Five poets, five cities, one Honda Accord. Starting tomorrow, October 11, 2014, An Accord of Poets will head out on their tour across Ontario and Quebec, performing their poems
for eager audiences in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Peterborough. The five participating poets, Cameron Anstee, Jeff Blackman, Jesslyn Delia Smith, Justin Million and Rachael Simpson have recently published some of their work together in a trade collection entitled Five (Apt. 9 Press), which will be available for purchase at the shows, and following the tour, will be available online.
Today, Open Book speaks with the "Accord" about how the tour came to be, travelling by van and their advice on giving public readings.
Open Book:
Tell us about An Accord of Poets Tour. How did it come to be?
Cameron Anstee:
The initial impetus came out of a conversation between Justin Million and myself following a reading in Ottawa by Michael e. Casteels, Christine Miscione and Nicholas Papaxanthos. They were on a small tour of their own and we were captivated and jealous. A full year of planning later, here we are. The five of us came up as writers in a community at Carleton University and it was very natural that we would attempt this together. The original plans were a bit more ambitious, but it gradually took the shape that it currently has.
Jesslyn Delia Smith:
Justin first brought the idea up to me on the patio of a bar in Ottawa. At first it was just this vision, to get a bunch of poets together in a van and drive around, because what could be better than that? Then it slowly took shape. We built around the idea of reading in our hometowns, everyone committed to the plan, and Jeff stepped in with his 2000 Accord when we failed to secure an RV. And here we are.
OB:
Do you have any advice about making the switch from a solitary writer to a public reader?
Justin Million:
Don't just assume that because you can read that you will be a good public reader. The best readers I've seen bring more of a performance to the stage that doesn't necessarily come across in their work on the page. Read everything out loud a few times before you get up there to save yourself a few stumbles.
Jeff Blackman:
Going to a workshop is the best first step. Workshops are great places to boost your confidence. My experience is 90% of people at workshops want to become better writers and learn from others. Then, go find a reading. And then another and another. I've probably read on stage about 100 times by now. Unless you're into very experimental, on-the-page stuff, reading to a crowd is a fantastic way to get instant feedback on your work. If you're going for funny, it's essential. If you're going for insightful, take your time and listen for those sighs and audible hums.
CA:
Most literary communities that I’ve come into contact with are incredibly supportive and kind, especially to young writers. Screw up your courage, sign up to read and then do it again and again. You’ll get to know people, you’ll become a better writer, and you’ll even start to enjoy it.
OB:
What books will the poets have in their bags while on tour?
CA:
Apt. 9 Press is publishing a book, Five, that collects new work from each of us. It will be available for sale at each show of the tour, and online there after.
JDS:
I’ll probably have a self-published chapbook called therapy and sorted photographs, with poems I wrote this past April during NaPoWriMo.
JM:
In my bag I will have copies of the third collaborative chapbook that Jeff Blackman and I have done together, which will be for sale at each venue of the tour. You will also be able to get your hands on the first two chapbooks we did together, which were done in such small runs in Ottawa that I doubt anyone in Toronto, Montreal or Peterborough have them. I will also likely be carrying a few copies of our tour book called Five, just in case I need a bit of extra cash to pay my tab at the end of the night! Just don't tell the fellow running the book table...
JB:
I also plan to bring along a few broadsides in the form of Super Mario Bros. 3 trinkets about getting one's life together.
OB:
Since most of the touring poets hail from Ottawa, could you tell us a bit about Ottawa’s poetry scene?
JB:
It is a very supportive, very prolific scene. For a city a fraction the size of Montreal or Toronto, you can still find a reading every night. We're blessed to have multiple literary festivals. One thing that's been really impressive has been the effort by organizers and publishers from disparate communities - namely the "page" and "spoken word" crowds - to come together.
JDS:
It's kind of a small poetry world, but a good one. The size of the city allows for a lot of support across different communities and groups of writers. Ottawa tends to come across as sort of boring and forgettable, even to those who live here or have lived here, and it’s really not.
CA:
rob mclennan recently posted a round-up of things from different people discussing what they are looking forward to in Ottawa’s scene this Fall. If you aren’t familiar with the community, take a look to see just how much is happening here (and of course, there is lots more beyond that piece too).
OB:
What are you most looking forward to about the tour?
Rachael Simpson:
Connecting with those who come to our readings. Hopefully selling a few books so that we have more leg room on the car ride home!
JM:
Just knowing that I'm on a literary tour will be exciting for me. Growing up reading the Beats and Contact Press writers I quickly developed a love for the idea of hitting the road with some friendly poets, getting into a bit of trouble and writing along the way. If I don't come home having embarrassed myself more than once I will have to say I did it wrong.
CA:
Reading to new audiences in new cities is going to be a wonderful experience. We know lots about these communities, but haven’t entered them yet at readers. It will also be nice to see old friends in each town.
JB:
Writing poems on the road. It's going to be 5 hours worth of reading and 95 hours worth of workshop.
JDS:
I could say it’s the readings, or the books, or meeting a bunch of cool people, and those will be great, except I know I’m most looking forward to the first time we all get in the car together and start driving.
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