Poetry | The Miramichi Reader

Roguelike by Mathew Henderson

March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 by Chris Banks

If you flip to the glossary in Mathew Henderson’s slick new poetry book Roguelike from Anansi Press, it explains the title comes from, “Rogue, a computer game released in 1980 characterized by its procedurally generated levels, turn-based combat/exploration, and permanent character death.”
In many ways, Henderson has created a roguelike structure to this sophomore collection full of questing and retro-heroics as he divides it into sections Early/Game, The Grind and End/Game.

Shards of Crystal by Fern G. Z. Carr

March 20, 2020 by Cynthia Sharp

I’ve been a fan of Fern G. Z. Carr’s work for years, whether it’s orbiting Mars or in literary journals through the globe. Now to have a whole melodic book of hers to curl up with by the fire under blankets and starlight is a rare quarantine treat.

Spotlight Poem #1: “The Konami Code” by Mathew Henderson

March 20, 2020March 19, 2020 by Chris Banks

In this new series, we will begin publishing unpublished poems by prominent Canadian poets, young and old. For our first entry, we have “The Konami Code” by Mathew Henderson which is featured in his upcoming collection Roguelike out with Anansi Press this Spring.

Introducing The Abrupt Edge with Chris Banks

March 19, 2020March 18, 2020 by Chris Banks

We wish to introduce Chris Banks as The Miramichi Reader’s new Poetry Editor, and his new column, The Abrupt Edge. It will be a regular feature here at TMR and will feature poetry, poetry news and whatever else Chris wants to tell you about.

Boom Time by Lindsay Bird (Guest Review by Tom Halford)

July 9, 2024March 14, 2020 by James M. Fisher

There is a consistent good-natured irony and humour running through Lindsay Bird’s Boom Time.

Rithimus Aeternam by Candice James

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 by Bill Arnott

“Rithimus Aeternam” (Rhyme Eternal) is a fresh collection of rhyming poetry sectioned into eight themes: Surreal; Love; Nature; Dark; History & Story; Whimsy; Cowboy Poetry; and Miscellaneous. Poetry lover or not, you will find poems in this book that will resonate with your life, warm your heart and comfort your soul.

Bill Arnott’s Beat: World Poetry

June 2, 2020March 9, 2020 by Bill Arnott

I was making my way across town. Town being Vancouver, BC. We have to say that as there’s another one, a perfectly pleasant American one, its pleasantness being its proximity to Vancouver, BC. I was to be the guest on World Poetry Café, an unassuming FM radio program with a shockingly large listenership – one-hundred-thirty-three countries, at last count.

Words for the Traveler by Hugues Corriveau

March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by Bill Arnott

I read the Antonio D’Alfonso translation. Think armchair travel, but a journey in which our guide’s thrown a select handful of darts at a map – personal, regionalized experiences – communicated through two distinct poetry styles. The book’s in fact bookended within itself – two chunks of time in Rome with a salad-like peppering of Europe, Asia, and a dollop of North America to fill the hoagie.

Signs of Life: Images Formed from Words and Clay by Gerri Frager

May 4, 2020March 2, 2020 by Bill Arnott

Poet-potter Gerri Frager has created a unique, engaging collection of work – literal alchemy, shaping words and hunks of this land into refined beauty – something hopeful, and remarkably reassuring.

Fixing Broken Things by Gregory M. Cook

October 12, 2024March 1, 2020 by Bill Arnott

In Fixing Broken Things, Cook offers contemplative glances and lingering views on everyday life, as if observed through a window on the weather, landscape, and appearance or disappearance of things that matter. These observations act as mirrors that reflect the self and allow the merging of inner and outer worlds. The poet’s rewards are discoveries of self and other in the magic visions and sounds that arise in combinations of words, like bits of winter ice reflecting prisms of light, life, and vision.

The Bell You Hardly Hear: Poems and Images by Marjorie Bruhmuller

February 28, 2020February 28, 2020 by Bill Arnott

Unconventional and candid, Marjorie compresses personal experience into a taut and informal poetry that convey exceptional observations.

River Revery: Poems by Penn Kemp

February 26, 2020February 26, 2020 by Bill Arnott

Penn Kemp’s River Revery came to me just before Christmas. It FELT like a present; the cover – Mary McDonald photo, Mike O’Connor design – a copse of evergreens reaching, waving, to an avian line, all in reverential shades of aquamarine.

Bill Arnott’s Beat: Independents’ Day

February 29, 2020February 23, 2020 by Bill Arnott

Independent bookstores shouldn’t exist. Brick-and-mortar bibliophile havens are retail models waiting to be business school case studies, “Why These Can’t Work.” TV narcissi could bleat indefinitely as to why they’d never invest in such ventures. But they do exist. And despite every reason why they shouldn’t, they thrive.

Crisp-Maned Bay by Nancy Mackenzie

February 16, 2020February 16, 2020 by Bill Arnott

With lyrical homage to earth and ocean, Nancy Mackenzie’s poetry in Crisp-Maned Bay pulses through each chamber of our divided hearts with a responsible sense of belonging.

Little Red by Kerry Gilbert

February 10, 2020 by Bill Arnott

Kerry Gilbert’s quick-paced enthusiasm in conjunction with poignant observation and gritty experience is evident throughout Little Red, her new book of poems.