Ottawa Small Press Book Fair Roundup (June 2013)

Back from the book fair with far too much to discuss in the detail any of it deserves. Below are some notes on a few standout items I picked up. At the pre-fair reading on Friday, I got my hands on an envelope from jwcurry’s 1cent/Room 3o2. I subscribed several months ago when jwcurry revealed

On Chapbook Making

I recently had the opportunity to answer some questions about chapbook making courtesy of Andrew Faulkner at Open Book: Toronto. I feel privileged to see Apt. 9 listed beside Toronto’s Ferno House and Toronto-via-Ottawa’s Odourless Press discussing young people making chapbooks. Mat Laporte (Ferno House) and Bardia Sinaee (Odourless) are thoughtful and articulate while I

David Mason on Starting and Starving in the Book Trade

Mason, David. “A Tale of Illusion, Delusion and Mystery: Booksellers and Librarians.” Descant 91 26:4 (Winter 1995): 15-37. What really occurs is this: one buys books (without really having any idea if they are books that anyone wants) until one has a few thousand, rents an office or store and settles in to starve to

Cats and Bookstores

Mason, David. “Reflections on Scouting.” CNQ 78 (Winter): 40-52. Concerning the “tiny bookshop run by the Crippled Civilians on Jarvis Street, familiarly known to the regulars as ‘The Crips,’ but now renamed more politically correctly Goodwill Services” circa 1967: There was an ugly, fat cat in the shop, Mr. Fraser’s special favourite. It was horribly

Steven Temple in Interview with Don McLeod, on Bookselling

McLeod, Don. “An Interview with Stephen Temple – Collecting English-Canadian Literature: Boom or Bust?” CNQ 56 (1999): 4-11. CNQ: So what’s the problem with CanLit? ST: The problem with CanLit is Canadians. That’s the problem! It’s not the books, it’s Canadians. It’s the Canadian character. CNQ: They don’t appreciate their own literature? ST: Canadians tend

In/Words: the longpoem envelope (2008)

2013 has seen a run of short memoirs by former In/Words editors, most of them to do with the few years that I was lucky enough to be involved (2006-2009, approximately). A profile by rob mclennan at Open Book: Ontario in February seems to have been what sparked the nostalgic wave, followed up with pieces

William Hoffer on Canadian Literature (2)

Hoffer, William. List 75: Canadian Literature. Vancouver: William Hoffer Bookseller, Limited, 1990. Occasional lists of Canadian literature will be published, but in future we will prefer to respond to lists of books required. There isn’t very much Canadian literature, and most of it is garbage. It is the junk literature of a junk age. It

Two Small June Updates

Apt. 9 Press is gearing up to launch three new titles in two short weeks. We’ll have new books from Christine McNair, Stephen Brockwell and Jeff Blackman on our table at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on June 15, before launching them formally on June 17 at 8:00pm at the fabulous Raw Sugar Cafe.

Henry Morgentaler (1923-2013) – Poet

Henry Morgentaler’s death at age 90 on May 29, 2013, prompted the expected dual response. The complexity of his public reception while alive was mirrored following his death. For my part, as for millions of Canadians, Dr. Morgentaler unequivocally left this country a better place than he found it and all Canadians should be grateful