Ian Roy at Tree

Ian Roy was the feature reader on Feb 12 at the Tree reading series. He read from Red Bird. (Good title. Mary Oliver will be snatching it in April.)

He segued from that book of poems to People Leaving from a lilypad hop poem to poem by some commonality (such as a house in Quebec). A snippet of poem? unfailingly, another failure and I swerved to the ditch to wait for morning light to begin, because I always think better by morning light.

The story he read was about a wedding party waiting for the bride to arrive. It was inspired by listening to the song $1000 Wedding. You can read a different story out of the collection here.

The open mic had a few people at it. I didn't get photos of everyone.


Murray Citron reading a Munger sonnet translated from Yiddish on birds and one of his own pieces contemplating family, what kids expect of parents and on a cowbird. The eggs are placed in the another nest to be raised by any number of species of birds, fed by yellow or blue wings where baby cowbird learns instinct sometimes lies. Murray read at Sasquatch as well.

Josh Massey was reading from Historic song from Puddle Leaflet #21 a mardi gras poem of the king clothes in rags and the scullery queen/to usher thru revelry a new solar calm". Max read his Cottage Sestina which would really lose its effect to excerpt in part.


Pearl Pirie read a couple poems including a first run thru of train and bus west of Oujda the bus stopped in the middle/nothing in any direction//by nothing how often do I mean/ no building, no tree, no person/ no government printed sign.


Sean Dowd read poems of meeting someone from years before and deciding we can talk live as neighbours/overcoming/basic wage and divergent paths.

Max pointed out in announcement that The AB Series is this Friday the 15th and will have Jay MillAR, Monty Reid and Emily Falvey.