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Manuscript Reading Services Offered by League Members
The following
League members are available for manuscript evaluation
and poetry-critiquing services. They write from a variety
of traditions and have a variety of approaches to poetry.
For some of the best and friendliest advice anywhere,
contact one of the members individually for rates. Great
service at great value. Click on any poet's name for an
overview of her/his services.
John Donlan
Background: John Donlan has been a poetry editor with Brick Books, one of Canada's most respected poetry presses, since 1987. His prize-winning poems and poetry reviews have been regularly published in Canadian literary journals and internationally since 1968. He is the author of three critically acclaimed collections of poetry: Domestic Economy (Brick Books, 1990, reprinted 1998); Baysville (House of Anansi Press, 1993); and Green Man (Ronsdale Press, 1999; and A Guide to Research @ Your Library (Ontario Library Association and Vancouver Public Library, 2002).
Services: I offer overall evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of book-length manuscripts, or groups of poems, as well as detailed editing and commentary on individual poems. My aim is to teach poets to edit their own work for clarity and power of expression, and ease and attractiveness of style.
For examples of John Donlan's poems, click here: www.onlink.net/johndonlan/poetry.html. To contact John Donlan, e-mail him at johndonlan@mac.com.
Jennifer Footman
Background: Jennifer Footman comes from India, spent most of
her life in Edinburgh, and came to Canada in 1979 with
her three sons. She has had many years experience running
creative writing workshops,teaching poetry in schools
under the Ontario Poets in Schools programme, and
performing her poetry in public. She has been and
continues to be active in many community groups, ranging
from the Brampton Writers' Guild to the John Howard
Society. She has been writing for the last 20 years
and has several books of poetry published in the UK and
in Canada. Her poetry has been in most Canadian, US and
UK literary magazines. Her short fiction has also been
widely published. In 1991 she won the Okanagan award for
short fiction. Her investigative articles have been
published in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, She
Magazine, the Toronto Fashion Magazine, Poetry Toronto,
Canadian Author, and others. She edits the Wordscape
series of the Canadian Authors Association, and is a member
of Haiku Canada, of the League of Canadian Poets and the
Canadian Poetry Association.
Services: "I am an editor, specialising in poetry and
medical material. I have edited several books for a
variety of organisations and individuals. I can work on
an hourly basis, or by the book or page. Write me for an
estimate. I am willing to work with any kind of poetry. I
am prepared to work with those who are new as well as
those who have had a considerable amount of poetry
published. I particularly like to balance and select work
for a manuscript. I am particularly interested in those
who are prepared to work with me, together." You can read a sample of
Jennifer's work
here at the University of Toronto Library.
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Colin Morton
Background: Colin Morton has published five books of poetry
as well as a novel and other fiction. He has also collaborated extensively
with artists, musicians, a dramatist and a film-maker to bring his
poetry to a wider audience.He writes full-time and freelance edits
for food. In the past he has taught poetry in schools and colleges
across the continent.
Services: "The first step is general evaluation. After
reading five to ten pages of the beginning poet's work, I give an
overall assessment of the poet's strengths, weaknesses and potential
and make a few specific suggestions. Often, this inexpensive evaluation
provides the poet with the push he or she needs to progress to the
next level independently. If the poet is working toward submitting
poems to a publisher, we may agree to a more rigorous round of editing
and revision. I'm able to appreciate most kinds of contemporary poetry,
both experimental and mainstream. Working with an editor requires
a lot of trust and commitment on both sides, though. To begin, I
ask students to read some of the poems at my
Web site to get an idea of how I approach poetry and whether
they can learn from me. Likewise, if I don't feel that I am able
to help a particular poet, I will say so."
You can contact him here: cmorton@cyberus.ca
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John Oughton
Background: John Oughton was born in Guelph, and lived in the Middle East and Japan
before settling in Toronto. During literary studies at York University and the Naropa Institute,
he studied creative writing with Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, William Burroughs,
Irving Layton, Miriam Waddington, Eli Mandel, Frank Davey, and others. He worked at Coach
Press and has been active as an editor, literary journalist, and community college teacher. He facilitates
the Sixth Floor poetry workshop, an advanced group of published poets, and has edited and advised on poetry
manuscripts for several of its members. He is the former editor of the www.youngpoets.ca website, and still edits the Links
section for this website. Recently, he started the Sixth Floor Press, and edits and
designs its books. Here is his personal website. His own four books of poetry include (most recently)
Mata Hari's Lost Words and Counting Out the Millennium, and he recently produced his own chapbook Take with You What You've Left.
Services: "I can provide the full range of services, from general advice on the
quality, technique and organization of a poetry collection, to picky details of grammar, punctuation
usage, and other copy-editing necessities. Fees depend on the level of help you want.
I'm open to giving detailed feedback on a group of poems, or a reading-with-criticism of a
whole manuscript. Most genres of poetry interest me, from the formalist to the avant-garde. I'm good at finding
wordy sections, needless parts, and factual errors; on the positive side, I can help you
find good titles and an overall structure for your collection."
Samples of his poetry may be seen
here. You can contact him at: john_oughton@canada.com.
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D.C. Reid
Background: D.C. Reid has been a poet, prose writer and
non-fiction writer for 25 years. He has published five books, including
poetry, a novel and non-fiction, and has won numerous awards. His
non-fiction articles appear in more than 15 magazines in Canada
and the United States as well as on many Internet sites. He has
five more books of poetry, short fiction and a novel on the way.
Services: "I will offer helpful advice on short or book
length manuscripts of poetry, prose fiction and non-fiction. In
addition, I can offer useful market advice for all three genres.
A copy of one of my books is sent with my comments so that the writer
can get a feel for the way I write. I can work with any kind of
poetry." For a sample of D.C. Reid's writing, click here.
You can contact him here: dcreid@pinc.com
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Harold Rhenisch
Background: Harold Rhenisch has published eight books of
poetry, two chapbooks of poetry, a critically-praised autobiography
about the post-colonial orchard country of the British Columbia
Interior, a collection of bio-regional meditations, and a novel.
In his twenty years of publishing experience he has worked with
many different publishers, and has given 125 readings of his poems
in the last three years, from Toronto to Victoria and London to
Nottingham. He has a degree in Creative Writing from the University
of Victoria, where he studied with P.K. Page, Robin Skelton, Derk
Wynand, and W.D. Valgardson. He has taught creative writing and
creativity courses at the college level and has worked with many
poets, both new and established, preparing their manuscripts for
publication. Currently he is working on a wild translation of Shakespeare's
sonnets into contemporary English, a translation from the German
of Stefan Schütz's black comic radio play Peyoté, two
novels, two books of poetry, and an anecdotal book about bird-watching.
Services: I usually work with complete manuscripts of poetry,
from 50 to 100 pages. I offer a four-page commentary on the manuscript
as a whole, plus detailed editing of every poem in the manuscript,
or notes on the poems, as appropriate, and suggestions for publication.
I prefer to work by suggesting possibilities and believe in the
intimate connection between the form of a poem and its content.
I have very eclectic interests, and work well with all manner of
poetry, from traditional forms, such as sonnets, to visual or concrete
poetry and experimental work. With fiction and non-fiction, I pay
special attention to the narrative line within a work. I have strong
interests in translation and would be happy to help people with
their translation projects, am deeply committed to classical and
native mythology, and in renewing our language through colloquial
expressions. I also advise publishers on poetry manuscripts. You
can find samples and reviews of Harold Rhenisch's writing here.
You can contact him here: rhenisch@telus.net
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NEW! Phil Thompson
- One poem editing service
Background: Phil Thompson has been publishing poetry for 30
years, and often helps others refine work for publication. He was
a member of the Writers' Cooperative at McGill University, and spent
many hours with Louis Dudek, who graciously edited his early work
for clarity of voice. Later a regular contributor to Atlantic anthologies,
he helped Lesley Choyce begin the Pottersfield Portfolio, serving
as contributing editor. After winning a McLelland & Stewart scholarship
to attend the Maritime Writers Workshop in 1984, he learned from Eli
Mandel that "You are one of the best natural poetry editors I have
ever seen...and it's time to apply the skill to your own work..."
His poetry awards include the first Established Writers Award (NS)
for Poetry, Writers' Federation Award for Poetry, The NWT Adult Poetry
Award, and his first book of poetry, All the Other Phil Thompsons
are Dead (Broken Jaw Press), was nominated for five national and
regional awards, and led to more than fifty readings. For the past
five years, Phil has been active in the Writers in the Schools Program,
performing more than 40 poetry workshops in NS Schools. He most recently
helped the Talon Writers Circle get started, leading to an award-winning
collection of high school poetry celebrated throughout the province,
and began writing poetry reviews on the League Website.
Services: Thompson offers one service for poetry editing:
If you send him one poem, representing your current style, he will
sculpt it for clarity of voice. Phil does not impose editorial preferences.
The finished poem will still be yours, not his. This service is low-cost
and if there is nothing to edit...you will get your money back.
When you see how your work can be improved by eliminating unnecessary
words...you should be able to apply this skill to the rest of your
manuscript. "Edit a poet's work, and they will not learn how...teach
a poet how to edit, and they will edit for life." Your poem
and whatever fee you can afford should be mailed to Phil Thompson,
Saltmarsh Island, Box 269, Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia B0J 2L0.
The edited version of your poem will be returned within 10 days.
To prevent editorial and financial burnout, no phone calls or e-mails,
please.
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Diane Tucker
Background: Diane Tucker grew up in Vancouver, lives in
Burnaby and has a husband, two kids and a dog. Besides literature
she is interested in music (she sings in her church choir), theatre,
art and theology. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
from the University of British Columbia. She has had one poetry
book published (God on His Haunches, Nightwood Editions, 1996) and
has finished another poetry book and a novel. She has been involved
in a local writers' workshop (Burnaby Writers' Society) for eight
years, during which time she has given constructive feedback on
hundreds of poems and screened entries for several contests.
Services: "I like to offer detailed comments on individual
poems, groups of poems or whole manuscripts. I've also done a reading
in, and discussed my poetry with, a high-school writing class. I
am willing to work with any kind of poetry except concrete poetry
or extremely avant-garde work. It's only honest to admit that I
don't have an extensive technical knowledge of traditional forms
(villanelle, sestina, etc.) but I think I can still provide valuable
comments on other aspects of such poems." You can contact her here: email: di@unforgettable.com.
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Last update: April, 2004.
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