Passages: Robin Blaser (1925- 2009)

May 18, 1925 - May 7, 2009

Born in Denver, Colorado, Blaser grew up in Idaho, and came to Berkeley, California in 1944. There he met Jack Spicer and Robert Duncan, becoming a key figure in the so-called San Francisco Renaissance of the 1950s and early 1960s. He moved to Canada in 1966, joining the faculty of Simon Fraser University; he held the position of Professor Emeritus. He lived in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver, British Columbia.

In June 1995, for Blaser's 70th birthday, a conference was held in Vancouver to pay tribute to his contribution to Canadian poetry. The conference, known as the "Recovery of the Public World" (a phrase borrowed from Hannah Arendt), was attended by poets from around the world, including Canadian poets Michael Ondaatje, Steve McCaffery, Phyllis Webb, George Bowering, Fred Wah, and Daphne Marlatt; and poets who reside in the United States, including Michael Palmer and Norma Cole (who was born in Canada, subsequently migrating to San Francisco).

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Miriam Davidson

Miriam Davidson is a versatile singer/songwriter and educator on the Vancouver music scene. Her experience in jazz, pop and classical genres has given her music a distinctive sound. She released her sophomore album Second Take in May 2005.

In 1998 she recorded and produced her debut CD Subtexts featuring Jon Roper and Marc Rogers. All but three of the songs on the album were written by Miriam. She also sang background vocals for Rob Best's World Jive Big Band's CD "Motsola" in 1999. Miriam sang alto on the Laudate Singers CD releases Christmas Journey and Songs Of Heaven And Earth, A Baroque Christmas and a soon to be recorded release of Celtic music as well as on the Elektra Women’s Choir's CD A Child Of Grace. She continues to be a principal member of the Laudate Singers. In 2002, she toured Germany, Austria and Italy with the Capilano College Singers. In August 2003, she sang alto in the Festival Vancouver Chorus Gala Opening concert featuring world renowned conductor Helmuth Rilling conducting Schubert's Mass in A Flat. During the Christmas season, she sings in and manages an a cappella vocal ensemble Caminando as well as a seasonal solo voice & piano act.

Her new CD is much different than the jazz of her debut album. Second Take appeals to a wide range of musical tastes but it especially appeals to fans of Sarah Harmer's and Beth Orton's modern takes on the female singer songwriter genre.

Miriam performs her unique style of music all over the Vancouver area. She performs as solo voice and piano act as well as with her four piece band. Recently, she added harmony vocalists to her live show. This has produced beautiful and vocally lush sound. Her music is perfect for intimate settings, concerts and festivals.

Bookings & Contact Information:
Bak Ground Music
P.O. Box 21525, 1424 Commercial Dr.,
Vancouver, BC V5L 5G2
tel: 604-258-0440 cell: 778-862-5691

About Town: Poetry Workshop w/ Joy Russell

Re-Verse, Re-Vise
An intensive day-long workshop for poets on creating new poems and re-shaping and re-thinking old ones. This workshop will focus on techniques and exercises to push poems into new territory, explore ways to re-see material and work creatively with the challenges of editing. Bring a notebook and 2 draft poems: 1 copy of one and 10 copies of another to workshop with the group.
For Adults (18 +).
1 Session.
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cost - $70
Location: False Creek Community Centre
1318 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver
To Register:
False Creek Community Centre: www.FalseCreekCC.ca
Tel: (604) 257-8195 1318
Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver
* Please register early to avoid disappointment in workshop being cancelled.
Instructor - Joy Russell Poet, playwright and writer, Joy Russell’s work has appeared in a number of publications including The Best Canadian Poetry in English, 2008, The Fire People, The Capilano Review, IC3: The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain and Bluesprint: Black British Columbian Literature and Orature .