Edmonton’s Olive

Here I am in the place it all began for me, poetry-wise, reading last night at a series run in part by my first poetry teacher, Doug Barbour. I’ve had a great few days here catching up with old friends and eating well. My ritual visit to the Bul-Go-Gi House took place on my first night, on a table groaning under the weight of excellent bulgalbi (bbq ribs), delightfully garlicky wonton soup with rice cakes, a lavish serving of jap-chae noodles, and more. The second night’s good eating was the Sunday buffet at Maurya Palace: everything was good right down to the kheer. I had a wonderful and very beautiful Mimosa Salad (butter lettuce, shrimp and a few other things) at the Ninth Street Bistro, around the corner from one of my many former homes in this town and next door to Laurie Blakeman’s constituency office. Not to mention sharing a wall with my evening reading venue, Martini’s Bar & Grill.

With Bert Almon, one of my two poetry profs – both great mentors and supporters for many years – at the University of Alberta, who currently teaches a whole new generation of poets at the U of A.

Three of the Olives: K.L. McKay, T.L. Cowan, Jenna Butler.

Edmonton luminaries: Ben, Laurie, Merna and Shirley.

K.L. McKay reads (in front of a picture that looks a lot like my dear old dog Sara) as the Olive wraps up another night at Martini’s Bar & Grill. In addition to working in the Olive Editorial Group, she publishes a broadsheet series, Spire which offers a subscription that will deliver 12 hand-stamped and numbered issues to your door.