Best Canadian Poetry 2020

by Marilyn Dumont (Editor)

Overview

"A best poem fulfills the promise set out in its first syllable, word, syntax, line break, and soundscape to its reader/listener."

“What is a best poem?” asks Best Canadian Poetry 2020 guest editor Marilyn Dumont, the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of four poetry collections. “A best poem fulfills the promise set out in its first syllable, word, syntax, line break, and soundscape to its reader/listener. The work required to complete a poem takes risk, skill, and practice, and the poems selected for this anthology all exhibit such attributes.” In precise language that exposes the attitudes inherent in English, innovative forms that illuminate their content, and mastery of music akin to a composer’s score, the fifty poems collected here fulfill their promises and, in doing so, demonstrate the country’s rich diversity and talent for invention—and the promises it might fulfill as well.

Featuring introductions by series editor Anita Lahey and advisory editor Amanda Jernigan, and poems by:

Kazim Ali • Amber Dawn • Billy-Ray Belcourt • Brandi Bird • Selina Boan • Margret Bollerup • Rita Bouvier • Tim Bowling • Frances Boyle • Di Brandt • Rob Budde • Mugabi Byenkya • Dell Catherall • Margaret Christakos Ivan Coyote • Barry Dempster • Kyle Flemmer • Susan Haldane • Louise Bernice Halfe–Sky Dancer • Jane Eaton Hamilton • Maureen Scott Harris • Dallas Hunt • Ashley Hynd • Babo Kamel • Conor Kerr • Don Kerr • Fiona Tinwei Lam • Natalie Lim • Tanis MacDonald • Nyla Matuk • Sadie McCarney • Tara McGowan-Ross • Erín Moure • Roger Nash • Samantha Nock • Erin Noteboom • Abby Paige • Geoff Pevlin • Alycia Pirmohamed • Jana Prikryl • Jason Purcell • Armand Garnet Ruffo • Rebecca Salazar • Robyn Sarah • Erin Soros • Kevin Spenst • John Elizabeth Stintzi • Andrea Thompson • Sanna Wani • Adele Wiseman

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771963640
Publisher:	Biblioasis
Publication date:	10/20/2020
Series:	Best Canadian
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Marilyn Dumont is a Canadian poet of Cree/Métis descent whose poetry has won provincial and national awards. She has been the writer-in-residence at five Canadian universities and the Edmonton Public Library as well as an advisor in the Aboriginal Emerging Writers Program at the Banff Centre. She teaches sessional creative writing for Athabasca Universityand Native studies and English for the University of Alberta, and currently lives in Edmonton.

Table of Contents

Foreword Anita Lahey 1

Weight Lifting Amanda Jernigan 7

Introduction Marilyn Dumont 13

Artist's Statement Robyn Sarah 17

As I pray Sanna Wani 18

Avian Circulatory System Alycia Pirmohamed 20

Bee Funeral Sadie McCarney 21

Blockade Rob Budde 23

Clumper crackies/Ice Pan Puppies Geoff Pevlin 26

The Clean Language List Don Kerr 28

Cree Girl Explodes the Necropolis of Ottawa Billy-Ray Belcourt 29

Deeper than bone Rita Bouvier 30

Dementia and common household objects Margret Bollerup 32

Directions to the Culture Grounds Conor Kerr 34

Feeding Foxes Tanis MacDonald 37

Fig Sestina Dell Catherall 38

From Cocks to Wings Barry Dempster 40

Game Show Jane Eaton Hamilton 41

Selected Hoems Abby Paige 43

If I Die Bury Me Next To My Father Mugabi Byenkya 45

It Will Rain Like Rods on the Hillside in Sweden Kevin Spenst 46

It's Always Winter When Someone Dies Babo Kamel 47

Kris Knight, Vie Flying Monkey, 2014. Oil on canvas, 24×18 inches Jason Purcell 49

Light/cage Erin Noteboom 50

Louise Dallas Hunt 51

Minimal Pairs Are Words Holding Hands Selina Boan 53

Never Put a Poem Off Adele Wiseman 56

News Today Nyla Matuk 57

Ode to the Potato Fiona Tinwei Lam 59

Odiama Erín Moure 60

Origin Story Kazim Ali 63

Pahpowin Samantha Nock 66

Pegging Out Washing Frances Boyle 69

Pink Mints Armand Garnet Ruffo 70

Poem for unwilling mothers Rebecca Salazar 71

The Process of Growth Ashley Hynd 73

Remember When Louise Bernice Halfe-Sky Dancer 77

River People Di Brandt 78

A Room of My Own Maureen Scott Harris 81

Salutations From the Storm John Elizabeth Stintzi 82

The science of holding on Natalie Lim 83

Selkirk, Manitoba Brandi Bird 85

Shame: a love letter. Ivan Coyote 86

A simple instruction Tara McGowan-Ross 87

The stopped clock Amber Dawn 89

Stutters Roger Nash 94

Thin-Skinned Susan Haldane 96

3:00 a.m. Tim Bowling 97

Three for One Margaret Christakos 98

To Whyt/Anthology/Editors Andrea Thompson 99

12 Rules for Gatekeeping Kyle Flemmer 100

Waves Jana Prikryl 101

Weight Erin Soros 102

Contributors' Commentary and Biographies 117

Notable Poems of 2019 155

Magazines Consulted 159

Index to Poets 163

Acknowledgements 165

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Best Canadian Poetry 2020

“A radical and wholly revelatory re-imagining of the country’s poetry canon ... The anthology compiled by Dumont is undeniably political and deeply philosophical, but never at the expense of prosody ... Best Canadian Poetry 2020 is an outstanding record of diverse voices and lived experiences reflected in Canadian poetry, and it is one that I will undoubtedly return to in the years to come.”—Prairie Fire

Praise for the Best Canadian Poetry Series

“[These] books are must-haves for libraries, schools, and intellectually well-intentioned bedside nightstands across the country.”—Quill & Quire

“The wide range of writers, forms and themes represented here make it a great jumping-off point for readers who might be interested in Canadian poetry but are unsure about where to start.”—Globe and Mail

“Buy it, or borrow it, but do read it.”—Arc Poetry Magazine

“A magnet, I think, for the many people who would like to know contemporary poetry.”—A.F. Moritz, Griffin Poetry Prize winner

“An eclectic and diverse collection of Canadian poetry . . . a wonderful addition to anyone’s bookshelf.”—Toronto Quarterly

From the Publisher