July 8, 2009 ~ Alyx Dellamonica

Alyx Dellamonica is a Vancouver writer whose first novel, the apocalyptic fantasy INDIGO SPRINGS, will be in bookstores this November. Filled with sexual tension, unrequited love, messy ethical dilemmas and an ecologically unbalanced form of magic, the book tells the story of three friends who inadvertently cause the mystical equivalent of a nuclear meltdown in a small town in Oregon.

Dellamonica's fiction began to appear in print in 1986, and despite repeated washings, remains in circulation in a variety of print and on-line locales. Her alternate history of Joan of Arc, "A Key to the Illuminated Heretic," was short-listed for the 2005 Sidewise Award and in 2006 she was awarded a Canada Council for the Arts' Grant for Emerging Artists for her novel THE WINTERGIRLS. She teaches writing through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

In her spare time, she sings alto in the Vancouver Lesbian and Gay Choir, gardens, and is an avid digital photographer. Her twenty-year marriage to wine enthusiast Kelly Robson became legal in 2005.

"Being a writer is like being Spiderman. It may not always be easy--at times, it can be terribly hard. The highs are stratospheric, while the lows... occasionally, you even want to quit. But storytelling is a form of superpower; once it gets hold of a person, it will express itself one way or another. The trick is to find a way to tell your tales, to the best of your ability, while living a full and vibrant life."

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).

Read the full Wikipedia article here>>>

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 .

April 18 ~ Wanda Nowicki

Hailing from Vancouver Canada, singer Wanda Nowicki received most of her training and experience in Los Angeles, California.

After a summer scholarship at THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS, she was accepted to the LEE STRASBERG THEATRE INSTITUTE in Hollywood where she studied voice and stage performance for four years. She continued with private lessons with SETH RIGGS and ELIZABETH SABINE.

She has performed cabaret, rock, blues, and most notably jazz, in every possible venue. She's had the pleasure of sharing the stage with BIG JAY MCNEELY and RICHARD BERRY, as well as fronting her own band in Los Angeles for twenty years.

Besides her singing career, Wanda has also worked steadily in the voice over and animation industry on a variety of projects.

Her singing style has been compared to JUNE CHRISTY, but her influences are more along the lines of ABBY LINCOLN, RICKIE LEE JONES, and DELLA REESE, to name a few!

Joining forces with Steve Bagnell, Mark Bender, and Chris Potter, the WANDA NOWICKI GROUP has been playing regularly throughout the Vancouver area for over 4 years. "I've played with a lot of player's in a lot of different circumstances, but these boys are by far the most fun and professional players I have had ever had the pleasure of working with."

Wanda is also the co-host of Vancouver's hippest and most popular open mike nights - THUNDERING WORD. It takes place the 1st, 3rd, and 5th (if there is one) Sunday of every month at Cafe Montmartre on Main St.

Besides singing and hosting in Vancouver, Wanda also has extensive experience in the voice over industry. She has done commercials, animation, and looping for a variety of Japanese anime productions.

A Big "Thank You" to Smell This! Aromatherapy Products For Sponsoring Our Fundraiser!

On behalf of all of us at Wax Poetic, we would like to thank Arline and Leonora at Smell This! Aromatherapy for helping us out by donating a lovely take out basket of aromatherapy products for our recent fundraiser. Proceeds for the night have gone a long way to keeping us on the air and spreading the spoken word!
Take some time to check out the Smell This! website:
http://www.smellthis.ca
Tell them Wax Poetic sent you!

Smell This! Aromatherapy is dedicated to offering the
highest quality essential oils, synergy blends, carrier oils,
pure-fumes and our own line of natural skin and body
care products, to enable you to truly experience
aromatherapy at its best.

Smell This! Commitment
Every product is formulated by our Certified Aromatherapist who uses pure essential therapeutic grade oils as well as pure and natural base oils. No chemicals or harmful preservatives are used. With the increased use of cosmetic chemicals in the market, we realize the importance of insuring that our oils are pure and unadulterated. We deal only with ethical, environmentally conscious growers. All of our products are labeled with ingredients, directions and health warnings.

Our Certified Aromatherapist
Arline Trividic, R.A.H.P. a certified aromatherapist, is the owner of Smell This! Aromatherapy Inc., a company dedicated to promoting and educating clients in the use of high quality essential oils and aromatherapy products.

The Biz
Smell This! Aromatherapy products are becoming popular across Canada because of their commitment to using top quality ingredients from sustainable, enviro-ethical resources and avoiding the use of parabens, sodium laurel sulfates, mineral oils and other harmful ingredients.
In addition, all Smell This! products contain only natural preservatives. Smell This! has been in business since 2002 and has seen consistent growth allowing for an expansion into larger facilities in 2007. Members of the Leading Spas of Canada, BCAOA and BCAPA.

We Make Scents for your Lifestyle.
Included in the Take-Out Box is:
Naughty Nights - Body Lotion
Chocolate Mousse Body Scrub
Tropical Tease Pure-fume Roll-On
Masseuse in a Bottle Aromatherapy Blend Roll-On
Chill Out Pure Aromatherapy Blend for Diffuser
Vanilla - 100% Soya Candle
Peppermint Pure Essential Oil (10ml Boxed)
Inner Smile Collection: Ajna “third eye” Chakra Aromatherapy Solid Stick
“Hooked-On” Bubblegum Lip Balm

Smell This! Aromatherapy Inc. | tel. 604.957.9984 | toll free. 1.877.645.2873 | fax. 604.957.987

Special Event: Wax Poetic/Co-op Radio Fundraiser

YOU'RE INVITED TO A POETRY PARTY/FUNDRAISER

TUESDAY APRIL 7TH

@

CAFÉ DEUX SOLEILS

STARTING AT 7:30PM

FOR WAX POETIC AND CO OP RADIO 102.7 FM

http://www.poetryradio.blogspot.com/

http://www.coopradio.org/

WE WILL BE RAISING MONEY FOR THE SHOW AND THE STATION

(BECOME A MEMBER)

WITH FEATURED PERFORMANCES BY

TANYA EVANSON

http://www.mothertonguemedia.com/

ROWAN LIPKOVITS

SUSAN CORMIER

DUNCAN SHIELDS

DANIEL MARK PATTERSON

AND

AN INTERVIEW AND READING BY VANCOUVER'S OUTGOING POET LAUREATE

GEORGE McWHIRTER

WE WILL ALSO HAVE A POETRY OPEN MIC FROM 7:30-8PM

THERE WILL ALSO BE A MEAT DRAW!

A 50/50 DRAW FOR SOME COOL POETRY PRIZES

WAX POETIC IS YOUR WEEKLY APPOINTMENT WITH THE MUSE

WEDNESDAY FROM 2-2:30PM

WITH YOUR HOSTS

DIANE LALOGE, SR DUNCAN AND RC WESLOWSKI

ON CO OP RADIO 102. 7 FM