Creative Writing presents an evening with critically acclaimed poet and Douglas College instructor, Elizabeth Bachinsky and KPU instructor along with writer, Matt Rader. Bachinsky will read from her latest collection of poems, God of Missed Connection, and Rader will be launching his latest chapbook, Customs, a long poem that takes as its heart, the lyniching of Louis Sam in Sumas in February of 1884. This reading will also include an open mic portion for KPU students and will begin with a discussion of DIY publishing.

Elizabeth Bachinsky is the author of three collections of poetry, Curio (BookThug, 2005), Home of Sudden Service (Nightwood, 2006), and God of Missed Connections (Nightwood, 2009). Her work was nominated for the Kobzar Literary Award in 2009, the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 2006 and the Bronwen Wallace Award in 2004, and has appeared in literary journals, anthologies, and on film in Canada, the United States, France, Ireland, England, and China. She is an instructor of creative writing at Douglas College in New Westminster where she is Poetry Editor for Event magazine. 

Matt Rader is the author of two collections of poetry, Miraculous Hours (Nightwood, 2005), and Living Things (Nightwood, 2006) and numerous limited edition chapbooks. His poems, stories and criticism have appeared in journals, magazines, anthologies, and newspapers around the world and have been nominated for numerous awards including the National Magazine Award, the Journey Prize, the Gerald Lampert Award, and two Pushcart Prizes. He is also the past founder and editor of Mosquito Press, a literary micro-publisher and along with Elizabeth Bachinsky, Doretta Lau, Amber Dawn, and most importantly, Trish Kelly, he was a co-founder of Crash: Vancouver's Indie Writers Festival.

On DIY:

The Soviets feared it. The Captialists give it no respect. The punks got it dirty and covered in blood. But self-publishing has always been a potent force for cultural progress. So you wan to have a book? Make one! Learn to love photocopiers, x-acto knives, and saddle-stitches, (or Blooger, Wordpress, Drupal, etc!) and put the means of production in your own hands.

Details:

December 9th, Surrey
Room D3142
6-630pm: DIY
6:30-7:15pm: Open Mic
7:15-9pm: Bachinsky and Rader
Free and Open to the Public
Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.