Proper Tales Press 40th anniversary essay: Michael Dennis

Dear rob,

My experience with Proper Tales Press goes back to meeting a sandwich board wearing teenage Stuart Ross selling his chapbooks in front of the Eaton Center.  It was instantly obvious, I'd met the coolest person in Canada.  I don't want to say I idolized Stuart Ross and what he was doing was Proper Tales Press, but after that meeting one of my life goals was to be published by Proper Tales Press.  I now have three titles with Proper Tales Press, forgiveness, my new sideline (2009), A Tiresome Litany of Indignities (2014) and Diving - The Margaret Laurence Poems (2019).  I'm hoping to have several more before he and I through. 

Stuart Ross has been one of my closest friends as an adult so it is hard for me to talk about Proper Tales Press without talking about Stuart.  Stuart Ross totally changed my poetry life when he approached Anvil Press with my manuscript for Bad Engine (Anvil Press, 2017).  It never would have happened without Stuart's prompting and guidance.  Because I know Stuart and know some of what he does behind the scenes I know that what is true for me is true for dozens of Canadian poets, and a few American poets as well.  Stuart Ross supports the dreams of other writers.  Many of them he publishes in Proper Tales Press and many others he gets published with a variety of Canadian presses.  His influence is remarkable and I know that I'm not the only poet who prides their Proper Tales Press titles close to their hearts.

Proper Tales Press is fearless and laser tuned, Stuart continues to find the newest, sharpest voices. 

Our guest room is called the "Stuart Ross Guest and Reading Room" for good reason.  I am happy to say then when Stuart spends time in Ottawa he frequently spends it at our place.  I get an inside look at the going's on in the Proper Tales Press machine.  I find I'm still that kid, dazzled by the improbable yet obvious magical skills of the one of the most imaginative people I've ever had the pleasure to know.

Michael Dennis is a poet from Ottawa, Ontario.  He has published numerous books and chapbooks, and has been widely published in Canadian literary journals and magazines. For the last six years Dennis has been the labour behind “Today’s book of poetry” a regular blog where Dennis talks about books of poetry he likes. Dennis has posted 772 blogs/reviews of Canadian and American small press poetry. His chapbook The President of the United States appeared recently with above/ground press. These days he can be found on his porch in Vanier.