Purple
Poets
Writer-in-Residence: Kim Morrissey
Brenda Niskala
guest poet reader: Chenies Street Chambers Garden
2003
guest poet: Camden Green Fair 2006
internet workshop poet 2009
Brenda Niskala is a Canadian poet and prose writer. Her latest book is the
acclaimed novella Of All the Ways To Die (Quattro Press October
2009). Book launches: Saskatoon, October 13th 2009 and Regina , October 16th
2009 (check the publisher's website for other dates).
"Of All the Ways to Die is literally a marvel; Brenda Niskala takes
us on a journey into the underworld, the land of the dead, and does it here
in the real live world of Saskatchewan. The book is also a marvelous collection
of characters, a marvel of enchanting prose, a marvel of human
compassion."--Robert Kroetsch
"An astonishing, delicious novella reclaiming life and death." -- Kim
Morrissey
http://www.skbooks.ca/Brenda/Saskatoon%20Book%20Launch.html
ISBN 0981018661 and 9780981018669
www.Quattrobooks.ca
Brenda is the Executive Director of the Saskachewan Publisher's Group
in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. With Kim Morrissey, she was one of the founding
members of The Coterie Poetry Workshop in Saskatoon in 1979. She was the
first Poetry Workshop leader of the Survivors Poetry Group in Regina.
Her first book of short stories, Women in Trade, is forthcoming in
2010 from Coteau Books.
Poem
by Brenda Niskala
first draft June 4th 2006
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In Search of Organic Baby Potatoes
Yesterday in Marks & Spencer
I could not find unpackaged food
Just out of hospital at the National
where food is looked at forlornly
by six patients in a ward, unable to eat
we are sickened as tray after tray
Is brought and then swished away
In the "interests of health and hygiene"
they do not recycle, re-use
or even reduce
the amount of mashed potato
plopped limply on each plate.
Yesterday, down the street from Marks and Spencer
a man in the street twirled round
on his blankets until he could lie
just right on the pavement beneath
the cash point machine. Close to him, a young woman
rigid on the bus stop bench
a bright parcel on her lap, chooses crisps delicately
from a plastic package.
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This poem was performed
by Brenda
with the West Euston Time Bank Purple Poets
at the Camden Green Fair,
Regent's Park, London, June 5th 2006.
(© Brenda Niskala. All rights reserved).
Camden Green Fair
complete reading
This is an educational site.
© resides with the author. All rights reserved.
For permission to use any of this material
or to contact the Purple Poets regarding readings,
festivals, workshops or permissions to print or perform,
please contact The Purple Poets
Workshop Leader
Kim Morrissey
poets AT purplepoets.com
THE
PURPLE POETS HAVE INCLUDED, OVER THE YEARS ....
(CLICK TO GO TO THEIR WORK):
Babushka, Bithi
Das, Brenda Stevenson, Carol Moon, Eileen Francis, Eppie Caredda, Ferdous
Rahman, Serajul Islam Molla, Jean Watt, Kathy Randle, Nahar Islam, Norah
Platt, Patsy Futatsugi, Shelagh Beale, Sheila Green, Steve Maly. The Purple
Poets are members of Time Banking UK, and have co-produced projectswith
The Bloomsbury Time Bank, The West Euston Time Bank, The Third Age
Project Drama (The TADs) directed by Gary Kielty and T.A.P.'s
Fine Line-Dancers led by Alicia Frost, as well as co-producing projects
with the Wellcome Trust, and the Quaker Library. |
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