Canadian Authors Association - West Coast Branch - Poetry

Jean Kay, our inspirational poet,  greeted everyone at the door.  Our president Margot Bates introduced Dennis E. Bolen our Poet and MC for the night. Kevin Spence began the reading with his Surrey Poems and told us stories of his recitals across country in a variety of usual and unusual venues.  Kevin is a one man performance art.  Next, Mariner James, whose book is the Monument Cycles recited deeply moving poems of vast dimension.  Bernice Lever, recent recipient of several major awards for poetry and our CAA resident poet, recited from her latest book, Generations.  She read intimate and timely poems that touched the heart and challenged the mind to wonder. I’m sorry I’d not heard Christopher Leven’s poems before because I so enjoyed them and felt something missing had suddenly been found. His latest Night Visions book has been nominated for the most distinguished awards.  After the recitals Dennis asked questions of the poets about meaning and form. The audience joined in and soon there occurred those moments of profundity when poets speak together in rather lame English about their magical verse.   It was truly a writer’s night and I was glad to be there.