various reviews of titles new and less-new, the Manchester Experimental Poetry + Arts Festival and other (author) updates,

, in which we talk about authors, interviews, appearances, chapbook reviews, and other miscellany,

Well, hello! You’ve probably noticed that Montreal poet and translator Jay Miller has been reviewing up a storm lately, including reviews of a whole slew of above/ground press titles; I can barely keep up! And reviews for chapbooks always seem a rarity, so we’re appreciating it even more (and he’s also been reviewing titles by other publishers, including titles by James Hawes’ Turret House Press; there are those that might recall James Hawes as an above/ground press author prior to any of his own chapbook-making). Miller has posted reviews (most, if not all, are actually the first reviews these chapbooks have had) of Vivian Lewin’s Colville Suite for Mixed Voices (2021) [see his review here], Dale Tracy’s The Mystery of Ornament (2020) [see his review here], the suitcase poem, ed. Amanda Earl (2025) [see his review here], Stephanie Bolster’s GHOSTS (2017) [see his review here], Cary Fagan’s then / here / now / there (2025) [see his review here], Lillian Nećakov's 3¢ Pulp (2022) [see his review here], Jessi MacEachern’s Television Poems (2021) [see his review here], Alice Burdick’s I Am So Calm (2025) [see his review here], Gary Barwin’s Seedpod, Microfiche (2013) [see his review here], Mayan Godmaire’s Yesterday’s Tigers (2021) [see his review here] and Sarah Burgoyne’s The Tentaculum Sonnets (2020) [see his review here]. Boy, that sure is a lot. Thanks, Jay! Beyond that, our pal Karl Jirgens reviewed Penn Kemp’s Lives of Dead Poets (2025) over at The Typescript, and Catherine Marcotte reviewed Micah Ballard’s Busy Secret (2024) over at the Miramichi Reader! Be aware that all (yes, really) of those title are still in print, yes? Heck, you should probably even get your hands on a bunch of them as part of the current above/ground press postal increase sale!

Congratulations to above/ground press author Penn Kemp, who was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award via The League of Canadian Poets! Gary Barwin, as well, was also granted a Life Membership!

It was sad to realize that Toronto poet (and above/ground press author) David Dowker died, back in March. He was a sweet fella.

I know you’re paying attention to the Chaudiere Books blog for National Poetry Month, naturally. A new poem every day across the entire month! This is the twelfth year across the Chaudiere Books blog [you can see full links of the list-to-date here], with a slew of above/ground press authors this year, including Amanda Earl, Tom Jenks, Jason Heroux, Edward Smallfield, Leesa Dean, Kevin Stebner, Carlos A. Pittella, Scott Inniss and Michael Boughn, among others. Otherwise, check out the Canadian Poets Series over at Peripety and/or Tronies, which so far features above/ground authors ryan fitzpatrick, Renée Sarojini Saklikar and Kate Siklosi!

You probably saw that Gary Barwin has started a substack, Elizabeth Robinson had a poem up at Verse Daily, Jason Heroux has a new poem up at unbroken, Ben Robinson is interviewed via All Lit Up and has a new piece via The League of Canadian Poets’ poetry pause series, Nate Logan has new work up at Community Mausoleum, Amish Trivedi now has a substack, Frances Boyle has new work up at talking about strawberries all of the time, I have a new poem up at Oatleaf, as does Noah Berlatsky, Stan Rogal is interviewed via Pinhole Poetry, Michael Sikkema has new work up at cul-de-sac of blood, Lisa Robertson has a newsletter and R. Kolewe also has a newsletter, and Mahaila Smith is featured over at the Spotlight series. So much activity! And did you see the interview Chris Banks recently did with me for The Woodlot: Canadian Poetry Reviews + Essays?

Oh, and above/ground press authors Tom Jenks (his first above/ground press title forthcoming in May), J.R. Carpenter (her chapbook A General History of the Air came out in 2020) and Lydia Unsworth (her fourth above/ground press title is Gag, from 2025), among plenty of others, will be reading as part of the 2025 Manchester Experimental Poetry and Arts Festival, May 17, 2025 in Old Trafford, Manchester UK. And I think there’s still time to sign up for tomorrow’s Zoom-reading by above/ground press author Amanda Earl (her ninth above/ground press title is THE BEFORE, from 2022), reading recent and forthcoming work alongside Ottawa poet Margo LaPierre, Toronto poet Lisa Richter and Ottawa poet Chuqiao Yang. Check out the link here for details, as well as how to sign up.

More ongoing updates as they occur (as best as possible), of course, sit at the above/ground press main site. Oh, and don’t forget that the new issue of periodicities: a journal of poetry and poetics (which recently celebrated five whole years of publication) begins on Thursday, yes?