Residency thoughts and Upcoming Things

I'm about to travel to Nova Scotia for the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia's Jampolis Cottage Writing Residency Program, with my dear friends and writing group — the Egg Poets (Spencer Folkins, Ambrose Albert, and Jamie Kitts, and Void Vida Nason in spirit!). This will be the first self-directed residency I've ever done, and I'm so grateful to get to go with my friends.

As I'm mentally preparing for this trip, I'm thinking about how lucky I've been to go on two week-long residencies in 2025. With much thanks to the Ontario Arts Council for supporting my project! Just last month I travelled to Greece for a residency called "Freeing the Muse" at the Ionion Centre for the Arts. To say the experience was magical would be an understatement. That opportunity came to me through the same folks from the Martha's Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, which I participated in last year! I feel so lucky to have gotten in with this group of artists meeting on islands to write and think together. All of the support and poetic relationships I've built and continue to build are so affirming — I know that I am in the right place doing something that others are interested in, too. Plus, the world of international writing residencies has been opened for me! This is how I want to be travelling as long as I am able. Kristina Darling, especially, held so much international residency and other opportunity knowledge that she was so open with sharing. She formed the connection with Alexander Weinstein from the Martha's Vineyard Institute that brought us all to Greece!

Speaking of how grateful I am for the support my work in progress has received, it's now on contract! Excavate a Doppelgänger will be out with Palimpsest Press in Spring of 2027! After such a great experience working with Jim Johnstone on Razor Burn, and just the gentle mentorship and encouragement he offers to emerging writers in Toronto, I knew I wanted to work with him again on this first full-length collection.

You'll be able to catch me reading some new work from the manuscript (and new work from the other Egg Poets!!) at The Trident in Halifax on July 9th, and The Canning Library in Canning, NS on July 10! I'll have special limited "Jampolis Cottage Writing Residency Edition" copies of Razor Burn. See you there, I hope!

If you want to read more about my time in Greece I'll write about it in more detail on The Miramichi Reader's Patreon.

It's been a very exciting time for my own writing, which truthfully is a weird thing to celebrate and write about because at the same time as many of my personal dreams have been coming true this year, I am also witnessing the most violent and horrible year in world news that I have seen in my lifetime. I'm so unbelievably grateful (I know. How many times can I say grateful in one blog post) for every opportunity that is shared with me and every single person who reads my poems and everyone who keeps wanting to read my poetry. Please, if you're reading this, also share your attention with organizations that are fighting against people who are being systematically killed (there are many to choose from, which is terrible to say). As I write this, I know that eSims for Gaza are in need of more eSims, which you can do from your couch on your phone. I purchased an eSim to travel to Greece. You can do the same for those struggling for access to internet in Gaza - just purchase using an eSim app and then share the activation QR code with gazaesims@gmail.com.