Tour notes, day twenty-six; November 26, Toronto ON

The morning on a sad note; opening the email first thing to Mark Frutkin telling me that Riley Tench had died the day before; I remember a piece by Robert Creeley a few years ago, realizing that the past few years (at that point) of his careers had been predominantly spent writing obits; is this what happens eventually to us all? (If we're lucky to live that long...) Worked to get emails for Richard Harrison (Calgary) and Maggie Helwig (Toronto) to at least let them know (etc), since they knew him from the Peterborough days...

Otherwise, a quiet day reading comic books in Andy's apartment, including The Ultimates and Spider-Man: Blue; Andy has a whole bunch of Jeph Loeb stuff, which is extremely interesting, and the same guy partly responsible for the Smallville and Heroes teevee shows, which I quite like. Saw the 3pm showing of Borat at the theatre; oh my... I admire anyone who is willing to commit to a joke that fully; an extremely brave actor/writer, fer sure... it was great but not as outrageously great as we had expected. Is it a matter of this cultural criticism we all expected something that isn't spoken of inside the US, but a critique we as Canadians are already mostly aware of? I wondered if it simply didn't shock us as much as the American media claims it shocks them...

After that, headed out solo (Andy and Kelly both had early mornings) to the Fictitious Reading Series, with readings of fiction and on-stage interviews with John Degen and Jennifer LoveGrove. A good event, organized by Kate Sutherland (who finally has a second book of short fiction out next spring with Thistledown Press) and Stuart Ross, and hosted by Stuart. I was very taken with what Degen was reading, from his first novel; he has a very good dramatic sense. Interesting, too, that he recommended Ivan Klima during the onstage q+a (conducted by Sutherland), since his novel seems to fit very much with that European tradition; I very much want to read it now. LoveGrove's novel-in-progress dealt with very interesting things as well, but Stuart told us not to talk about it...

After the reading, drinks with Ross, Sutherland, LoveGrove and Sharon Harris; after everyone else left, Sharon and I drinks for another two hours or more. Geez. Wonderful to be able to spend time with her and get a good sense of conversation; had conversation about all sorts of things, a small tiny fraction of which was her new poetry collection brand new from The Mercury Press; might even have lunch with her and Stephen Cain tomorrow...

Should I even mention the homeless man that offered me a hug on Church Street if I gave him money? Or that he hugged me anyway unless I'd give him money? Sharon finally gave him a dollar... apparently I'm very huggable...

Tour notes, day twenty-seven; November 27, Toronto ON

Today wandering around Toronto just a little bit, just a little bit. Went to the Future Bakery on Bloor Street (near Bathurst) to get work done; where I always go in Toronto to get work done, half between Coach House Books and Annex Books. Ended up seeing fiction writer Leon Rooke there with University of Toronto MA creative writing student Rebecca Rosenblum, as apparently Rooke her mentor for the book of short stories she's working on; one just appeared in the next issue of Exile, and another forthcoming in The New Quarterly. He says her work is great; how could I not believe him?

Speaking of Coach House, went by to visit with Coach House Queen Alana Wilcox, and to see what the newish titles are. Got very good advice from her and poet and ECW Press editor Michael Holmes today (called him earlier in the day) on things related to our Chaudiere Books stuff. Always good to talk to either of them about anything, but would like both of them to publish more; I know Holmes has another poetry manuscript, and Wilcox's first novel from The Mercury Press a few years ago was quite lovely (everyone should own one). Will there ever be another? Will this happen to me too, now that I'm publishing things? I hope not...

Hoping tonight drinks with Stephen Cain [note that he has started posting on his blog again...]; worrying about things like arriving home, money and the funeral on Saturday; I hate when folks die.

Tour notes, day twenty-eight; November 28, Toronto ON

What's going on today? Might visit the League of Canadian Poets office, later on today going to hear Steve McOrmond, Ann Shin and Rocco de Giacomo at the Art Bar Reading Series. I was quite fond of Shin's first poetry collection, The Last Thing Standing (Toronto ON: The Mansfield Press); will there ever be a second?

Last night drinks for a bit with Weaver and Cain; haven't seen Cain in a while, so good to catch up, however brief. Apparently he's finishing a novel these days (although, who isn't); got a copy of Andy Brown's brand new Insomniac Press novel from him, which is pretty cool.

Might wander over to Annex Books again; afraid of spending money there I might not have...

Tour notes, day twenty-nine; November 29, Toronto ON

Last night; reading was grand, had fun hearing all three (mostly); Shin and McOrmond were great! McOrmond even better than on Friday; maybe it was just the lack of 38 hour train for me to pay attention? He had some ghazals I think I quite liked. Shin, too, who I haven't heard read in a few years. Got to spend time before the reading with David Clink (who has a first poetry collection forthcoming) and Diana Fitzgerald Bryden, which was pretty cool. Apparently she has a novel we're not allowed to talk about. Hmmmmmmmm. A lot of that going around... Cain too, hey.

At the Future Bakery on Bloor Street, saw Jim Munroe and friend, making a short film; felt very embarassed, didn't recognize him. I actually thought he looked too young to be Jim Munroe; felt very foolish, really.

Otherwise, just read a bunch of books during the day and scribbled some things in my notebook. At the Art Bar, saw Mary Elizabeth Grace of all people, who I haven't seen in moons and moons; she read in Ottawa at the whiplash poetry festival I organized back in 1996, when a whole slew of poets stayed in my little house on Rochester Street; meeting her today for coffee at that Future Bakery before she has to go back to work. Apparently a novel in the works (what, another one?) and some bluegrass music (I'd like to inquire more about that...).

Called cousin Erin a few times and kept getting her husband Wayne, who(m) I quite like. Again, always the problem, our schedules are completely opposite when I'm in town, working evenings and weekends, the only time they seem to be home. It seems to take five years just to visit with them (luckily I don't give up easily). Erin's father, my mother's younger brother, apparently entering a gated community with his wife; what? He's barely 65 (actually born in 1942). Is shovelling snow that difficult? But what do I know...

Always when I come to Toronto, so many people I should be calling, contacting, that I feel overwhelmed and barely contact anyone. maria erskine, Phil Hall, Nath G. Moore, Robin Hannah, Margaret Christakos, John Barlow, Stan Rogal, Chris Doda + Priscila Uppal, etcetera. I just let accidents happen; I could be all day on the phone. Why do I do that?

Perhaps the main reason I end up staying with certain people; the only way I know I'll end up seeing them. Prefer my days to be free to wander around, get work done, that sort of thing. Evenings: what?

On the way back home from the Art Bar, a last drink at that Fox & whatever right near where Weaver lives, at St. Clair and Yonge; if I lived here, I think I would completely make it my local. Made me miss my Pubwells, which I hope to get into by Thursday night... And was all that fog/smog outside that last night Toronto a regular thing? That doesn't seem right.

Otherwise, tonight my last night here afore I get back home, so Weaver and I doing something somewhere, maybe calling McOrmond and Tierney etcetera to see what's what. Maybe Cain too, even.

Later: met up with that lovely Mary Elizabeth Grace for coffee at that Future Bakery (apparently she's doing bluegrass stuff these days, which is pretty cool), and Nathaniel G. Moore wandered through; he just quit his job today at Indigo. What next? He has a poetry collection in April with Pedlar Press, which is pretty cool. Will they ever get a website?

On the way back to Andy's, accordian player in the subway playing a version of "You Are Like A Hurricane" by Neil Young. Very strange.

Drinks later on with Andy and Kelly Weaver, Steve McOrmond and his wife (I can't remember her name; what the hells wrong with me?) who told me they wanted me to move to Toronto cuz I'm so much fun (wouldn't it be cheaper for them to move to Ottawa?) and Matthew Tierney (Cain was home parenting so Sharon could go out...). Lots of open discussion/argument about poetry and reviewing and poetry and poetry battles and all sorts of things. Isn't it great to have a discussion with folk not always on the same page but who are willing to listen as well as argue, and still have a beer after/during? Most things would be solved if things could be figured out that way. I hate the poetry battles; refuse to participate in most of them (but for that piece on poetics.ca, and even then I wanted to keep it out of "battle" mode...).

Late late late getting back in. Ugh. So late.

Tour notes, day thirty; November 30, Toronto to Ottawa ON

Will be nice to get home. Will be nice to be home.

I hate that I have a funeral to go to on Saturday. At least I'll be back at Pubwell's by tonight...

I might never leave home again...