The Courtneypark Writers’ Group hosted a book launch by one of its long-standing members poet Ivy Reiss on February 26. “The full-length autobiographical collection ‘There is a Place’ explores the gamut of poems about power, identity and relationships”, according to Laurence Hutchman, Poet Laureate of Emery.
The evening was hosted by Mary Ellen Koroscil, co-ordinator of the Courtneypark Writers’ Group.
Ivy has been an integral member of the 905 and GTA art and culture scene, as a poet and a spoken-word performer for over 15 years. Her poetry has been published in anthologies and poetry magazines. As a performing poet, Ivy has been featured at numerous venues, including Toronto’s ArtBar Reading series, CIUT’s 89.5 FM Howl Radio, on three times, CJRU 1280 AM Radio’s All my Books show, on Weekly Voice News Network, The Lit Café Series, Wild Writers, Toronto Urban Folk Art Salon, Poetry and Prose Series, Loose Leaf Poets Reading Series, and the only Featured Poet for Ryerson’s Graduate Studies Ceremony in February 2019.
As a lit event organizer, the Lit Café reading series, which Ivy re-branded and ran from 2012 to 2016 was turned into a go-to hub for artists from across western Ontario, and pulled in as far as Buffalo and the U.K., garnering her a Feature on Cogeco’s cable’s Arts Matters program in 2013.
Watch the full launch event here:
The 3-1/2 hour long virtual book launch event began with a fun quiz to test the literary knowledge of members- with winners getting free and discounted copies of Ivy’s book.
In the conversation and reading sessions that followed, the focus was on the three distinct sections of Ivy’s book: 1. The Downfall, 2. Inside the Downfall did you do it? 3. Immersion out of the downfall and into the light.
As Poet Emery mentions, “Ivy is a keen observer and… her love poems are lucid with vivid imagery as she explores the landforms of emotional states.”
At the event, Ivy introduced her publisher Allan Briesmaster, who read the poems: “Living In your Shadow” and “Passion Number 2”.
Others who read poems from the book were Mary Ellen Koroscil – “Out of a Dream”; Jeff Cottrill – “The Artist”; Bala Menon “The Rock And the Wind”; Jennifer Hosein- “Who Are You” and “Sleeping”; Brenda Clews – “Mother Dearest”’ Frank Veri reads – “By Moonlight”; Brandon Pitts – “Come What May”; Andrea Thompson – “Elysium and Free”; Lawrence Hutchman – “Pendulum”; and Eva Kolacz – “When we were three”.
‘There is a Place’ has been published by Aeolus House For more info visit: www.IvyReiss.com and on The Artis magazine website at www.TheArtisMagazine.com