Mixed

Mixed tape for the holidays!

The Day that Clayton Delaney Died - Bobby Bare
Disconnecty - Grandaddy
Me and Paul - Willie Nelson
A Song from under the Floorboards - Magazine
Trash - New York Dolls
Subway Train - New York Dolls
Lost a Friend - James
Six Days on the Road - Charlie Pride
Ganglord - Morrissey
Aside - Weakerthans
Numbers - Greg MacPherson
Strummerville - Stiff Little Fingers
Georgia on a Fast Train - Billy Joe Shaver

A loser loses

I didn't take home the A.M. Klein award. That went to Susan Elmslie for I, Nadja. It proves my theory that you can't win anything for a book about losers, especially if the book includes a sonnet in the voice of R2D2.

But I did have the greatest honour of the evening: I delivered a speech to celebrate the lives of John George, proprietor of Argo Books and one of the last true booksellers and Robert Allen, brilliant writer and dear friend.

Robert Allen 1946-2006

Writer, teacher, editor, mentor, and dear friend, Robert Allen, died on Friday, November 3 2006. He was the author of nine collections of poetry, three novels, and one collection of short fiction. His most recent book was the brilliant long poem, The Encantadas, published just this spring by Conundrum. Without a doubt, The Encantadas is one of the best Canadian poetry books ever published.

Rob taught young writers to use their curiosity, irreverence and defiance to their advantage and to follow their own literary interests without apology. And most unique, he always treated his students as fellow writers. If you were a student of Robert Allen’s, you were driven to make him proud and prove him right.

As a friend, Rob was always patient, thoughtful, and generous. He loved to share a bottle of good scotch, a cigarette, a story, a road trip. He would always provide counsel and he was always right. His wisdom was an invaluable gift to those who loved him. I first met Rob when I was an exasperated young student at Concordia. Frustrated and hurt for some reason, I marched into his office and told him I was going to jump off a bridge if he didn't help me. He laughed at me and then he helped me. Throughout the seven years I knew Rob, he never stopped helping me and never stopped laughing at me. He showed his faith in me by letting me help him run Matrix magazine and giving me the opportunity to edit books and work with authors. Rob helped me become a better writer and a better person. I will always be grateful for his friendship.

For the last three weeks of his life, he spent countless hours with family and friends, sharing stories. I was honoured to be with Rob these last three weeks and to have the opportunity to tell how much I loved him before he left us. On Friday, he died with his son, Cary, and his dear friend Anne Stone at his side. The room was warm and full of love. He will be greatly missed.

Loser shortlisted

The Theory of the Loser Class has been shortlisted for the A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry.
Also, Snare Books' Melissa A. Thompson has been shortlisted for the McAusland First Book Prize for Dreadful Paris.

A good news day! Shortlists below.

A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry ($2000)
Sponsored in memory of Sydney Weisbord

Susan Elmslie
I, Nadja, and Other Poems
Brick Books
~
Jon Paul Fiorentino
The Theory of the Loser Class
Coach House Books
~
Lazar Sarna
He Claims He is the Direct Heir
Porcupine's Quill

------------------------------

McAuslan First Book Prize ($2,000)
Sponsored by McAuslan Brewing Inc.

Susan Elmslie
I, Nadja, and Other Poems
Brick Books
~
Rawi Hage
De Niro's Game
House of Anansi Press
~
Melissa A. Thompson
Dreadful Paris
Snare Books

This sunday!!!

The Montreal literary event of the year!

Coach House Books & Snare Books
Fall Book Launch
Sunday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.
The Green Room, 5386 St. Laurent
Free

Coach House Books and Snare Books present their Fall Book Launch,
featuring four new titles by four amazing authors

with
Angela Carr
(Ropewalk)
Tanya Chapman
(King)
Jason Christie
(Canada Post)
Zoe Whittall
(The Emily Valentine Poems)
hosted by
Jon Paul Fiorentino
(The Theory of the Loser Class, Asthmatica)
music by nohitsinc

Fall tour report

it was fun. and exhausting. toronto's word on the street festival was difficult for me because i had strep throat and the lovely emily schultz had to read my poems for me on stage. it turns out she's better at delivering my poems than i am, so thanks emily! brian and emily then walked me to the emergency room where i got antibiotics and the doctor was amazed at the size of my swollen tonsils.

ottawa was perfect. sean wilson and rob mclennan made me feel perfectly at home and afua cooper and ronnie r. brown were great poets to share a stage with. three very different poets, illustrating the diverse influences and traditions that make up contemporary poetry -- what could be more inspiring than that?

NYC was brilliant. especially the st. mark's reading. stacy, the host, gave a clever and touching introduction to my work. And paul foster johnson, my reading partner (JPF and PFJ - live at st. mark's!) was charming and thought-provoking with his performance. the poet's house event with sina queyras, margaret christakos and a. rawlings was fun too, as i decided to mix diet coke and red wine before my reading. it led to an uneven performance but i was thrilled to hear my fellow coach house poets read so well. i am a lucky guy to be in the company of such fine poets and performers.

and a special thank you must go out to alana wilcox for being so patient with me all week. she is not only a great writer and editor, but i think she is also a saint. thanks for the conversations, the drinks and the mac power source, alana!

also: having drinks with sina is one of my favourite things in the world. how can i get her to move to montreal?

now i must mark 50 prose poems and 25 essays. and sleep would be nice.

Fall loser events

WORD ON THE STREET
Sunday, September 24
5:30 PM
Queen's Park
Toronto, ON

Jon Paul Fiorentino reads from The Theory of the Loser Class in the Great Books Tent.

OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL WRITERS FESTIVAL
Sunday, October 1 @ 8:00 pm
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON
Poetry Cabaret
featuring Ronnie R. Brown, Jon Paul Fiorentino and Afua Cooper
$15 / $12 Student or Senior / $8 Festival Member

An evening of acclaimed Canadian poetry that runs the gamut from Ottawa’s Ronnie R. Brown, who was described by Irving Layton as “the only female version of Layton that I can see on the horizon” to Jon Paul Fiorentino, dubbed “one of Montreal’s finest poets” by Hour Montreal, to Toronto’s Afua Cooper, whose poetry is praised as “eloquent and visionary.”

THE ST. MARK'S POETRY PROJECT
St. Mark's Church, 131 E. 10th St., New York, NY
Monday, 8:00 pm
October 09 2006

Jon Paul Fiorentino & Paul Foster Johnson

Jon Paul Fiorentino's most recent book of poetry is The Theory of the Loser Class (Coach House Books, 2006). He is the author of the poetry book Hello Serotonin (Coach House Books, 2004) and the humour book Asthmatica (Insomniac Press, 2005). His most recent editorial projects are the anthologies Career Suicide! Contemporary Literary Humour (DC Books, 2003) and Post-Prairie - a collaborative effort with Robert Kroetsch, (Talonbooks, 2005). He lives in Montreal where he teaches writing at Concordia University and is the Managing Editor of Matrix magazine. Paul Foster Johnson's first collection of poems, Refrains/Unworkings, will be published in Spring 2007 by Apostrophe Books. Quadriga, a chapbook of his collaborations with E. Tracy Grinnell, was recently released by g-o-n-g press. Currently serving as an editor at Litmus Press, he curated the Experiments and Disorders reading series at Dixon Place from 2003 to 2006.

POETS HOUSE
72 Spring Street, 2nd Floor
New York City, NY
Wednesday, October 11
7:00 p.m.


For one night only, Coach House Books takes over New York's legendary Poets House.

Four Coach House poets read in this literary centre and poetry archive. The night's proceedings will feature performances by Sina Queyras (Lemon Hound), Margaret Christakos (Sooner), angela rawlings (Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists) and Jon Paul Fiorentino (The Theory of the Loser Class).

Getting my teach on

I'm teaching English Composition and The Creative Process this term at Concordia. Tonight I read "Stubborn Furniture" by Stuart Ross to my class. I decided I was going to start reading poems I am fond of to both classes as often as I want just because. I like my new policy. All poetry all the time.

A week from now the two Snare books will arrive in the Snare Books office. Then I take off for Word on the Street, Toronto, The Ottawa Writers Festival, The St. Mark's Poetry Project, and Poets House in New York, then back to Montreal for the Snare/Coach House launch on October 22nd at the Green Room. More info on all of this soon. What an exciting time of year!

Snare Books site

I have moved the Snare Books site here. There is info on the two new fall books which are at the printers right now! September 20th, they will be available for purchase.

Filmmaking is the new pottery

Inhalers of Anxiety. A film by Sarah Steinberg. Written by Sarah Steinberg and Jon Paul Fiorentino.

Old News. A film by Sarah Steinberg

Don't make fun of me!

This is impossible to stop watching.

And this is so fucked.


Thanks alot Sachi.

My brother

So my brother is in a new band -- The Red Hot Mamas. Vaudeville heavy metal. Click here.

Gotta love my bro, that Zappa-loving nutter.

Tíu þúsund tregawött!!!

Icelandic translations of JPF! Trippy!

Worth watching.

Thanks to Sachi for pointing this out. It's 45 minutes long, but it's worth the commitment. Try to ignore the hat and the personality defects.

here.

The Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry

Click here

Fan friction out now

So our latest issue of Matrix addresses concerns raised by these films:

Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager
Troops

Evan Munday illustrated the cover. This guy is so talented it's scary. Check out the original artwork here. It was great to get to know Evan a little bit while I was in Toronto last week. It turns out we are both fans of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Sweet.

jpf at scream

Small Press Dating Game
Sunday, July 9, 2006 at 8:00 PM
The Boat Restaurant
158 Augusta Avenue Toronto, ON M5T 2L5, Canada (416) 593-9218

When the small presses get together, amazing things can happen. And sometimes … odd things. The collective forces of Coach House Books, ECW Press, and Mercury Press result have resulted in a perfect pre-High Park evening, called The Small Press Dating Game. Making one’s trade by the pen, it’s easy to become isolated, so this evening will give a few choice writers the chance to talk to each other about writing—style, theory, and tactics for overcoming that dreaded syndrome, writer’s block. Who will choose whom for the perfect literary date? Join host Nathaniel G. Moore, sitting in for Jim Lange, as he asks the tough questions.

Artists/ Performers:

* Bill Kennedy (ECW)
* James Grainger (ECW)
* Michael Knox (ECW)
* Judy Macdonald (Mercury)
* Mark Truscott (Mercury/CH)
* Gary Barwin (Mercury)
* Jon Paul Fiorentino (CH)
* Karen Hines (CH)
* Chris Eaton (Insomniac)
* Dani Couture (Pedlar)

Hosted by Nathaniel G. Moore (Conundrum Press)



14th Annual Scream In High Park
Monday, July 10, 2006 at 7:00 PM
CSC Dream Site Amphitheatre
High Park, Toronto
PWYC, $10 Suggested

The Scream is proud to present this year’s Scream in High Park lineup:

* Kevin Connolly is a Toronto poet, editor, and arts journalist. His most recent collection, drift, won the 2006 Trillium award for poetry.
* Afua Cooper is an award-winning author, historian, curator, performer, cultural worker, and recording artist. Her most recent non-fiction work, The Hanging of Angelique: Canada, Slavery and the Burning of Montréal (HarperCollins), was published in January. Her fifth book of poetry, Copper Woman and Other Poems, was published this spring by Natural Heritage.
* Jon Paul Fiorentino’s most recent book of poetry is The Theory of the Loser Class (Coach House, 2006). He lives in Montreal where he teaches writing at Concordia University and is the Managing Editor of Matrix magazine.
* Steven Heighton is a poet and fiction writer. His latest novel, Afterlands, was published by Random House in 2005. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.
* Helen Humphreys is the author of Leaving Earth, Afterimage, and the national bestseller The Lost Garden. Her latest novel, Wild Dogs, was awarded the prestigious annual Lambda Literary Award for Fiction in the US. She is also the author of four books of poetry. Humphreys lives in Kingston, Ontario.
* Ryan Knighton is the author of Cockeyed (Penguin, 2006), a memoir of his gradual descent into blindness. He is also the co-author of Cars (Coach House 2002) with George Bowering. He teaches English and Creative Writing at Capilano College in British Columbia.
* Maggie MacDonald is a Toronto writer, playwright, and musician with bands The Hidden Cameras and The Republic of Safety. In 2005, her graphic novel Kill the Robots was published by McGilligan Books. Her rock opera The Rat King debuted this January at Alchemy Theatre.
* Mindbender is a Toronto MC, promoter, and manager. Until its recent grand finale, Mindbender was host of In Divine Style, the city’s premiere monthly hip-hop event.
* Erin Moure is a poet and freelance translator. Her collection Little Theatres (Anansi, 2005) was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award and the Griffin Poetry Prize, and won the AJM Klein Prize. Her latest work, O Cadoiro (Anansi), will appear in 2007.
* Darren O'Donnell is a Toronto writer, director, designer, and the artistic director of Mammalian Diving Reflex. His shows include pppeeeaaaccceee, [boxhead], and White Rabbit. This spring, Coach House published Social Acupuncture, which includes the text of O’Donnell’s most recent show, A Suicide Site Guide to the City.
* a.rawlings is a multidisciplinary Toronto artist. Her poetry collection, Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists, was published this spring (Coach House). She is the co-founder of the influential lexiconjury reading series.
* Itah Sahu is an author and storyteller. She is the force behind A Different Booklist, Toronto’s premiere seller of literature from the African diaspora, the Caribbean, Asia and Latin America.

From Russia with bed bugs

St. Petersburg was fantastic. SLS is a pretty impressive program made up of wonderful students, faculty and staff. Great to meet and get to know people like Peter Gizzi (whose knowledge of Canlit poetry blew me away), Margaret Sweatman (never met her in Winnipeg), and so many more. The city is outstanding. Bars open until 7am. I will be recovering for the rest of the summer.

Now I'm off to do the Scream Literary Festival. Click here.

What could have been

Sina is so awesome.

Inspired by truscott once again

Mark linked to some very awesome song lyrics and claimed they were the best ever. It inspired me to post some of my favourite lyrics. Please feel free to add yours!


OUR RETIRED EXPLORER (Dines With Michel Folcault In Paris, 1961)
by The Weakerthans

Just one more drink and then I should be on my way home. I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. I've had a really nice time, but my dogs need to be fed. I must say that in the right light you look like Shackleton. Comment allez-vous ce soir? Je suis comme ci comme ça. Yes, a penguin taught me French back in Antarctica. I could show you the way shadows colonize snow. Ice breaking up on the bay off the Lassiter coast. Light failing over the pole as every longitude leads up to your frost bitten feet. Oh, you're very sweet, thank you for the flowers and the book by Derrida, but I must be getting back to dear Antarctica. Say, do you have a ship and a dozen able men that maybe you could lend me?

DON'T MAKE FUN OF DADDY'S VOICE
by Morrissey

Long ago, when he was young and restless
Suddenly, Daddy saw the beckoning finger of fate

Don't make fun of Daddy's voice
because he can't help it
when he was a teenage boy
something got stuck in his throat

When you are young you crave affection
and it can come from the strangest direction

Don't make fun of Daddy's voice
because he can't help it
when he was a teenage boy
something got stuck in his throat

No te divertes con pappy.
No te divertes con pappy.
No te divertes con pappy.
No te divertes con pappy.
No te divertes con pappy.
No te divertes con pappy.
No te divertes con pappy.

BRAND NEW HAIRSTYLE
by The Smoking Popes

I'm looking for a brand new hairstyle
One that I can call my own
One that says I'm not afraid to be my own man

One that makes you glad to see me
One that makes me glad to be me
One that I can wear with pride when I go outside

I'm tired of caring about
What other people say
My hair is on my head
My hair is mine

I need a brand new outlook
To face a brand new day
I need a brand new hairstyle in a big way

I'm looking for a brand new hairstyle
One that I can call my own
One that says I'm not afraid to cut my own hair

One that makes you glad to see me
One that makes me glad to be me
One that I can wear with pride when I go outside

w00t!

I did it! I have been struggling for a while now with how to write the stories I want to write. But I had a breakthrough tonight and I finally finished my first short story in over a year and a half. It's called IT'S EASY TO BE A MORALIST WHEN YOU'RE UGLY. It feels really good to be writing again. I am so far away from completing a new project or anything like that, but it's a relief to finish something.

Things i am excited about

Editing these books:

The Emily Valentine Poems by Zoe Whittall (Snare)
(Pop culture savvy poems. Great stuff. Heavy on wit, No earnestness!)

The Coward Files by Ryan Arnold (conundrum)
(Great collection of stories by sex symbol Ryan Arnold. Stories about failure and baseball.)

Designing this book:

ropewalk by Angela Carr (Snare)
(An adventurous and very confident collection of feminist poetry. Influenced by Dickinson and Stein.)

Going to Russia.

Tour report

# of gigs: 5 (Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Calgary, Winnipeg)
# of one night stands: 0
# of kilometres travelled: 8564
# of drunken nights: 14
# of people read to: around 500 (including that huge T.O. launch)
# of books sold: 82
# of books given away: 5
# of nights a. rawlings rocked the house: 5
# of times I bombed: 1
# of times I fantasized about moving to Calgary: 6
# of times I wished I was as charming and graceful as Sina Queyras: 23
# of inappropriate gifts purchased: 2
# of inappropriate gifts received: 1
# of new nicknames: 1 (Freshmaker)

In calgary

I am having an amazing time in Calgary. These kids know how to fuck it up. Tonight is the first of two launches. Will I see you there?

Calgary launches! tonight is the first one.
International Spoken Word Festival
April 26 @ 7:30pm
Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club (811 1st St. SW)
with Jason Christie and a. rawlings

NoD and dANDelion launch
April 27 @ 7:30pm
Carpenter's Union Hall (301 Tenth St. NW)
with derek beaulieu, Jason Christie, a. rawlings

In other news, my book of poetry is the Menthos Fresh Idea of the Week in DOSE Magazine. That's very strange and hilarious. The kids now call me "THE FRESHMAKER."

Chb in mtl

Sunday April 23rd. 7:30 pm
The Green Room, 5586 St. Laurent
Free Admission

Join Coach House Books for the Montreal edition of our spring launch

Sina Queyras - Lemon Hound (poetry)
Chris Ewart - Miss Lamp (novel)
Angela Rawlings - Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists (poetry)
Jon Paul Fiorentino - The Theory of the Loser Class (poetry)

and special guest
Melissa A. Thompson launching her first novel, Dreadful Paris, (Snare Books)

Hosted by Maya Merrick

http://www.chbooks.com

That's better

Last night's Coach House launch was amazing. I only flubbed one line and didn't screw up for the most part! (but I did have a panic attack in the post-launch shmooze fest). Sina Queyras was astonishing -- she delivered her prose poetry with an unmistakable authority; a. rawlings performed a wonderful 3 minute rendition of WSFL with backup singers. Darren O' Donnell and Karen Hines were equally hilarious and charming. My homey Chris Ewart kicked ass all over the place with Miss Lamp.

Thanks to everyone who made the night special. Especially the Coach House crew.

And they called her sonnet

Fiorentino is smart and deft.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

I'm not interested in talking too much about the rest of the review. It was a mixed review. But I'll just close my eyes and pretend we live in a world where reviewers actually make an effort to understand the difference between poet and poetic voice, between the abstract and the concrete, between earnestness and satire. The reviewer in question once complained that Robert Kroetsch's poetry lacked spiritual accountability. Scary eh?

Scary times

An article on me just in time for my book launch: here

I'm very scared. Why is it that every reading feels like the first reading? I am thrilled with the way TTOTLC turned out but I am so scared to launch the fucking thing. If you happen to be near the Montreal Hyatt Regency tomorrow around 6pm, drop in and I will do my best not to suck. In fact, I will try to rule. I know it's hard to rule but I will try.


love Jonny

Interview with JPF

A little interview in support of The Theory of the Loser Class here.

An invitation

Please join me at Blue Met for the launch of my book.

Thursday, April 6, 2006

6:00 PM Room: Salon des Arts 5e étage / 5th floor
Hyatt Regency Montreal, 1255 Jeanne-Mance

THE THEORY OF THE LOSER CLASS

Activité/Activity: Launch
Durée/Length: 90 minutes
Prix/Cost: Gratuit / Free
Participants: Jon Paul Fiorentino
Animateur(trice) / Host : Jason Camlot

The theory of the loser class -- arrived

It is here. I am blown away by Darren Wershler-Henry's design; I am too scared to read the book all the way through; I am feeling strange, proud, overwhelmed, sad. There's always a sense of loss when the poems become a book. But I know this is the best poetry I have written. It's a very good day. I am extremely lucky.

Also: congrats to Sachi, Jani and Gill who were all winners today. My wonderful friends.

Things

I'm restless. My book should be at my door this week. I know it will be a lovely object, it's just the writing I'm worried about. You get to a point where you've looked your poetry over so often, rewritten it, etc, that you can't really look at it anymore.

I've also sent off the first Snare book to the printer. Jason Christie's Canada Post is quite the debut. Very peculiar and witty poetry. I redesigned the cover at the last minute and I think it will pay off...

New website again

So I redid the website again. Using the trusty old freeware. I think it's much better this time. And the true cover of The Theory of the Loser Class is up now. Imagine it embossed, on lovely textured paper. I love Coach House.

Here it is: www.jonpaulfiorentino.com

Tell me what you think ok?

Expozine awards

Hey, here's a lovely thing:

Expozine Awards Shortlist

BOOKS:

Something for Michael 003 (girl on girl) by Shannon Gerard
The Hero Book by Scott Waters
Asthmatica by Jon Paul Fiorentino (Insomniac)
The Official St Leonard Dictionary by John Trivisonno
Making Stuff and Doing Things by Kyle Bravo (Microcasm Publishing) ypf yearbook
Garbage Head by Christopher Willard (Vehicule)


COMICS:

ojingogo by Matthew Forsythe
horror perditii by Amanda Crawford
Mocking Irony by Edward Bak
Revolver by Salgood Sam
Big Questions #7
Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)


ZINES:

four minutes to midnight
Carousel
Leg Moustache Advisor
Tarhonya by Stephen Guy
LASH by Shawn Kuruneru
G-Eunuch Digest (The Cowboy Issue)
Lifelike by Chris Binkowski

CBC poetry face off

CBC Poetry Face-Off
Thursday, February 16th at 5 p.m. – Casa del
Popolo, 4873 Saint Laurent

For the fifth consecutive year, CBC Radio One will
celebrate Canada’s poetic imagination with a twist: by
giving it a competitive attitude. 14 selected cities
across the country will host live-before-an-audience
poetry combats, and five poets in each city will be
commissioned to write and perform their work on a
common theme. This year’s exciting theme is
irresistible. The audience at each combat will choose
their champion and the winning entry will move on to
the national play-offs. The finalists will then be
heard on CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada in April 2006,
the national listening audience will be able to vote
for their favourite, and a Canadian champion will
emerge. The Montreal event will be hosted by Patti
Schmidt and the performances will be accompanied by
musician Nicholas Caloia.

Among the competing poets will be Susan Elmslie, Susan
Gillis, David McGimpsey, Oana Avasilichioaei, and Jon
Paul Fiorentino, an eclectic group representative of
Quebec's new generation of literary artists.



Come and cheer them on!!!



This event is free, no guest list reservations
necessary but space is limited.



For more information go to www.cbc.ca/poetryfaceoff/

The theory of the loser class

I'm looking at the galleys for my new book. It's a very exciting time. If you want a sense of what it will look like click here.

It's a book about Thorstein Veblen, Jerry Lewis, Theodor Adorno, R2-D2, binary code, Montreal, and Winnipeg.

It will be out April 1st...

Matrix call for submissions

Matrix presents Fan Friction
edited by Jon Paul Fiorentino and Sachiko Murakami

Fan-fuelled culture has never been hotter. The best practitioners of this twenty-first century genre have achieved a level of revision and fluency that cannot be ignored. At its best, fan fiction challenges distinctions between high and low culture, between authorship and appropriation; it forces us to question what makes for appropriate literary subject matter and to interrogate the role that cultural literacy plays in contemporary literature. Fan fiction can no longer be classified as simple emulation text. The fan’s cultural position is changing and shrewd fans are asserting their own artistic vision through the creation of their own narratives. As opposed to simply being tacit consumers of cultural products, these new fans claim for themselves a right to resituate the culture they are immersed in.

Matrix magazine is pleased to explore this trend and is asking for submissions on the theme of “fan friction” for our 74th issue. Suitable submissions include pitches / treatments of television shows (imagined or real), short film scripts, song lyrics (parodies, emulations, etc.), visual art, comic art, queer fan fiction / erotica, fanzine excerpts, ironic tributes, rewritten porn, comedic texts, mockumentaries, and essays on fandom.

Please send submissions attn: Jon Paul Fiorentino and Sachiko Murakami at
fanfriction [at] yahoo [dot] ca

Deadline: March 31 2006

Rapidcycler

My poem "Rapidcycler" is in the new issue of the Walrus. Click here.

I've revised the poem since the Walrus took it, but it still gives you a sense of what The Theory of the Loser Class will be like.

S&S in MTL

MERCURY PRESS PRESENTS

The Launch of Shift and Switch: New Canadian Poetry

featuring readings by

Jon Paul Fiorentino
Matthew Hollett
Max Middle
a.rawlings
Rob Read
Mark Truscott.

Saturday, January 14, 8pm @ cafe esperanza 5490
saint-laurent

visit the amazing S&S website:
http://www.themercurypress.com/poetry/shiftswitch/

Ottawa is in for it

Hey, people of Ottawa! Come see me make an ass of myself in front of an audience for the first time this year! I will be reading a bit from Asthmatica and a lot from The Theory of the Loser Class. I'm very sensitive and I have a wonderful personality.

Press release below:

On Tuesday, January 10th, Montreal poet Jon Paul Fiorentino will be the first featured reader at the Tree Reading Series in 2006.

Jon Paul Fiorentino is a writer and editor. His most recent book of poetry is The Theory of the Loser Class (Coach House Books, 2006). He is the author of the poetry book Hello Serotonin (Coach House Books, 2004) and the humour book Asthmatica (Insomniac Press, 2005). His most recent editorial projects are the anthologies Career Suicide! Contemporary Literary Humour (DC Books, 2003) and Post-Prairie - a collaborative effort with Robert Kroetsch, (Talonbooks, 2005). He lives in Montreal where he teaches writing at Concordia University and is the Managing Editor of Matrix magazine.

The Tree Reading Series meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, in the basement of the Royal Oak II pub on Laurier Avenue near King Edward. Admission is free. Open mic at 8pm, with featured reader to follow. The Tree Reading Series gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa.

Best song of 06?

Stop the year! The best song of 2006 is clearly "Dale Hawerchuk" by Les Dales Hawerchuk