Michael Topa

This week we continue to celebrate Poetry Month as we discuss his work with poet, MIchael Topa. Michael was born in Ann Arbor Michiganbut when his mother was hospitalised for severe depression, his father sent him to live with his uncle, a thoracic surgeon in Dallas. Texas.  In 1962-3, Michael lived with his uncle’s family in Kabul and that year Michael was able to travel to Pakistan, India and Nepal. Michael spent 4 years in the United States Air Force as a Weather Observer during the Vietnam War then immigrated to Canada. He studied at the Universities of Michigan, Guam, York and Toronto, worked as a Psycho-educational Consultant and is the co-founder and Director of Greenoaks Educational Services. He has been writing poetry for over fifty years.

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Wally Keeler

We continue our celebration of Poetry Month with a programme about Wally Keeler. He was born and raised in Cobourg and now describes his occupation as Poetentate, and his location as People’s Republic of Poetry. His work has been published in a number of literary arts journals, including Prism, Impulse, the Fiddlehead, Descant, West Coast Review and others. His poetry collection Walking on the Greenhouse Roof was published by Delta Canada, Montreal, in 1969 to excellent reviews. Wally’s primary life interest is poetry and he has spent his life promoting poetry. Please join us.

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Kathryn Macdonald

Kathryn MacDonald loves exploring places and experiencing different cultures  which has led to her newest collections of travel poems, for which the working title is Bluu/Azul/Blue Part 1 “Cure for Love: Flight”; Part II “In Love with the Wind”. Kathryn taught online courses in literature and writing through Loyalist College, but in 2013 sailing distracted her and her life took a sharp turn. For several years she spent much of the year in the Caribbean with extended stays in Cuba. Now back in Canada, she looks forward to giving workshops here. She is the author of a poetry collection, A Breeze You Whisper (Hidden Brook Press, 2011) and other poems have been published in literary journals such a Descant and Fiddlehead.

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A Poetry Collage

To celebrate Poetry Month, a discussion of poetry with Gwynn and Felicity and a collage of readings by local poets including Ted Amsden, Gil McElroy, Gwynn Scheltema, Katie Hoogendam, Wally Keeler Janet Richards, Richard Tai Grove, Bridget Campion, Jessica Outram and Felicity Sidnell Reid.

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