi, 2009)
Through web browsing as a way of avoiding other work, I’ve come across a review in the Globe and Mail of James Langer’s first book Gun Dogs. Starnino is the reviewer and takes an interesting look at the prosody at play here and where it fits into the world of contemporary poetric expression. It’s well worth your reading, if not for Langer’s book, then for a brief commentary on the use of sound placement in Canadian writing.
I must say I feel as though I’ve been down this road as well. As writers we are often inspired by what we see/read around us. There’s a need to be connected in some way with the movement of poetry in the country (its habits, likes and dislikes) while remaining acutely singular. The idea that vowels and consonant sounds are often clustered to produce a kind of music is quite true. I guess the issue is whether or not it’s ad nauseam. I found in my earlier writing (a few pieces of which may have made it into my forthcoming book) I enjoyed this pairing of words by sound. It produced something special when read, aloud in particular. I’ve noticed, possibly as a natural progression within my own creative self, I’m moving away from this; instead of connecting words within a line I often span the sonic play across lines, sometimes three and four at a time. I feel this paces the effort, both for my writing and the reader’s experience.
I quite enjoyed Langer’s book and, though at times, I have to agree with Starnino that the word play is a little intense I recognize where it’s coming from and the tradition that’s been cultivated in this country. Anyway, the article does provide some food for thought.
Article in The Globe and Mail
June 12th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
I just read this article in the Globe and Mail by James Wood about the current state of poetry and the trendiness of the novel. It was originally Wood’s speech at the recent Griffin Prize ceremony. It’s a good read and I suggest you check it out.
