hey! It’s newly-landed Ottawa writer Harold Hoefle! we had some good drinks at the Dominion Tavern, a place of which I am quite fond,

G-l-o-r-i-a , a further short story, robmclennan.substack.com/p/g-l-o-r-i-a

attempting further headway through this novel manuscript (extending a thread or two from my short story collection, On Beauty); might this be the summer the book is finally complete?

ah, Sam Neill (1947–2026). Until The End of the World, dir. Wim Wenders (1991) remains my favourite film,

happy thirty-third birthday sale, above/ground press! , in which an anniversary begins to be celebrated, / @meetthepresses.bsky.social @montrealprize.bsky.social @griffinpoetryprize.bsky.social @ottawasmallpress.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.substack.com/p/happy-thir...

I am not prepared for knowing that Michael’s already has the Hallowe’en stuff out,

some time in my usual sportsbar corner (ignoring the loud sportsball screens) while entering (among other items) the new Roy Miki issue of The Capilano Review,

awaiting my pal Jason for dinner/drinks, going through the new essay collections by Therese Estacion and Derek Beaulieu, // @bookhugpress.bsky.social @pressassembly.bsky.social @derekbeaulieu.bsky.social

edgeless , on this new poetry title of mine, now available; / @caitlinpress.bsky.social @canadianpoets.bsky.social ; robmclennan.substack.com/p/edgeless

hung out with my pal, Ottawa poet Stephen Brockwell, lat night ; that sure was nice,

new from above/ground press: Norris, Ross & Camlot, Currie & MARTIN, Melançon, Straumsvåg, Mohan, Cone, Shafer + Planting Seeds : Fletcher Garden Poems, ed. O'Meara, / @emilyshaferwrites.bsky.social @razovsky.bsky.social @joncone.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.substack.com/p/new-from-a...

in a mall food court as children wander, attempting to make sense of newish titles by Carolyn Ramzy, Sarah Louise Garrido, Danielle LaFrance, etc // @talonbooks.bsky.social @mawenzihouse.bsky.social

hey! it’s me an’ Alabama poet extraordinaire Jessica Smith! in Ottawa! with the Parliament Buildings in the background,

above/ground press author spotlight #33 : Travis Sharp , celebrating his two titles with above/ground press, / @travissharp.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.substack.com/p/abovegroun...

the banff notebook : , eleven days in may (part three, / @banffcentre.bsky.social ; robmclennan.substack.com/p/the-banff-...

my mother, who would have been eighty-six today (1940-2010) robmclennan.blogspot.com/2010/08/joan...

Touch the Donkey at a Zine Fair in Sherbrooke QC + at Jarvis Square Books, Chicago / @jarvissquarebooks.bsky.social ; , because everyone loves free poetry journals, abovegroundpress.substack.com/p/touch-the-...

my father, who would have been eighty-five today, (1941-2020) robmclennan.blogspot.com/2020/05/doug...

my usual sportsbar corner, with new titles by Sarah Louise Garrido, Leslie McIntosh, Jamella Hagen, Sallie Fullerton etc, + new issues of The Believer & The Paris Review, // @thebeliever.net @parisreview.bsky.social @gaspereaupress.bsky.social @coloradoreview.bsky.social

the banff notebook : , eleven days in may (part two, / @banffcentre.bsky.social ; robmclennan.substack.com/p/the-banff-...

a fantastic reading by David O’Meara, Chris Turnbull + Elee Kraljii Gardiner, and subsequent conversation by the two current poets laureate on laureate-ing (Elee, Vancouver + David, Ottawa (English)), // @talonbooks.bsky.social @coachhousebooks.bsky.social @beautifuloutlaw.bsky.social

taking Touch the Donkey [a small poetry journal] #50 to the printer today; have you thought of subscribing? 5 issues for $45 ; also part of the above/ground press annual subscription, scheduled July 15, 2026; mere days after above/ground’s 33rd birthday www.touchthedonkey.blogspot.com

father's day! a family tintype portrait with dear spouse and ridiculous two young ladies (missing eldest daughter, wherever she might be) at Tempest Tintype, working today out of Common Ground Studio on Fairmont,

the pre-small press fair reading, before tomorrow’s ottawa small press book fair; Jessica Bebenek, russell carisse, Renée Sarojini Saklikar and the collaborative IAN MARTIN and David Currie, // @reneesarojini.bsky.social @davidcurrie.bsky.social

above/ground press author spotlight #32 : Jérôme Melançon , celebrating his fourth title with above/ground press, / @lethejerome.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.substack.com/p/abovegroun...

this weekend: the ottawa small press book fair, , and pre-fair reading on friday, naturally, / @arcpoetry.bsky.social @pressassembly.bsky.social @swooncor.bsky.social @bookhugpress.bsky.social ; robmclennan.substack.com/p/this-weeke...

wee daughter’s final ukulele lesson of this session, so attempting the latest issue of Brick: A Literary Journal, // @brickliterary.bsky.social

a 45 minute round trip to pick up lobster rolls from the Ad Mare food truck in Bells Corners, because dear spouse is fond of them,

the banff notebook : / @banffcentre.bsky.social , eleven days in may (part one, robmclennan.substack.com/p/the-banff-...

my delightful friend Kate Harding came to visit! we had lunch! she owns a lovely little bookstore in Chicago, you know. Jarvis Square Books! go there if you can! @jarvissquarebooks.bsky.social