Residency: Memorial University

My partner Elisabeth de Mariaffi and I will share the post of Writer-in-Residence this winter at Memorial University’s department of English (January to the end of April). A great chance to engage with the community there.

Review: James Geary

James Geary, who is probably the world’s most recognizable and popular expert on the aphorism, has posted a nice review of QUICK on his eponymous website. I had the opportunity to perform with Geary this spring at the first International Conference on the Aphorism in Hartford, CT.

“The idea and experience of epiphany is perhaps the best organizational principle through which to approach George’s work. His aphorisms are carefully distilled tinctures, administered with pinpoint accuracy and utmost efficacy across a wide range of issues and concerns, including the subject of epiphanies… Quick rewards readers with memorable insights and imagery, delivered with grace and precision.”

Residency: Landfall Trust

This fall I was the Landfall Trust Writer in Residence at beautiful Kent Cottage in Brigus, NL. It’s a gorgeous unique spot that you should visit if you ever get the chance. The cottage is off-grid and perched out away from town on the edge of cliff overlooking the bay. If you peer closely, you can spot it in this photo I took from a nearby hill.

Contest: Prairie Fire

I’m judging the Prairie Fire’s  Banff Centre Bliss Carman Poetry Prize this year. You should send your poems! Guidelines and etc are here.

Tweeting QUICK

I’m not much of a Twitter guy, but I’ve been Tweeting out a few lines a day from QUICK, working towards Tweeting one from each page of the book! That’s 1/5th of the entire thing! If you like what you see, please follow and Retweet!

Events: International Aphorisms Conference

“Hot on the heels” of my first book of aphorisms (2010’s Glimpse), my second book of aphorisms, Quick, should be back from the printer soon, and some events around its launch are started to get nailed down. The first will be on April 1 in Hartford, CT, where I’ll be speaking at the first international conference on the aphorism along with James Geary, Sharon Dolin, and Alfred Corn. After that, I’ll be in NYC to speak to some groups of young folk and then off to Toronto where ECW will launch the book at 7pm on April 6 at the Dora Keough. More information on the April 1 conference below.

APHORISMS: A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE & WORKSHOP ON SHORT WRITINGS  

Saturday April 1, 2017, 10am to 4:30pm

Hartford History Center
Hartford Public Library
500 Main Street, Hartford CT

Opening talk—JAMES GEARY

Celebrate the art of the aphorism with James Geary: His presentation will explore the witty power of aphorisms in literature and daily life through the lively juggling of words & ideas. Geary is the foremost contemporary authority on the aphorism.

Presentations by three contemporary aphorists—

 Alfred Corn: Concision, Concentration, Poetry 

Sharon Dolin: Sequencing the Whole Fragment

George Murray: The Aphorist as Undertaker

Aphorism Workshop

Starting at 1:45 pm, James Geary will lead an interactive workshop on how to write aphorisms.

Group Reading

3:30 pm, conference participants will have the opportunity to read their original aphorisms. Followed by a Q&A with the contemporary aphorists.

Conference is Free. RSVP by March 25 to — Jim Finnegan (jforjames@aol.com)

Review: Harper’s

There’s a neat review in Harper’s of the anthology of aphorisms, Short Flights, in which I appear alongside some of the best working aphorists out there. A small quote from the introduction to my selection is included:

A fair number of aphorisms seek to justify or explain the form itself. Nietzsche: “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what everyone else says in a whole book — what everyone else does not say in a whole book.” George Murray: “I describe them as poems without all the poetry getting in the way. But, for all I know, philosophers might describe them as thoughts without all the philosophy getting in the way.”

News: Quick

Coming next spring from ECW Press: QUICK, new aphorisms. The image here shows the title in a different colour from the background, but only for online image purposes. On the printed book the title will be the same colour as the cover background and will be embossed instead. So on first glance, you’ll see only “APHORISMS   GEORGE MURRAY” and then picking it up will reveal the title. Neat!

Review: PRISM International

There’s another nice review of Diversion in PRISM magazine out of BC. Order a copy here.

“Diversion positions itself in conversation with the work of poets such as Rachel Zolf, Kathryn Mockler and Sam Riviere who have been utilizing technological filters and search engines to organize and experiment with the vast array of information we have access to in the contemporary world. By contrast, Murray asks what happens to a text when filters used to organize or arrange information are removed. Mimicking the constant stream of divergent data we are presented with everyday on our cellphones, computers, and televisions, he leaves the conceit of filtering up to the reader.”

Reading: SPARKS

I’ll be reading this Sunday at SPARKS Literary Festival at Memorial University. Lots of great authors, but I’m in the last slot of the day with Sharon Bala, Robert Chafe and Heather O’Neill. Book signings, etc. Come see!