Who
could not love Proper Tales?
The first time I
laid eyes on Stuart Ross was from the north shore of Slocan Lake.
Where a kayak
hove into sight.
Wait, I murmured
to myself, who is the gink with the curly white hair who is plying that
double-headed paddle?
Can it be the
Ontario poet who had to stop his car high in the west Kootenay highway because
he realized
that he had been
driving with his eyes closed by abject fear for 20 kilometers?
Sure enough. I
watched the figure plying his craft across the lake, and I was filled with
envy.
A sin, don’t you
know?
Yep, this was the
guy who made up the best book titles in Canadian poetry or fiction.
Hey, Crumbling
Balcony.
Buying Cigarettes
for the Dog.
His favourite
living U.S. poet is Ron Padgett. Mine is, too.
His favourite
late Canadian poet is David McFadden. Mine, too.
He edited a book
of my poetry and a book about how I wrote my books, for a press that is not
Proper Tales.
Now he and Proper
Tales is getting ready to publish my story “David in Byzantium”.
Yes, it is about
David McFadden.
It has a
marvelous cover photo of David and me looking tough.
There is another
picture of Stuart and me looking tough.
If that all isn’t
love, what is?
GB
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