POETRY MONTH

Deadline April 26 2 pm, at the Interlake Gimli Klean-All Laundromat

April is poetry month in North America. The League of Canadian Poets has chosen “Time” as Canada’s theme celebrating our 150th year since confederation. Considering the Interlake beaches (they’re under the snow and ice somewhere), A Grain of Sand has been adopted for the name of this year’s contest. Let’s see if it sticks!Beach hourglass2mages

The great English poet William Blake wrote “To see the World in a Gain of Sand,/and Heaven in a Wild Flower,/Hold Infinity in the palm of your Hand, and Eternity in an hour.” Groucho Marx centuries later opined “Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.” Whatever your take on the theme send your poem of four lines up to forty to be judged by the Klean-All poet, Victor Enns. He will award this year’s unique prize of an engraved hourglass and bragging rights for all of 2017 , on Sunday April 30th at the Ship and Plough open mic and poetry slam. If the judges chooses,there may be a “read-off, and a true competitive slam. This contest is open all ages, though separate prizes will also be awarded for students.

Contestants with Interlake addresses are given priority, though a prize will be given to the entry by a contestant with the most interesting and tenuous connection to the Interlake and/or Lake Winnipeg.

Robins Donuts will be the Sunday, April 30th afternoon venue for students to read their work, or have their work read though they must be present. Student prizes will be awarded at this time.

Laundry repeats as an annual theme, as the Interlake Gimli Klean-All Laundromat is home to poetry and dirty laundry. Let us not forget the power of cleanliness to wash away alternative truths, and the smell of clean laundry, which reminds us that cleanliness is next to poetry; fiction is next to politics! Anyone can enter*, the prize is a roll of loonies up to $25.00 to do laundry, thanks to Jane and Les- proprietors of the Klean-All, and the framed exhibition of the winning poem on the wall of the laundromat.

The competition is now open, the deadline is April 26, at 2pm. Entries by email preferred, sent to [email protected], or by mail to P.O. Box 1965, Gimli, MB. R0C 1BO, or handed to the Klean-All Poet while in residence Wednesdays, between 11:00 to 2pm. Because of the quick turn around NO late entries will be accepted.

Nothing will be returned, please send copies of poems only. They must have your name and contact information on every page. And SURPRISE! there is no cost to enter. Get thinking, the clock is ticking. See you in the Klean-All!

Victor Enns

– Klean-All Poet–in-Residence

Thanks to our sponsors; the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, The Ship and Plough, the Lake Winnipeg Writers’ Group, and the Klean-All Laundromat. Contact the Klean-All Poet to hear about remaining prize and promo sponsorships!

RESULTS

There were 52 entries in the 2016 Interlake Gimli Klean-All Laundry Poetry Contest, including submissions from the entire Gimli Grade Nine English Class. The contest was created by the Lake Winnipeg Writers’ Group, the Klean-All Laundry, and the Envoi Literary Foundation, recognizing National Poetry Month, occurring every April in North America.

The entries included submissions from an entire Grade Nine English Class. Of these four caught the attention of the judge Victor Enns, the Interlake Gimli Laundry Poet-in-Residence “I was impressed by the general level of submissions from this class, but these four appealed to me.”  The finalists were –

  • “The legend of the disappearing pick,” by Cody Stevenson with the makings of a good rap lyric,
  • “The girl nobody sees,” by Avery, one of the longest poems in the contest with a very strong ending,
  • “Road Trip” by Evan Thorklason, about a long and winding road trip to Lynn Lake and the winner,
  • “Road” by Caylin Riddle who wins the Tergesen Poetry Gift Certificate, in recognition of national poetry month.
    “Her point of view, that of the road itself showed originality and made this entry unique,” said Enns.

Kristine A Dubois, one of teachers, impressed with her “Coming Clean at the Klean-All,” winning the inaugural Klean-All Laundry Poetry Prize ($20.00 of free wash-and-dry laundry) and a subscription to Rhubarb magazine. The poem will be posted in a place of honour in the Laundromat until next year.

There were several poems about Mother’s Day, which occurred during the contest. “I really enjoyed a different take with the song lyrics ‘Psycho Mother.’ Most of us have visited the territory in our own parenting,” laughed Enns. Heather Joan Sloan wins a gift subscription to CV2, a Canadian poetry magazine published in Winnipeg.

Irene Shaw from Gunton, was the only double winner. She visited the Poet-in-Residence in residence at the Klean-All regularly, understanding the importance of revision. “She brought a lot of poems and worked very hard, much improving, for example “Seal Hunt,” for which she will receive a gift subscription to Prairie Fire magazine.” Shaw also wins a subscription to CV2 for her startling submission “Grave Dream.”

The “better late than never” prize goes to Adam Peleshaty, from Stonewall, for “A Superhero’s Progression,” which I almost missed as one the four poems he submitted. Adam wins a copy of
Why Poetry Sucks, An Anthology of Humourous Experimental Canadian Poetry.

Congratulations to the winners and all entrants. Every one is welcome to read their work at the monthly Poetry Slam at the Ship and Plough on Wednesday, Mat 25th beginning at 7:30 pm.

Thanks to our supporters, Tergesen’s, Klean-All Laundry, Prairie Fire, CV2 and Rhubarb magazine, and the Ship and Plough host to a monthly night of poetry.

Contact: Victor Enns Klean-All Poet in Residence, [email protected], 204-641.0821 cell, 204-642-8633 home.

 

IDEA CIRCA 2017

INTERLAKE GRAIN OF SAND POETRY FESTIVALBeach hourglass2mages
APRIL 28 – 30 ….(next year country….)
GIMLI, MANITOBA

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.”
from “Auguries of Innocence” by William Blake

“Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.”
– Groucho Marx

April is Poetry Month – “Time” is the theme for this year chosen by the League of Canadian poets.
Presented by the Lake Winnipeg Writers’ Group

MY DREAM LINE-UP

FRIDAY

Friday evening ; Opening Ta Das! ! (Tazz?, Dig Na Tories)
Poetry Film Night: 8:00 pm hosted by the Gimli Film Festival, Winnipeg Film Group with Dave Barber at  Gimli Movie Theatre (alternately an afternoon matinee.)
Friday: 9:00 Comedy Poetry Night:  hosted by Lara Rae at the Ship & Plough

SATURDAY

Saturday Morning: Asking for Money presentation by Victor Enns, Followed by presentations by major funders, Q & A. Don’t think we’re ready for a pitch session involving publishers this year.
Saturday morning: (concurrent Programming) Peanut Butter Press Authors at Robin’s Donuts
Saturday Afternoon, 1:00 pm Tweens and Teens, TBA, but featuring the winners of next year’s poetry contest, awards
Blues Poetry Jam, 2:30
Ship & Plough, Duncan Mercredi, Victor Enns, Blues musician to be named later
Saturday night: Program one: 7 PM Aspire Keynote: Rosanna Deerchild (as long as she wants, and whoever she wants with her as 2nd reader)
Saturday night, Program two 8:30 Aspire: ABC: George Amabile, Di Brandt, Dennis Cooley (Can also be flipped with Deerchild’s reading.
Saturday night after party at Ship and Plough

SUNDAY

Sunday morning: 10:00 am Allah, God, and Goddesses Spiritual Poetry, hosted by Luann Hiebert
Readings, Workshop, Panel, maybe sponsored by Providence college and/or CMU. Flatland Coffee
Sunday Afternoon:In Dialogue: Poetry and conversation with Miera Cook and Maurice Mierau, Flatland Coffee
Sunday evening; 7:30 Open Mic, Ship & Plough, LWWG, ANNOUNCEMENT OF POETRY CONTEST WINNERS,
hosted by Victor Enns.
Interlake Gimli Klean-All Laundromat Poet-in-Residence.

Please Note: This in an idea only, but with enough hands on deck it could be a worth-while addition to the Gimli Events Calendar in 2018. This is a low-budget event under $3,000, mostly reading fees. Ideally you would want to bring in some people from outside Manitoba, to be at the Festival for the weekend perhaps doing a (Spoken Word) Workshop (Jillian Christmas, for example) and a featured reading.  Maybe that’s year 2 (2019) and a $10,000.00 event.

 

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