I think of a poem as the blood in a blood transfusion, given from the heart of the poet to the heart of the reader. Seek after poems that live inside you, poems that move through your veins.
—Ralph Fletcher
 
I’m no meteorologist, but I can safely say that Vancouver just had the worst summer since dinosaurs roamed the earth. I mean, it was just ... short. My vitamin D values have not yet been restored to their optimum level, and neither have anyone’s else’s.

Thankfully this autumn is gearing up to be the artsy-fartsiest on record, which is making me feel better already. 2011 is the city of Vancouver's 125th birthday, and Mayor Gregor Robertson and his gang of cultural planners have got so much going on that they are effectively making it fun to be inside this fall. Very clever.

The city’s birthday means that there are more resources than usual to spend on cultural programming, and poets are finally getting a piece of the action. In addition to our usual annual literary events — including Word on the Street (Sept 23–25) and the Vancouver International Writers’ Festival (18–23) — the city is also hosting a Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference. The event is nestled right into the writers’ festival dates: October 19–22.

Why attend a poetry conference, you may ask. I’m a reader, not a poet, and though I like reading some poetry, I really love listening to poetry read aloud. It can be a form of guided meditation, and I like the idea of it being like a blood transfusion. A little shot of vitamin "P" to help me get through the winter ahead. Plus, there’s gonna be wine there and lots of opportunity to chat with interesting people about creative things. You should come.

Visit the conference's website at v125pc.com

From Taryn, the LPG's sales rep for Western Canada