Toronto Poetry Vendors

Spring is here

torontopoetryvendors — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:17:36 +0000

At long last, the new issue is loaded up in our machines and awaiting your toonies. Some of you have already been dropping coins, and there seems to be more serendipity in the random dispensation of the candy-coloured words than usual this time around.

Speaking of getting lucky, some of you may notice that this issue has a “smut and heartbreak” theme (thanks to issue contributor Benjamin Hackman for lending the phrase), something that we haven’t tried before over here at TPV HQ. It is extremely easy to write a bad love poem, and equally tough to write a good one. But anyone who reads Lynn Crosbie’s heart-slaying excerpts from Liar, one of my all-time favourite books of poetry on this theme, or Natalie Zina Walschots’s hyper-charged love bites from DOOM: Love Poems for Supervillains, the two poets that bookend this issue, will know that Toronto has a solid history of tingle-inducing poetry.

As always, there is new, previously unpublished work in this issue as well: Jeramy Dodds, Sandy Pool, Paula Eisenstein and Gillian Savigny were all up to the challenge. And while we’re putting out (heh) our fair share of sweaty sheets, there are also more subtle explorations of the theme from Jacob Scheier, Mark Sampson and Stevie Howell.

Since we started vending Toronto’s finest poets in 2010, we have launched our spring issue as part of the flurry of poetic excitement that is National Poetry Month. This year we aimed for an earlier launch, intending to stick our wet thumb in St. Valentine’s ear, but thanks to unforeseen, non-poetry vending related events we are a few months late, or rather, right on time.

Announcing the Spring 2013 issue

torontopoetryvendors — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:56:43 +0000

Spring is about to spring and we at TPV are totally in the mood. To celebrate, here’s the lineup for our new issue, soon to be dropping in a vending machine near you:

Lynn Crosbie
Jeramy Dodds
Paula Eisenstein
Benjamin Hackman
Stevie Howell
Sandy Pool
Mark Sampson
Gillian Savigny
Jacob Scheier
Natalie Zina Walschots

More details coming soon.

TPV at Saving Gigi

torontopoetryvendors — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:19:07 +0000

We are so happy to announce that we’ve found a home for our third wall machine at one of our favourite coffee establishments in the city: Saving Gigi. This cozy spot at Roxton and Bloor (859 Bloor West, for the record) is right around the corner from my old apartment, and can always be counted on to contain some good friends and tasty food and drink. Kristjan and Amelia are just as friendly and accommodating as owners can be, and the staff have literary pedigrees, too. You should ask Eamon about his mom.

Winter residency + holiday cheer

torontopoetryvendors — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:07:38 +0000

Toronto Poetry Vendors couldn’t be more excited to announce that Snacks, our travelling machine, is taking up a winter residency at one of our favourite new restaurants/watering holes: 3030 Dundas in the Junction.

Join us December 11 to welcome Snacks to her new home and celebrate the upcoming holidays. Her cranky ways will fit right in amidst the duelling manual typewriters, pinball tournament, vinyl records, and other non-digital delights of Analog Tuesdays.

More details and surprises to be announced!

TPV goes Indie

torontopoetryvendors — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 15:28:10 +0000

TPV is tickled to be part of the Meet the Presses literary collective, which is putting on its third Indie Literary Market today. We’ll be filling the Tranzac Club with books, chapbooks, broadsides, recordings and all kinds of other literary goodies you can’t generally find in bookstores. Plus you can sip a frothy beverage while you browse. Downright civilized, if you ask me. 12-4 at the Tranzac, 292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto

Flea sightings

torontopoetryvendors — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 20:27:37 +0000

Thanks to TPV contributors Paul Vermeersch and Sachiko Murakami and everyone else who stopped by our Junction Flea booth for some literary snacks and general lounging about.

And special thanks to schpiel-master Ashley Winnington-Ball and tea-master Karri Ojanen for sharing the best booth at the Flea with me. You all just made my day.

TPV Seen Reading at the Junction Flea

torontopoetryvendors — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:20:31 +0000

We had so much fun vending poems at the Junction Flea in July, we had to come back for more. This time we’ve teamed up with Ashley Winnington-Ball, the consummate and charming queen of the hand sell. Ashley will be on hand (har) selling Julie Wilson’s voyeuristic subway ride of a blog-t0-book, Seen Reading, and Snacks will be stocked full with poems from all our past issues, including the current out-of-towner issue. That’s 40 poets. Count ‘em.

And because we think the Flea is so special, we’re setting up a little literary oasis in our booth. Come peruse, sit in the leafy green shade, and enjoy a new book or poem (or two!) whilst sipping iced tea. Isn’t this just so damn civilized? Look for the orange book this Sunday, any time between 9 and 4. Here’s a map.

At home at TYPE

torontopoetryvendors — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:01:26 +0000

The new out-of-towner issue is loaded up and ready for your toonies at TYPE Books, 883 Queen St. West! Thanks to the lovely booksellers at TYPE for making such a nice home for the machine once again.

TPV at the Junction Flea

torontopoetryvendors — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:43:06 +0000

Food trucks, fortune telling, handmade jewelry, vintage typewriters. The Junction Flea ain’t your average yard sale. TPV is thrilled to be a part of this fantastic new event, happening this Sunday July 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dundas just east of Keele (click the above link for a handy map). If you want to be part of it too, we’ll be sharing a table with our favourite Toronto chapbook press, The Emergency Response Unit. Come down and say hello!

TPV Spring 2012: George Murray

torontopoetryvendors — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:37:39 +0000

George Murray’s animated proxy (or Murrée, as the ‘bot prefers) reads his poem “Toronto” for the out-of-towner issue. You can find a paper version of this and all the poems in our new issue at our vending machine at the Tarragon Theatre!