What the poets are doingrob mclennan is excited to report a new edition of the poetry-anthology Ottawater is now available. Not that you'll find the compilation of recent works by award-winning local poets such as Karen Massey, Shane Rhodes and Rhonda Douglas in your favourite bookstore. Nor wherever you buy 'zines. Nor, for that matter, at the Mercury Lounge tonight. Ottawater No. 2 can be read only at www.ottawater.com.
mclennan's enthusiasm, however, is understandable. For one thing, the arrival of a sequel to the first online edition, compiled in order to shine a light on locals during Ottawa's 150th anniversary, makes Ottawater legitimately an 'annual' publication. For another, it enables the man responsible for hundreds of published works during the past 15 years to cross one more task off his list. Mclennan should be used to promoting things perceived to be non-existent. He has for 14 years earned a living primarily through poetry in a city where such a full-time occupation seems unimaginable.
Throughout, mclennan has worked tirelessly to promote a vibrant local scene that remains well under the radar, helping to get readings series such as Dusty Owl and TREE off the ground. "Part of the reason for doing it online is to be able to hit people on more than one front," he explains. "People around the world will happen upon the site and go, 'Wow, Ottawa is pretty cool!' That's part of the reason I like to include people who used to live here as well, in order to make people aware of what we've produced."
Ottawa Sun Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006
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