I’m beyond excited to be reading at Single Onion 214 this October alongside some of Calgary’s most brilliant poetic voices. There’s something profoundly intimate about gathering in a bookstore—surrounded by stories, sharing our own—and this evening promises to be pure magic. Poetry that breathes, poets who dare, and a community that listens deeply. This is where we belong.
Event at a Glance
Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM MST
Location: Shelf Life Books, 1302 4 St SW, Calgary
Admission: Free
Live Stream: Can’t make it in person? Watch live on The Single Onion YouTube page
Learn More: singleonion.com
What to Expect
This evening brings together five distinct voices, each carrying their own brand of truth, craft, and heart. You’ll experience:
- Award-winning poetry from established and celebrated voices including Lorne Daniel launching his new collection What is Broken Binds Us from University of Calgary Press
- Diverse perspectives exploring memory, brokenness and healing, the sacred in the everyday, and the wild territories of language itself
- An intimate bookstore setting at the beloved Shelf Life Books—one of Calgary’s treasured literary spaces
- Literary excellence from Bruce Hunter (author of 12 books), Clara A.B. Joseph (whose M/OTHER won First Place from the Catholic Media Association), Micheline Maylor (Calgary’s former Poet Laureate and Robert Kroetsch Award winner), and myself!
From heartbreak to healing, from the everyday holy to fierce creativity—this night celebrates poetry that moves us, changes us, reminds us we’re alive.
Why You Should Attend
Poetry readings are where the work comes alive. On the page, poems whisper. In the room, they roar. You’ll witness how a voice can transform words into ceremony, how rhythm and breath make meaning physical.
This is community. This is craft. This is what happens when poets gather to honor language and each other. Whether you’re a longtime poetry lover or curious newcomer, The Single Onion creates space for everyone to belong. And in these times, we need these gatherings more than ever—moments to pause, to feel, to remember that beauty and truth still matter.
Join Us
Mark your calendars for this special fourth-Thursday reading. Bring a friend, bring your open heart, bring your hunger for language that tells the truth slant.
Whether you join us in person at Shelf Life Books or tune in via the YouTube livestream, you’ll be part of something extraordinary. These evenings remind us why poetry matters—why we gather, why we listen, why we keep making art even when the world feels impossible.
Let’s fill the room with presence and possibility. See you on October 23rd.
