Wow this is the first day it has felt like spring even though the cherry blossoms and daffodils have been out for a while. Our thanks to everyone who sent us suggestions for locations for Word Whips. We will be checking them out in the next week. Well it is supposed to rain so hope you find something here that interests you to do although this is Vancouver….when did a bit of rain ever stop us. Bonnie Pandora’s Events Tuesday April 8, 2008 Pandora’s Collective Presents WORD WHIPS – THE NORTH SHORE EDITION Take the challenge. We provide the writing prompts and the opportunity for sharing. Ten – fifteen minutes to write to each prompt. See what you can whip up. Hosted by Fran Bourassa and Suzy Malcolm Time: 7:00 – 10:00pm Location: 32 BOOKS 3185 Edgemont Blvd , North Vancouver 32 Books is located in beautiful, easy-to-get-to, Edgemont Village (One bus from the seabus straight to the door.) Special thanks to owner/writer Deb McVittie.
Contact: fb*******@nv****.ca Pandora’s Collective invites you to enter Kisses and Popsicles, our Spring Poetry Contest. All entries must be postmarked by May 15, 2008. The winners will be announced on June 1, 2008. Please follow the guidelines at www.pandorascollective.com/contest.html Other Events

THE VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM http://www.myspace.com/vancouverpoetryslam CONTINUES @ CAFÉ DEUX SOLEILS: 2096 COMMERCIAL DRIVE (5TH AND COMMERCIAL) EVERY MONDAY OF THE MONTH THE NEXT SLAM IS MONDAY APRIL 7TH FOR THE VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM PLAYOFF SEMI FINAL #1 FEATURING “THE KLUTE” FROM MESA, ARIZONA The Klute has been a member of 4 National Poetry Slam teams from Mesa, AZ, has performed for the president of the American Communist Party, and been introduced from the dais to a crowd of Republicans in the same breath as “the Honorable John Shadegg (Republican congressman from Arizona’s 3rd District)”. His poetry is politically and pop-culturally centered with a punk rock sensibility and an occasional reference to demonology thrown in for just a touch of pretension (as if the “punk rock sensibility” bit isn’t pretentious enough). He’s in Vancouver as part of his “One Foot in the Grave” tour making his first appearance in Canada at Café Duex Soleils. THE EVENING WILL ALSO FEATURE PERFORMANCES BY NORA SMITHHISLER, SHANNON RAYNE, ZACCHEUS JACKSON, RICHARD LETT, CJ, SCRUFFMOUTH, FAUST McKENZIE, AND LADY JESSICA THE TOP 4 POETS FROM THIS NIGHT MOVE ON THE FINALS ON MAY 5TH AT THE WISE HALL DOORS AT 8PM OPEN MIC AT 8:45 SLAM AT 9PM SHARP SLIDING SCALE OF $5-$10 THIS EVENING WILL SELL OUT FAST SO COME EARLY FOR A GOOD SEAT AND SOME DECENT VEGETARIAN EATS AT THE CAFÉ. For more info contact rc*****@ya***.ca or 604 215 9230 PLUS

Story Slam… at Our Town Cafe 245 E. Broadway, Vancouver every 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month @ 8.30pm. Ten storytellers competing for prizes and a place in the finals. First come, first served. Sign up from 7.30pm. Hosted by Ivan Penaluna. For more info visit myspace.com/thevancouverstoryslam

“Poetry Around the World” Dear Poets, Artists and Poetry Lovers: You are kindly invited to an unforgettable evening of poetry and spoken word at Indigo Park Royal, on Wednesday, April 9th at 6:30 pm. We have two special guests from Abbotsford and a book launch, followed by open mic. Our distinguished poets are: Ruth-Ann and Rudy Braun (Abbotsford) BOOK LAUNCH: Ibrahim Honjo (Yugoslavia) Several poets will be reading from Ibrahim’s new book. Refreshments will be served. Poetically yours, Lucia Gorea Founder of “Poetry Around the World” “lucia gorea” lu********@ya***.com

Creative Buzz Spoken Word Productions Presents
Awake, Arise, Refresh Yourselves with the spiritual light in your eyes and you will remember who you are, where you came from, and why you set out so long ago. Understanding the power of meditation. A Spiritual Journey told through a series of Dynamic Poems by Brian Michael Nelson Yes, we face an uncertain future and daunting large-scale challenge in the unfolding wake of climate change and global warming. But nature seeks balance and harmony. Along with this unprecedented looming disaster there is a great spiritual counter taking place. Like never before. If you are here, at least know about it. You are invited to: The greatest story never told. Why? Because it is just beginning to unfold. The Gods are returning, Gods? Yes, as soul upon soul, fills with the one and same light. The One God manifesting in the many faces of His lovers. It has started, and this Light shall turn the tide. The Flight of the Soul Event Listing ($10.00 suggested donation at the door) April 9th VPL, 350 W Georgia. Alma Rm. 12:00 – 1:30, 2:00 – 3:30 April 10th St. Mark’s Church 1805 Larch St, Vancouver. 7:00 – 8:30 April 12th Robson Square 800 Robson St, Vancouver. 7:00 – 8:30 April 20th St. James Community Sq. 3214 W. 10th Ave, .7:00 – 8:30 April 26th Kits House 2307 W. 7th Ave, Vancouver. 7:00 – 8:30

“57 Varieties” Tuesday, April 15th, 8 ’til 10 pm
“57 Varieties” unplugged open stage / variety show
at Spartacus Books (upstairs, 319 W. Hastings @ Cambie)

This anarchic open stage series urges performers, artists and other such creative types to come out and workshop the extraordinary — or merely unusual — as demonstrated by host Rowan Lipkovits on his unruly accordion. Anything and everything can happen here, the more unlikely the better, from music and poetry through to dance, short plays, juggling, puppetry, and, yea, even (once) the conducting of a cellphone orchestra. Turn over rocks and revel in the wriggling of the weirdness beneath! This month celebrating the series’ 4th anniversary!thanks!

Thundering Word Just getting a jump on things here. We have a great feature coming up this Sunday, April 6th— The one and only Daniel Packard. Hes’ a comedian, yes, but he’s so much more. He really connects with the audience and actually thru’ comedy and the use of his other skills opens up new channels of thought, especially in women. You just have to see this guy. And on the 20th of this month we have the terrific Hannah Georgas. She’s one of our favorite singer/songwriters and she is not only a very talented performer, she has a ton of original music with killer lyrics. Plus, she can go from serious to hilarious in the blink of an eye. A super good entertainer. This will be a very special night. Wanda found this lady and has Wanda ever been wrong? Nope, not yet.!! All this and Vancouver’s Finest Open Mic ….. What more can you ask on a Sunday night? Sign up is at 7:30-Show starts at 8pm sharp!! See you all there. Bill Mc. “Bill McNamara” <ho*********@te***.net>

World Poetry Proudly Presents April 28, 08 At the Vancouver Public Library, 7:30 pm Alma Van Dusen Room **No musician for this month. National Poetry Month. With your hosts Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea. Featured poets: Godwin H. Barton, First Nations, is originally from Kincolith, a community in Northwestern B.C. He is employed by the Vancouver School Board as a First Nations School Support Worker. A writer of poetry and prose, Godwin has published inspirational stories in the much acclaimed “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. Godwin’s blog http://eagle-stalker.blogspot.com Jean Kay – Vice-President of the Canadian Authors Association, she is an inspirational poet who has written a poem every morning for the past ten years. Her book is titled MORNING LIGHT. Jean writes poems on request. Warren Stevenson, with degrees from three different universities, he is enjoying his UBC emeritus afterglow at White Rock. Of four books of poetry and seven of scholarships, his most recent work is “Shakespeare’s Authorship of the Additions to Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy 1602″ “Da Poet” (Bertha Clark) was born in San Francisco but has lived in Canada for many years. Well known for her powerful poetry and amazing style, Bertha will be sharing a selection of poems from her collection. Ibrahim Honjo is originally from former Yugoslavia, an economist and journalist, organizing poetry events and festivals. Honjo has published nine books and will be launching his latest poetry collection “Roots In The Stone”. Honjo is founder and host of the “Poetry Planet” group in Port Moody. Diego Bastianutti Born in Fiume under Fascism, he emigrated to North America in 1952. He retired to Vancouver after a 30- year university career. Beside his academic publications, he has three volumes of poetry: Il punto caduto, 1994, La barca in secco, 1995, Per un pugno di terra / For a Fistful of Soil, 2006, plus A Major Selection of the Poetry of Giuseppe Ungaretti, Exile Editions, 1997, for which he was awarded the Canadian 1998 John Glassco Prize. _____________________________________ Other Things to Note Volunteers Needed Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to help at Van Slam Semis and Finals nights. Volunteers make the show go. Your generosity is wonderful and truly appreciated. I am still looking for a couple more door people for both semi-finals nights and for door and merch people for finals. Here are the dates: Monday April 7 – Semis night 1 Monday April 21 – Semis night 2 Monday May 5 – Finals Volunteers need to show up by 7:45 on the April nights, and somewhat earlier to help set up on Finals night. Please email me if you haven’t already, and would like to help. I do adore you regardless, but I will even more when you say, “YES!” sue

VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM FINALS THE VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE 2008 VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM FINALS AT THE WISE HALL (1882 ADANAC AT VICTORIA) MONDAY, MAY 5TH DOORS 7:30…SHOW AT 9PM 8 OF VANCOUVER’S FINEST POETRY SLAMMERS WILL BE COMPETING TO BE A PART OF THE 2008 VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM TEAM AND TRAVEL TO MADISON, WISCONSIN FOR THE ANNUAL NATIONAL POETRY SLAM FESTIVAL THIS AUGUST PLUS A TRIP TO CALGARY, ALBERTA FOR THE CANADIAN FESTIVAL OF SPOKEN WORD IN NOVEMBER THIS NIGHT WILL ALSO OFFER UP A FEATURE PERFORMANCE BY TORONTO SPOKEN WORD ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE DWAYNE MORGAN http://www.upfromtheroots.ca/dmorgan.html http://www.myspace.com/dwaynemorgan Dwayne Morgan’s career as a spoken word artist began in 1993. The winner of 3 Canadian Urban Music Awards, he has toured across North America, Jamaica, Barbados, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Budapest, Germany, France, and Holland, and has opened for illustrious international artists Alicia Keys, Saul Williams, Christian McBride, Les Nubians, and others. In 1994 he founded Up From The Roots Entertainment to promote the positive artistic contributions of African Canadian and urban-influenced artists. In 1998, he received the African Canadian Achievement Award, and the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts. His latest book, The Making of A Man, hit stores in July, 2005. That same year he was the Poet of Honour (along with Sheri-D Wilson) at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Vancouver. His albums include, The Evolution, Soul Searching, A Decade in the Making, and Mellow Mood: The End of the Beginning. In collaboration with Driftwood Studios, Dwayne created Three Knocks, a short film based on his domestic violence poem of the same name, which premiered in Toronto’s Reel World Film Festival. His first photo-poem exhibit was hosted at the Small Gallery in downtown Toronto in March, 2008. Dwayne’s work has been used by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s ‘See People For Who They Really Are’ print and television ad campaigns, as well as educational projects for the 411 Initiative for Change ADVANCE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY NIGHT IN APRIL AT CAFÉ DEUX SOLEILS: 2096 COMMERCIAL DRIVE AT EACH VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM EVENT TICKETS ARE $10 IN ADVANCE $15 AT THE DOOR ON THE NIGHT OF FINALS THE VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM WOULD LIKE TO GRATEFULLY THANK THE LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS AND THE CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN PUTTING ON THIS EVENT contact rc*****@ya***.ca for more info Or 604 215 9230

From Far and Away Do you know of any poets?
A message from the Poet Laureate of Toronto….

Poets with Trees Reading on Sunday June 1. Mark your calendar now.
More details later.

Calendar:

Tuesday April 1, 7pm. North Beach Library, 2000 Mason Street San Francisco, CA 94133. Word Painters Reading Series celebrating National Poetry Month. Featured readers are Stephen Kopel, Jeanne Powell, Richard Beban, Rebecca Foust and Clara Hsu.

Monday, April 7, 7:30 pm (B&B special event)
A talk by the author, with music by renowned local conguero Ted Strong.
Ned Sublette author of The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square (Lawrence Hill Books, 2008) And Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums
to the Mambo (Chicago Review Press, 2004). Bird and Beckett Books, 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco, 94131. Tel: 415-586-3733

Sunday April 13, 2-4pm. Alan Kaufman’s memoir and fiction class reading with Cynthia Christian, Lee Collins, Kira Fisher, Rebecca Holtzman and Clara Hsu. Bird and Beckett Books, 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco, 94131. Tel: 415-586-3733

Friday April 18, 7pm. Pacifica Public Library Community Room 104 Hilton Way, Pacifica, CA 94044. Tel: (650) 355-5196. Bill Mercer and Clara Hsu will perform the Mystical Path.

Sunday April 27, 4-7:30p. Poetry Salon with featured poet Kevin Farey at the Gambier House. Potluck dinner, featured reading and a round of poetry from participants. Reservation by e-mail or phone.

love,

Clara
Clara Hsu
301 Gambier Street
San Francisco, CA 94134-1341

tel: 415-244-1317
website: http://www.clarahsu.com Bonnie Nish Executive Director Pandora’s Collective www.pandorascollective.com