You’d think by now, a new book out would not be exciting! But this time there are two books just out! Sweet Vinegars: Wildflower poems (Shoreline Press, Montreal) and the heron still there, with Grant D. Savage, 500 tan renga poems linked. (Éditions des petits nuages, Ottawa)
To quote from a cover blurb by Greg Santos, “… this mighty collection blooms with playful, surprising, thoughful, and magical observations.” Thank you so much Greg. I’m chuffed to have this from a poet I so admire.
I am so pleased that John Rayner of Carleton Place let me use his photograph of Butomus umbellatus, Flowering rush bareroot, for the cover! When I saw it on Facebook years ago, I hoped that the poems would one day be published with this cover.
From a blurb by Susan Gillis, “Playful or sombre, sometimes both―and more― the poems (like bees after pollen) go to the heart of what it is to be human now, in a world where so much is at stake.” Thank you, Susan, for these treasured words.
The other collection, the heron still there, comes from a year-long collaboration with the fine Ottawa haiku poet Grant D. Savage. (Cover photo by Grant!) Its publisher, Éditions des petits nuages, is one of Canada’s leading Japanese-form poetry publishers. Grant and I are so fortunate that Mike Montreuil took on this unusual collection. Thank you Mike!
These are linked tan renga (short linked) poems, and I am so in awe of Grant’s great all-round knowledge and erudition. I never knew what kind of link would happen as it could come from his Science, Math, literature, or poetry (and more) background. The idea of the tan renga is to add a verse that is linked to the previous one, but which veers in a different direction. It was so much fun, and a super challenge to write tan renga with him.
The form requires attention from a reader as there is a ‘game’ aspect in figuring out what the links are, and where the next verse is going. There are many allusions (mostly noted at the end of the collection), and many fun lines, always unexpected.
I hope readers enjoy all aspects of either/both collection(s). Sweet Vinegars is available through Shoreline Press, but also from me at claudiaradmore@gmail.com.
claudia radmore 