Brad Cran, City of Vancouver Poet Laureate

Okay, we might be getting ahead of ourselves in calling it a ‘slam’ – but there seemed something decidedly unpoetic about a “poetry conference.” How about poetry “confluence” at least? 

Anyway, given that public space used to be infused with bardic verse and all manner of public storytelling and song, we thought our readers might like to know about this upcoming event – announced by City press release earlier today. (Note the author’s extensive use of free verse throughout the media dispatch, as well as the subtle mingling of epic imagery within its lines.)

Vancouver’s anniversary celebrations continue with
the Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference

Vancouver’s Poet Laureate, Brad Cran, announced details today for the Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference which will be an unprecedented collaboration among Vancouver’s poetry communities to create a four-day literary event at SFU Woodward’s from October 19-22, 2011.

“This poetry conference will gather together a wide range of poets from across North America,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “We are proud to support this unique artistic project during our year as Cultural Capital of Canada.”

Programming will include daytime seminars and discussions that explore the poetics of everything from the avante garde to traditional poetic forms. In the evenings the wide array of poets will perform in cabarets as part of the Vancouver International Writers Festival.

Keynote poets include Governor General’s Award and Griffin Prize winner Don McKay; the esteemed American poet Fanny Howe, winner of the Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters; and, Martin Espada who has been hailed as the Latino poet of his generation and the Pablo Neruda of North American authors.

On the last day of the conference, Brad’s successor, Vancouver’s third Poet Laureate, will be introduced to the literary community.

Vancouver’s milestone birthday has been marked by two major civic events, Birthday Live on April 6th and Summer Live from July 8-10, 2011 and will continue through to December. With inspiration from local, national and international poets at the Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference, Vancouver’s 125th year will be a defining one in the history of our literature.

Visit v125pc.com to register as a delegate for the Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference or to view the detailed conference schedule, poet photos and bios.

The work, produced by a civic official who represents the local municipal government, is emblematic of an important type of public space: a dialogic ‘zone’ created by a public spokesperson whose very role, age-old, is to challenge assumptions, ask critical questions and to prod and poke at dominant discourses. 

Vancouver is a city where the intersection between art and politics is all-to-often reflective of a shyness and a desire not to rock the boat. However, in this case Mr. Cran has lifted the oars, pulled the rudder, and steered us into delightfully turbulent waters. Good work!

Naturally the City government has been trying to put a bit of distance between itself and Mr. Cran who, late last week, announced he wouldn’t be participating in the Olympics cultural celebrations because of what he claimed was an “attack on free speech” by VANOC. That being said, the City’s Poet Laureate is doing exactly what he ought to be doing. That is: speaking his mind. 

Regardless of whether or not you are for or against the Olympics, this is something of which we can all be proud.

2010 Handbook for Entering Canada

by

Brad Cran

Are you bringing any fruits or vegetables into Canada?

Have you visited a farm in the last 30 days?

Are you now or have you ever been a member of a group that disagreed with government?

Do you intend to ride the zip line?

Do you approve of product placement in movies?

Do you like my uniform?

:: Read the rest of the poem here.

This call for submissions is open to anyone who wishes to help fill the gap in Vancouver’s verse geography. There is no fee to enter. Authors whose work is chosen for the anthology will be paid $25 per page or poem.

Poems should ideally be a two-sonnet length, and cross streets or place names for the poems should be provided. Submissions must be typewritten and sent with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the publisher at the following address by July 31, 2008…

A Verse Map of Vancouver
c/o Anvil Press Publishers
278 East First Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5T 1A6

The Poet Laureate will also make the selections for and edit the anthology, which will be published in spring 2009.

During his honourary two-year term from 2007-2009, the Vancouver Poet Laureate acts as a champion for poetry, language and the arts and will create a unique artistic legacy through public readings and civic interactions.

For more information:

City of Vancouver, Corporate Communications, 604.871.6336

Jean Kavanagh, Vancouver Public Library, Marketing and Communications, 604.331.3895