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29 July 2010  “Reading” A few months back in anticipation of my books being launched this spring I took a weekend workshop with Marnie Woodrow called “How to Give a Kickass Reading”. It sounded fun and I knew that I was safe because Marnie is a long-time friend and a brilliant, fun, energetic teacher. Marnie talked about the importance of delivery – specifically about getting over insecurities and being confident about how you appreciate your audience, the people who buy your books. Marnie went through many other things with us, of course, but I went go into that here (take her workshopJ) On May 30, Nicole Brossard gave a reading at This Ain’t the Rosedale Library … It was terrific, of course, to be in the presence of a literary icon and to hear her read. The best part for me though, was the question and answer after the readings. Brossard’s intelligence and integrity came though strong as ever. She was generous. Her answers were thoughtful and full of passion. There was a true sense of how important it is for her to be a woman, a feminist, a lesbian, a poet, an intellect … . She talked about how the “physical, emotional and intellectual” are embodied in her writing. The questions from the audience were respectful – I had the feeling, more than anything, they simply wanted to engage with Brossard – and Brossard, in return was responsive back. The next night, I went to the Griffin finalist readings. There were a group of stunning poets. The reading at MacMillan Theatre was sold out. I can only imagine the knee shaking that took place on that stage. The first poet who read was Kamau Brathwaite. He sang his poems, he moved his body, he engaged the crowd with brilliant energy. We all wanted more poems. We all ran out at intermission to buy the book. And then there were the nightmare readings. A few of the authors (or their translators) read either too quietly, too quickly, too … you get what I’m saying. And what a shame. Straining to hear the words, I could tell that the poems were spectacular, but you would never know that by what was spoken on the stage. Many writers are shy, introverted, insecure. We spend a lot of time alone – it’s the nature of our work. We often engage with a journal or a book more frequently than our friends. But wow, lesson learned for me. That moment. That moment when you are invited to present your work to others – get behind yourself and deliver.
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