Thanks to all who sang Happy Birthday to livewords

We were grateful to all who came out on February 3rd — over 100 through the course of the evening -to celebrate our 3rd birthday. And thrilled to sharp, shiny, glittering pieces that so many heard the words of Ian Burgham, James Dewar, Rocco de Giacomo, Liz Howard, Stephen Humphrey, Jim Johnstone, Mike Lipsius, Sachiko Murakami, Shannon Maguire, Shawn McLeod, Cathy Petch, David Silverberg, and Dane Swan. It was a privilege to have these fine fellow-travellers “in the house.”

A well-mannered shout out to the Sachiko Murakami for asking the gathered multitude to sing a chorus of Happy Birthday to this wee three reading series.

If  poets were all to exiled from the city so it might be well-governed (Plato, Republic 607d), then we can’t think of a better bunch of souls to be exiled with.

We were sorry to have regrets from Gillian Savigny and Blair Trewartha but we understand that gravity of job demands, the perils of snow and the damn frustration of an absence of transportation. We look forward to having Gillian and Blair at livewords later this year.

NEXT UP: We have the Insomniac Press Showcase night at livewords on March 3rd with Angela Hibbs, Catherine Graham, Jeff Latosik and more TBA.

In the meantime be sure to check out these fine reading Toronto reading series:

A Night of Hosts: the livewords third anniversary party!

We are 3 on the third of February!

Celebrate livewords’ birthday with “a night of hosts:” short readings by the hosts of a wide array of Toronto reading series.

Join us at the Black Swan, 154 Danforth – 2nd floor - [map] on Thursday, February 3rd

Doors at 7:30 p.m. - Readings from 8:00 p.m.

Readings by:

Hosted by Edward Nixon

Plus surprise guests, complimentary snacks, and reasonably priced booze.

Join our Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/index.php?#!/group.php?gid=26261284591

livewords MM12 launch party & readings now at The Central July 23.

On Thursday July 23 livewords presents the Misunderstandings Magazine Issue 12 launch party at our new venue!

    With readings by 8 contributing authors:

Clara Blackwood is a Toronto-based writer. Her first poetry collection, Subway Medusa (2007), is the inaugural book in Guernica Editions’ First Poets Series, which showcases first books by poets thirty-five and under. From 1998 to 2004, Clara ran the monthly Syntactic Sunday Reading Series at the Free Times Café.

Ron Newberry-Evans is a Toronto writer, photographer and, on rare occasions, musician. He has released one chapbook – The Beautiful Darkness (believeyourownpress, 2005), and was a co-creator of the television biography series The Heart Of A Poet. He is currently at work on a new collection of poems which is going at a speed best described as somewhere between glacier-like and posthumous.

Anne Joyce graduated from Creative Writing a full 10 years ago, yet this is her first published piece. What she lacks in discipline, she makes up for in charm. She hopes. A web producer passionate about all things 2.0, Anne spends her off-time squeezing herself into 140 characters on Twitter, writing her novel, and sneaking backstage at rock shows.

Jason Paradiso is a co-editor at Descant. He writes, lives, and works in Toronto.

Melanie Pierluigi spent the past two years living in South Korea and traveling around Asia.  Her poetry has appeared in The Nashwaak Review, White Wall Review, PRECIPICe, The Dalhousie Review, Quills and The Prairie Journal.  She won Waterloo Universities ‘English Society Creative Writing Award for Poetry’ in 2005.

Toronto based Bermudian writer Dane Swan, is predominately known as a spoken-word artist. Dane has performed his unique brand of spoken word in over a dozen cities throughout North America. Performances of his poetry have been featured on CDs and vinyls that have been distributed across Canada and the Atlantic. Dane has a BA in Law (Humanities) from Carleton University and a diploma in Entertainment Management from Trebas Institute. His current chapbook Narcotics//Flora is published by Burning Effigy Press.

Lindsay Tipping did a lot of writing in Calgary before running away to become a TV star, horoscope writer and music promoter in China. She now lives in Toronto. She has had work previously published in UTNE Reader, Matrix Magazine, filling Station and dANDelionand as well as various ESL textbooks across Asia.

Natalie Zina Walschots‘ first book of poetry, Thumbscrews, was published by Snare Books in the Fall of 2007. Her work has recently appeared in FOURSQUARE, Matrix, and Rampike. She has served as the Managing Editor of both filling Station and dANDelion, and also co-curated the Flywheel reading series from 2005-2008.  Natalie completed her MA in English/Creative Writing at the University of Calgary.  She recently moved to Toronto after 4 years in Alberta, and here she teaches grade 12 students at a private school. She lives in a menagerie with several humans, two cats, a dog, and three rats.

+ our beloved OPEN MIC CONTEST – best original piece – Cash Prize – 3 minutes max.

* And some surprises – A NEW VENUE (smile) + . . .

The Central 605 Markham Street.

Click here for a map.
7:00 p.m. Doors Open
7:30 p.m. Open Mic Sign-Up
8:00 p.m. Performances Commence

Click here to RSVP on Facebook

PAY WHAT YOU CAN DONATIONS WILL BE REQUESTED AT THE PERFORMANCE TO SUPPORT THE SERIES.