By Robert Norsworthy
Michael Eden Reynolds has won our 25th annual Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem for "False Dichotomy or Monocot." Michael Eden Reynolds’ first book, Slant Room, was published by PQL in 2009. His second manuscript, Elsewhere Thought Known, has already been published in a parallel universe. Michael lives in Whitehorse where he works as a mental health/addictions counsellor.
It's that time of year when fiddleheads are now bountiful along New Brunswick riverbanks, which means it's that also that time of year for our Spring issue. Inside you'll find a lovely tribute to Frances Firth Gammon, one of The Fiddlehead founding members, written by her daughter Carolyn Firth Gammon. You'll also find the winners of our 25th annual literary contest, Brent van Staalduinen for short fiction and Michael Eden Reynolds for poetry.
Editorials: Ross Leckie, Carolyn Firth Gammon
Fiction: Brent van Staalduinen, Sarah L. Taggart, Cathy Kozak, Lauren Carter, Michael Meagher, Connie Gault, Barry Dempster.
Poetry: Frances (Firth) Gammon, Michael Eden Reynolds, Alison Goodwin, Jeff Parent, Ruth Roach Pierson, Richard Norman, Michael Pacey, Adèle Barclay, Susan Gillis, Clea Roberts, Adele Graf, Maureen Scott Harris, Peter Richardson, Bill Howell.
Reviews: Ian Colford, M. Travis Lane, Susan Haley, Richard Kelly Kemick, Allen Bentley, Sean Johston.
By Ian LeTourneau
By now everyone has likely heard “Spirits,” the first track of The Strombellas' new album Hope that’s seemingly taken over the airwaves.
Congratulations to all of the finalists for the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize! This year's international shortlist includes Norman Dubie's collection The Quotations of Bone. The Fiddlehead has published Dubie's poems on two previous occasions, in issues No. 241 (Autumn 2009) and No. 262 (Winter 2015), and those poems appear in The Quotations of Bone.
I’ve been playing a lot of Kurt Vile, especially Smoke Ring for my Halo and b’lieve i’m going down; the latter took longer to grow on me but now I like it a lot. Also dug out some old vinyl, including Gilded Palace of Sin by Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Bros and can now declare that Sneaky Pete on steel guitar is an unheralded genius of the 1970s. Also want to plug an odd tune, "Saddle in the Rain," by John Prine: produced by Steve Cropper of Memphis, has horns, and about as funky as you will hear Prine the folkie get.
Get ready Fredericton for an onslaught of readings! Qwerty Reads on April 14, odd sundays on April 17, and two Atlantic Book Awards Festival events on April 20 & 21, featuring shortlisted authors for New Brunswick Book Awards and Atlantic Book Awards!
