Barry McKinnon (1944 – 2023)

Barry McKinnon and Brian Fawcett in Toronto, 2004

Sad to hear from Paul Nelson that Prince George, BC poet and above/ground press author Barry McKinnon died yesterday morning. above/ground press was fortunate enough to publish two chapbooks by McKinnon--Into the Blind World (2012) and G o n e S o u t h (2021)--as well as include work by him in an issue of Touch the Donkey [a small poetry journal] in 2022, with follow-up interview. A larger obituary/write-up forthcoming at robmclennan.blogspot.com

some author activity: Notley, Martin, Waldrop, Collis, Trivedi, Olsen + Iijima,

Alice Notley has a new poem up at Harper's magazine; Camille Martin has been posting further to her blog lately; obituary for Keith Waldrop in The New York Times; Stephen Collis is featured up at Etcetera; Amish Trivedi has some new poems up at Tupelo Quarterly; and Geoffrey Olsen and Brenda Iijima have new work in the debut issue of The Call Center Collective.

Keith Waldrop (1932-2023)

Sad to see that American poet (and above/ground press author) Keith Waldrop died earlier this week, a giant of American (and beyond) letters, not only for his own work, but for the forty years he and his wife Rosmarie (equally a giant as well, through her own work) were editors, publishers and printers of the legendary Burning Deck (1961-2017). above/ground press published his chapbook from THE LOSS OF WORDS in 2020 as part of the prose/naut series. Charles Bernstein posted an obituary on Waldrop, written by Peter Gale Nelson, over at Jacket2. You can find my review of the essential and hefty collection of Rosmarie and Keith Waldrop's Keeping / the window open: Interviews, statements, alarms, excursions (Wave Books, 2019) over here. Our condolences to everyone that knew and loved him, especially Rosmarie.

Robert Hogg (March 26, 1942 – November 13, 2022)

Stephen Brockwell and Robert Hogg at a Chaudiere Books launch, 2015

Mountain, Ontario poet, editor and mentor Robert Hogg (see my obituary for him here) has died. He was the author of, among other titles, three above/ground press chapbooks: from Lamentations (2012), from Lamentations (second (expanded) edition, 2016) and From Each Forthcoming (2021). The volume Report from the Hogg Society, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022) landed in just enough time for him to see and respond to a digital copy. A retired Carleton University Professor and organic farmer, he was friend and mentor to generations of poets, both within and beyond the boundaries of his classroom. He will be dearly missed.

Clare Latremouille (July 4, 1964 – November 16, 2022)

above/ground press and Chaudiere Books author Clare Latremouille (see my obituary for her here) has died, after an extended illness. A founding member of The Peter F Yacht Club writers group, she had work in the July 1993 FREE VERSE ANTHOLOGY (one of above/ground press' first publications), as well as the first issue of STANZAS magazine (1993), Missing Jacket #4 (1996) and The Peter F. Yacht Club #1 (2003) and #8 (2007) as well as more than half a dozen above/ground press broadsides across the 1990s. Her chapbook, I will write a poem for you. Now: appeared in 1995, which was reprinted in the anthology Groundswell: best of above/ground press, 1993-2003, edited by rob mclennan (Fredericton NB: cauldron books/Broken Jaw Press, 2003). Her novel, The Desmond Road Book of the Dead appeared with Chaudiere Books in 2006. She will be missed in this town by many.

some author activity: Mohammadi, Barbour, MacEachern, Coulton + Robinson,

Khashayar Mohammadi has some new translations of poetry, by Shahin Sadeghzadeh, now up at Asymptote Journal; Edmonton Journal publishes an article on the late Douglas Barbour; Jessi MacEachern is interviewed over at Touch the Donkey; and Valerie Coulton has begun to curate a new series of free pdf poetry chapbooks, palabrosa, which recently posted a new title by Elizabeth Robinson.

Douglas Barbour (1940-2021)

Edmonton poet, editor, publisher, critic and occasional above/ground press author Douglas Barbour has died, after an extended illness [see my full obituary for him, posted yesterday, here]. Barbour appeared in more than a couple of above/ground press publications over the years, including as the chapbook Love’s Fragmented Narrative (2005), and Wednesdays’ (2008), produced as part of the online (since disappeared from the internet) “ALBERTA SERIES,” as well as an issue of STANZAS magazine (issue #30, 2002), which featured the first three sections of his collaborative “Continuations,” with Sheila E. Murphy. He was talented, beloved and kind. He shall be missed.

some author activity: Johnson, Paty, Radmore, O'Reilly, Norris + Gold,

Chris Johnson has a new poem up at Train : a poetry journal; Allyson Paty is interviewed over at Touch the Donkey; Claudia Coutu Radmore has a new essay in the "Talking Poetics" series over at the ottawa poetry newsletter, as well as an obituary for Ottawa poet Lesley Strutt; Nathanael O'Reilly is interviewed over at poetry mini interviews; and Ken Norris and the late Artie Gold etcetera have work in the newly-revamped mouse eggs.

Michael Dennis (September 1, 1956-December 31, 2020)

Ottawa poet Michael Dennis has died [see my obituary for him, here]. above/ground press was fortunate enough to publish three chapbooks by Michael over the years, including the on-going dilemma of small change (1995) and what we pass over in silence (1996), as well as the more recent The President of the United States (2019). He also had work appearing in above/ground's second publication, the FREE VERSE anthology (July 9, 1993), as well as in: TEN (August 28, 2003), a chapbook anthology produced for a reading celebrating the press' tenth anniversary; in STANZAS #4 (October 1994); and a WHIPlash 2 Reader (June 1997) for the second annual WHIPlash poetry festival. He was a great friend to writing and to poetry, as well as to the press, and we will miss him a great deal.

RM Vaughan (1965-2020)

There have been a number of reminiscences to already appear for RM Vaughan, from my own obituary to pieces by Nathaniel G. Moore in the Toronto Star, Alana Wilcox via the Coach House site and Stuart Ross at his blog. above/ground press was fortunate to publish Richard in a handful of places, from an issue of STANZAS, in Missing Jacket, a "poem" broadside and a chapbook, starting in 1996. Condolences to his family, and his extensive network of friends, publishers and admirers. He was the loveliest and most generous of people. We shall miss him.

Joe Blades (1961-2020)

Sad to hear that Fredericton editor, poet, publisher and purveyor of a legion of community actions, activities and creations, Joe Blades, died last week. The official obituary exists here, and rob mclennan's obituary lives here. Blades was the author of five chapbooks through above/ground press, including In the Valley of the Shadow of Poets' Corner (1994), Tribeca (1997), wriding (2000), “t sea ache,” produced as STANZAS #19 (February 1999) and Tribeca: Twentieth Anniversary Edition (2017), as well as numerous other publications in issues of The Peter F. Yacht Club, Missing Jacket and as numerous above/ground press "poem" handouts, new work and a statement in the Spotlight series, poems online for National Poetry Month on the Chaudiere Books blog here and here, and a chapbook through the dusie kollektiv. He will be missed.

Ian McCulloch (April 18, 1957 – September 23, 2019)

Sad news just now from Gil McElroy, that poet Ian McCulloch has died, very suddenly. He was not only a poet I admired, but we had been talking for over a year about producing chapbooks, and even recently finalized the manuscripts for what would be two titles through above/ground press, the first mere days away from heading to the printer (his last email to me was on Friday, when he sent an updated author biography, and saying he'd be out of reach for the week, given they were going camping).

Gil sent along this short obituary:

We are heartbroken to announce that IAN PHILIP MCCULLOCH, husband, father, brother, son and dear friend to many, has Passed into Mystery, suddenly, at age sixty-two, while camping in Algonquin Park. Ian was a quiet but vital presence in the North Bay cultural community, being a founding member of the “Conspiracy of 3,” now in its thirty-first  year. He was the author of three books of poetry—The Moon of Hunger (1982), The Efficiency of Killers (1988) and Parables and Rain (1993)—and one novel, Childforever (1996). He was also the proud parents of Matthew (Skyler), Elena and Bobbie-Ann. Ian loved nature, canoeing, camping, hiking, reading, writing, music and the sport of Ringette. As well as his children, he leaves behind his “True Companion,” Laurie Kruk-McCulloch, writer and professor. A Celebration of Ian’s Life is planned for Sunday September 29th, 1-4 at Club 183 (183 First Avenue West, North Bay). Memories, stories and poems are encouraged. Donations to the Heart and Stroke Fund, or World Wildlife Fund, Canada, are welcomed by the family. “Keep Me in Your Heart for a While”—Warren Zevon 

Nelson Ball (1942-2019)

above/ground press author Nelson Ball died this past Friday. Condolences to all that knew him, read him and loved him. above/ground press was fortunate enough to publish his chapbook Scrub Cedar (2003), as well as some new poems in issue #17 of Touch the Donkey [a small poetry journal] (and, as anyone who knew him might suspect, he politely declined the offer of an interview). See my full obituary for him here. See Cameron Anstee's piece on him here.

David W. McFadden : October 11, 1940 – June 6, 2018

Condolences to his family, and his extensive network of friends, publishers and admirers. We shall miss him.

Marthe Reed : d. April 10, 2018

American poet, editor, publisher and above/ground press author Marthe Reed died earlier today, after suffering a stroke yesterday. I'm rather stunned by it, as so many are (and thank you to Laura Mullen, who gave me a head's up). Condolences to Michael, and their two children. Here's a photo of Marthe with intern Rose, during our family visit to their house in Syracuse, just over a year ago. I'll write up a proper obit soon, on my own blog. But for now, there is this.

some author activity: Waldrop, Earl, mclennan, Ladouceur + Tucker,

Rosmarie Waldrop is interviewed on Burning Deck, and closing down the press after nearly six decades; Amanda Earl posts a lovely obituary for her mother; rob mclennan has a new poem up at Abstract, and posts his 'best of 2017' Canadian poetry books over at dusie; Ben Ladouceur has a new column up at Open Book; and Aaron Tucker is interviewed over at the ottawa poetry newsletter blog.

some author activity: Baus, Trivedi, Armantrout + beaulieu,

Eric Baus has a new poem up at Poets.org; Amish Trivedi has a new essay up at my (small press) writing day; Rae Armantrout wrote on John Ashbery for The New York Times and derek beaulieu is interviewed by Nancy Ellen Miller.

David Fujino (January 28, 1945-May 6, 2017)

above/ground press author David Fujino has died. See my full obituary here.

William Hawkins (1940-2016)

Ottawa poet and above/ground press author William Hawkins has died. See my obituary for him here, and Cameron Anstee's appreciation for him here.

Sharon H. Nelson (January 2, 1948 - June 12, 2016)

Sad news from Montreal. Sharon H. Nelson was one of the earliest above/ground press authors. Her chapbook Book Ends appeared with the press on April 25, 1995 (the first above/ground press item to hold an ISBN #) to correspond with her reading at The TREE Reading Series. She was forceful and opinionated, but always supportive. She was an important early author in the press' history, and will be missed.

From the Montreal Gazette:

NELSON, Sharon
1948 - 2016
Sharon H. Nelson was born on January 2, 1948 and died peacefully at home on June 12, 2016 after a short illness. She will be sadly missed by her husband of 44 years, Peter Grogono, and her family and friends. Professionally, Sharon was an author of poems, plays, essays, political analyses, and literary reviews; an editor, teacher, and journalist; and an active feminist who co- founded the Women's Caucus of the League of Canadian Poets. Personally, she was generous hostess, peerless cook, meticulous gardener and, above all, a real mensch. We are grateful to Dr Goffredo Arena, Dr Golda Tradounsky, and many nurses and orderlies, for their skills, compassion and support during the final phase of her life. The funeral service will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2016 at the Mount Royal Funeral Complex, 1297 Chemin de la Foret, Outremont, QC, H2V 2P9, 514-279-6540. Instead of flowers, please send donations to the NDG Food Depot.