Knife Fork Book
“There was a story.” There is a story. Norma, Dale & I. Norma hails from Toronto, an artist/poet living in San Francisco making her mark, raising the bar for some time now. She met Dale there (originally from Texas, where Skanky Possum & Slow Poetry in America blossomed) who took a teaching job in Toronto […]
+ assorted KFB rarities & goodness. w/Anstruther Press, noir-Z, Gap Riot, Coach House +++ This Saturday 11-5 TIFA Harbourfront TO
starling burdock mullien clover dandelion “I’m writing in a fence,” my friend Sadiqa shares sending a photo of a cursive l and I knew then & there I must go stand beside her, see this wonder. Yesterday, we did. Sadiqa de Meijer, “The Ones That Made Landfall,” 2023, repurposed cotton + polyester fabric. 2023 Eco-Art […]
“what I’m trying to say is / these waves are another kind of animal” Created to celebrate the second instalment of Fertile. OANA AVASILICHIOAEI Improbable Theatres DEAN GARLICK Domestic Sublime WILL MANNING Joan Would Say SUBHANYA SIVAJOTHY Singing Fish Notation KATE SUTHERLAND Nuptials à la carte or save with the bundle! and see them all at Fertile! > Schedule > […]
Launching poetry at the place for poetry. MICHAEL FLATT reads from his new KFB collection I CAN FOCUS IF I TRY supported by poet, R/B MERTZ reading from their upcoming CU T (Threadsuns, 2024) to a welcoming house at The Printed Word Bookshop, Dundas ON last night. Thanks James, and all who came out to […]
from I Can Focus If I Try the new full-length KFB collection by Michael Flatt
squares. Fuck conformity, / the fear of being weird and free “I toss every laurel, prize, bouquet, coin, belly laughs and cries at their feet, the flames of these poet’s hearts & tongues, lick, lash, lacerate, love… saturate my pores. Every page, every poem, every phrase/line to be revisited again, again. Not only on the […]
Over the years, KFB has held a long, storied. passionate relationship with CACONRAD and WAVE BOOKS that continues with their return to TORONTO, SATURDAY MAY 6TH 7PM at the SPADINA THEATRE to celebrate by reading The Book of Frank in it’s entirety on the 30th Anniversary of its appearance. Called ‘a contemporary masterpiece’ by Thurston […]
At the same time, I started to wonder: What would future sentences look like and what would they do in a present that precedes their use or, at least, precedes the places to which they point? These are descriptions for future sentences, however the plans for those sentences (i.e., their actual futures) are still the drawings. RENEE […]
Originally posted on KIRBY:
“How is it you and I are both still alive?” KIRBY Behold Six intimate workshop performances to benefit knife | fork | book OPENING NIGHT GALA FRIDAY JANUARY 20 7PMPerformances: January 21, 22, 23, 30 Feb 6 7pm An audience of ten per performance in a downtown Toronto living room setting.…
New PAOLA FERRANTE DALE MARTIN SMITH MAUREEN SCOTT HARRIS & Introducing LANNII LAYKE Fall 2022. Classic KFB. Order yours TODAY. Layout design R. KOLEWE Covers KIRBY Printed by JOHN de JESUS at Coach House, Toronto KFB FALL 2022 LAUNCH 27 November at REMOTE GALLERY 568 Richmond St W
CAMERON ANSTEE SHEETS KFB LAUNCH w/JO IANNI at REMOTE GALLERY, TORONTO The poets came, (it was a KFB event after all, our final as a bookseller) and one, Aaron Tucker, said it best: “I didn’t expect the launch yesterday to be so emotionally resonate, but the work is so spare and resounding that the affect […]
October 4, 2022 I went for a walk with Maureen Scott Harris … it is as if we spend our lives finding clues, fragments, shards, leading or misleading details, chipped tablets written over in a forgotten language. Perhaps they are a counting of cattle, a measuring out of grain. Perhaps they are a praising of […]
For some time now, I’ve carried a deep affinity, admiration, affection for Cameron Anstee and Jo Ianni, both for their poetic loves/aspirations, writings, their penchant towards the ‘elegant,’ their passionate regard for the field. Cameron’s Book of Annotations (Invisible, 2018) and subsequent [KFB Fertile Select] chapbooks Lines & Baseline Variations (St. Andrews, 2021) are cherished […]
You need a best friend in poetry to survive. – Henri Cole Poets Arleen Paré with Maureen Hynes and the love of good poetry amongst friends. An unforgettable evening, called into being. Grand. Thanks to Gaspereau Press, Annick MacAskill, the League of Canadian Poets, Katya at The Great Escape Book Store and all who held […]
“It’s a sweet thing to gush.” Such a sweet, sweet finish. Thank you Michael, Christopher, Luke, poets, readers, lovers. A flood of poetry goodness.
“Pulverize the gems.” First glance, a manuscript I didn’t have a clue just what I was looking at [which only increased my interest]. No, first it was reading Klara’s work, often how poets ever meet, like most good work, you pause, breathe, sit with it. You must. Attend. Arresting hand-painted photographs by Kadie Salmon. This […]
Gap Riot Symphony Week Two at Fertile. Gap Riot Press Season 9 Launch on full garden party mode. A complete love fest of poets, poetry. Congrats to Isla McLaughin, Khashayar Mohammadi, Claren Grosz, Sarah Cavar and Guest Curators Kate Siklosi & Dani Spinosa of Gap Riot Press.
The breeze from the lake. Fertile.
I stumble over my love for the sea, rest my head on mountains. I’d like to posit a theory that we’re all descendants of headstones. Klara du Plessis, Skin & Meat Sky A stellar outing. Celebrating our inaugural festival. Sacha Archer KIM Travis Sharp Behind the Poet Reading Their Poem Is a Sign Saying Applause […]
Gorgeousness. Opening weekend. Eric Schmaltz. Leslie Joy Ahenda. Sagan Yee. Jaqueline Valencia. Jake Byrne. Aaron Tucker MA|DE. Kyle Flemmer. Anna Veprinska. Lindsay Miles. Klara du Plessis. Fertile Festival of New & Inventive Works 05-21 August 2022 The Great Escape Book Store 957 Kingston Rd [BackLane] Guest Curators The Blasted Tree. Gap Riot Press. Hosted by […]
Sagan Yee Jake Byrne Jaqueline Valencia Eric Schmaltz Kyle Flemmer Aaron Tucker Leslie Joy Ahenda MA|DE Klara du Plessis Kadie Salmon Lindsay Miles Anna Verprinska Khashayar Mohammadi Nima Youshij Isla McLaughlin Claren Grosz Sarah Cavar Jessica Bebenek Kevin Stebner Melanie Dennis Unrau Dona Mayoora Rasiqra Revulva Dani Spinosa Kate Siklosi Katie O’Brien Jessica Lee McMillan […]
“Goodness gracious am I ever looking forward to this!” KYLE FLEMMER, Poet, Publisher THE BLASTED TREE 8/7 3PM KLARA DU PLESSIS & KADIE SALMON SKIN & MEAT SKY LAUNCH FERTILE FESTIVAL OF NEW & INVENTIVE WORKS 05-28 August The Great Escape Book Store 957 Kingston Rd Curated by The Blasted Tree + Gap Riot Press […]
“It’s hard to ‘future’ these days.” And, here we are. KFB. At two new locations. Serving up poetry. No, it’s not the same as it was, nothing is. In some ways, we’re even more magical. And we’re here. LOOK I’ve always said, as a social enterprise, “we don’t need to make a lot of money, […]
Cassidy. Annick. Michael. Matthew. Jennifer. Victoria. Ayaz. Tolu. Dale. Jim. Zane. Shane. Triny. Andrea. Anna. Chapbooks. Ephemera. Bardia. (Beside Bardia.) Margaret. Katya. Great Escape. Deck. Garden. Shed. Reading hammock. Readers welcome. Come. Browse. Shop. Find. Enjoy. The Great Escape Book Store. 957 Kingston Rd. Home of KFB EAST. & FERTILE FESTIVAL OF NEW & INVENTIVE […]
Sunday afternoon. Readings. Doesn’t get any prettier than this. MINOLA REVIEW is a quarterly online literary journal founded in 2016 with the aim of giving space for women’s writing. Today, the journal publishes the work of all those who identify as women and non-binary writers, continuing the founding mission of providing a platform for underrepresented […]
Here’s the headline: ONE OF KFB’s BIGGEST EVENTS EV-VAH! SCARBOROUGH COMES OUT & SUPPORTS THEIR OWN! Not only the biggest, but the FRESHEST BRIGHTEST NEW WORK HEARD IN A LONG TIME! So much to be celebrated here, poets, but what stands out most besides the work itself, is the gushing well-spring of genuine love and […]
[Finally] The first of our new Living Room Series, featuring ALEXANDRA OLIVER, SADIQA DE MEIJER & KIRBY. A lovely day. Thanks to Katya at The Great Escape Book Store & League of Canadian Poets for their support of this series.
GET IT No. You are not dreaming. Our next two weekends. Join us.
“The sun has loved us the most / So loved by fire / We couldn’t hide it” VICTORIA MBABAZI FLIP We’ve been referring to this as a ‘chapbook,’ when in actuality it’s two chapbooks in a 52 page book called FLIP, She Doesn’t Come Back & Send My Love to Ivy by The VMB, Victoria […]
At the party I’d like to be a person of interest / but will end up a person of colour – AYAZ PIRANI, “POC RSVP” Poets, readers, and listeners who graced our space yesterday at the Gordon Hill Press Showcase KFB EAST at The Great Escape Book Store, were rewarded/met in kind. The beauty of […]
“Our aim is to serve the book, with an eye towards the beauty of the book in hand.” – KIRBY, Publisher, knife | fork | book The first Bradford. The first Stintzi. The first Turner. The first Cody. Early Khashayar & Prathna. The full-length debuts of Cavuto & Sharp. The pairings of Truscott & Lindsay, […]
“Whatever girl dares to read just one page is a lost girl / but she can’t blame it on this book / she was already ruined – LISA ROBERTSON, Boat (Coach House Books). Come. Ruin yourself. KFB EAST at The Great Escape Book Store 957 Kingston Rd Tues-Sun 10-5 KFB WEST at Capital Espresso 1349 […]
“And I have a new chapbook in the back for ten bucks.” Poets pushing their new chapbooks. Music to my ears. Frankly, I’m not a huge fan of “open mics,” largely because they’re often insular/clique-ish (the very same reading at each and every event) and messy (as in disrespectful, as in “too many” with most […]
Meanwhile. The West is sitting pretty. KFB WEST at CAPITAL ESPRESSO 1349 Queen St W Parkdale. Daily.
JIM JOHNSTONE & SHANE NEILSON LAUNCH LIVE at KFB WEST Our “poetry month” officially started this past Sunday with these two titans launching their newest, live at KFB WEST. Congrats Jim & Shane, to publishers, Vehicule & Goose Lane, & all braved the cold to celebrate, with special thanks to Emily and Alex at our […]
KATE SIKLOSI & ERIC SCHMALTZ celebrate the launch of their glorious Timglaset releases at KFB WEST this first day of Spring. Thanks to Alex & Emily at Capitol Espresso and all who attended. NEXT: 27 MARCH 3PM KFB WEST JIM JOHNSTONE + SHANE NEILSON | 08-24 APRIL KFB EAST JESSICA HIEMSTRA: THE THINKING HEART
This April, National Poetry Month, knife | fork | book at The Great Escape Book Store [KFB EAST] has collaborated with poet/artist Jessica Hiemstra to welcome the launch of The Thinking Heart: The Etty Drawings (1983-1984) Claire Wilks, printed and bound by Baseline Press for Exile Editions. This will include an installation of broadsides, panels, […]
RASIQRA REVULVA SAILOR, C’EST L’HEURE [The Blasted Tree] OUT NOW at KFB EAST Returned from a lovely visit at THE GREAT ESCAPE BOOKSTORE | KFB EAST… a glorious new window display featuring GE’s BOOK & FILM CLUB, the James Dickey [novel]/John Boorman [film] classic DELIVERANCE. Highly recommend. At our nook in back: the NEW MARK […]
Poets JAMES LINDSAY & MARK TRUSCOTT launch their KFB chapbook/pamphlet — each read in their entirety — at our first live event of 2022. Thanks to all who celebrated in attendance. MARK TRUSCOTT RAIN & JAMES LINDSAY THE LAKE OUT NOW KFB EAST at The Great Escape Bookstore 957 Kingston Rd KFB WEST at Capital […]
“Nguyen’s work is a poetics insistent on fragmentation and rupture as a mode of thinking and being in the world–one where, paradoxically, the very notion of fragmentation is, in itself, a whole. Her poems remind us that meaning, as we understand it, does not have to adhere to standard conventions of syntax–thereby faithfully echoing the […]
You’re gonna flip. A Globe & Mail Top 100 [SAM CHEUK]. Our first double chapbook, FLIP with two titles by VICTORIA MBABAZI. NEW JIM JOHNSTONE. LISA ROBERTSON. & AYAZ PIRANI. We’re chuffed. NEW KFB SELECTS SUBSCRIBERS receive a KFB BONUS GIFT BUNDLE [limited offer while supplies last] SUBSCRIBE TODAY
KES did your father Based on the poem “Flow Chart” from JENNIFER LOVEGROVE The Tinder Sonnets knife | fork | book 2021. Vocals by the author. released December 14, 2021
DEBUTS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH 2022 JESSICA HIEMSTRA & ANNE MICHAELS SADIQA DE MEIJER & KIRBY
JENNY BERKEL Grease Dogs ARLEEN PARÉ Last ALYCIA PIRMOHAMED & PRATYUSHA Second Memory Karen, thanks for reminding me of this certainty… the beauty of the book in hand. Baseline Press
knife | fork | book, Canada’s All-Poetry Destination, is looking for a new home. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege to create/co-create and inhabit some beautiful spaces. We’ve proven ourselves very adaptable in each, making things pretty, including our current online presence. We’re in no rush. We aimed to be a steady rudder throughout […]
Knife Fork Book 