by Stacey Mae Fowles
There’s a handful of poets in Toronto who I like to think of
as our local elite literary talent, and Sandra Alland is certainly among
them. Of course she's got a diverse roster of independent publishing credits
to her name, but for many of us it’s been much too long a wait for a
follow-up to her brilliant first collection Proof
of a Tongue (McGilligan Books, 2004.) Patience has been more than
rewarded with the launch of Blissful
Times on Wednesday night. Yet another inventive approach to working
with words by the much lauded Alland, Blissful Times is her
ambitious (and very successful) attempt to translate and transcribe the
past: “Beginning with found text from Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days,
(the poet) 'translates' the poem 63 times, morphing it into different poetic
forms and emotional states, even different media.”
Don't be daunted by the seemingly heavy-handed thesis. The subsequent result of this innovative experiment is simultaneously playful, amusing and technically astounding. Alland’s impetus for the project is described as follows: “The idea is to explore how many ways there are to say one thing, to see how much of herself the translator inserts (knowingly or unknowingly), to reexamine what constitutes an ‘accurate’ translation, to trace the presence of the original text and writer through the process, and to perhaps even create a dialogue between writers and various texts. And yes, also to write poems that are engaging and moving, even if the reader knows nothing about the process at all.”
For those of us who enjoy witnessing a gifted writing talent explore the possibilities of text with an almost scientific tenacity, the book never disappoints. For those of use who simply enjoy a well-rendered read, the same satisfaction applies.
Much more than a formidable poetic talent, Alland is also a known advocate for the vibrant Toronto independent scene. A bookseller and a micropress publisher herself, Alland also organizes a variety of successful reading events from her “day job” homebase at This Ain’t the Rosedale Library. If that weren’t already enough, she continues in making Toronto a better place for writers and readers via her role as a regular arts contributor to Xtra!, and the host of In Other Words on CKLN 88.1FM.
On Wednesday night BookThug will be launching Blissful Times in conjunction with Tom Walmsley’s poetry collection What Happened at Clinton’s Tavern. The evening is an opportunity to see the immense talent of this ardent literary supporter and give her back the support she so richly deserves.
BookThug launches Blissful Times by Sandra Alland and What Happened by Tom Walmsley Wednesday, April 11, 8pm Clinton’s Tavern 693 Bloor St. West Free