Street stanzas
BY Kathy Sinclair
Have you written a couplet about Commercial Drive? A haiku that takes place on East Hastings? Or a ghazal about Granville? Vancouver’s first poet laureate, George McWhirter, wants to see it.
McWhirter, who was appointed by the city of Vancouver to the position last spring, is originally from Belfast and has taught at UBC since the 1980s. He says the poetry anthology he’s planning—tentatively titled Streets: A Verse Map of Vancouver—will “help people find their way to the heart of the city.” The book, which doesn’t have a confirmed publisher yet, will be illustrated with maps, and the only requirement for inclusion is that poems must clearly identify a Vancouver street corner. “Most citybased poetry ideas include putting poems on physical objects and incorporating them into public art,” says McWhirter. “I thought it was important for actual poetry to be out there.” And brevity is appreciated. “People love places and tend to wax forever,” says McWhirter, laughing. “A double sonnet with 28 lines would be perfect.”
For more information, or to submit a poem, contact Marnie Rice at the City of Vancouver at marnie.rice@vancouver.ca.
