When one of my oldest and closest friends, the incredible artist and designer Ashley Olivieri, asked me to collaborate with her on her first gallery showing DREW EXPOSED, I was honoured. Having been familiar with this project since its inception, I provided this curatorial note. I couldn’t be prouder of Ashley—she’s one of the hardest working people I know. She’s almost sold out all her pieces already, obviously.

Drew Exposed is on at The Letter Bet (4919 Notre Dame St. West, Montreal) from July 7th to July `6th, 2017.

This past December while I was back in Toronto over the holidays (fun fact: Toronto winters and Iowa winters... just as bleak*), I had the exciting opportunity to: 1) participate in my first podcast, 2) talk about one of the most memorable books of poetry I’ve read in recent years, 3) do it with three other poets I love and respect.

The Rusty Toque’s ON THE LINE (click to listen) hosted by the incredible Kate Sutherland, operates like a recorded bookclub and is one of the best poetry podcasts around. Past episodes have included discussions about Safiya Sinclair’s Cannibal, Solmaz Sharif’s Look, and Ocean Vuong’s Night Sky with Exit Wounds, among others. 

I got to chat and ramble about Anne Boyer’s Garments Against Women with the sharp and insightful (and just plain fun to talk to) Rudrapriya Rathore and Jacqueline Valencia. We reference a Harriet interview with Anne Boyer several times, and it’s a great read. Find it HERE.

A profound congratulations to Noor for winning the 2017 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers--it was such an honour to be recognized alongside of her. Noor is one of the kindest, most gracious people I know and hearing her reading from her selection, “The Mistress and the Ping,” seemed to stop time. I can’t wait to hold her future collection in my hands.

Thank you so much to The Writer’s Trust of Canada, RBC, and award founder Carolyn Smart for a beautiful, generous, and career-affirming experience. 

PS: The entire finalists reading was recorded! The magic of technology. You can listen to Tyler, Noor, and myself read from our poetry HERE!

I love reviewing books; I think the review is an underrated form that’s both exciting and elastic. It’s something I want to do way more of (publications with review assignments, get at me!).

Last week The Globe & Mail published my review of Sarah Pinder’s Common Place (Coach House Books) and Jennifer LoveGrove’s Beautiful Children with Pet Foxes (BookThug). Both are really engaging reads that stretch the possibility of lyric expression.

​Check out my review * HERE *

I am beyond excited at being a finalist for the 2017 Bronwen Wallace Award! I am especially grateful (and bouncing off the walls) for this incredible Jury Citation:

“All Day I Dream ABout Sirens” is a shrewd epic that shimmies up and down the scales from highbrow to lowbrow. Domenica Martinello sharpens her teeth on tradition, wields tone like an axe, and carves space for unheard voices to emerge from the chorus. This poet harnesses the ethereal quality of digital and classical realms while her poems explode with fury and grace.

Like an axe! Explode! Fury and grace!

​See for yourself by downloading the iBook (and checking out the amazing work of fellow finalists Noor Naga and Tyler Engström) * HERE *

Just over a year ago I was invited to speak on a panel titled Editors Talking Editing: The Other Side of Submittable as part of Concordia University's Off The Page literary festival.

Kailey Havelock, who facilitated the discussion, asked panellists beforehand what they envisioned the future of publishing to be in an increasingly digital world (tall order!).
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"Digital spaces have destabilized some of the old guard’s print oligopoly—suddenly there’s this breathing room for risk and innovation, for interdisciplinary and multimedia work, for more fragmented tastes. At the same time, the unfiltered glut of “stuff” produced online makes the physical print journal just as refreshing and valuable as ever."

Read the rest of my response, and the wonderful responses from my peers and fellow panellists Chalsley Taylor, Geneviève Robichaud, and Larissa Andrusyshyn, HERE.

For the month of April, poet and novelist (and friend!) ​Jennifer LoveGrove is the Writer in Residence over at Open Book. I was lucky enough to answer some questions on poetry prompts and exercises as part of Jennifer's ongoing series. 

Check it out HERE.

+ Happy national poetry month!