Creative Writing
Poetry has been my main interest in the creative realm. I have published five full-length poetry collections, as well as three chapbooks/poetry pamphlets. My work has been featured in anthologies and widely published in literary journals on both sides of the Atlantic; it’s appeared in high school exam papers in British Columbia and Alberta. And through the years I’ve also taught poetry workshops and given many public readings of my work. Lately I’ve been writing a lot of food poetry, and published a collaborative work with Calgary artist Colleen Philippi called Sunday Dinners (JackPine Press, 2010) as well as The Earth’s Kitchen, a small collection of food poems published by Leaf Press in 2011. My most recent full poetry collection is Cartography, published by Oolichan Books in 2006. My work was featured in an anthology of British Columbia poets called Rocksalt (Mothertongue Press, 2008), First Sixty: the Acumen anthology (Acumen, 2010)and in Walk Myself Home: An Anthology to End Violence Against Women (Caitlin Press 2010). In prose writing, I’ve maintained a blog, The Iambic Café, since 2006, which documents my divided and converging interests in food and poetry; and another (Really Random Garden) which follows my urban food-growing efforts. In 2010 I published a creative nonfiction essay, Communion on Crete, in the Lonely Planet anthology A Moveable Feast: Life-Changing Food Adventures Around the World. My newest book is called Digging the City: An Urban Agriculture Manifesto, published in Rocky Mountain Books’ Manifesto series in 2012. Check the News page for notices of upcoming readings, recent and forthcoming publications and the like. Everything I have on hand to sell is listed on the Books page, available through PayPal. And please do contact me if you’d like to book me for a reading or workshop.
Contract & Freelance Writing
I’ve been a writer all my life, and have worked on writing projects for others on a full and part time basis since the early 1980s. My educational background includes a Master of Library Science (known these days as MLIS), as well as Master’s in Communication Planning and a Master’s of Food Culture & Communication. I also hold a Certificate in Continuing and Adult Education (CACE), and I’m a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). My work has included just about every form of commercial writing: corporate writing, public affairs writing, technical writing, academic and educational writing, and writing for print and online media. I’ve worked for government, nonprofit, academic, corporate and consulting organizations. My experience includes web content, online help, training materials, online courses, advertising copy, brochures, speeches, reports, industry briefings, newsletters and magazine articles. I’ve edited annual reports and policy & procedure manuals and created marketing (sales pitch) documents for executive search. In recent years I’ve been writing food and farming articles, for publications like Small Farm Canada, Food in Canada, Edible Vancouver and EAT Magazine. I’m available to take on contract writing projects and particularly welcome those which have social purpose: I’m interested in food, sustainability and green issues. My first love is writing good, clear English; I enjoy research and am a methodical and meticulous writer and editor. Please contact me if you’d like to speak further about a writing job.