I think the core ideas for the press have been there from the beginning, if not the near-beginning, and these ideas have simply expanded, or become better articulated and executed. How has your “arc” manifested itself, and how has it deviated from what you initially imagined? You’ve spoken in a blog post about there being a larger arc for the press – one that has correlated with your time spent as writer-in-residence at U of A, as well as the focus on local authors, new authors, national and established authors. It becomes difficult to separate one from the other. I’ve been doing so many of these things for so long that I consider them essential elements of my writing process and experience. So far, I haven’t seen a single reason to not continue doing any and all of the above.
#BAIDU WIFI HOTSPOT É SEGURO SERIES#
This applies equally to above/ground press, the Ottawa small press book fair (twice a year since fall 1994), The Factory Reading Series (which turned 20 years old in January 2013), the Ottawa poetry annual ottawater, Chaudiere Books, the dozens of reviews and interviews I daily post to the blog, and so many of the other things I seemingly do for so very little reward. I’ve been telling myself for years that once it’s no longer fun, I’ll stop doing it. How would or could I have known? I just kept doing and making and discovering new things to attempt. But honestly, I wasn’t looking that far ahead when I was all of 23. Rob mclennan: I don’t think there’s any way I could have seen it going this long. Take a look and subscribe.īroken Pencil: Did you ever anticipate being around this long when you started above/ground in 1993? mclennan is proof: if you want to do it, you can. above/ground’s continued existence is a testament to mclennan’s passion and commitment to indie poetry and publishing, and stands as a strong rebuttal to anyone who questions the continued survival of the independent book industry. Through above/ground, mclennan has shone a spotlight on local and national talent, releasing chapbooks by the likes of Marcus McCann, Ben Ladouceur, Marilyn Irwin, Cameron Anstee, Lea Graham and Shannon Maguire, among many, many others. The press - which specializes in chapbooks and broadsides – celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Poet, novelist, editor and publisher rob mclennan has run Ottawa-based above/ground press since 1993.