I start a new collaborative project next week for marimba and counter tenor. I'll keep you posted on how it goes! But in the next few weeks I am reading around the province.

For you Ottawa peeps I'll be at Vox Femina - a special cabaret with Luna Allison, Adeena Karasick, Sandra Alland and myself - a kind of pre-Kingston Writers Festival event. You can check out the event on the FB page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161012153913244&ref=mf

And then at the Kingston Writers Festival there is loads of poetry to check out:

Start your poetry week with Bookmark: Bronwen Wallace, a poetic tribute to one of Kingston's most beloved poets, featuring Joanne Page, Lara Bozabalian and Alison Pick, moderated byCarolyn Smart.

Bookmark: Bronwen Wallace, Thursday, September 23, 11:00 am. Tickets $12.50

Festival Friday. Mind-bending poetry

Join poet Jill Battson and break out of the print ghetto in this Festival Writers Studio class. Battson gives pointers on how to expand your craft and audience and perhaps even use poetry for social change.

Poetry Beyond the Page, Friday, September 24, 10:30 am. Tickets $ 25.00

Make the most of Festival Friday with a mind-bending cabaret of spoken word poetry featuring the best performers working in the genre today, including Vancouver's CR Avery, Canada's Sandra Alland and Luna Allison, and from New York/Washington, Adeena Karasick, Regie Cabico, and Todd Colby. Worth staying up late! Hosted by the inimitable Jill Battson. Cash Bar.

Vox Performa, Friday, September 24, 10:30 pm. Tickets $12.50

SaturDay/NightLive. Page poets, performance poets - and you!

Come hear the great debate between spoken word and printed text with Todd Colby, Steven Heighton, Jill Battson, and Regie Cabico. Moderated by poet Genni Gunn.

Poets: Stage vs. Page, Saturday September 25, 3:00 pm. Tickets $12.50

Poet Laureate John Steffler joins Jill Battson, Genni Gunn, and CR Avery and six renowned prose writers including Michael Winter, Miguel Syjuco, and Lisa Moore in a free-flowing night of unforgettable words and music hosted by CBC's Bill Richardson with jazz stylings by Jonathan Stewart's Trio Without Words. Cash bar.

Saturday Night SpeakEasy, Saturday September 25, 8:00 pm. Tickets $12.50

Just a quickie, my friends, to let you know that I'm reading at several locations at the Junction Arts Festival in Toronto this weekend, September 10 - 12th. I'm on the mainstage at 8.15 on Friday and then Poets House on Sunday at 2 pm and then at Pandemonium at 4 pm. More deets on the festival can be found at: http://www.junctionartsfest.com/index.html

And just a word about an event that's a worthy cause: The Champions' Cabaret at the Music Gallery next Tuesday September 14th. Deets can be found here: http://coalitionformusiced.ca/ and all money goes to the Coalition for Music Education in Canada.

Update on the hair - pink!