Marvyne Jenoff is a writer and visual artist based in the Toronto area.
Paperback and e-book coming in December!
Tree and Fruit: A Writer's Life and Work
From the back cover
Marvyne Jenoff's first book was published in 1972; Tree and Fruit is her seventh. This hybrid memoir has two parts: TREE follows her life growing up in an unusual Jewish family in Winnipeg against the backdrop of the social history of the 1940s and 50s. From the early 1960s in Toronto, it continues with her development as a writer. FRUIT brings together the best of her previously published short fiction and essays.
▪ I fell in love with King Lear's fool. (from "Seeing")
▪ You must never, never do that again! (from "Opposites")
▪ I could tell by the way his body tensed and his voice pierced the air that he was making up new poetry. That wasn't appropriate behaviour in a parking lot. (from "An Evening of Poetry")
▪ Hercules wore a lion skin, but people say one gets treated with more respect in a blazer and skirt. (from "Hercules by My Side")
From the Prologue
"Compiling this book in my early eighties is a rite of passage: the acknowledgement and acceptance of old age. It is a hybrid memoir, consisting of a newly-written exploration of my life and times, plus the best of my previous writings now gathered into one volume. Side by side they reveal the organic connection between my life and the imaginative writings that have come out of it: only this tree could have produced that fruit. I am thankful for good health and a sound, still-playful mind. There is another passage ahead, but apple trees can live over a hundred years."
Current and Upcoming
▪ Participation in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's annual Big Classy Show and Sale on November 24. My books were on my vendor's table. Five of my small collages will be on the walls until January 3, 2025.
▪ Participation in the Ontario Region of the Writer's Union of Canada's Open Mike event, January 7, 2025.
Recent
2024
▪ Reading from Climbing the Rain at the Art Bar Poetry Series, Free Times Cafe, 320 College Street, Toronto, on Monday, August 12. Sponsored by the League of Canadian Poets and the Canada Council. The other two featured readers were Guy Elston and Kim Fahner. See other Art Bar programs at artbarpoetryseries.com.
▪ Collectors' items: There are a few copies of my out-of-print books left and can be purchased: No Lingering Peace (1972, Fiddlehead Press), Hollandsong (1975, Oberon Press; hardcover), The Orphan and the Stranger (1985, Wolsak and Wynn Publishers), and The New Poet's Handbook (compiler; 1985, The League of Canadian Poets). See Former Publications ; Contact
▪ Online Publication: My poem, "Ways of Mourning," was posted on Friday, January 4, in the League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause series. Along with two other of my poems "Song Without Nouns" and "A is for," which appeared in the fall of last year, it can be accessed on the League's website, www.poets.ca; search for my name. To subscribe free to Poetry Pause and get daily postings of work by Canadian poets, go to http://eepurl.com/dq-D6T .
Previous
2023
▪ Online publications: Three of my poems have been accepted for online posting as part of the League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause series. "Song Without Nouns" appeared on October 31 and "A is for" on November 24. They can be accessed on the League's website, www.poets.ca; search for my name. "Ways of Mourning: is scheduled for early January. To subscribe free to Poetry Pause and get daily postings of work by Canadian poets, go to http://eepurl.com/dq-D6T .
▪ New publication: My poem, "It's There," appears in the anthology Hologram: an Homage to P.K.Page in memory of this well-known Canadian poet and visual artist. Editors: Yvonne Blomer and D.C. Reid, published this fall by Caitlin Press, Qualicum Beach, BC.
This beautiful book consists of poems by poets across the country and includes colour reproductions of P.K. Page's art. My poem, reminiscent of her paintings based on hands, also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ Video accessible here : Reading from Climbing the Rain, with images of my artwork, produced for the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, June, 2023. My poetry book, Climbing the Rain, came out in March, 2022, with Silver Bow Publishing, New Westminster, BC.
▪ "On Poetry," my brief essay, was featured as a guest post on Susan Ioannou's blog Poetry Notes on April 2, 2023. More recently, the new video featuring poems from Climbing the Rain was referred to in her July 2 post regarding line breaks.
▪ My poetry collection, Climbing the Rain, was featured in a radio conversation/interview/reading hosted by Valentino Assenza on HOWL, CIUT 89.5 on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, marking the one-year anniversary of the book’s publication. My reading
of three poems from Climbing the Rain, originally aired on HOWL in April, 2022 was re-broadcast on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
2022
▪ My poem "Fish Tank" was posted online as the League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause feature on November 18, 2022. The poem also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ A written interview of Marvyne, conducted by Sharon Berg, was published online in The Artisanal Writer in early August. The questions cover various aspects of Climbing the Rain, many from the point of view of the writer's craft. A brief AUDIO of some of the poems in the interview can be accessed at the end of the interview.
▪ “Video Poem,” in Climbing the Rain, was published online by Poetry Present, Cobourg, on August 20, 2022. It is now archived on that site, along with two other of my poems, "Form Southern Ontario, a Sea Tale" (2020) and "We, as Poetic Device" (2021).
▪ My poem, "Amethyst," was published in July, 2022 in Framed and Familiar: 101 Portraits, an International Anthology of Poetry and Photography; Poetry Editor Antony Di Nardo. It can be read online at Wet Ink Books. "Amethyst" also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ Climbing the Rain was reviewed by Susan Ioannou in her Poetry Notes site, https://poetry-notes.ghost.io/welcome-2/, then at the top of the screen click on Home to see the contents list of all the posts, each of which can be opened by clicking on the title.
▪ Climbing the Rain was one of thirteen books featured in the Lost Launches series for poets whose books came out during the lockdowns and were unable to have a live launch. This was a joint venture of the City of Toronto, the League of Canadian Poets and the Art Bar Poetry Series. June 28, 2022, at Clinton's Tavern.
▪ NEW POETRY BOOK: Climbing the Rain came out in March, 2022, with Silver Bow Publishing, New Westminster, BC. in both print and e-book format. This is my fifth book in a 60-year writing career. The book consists of recent poems as well as some early poems previously unpublished in book form. The section headings include: Sky Blue Umbrellas, Embracing Union Station, It’s a Fish! It’s a Plane!, and The Octave Difference in Our Voices. More detail at Writing/In Print .
Launched virtually on April 2, Climbing the Rain can be ordered now directly through me (preferred) or through bookstores, Barnes and Noble, or Silver Bow Publishing.
▪ VIDEO: An interview and poetry reading hosted by Dr. Kathleen W. Smith, is available to the public on the Mensa Canada YouTube Channel . Recorded in July, 2021, this is part of Kathleen's series of Creativity Interviews. The interview sheds light on my life and my approach to poetry. The reading features poems from each of my books, including Climbing the Rain when it was still in manuscript form.
▪ Anthology publication of the poem, "Returning" in Work, Volume 5 of the 12-volume Lifespan Series planned by Pure Slush Press, Adelaide, Australia. Released in May, 2022, it includes contributions from 110 writers from across the world. Paperback and eBook formats available: http://pureslush.com . "Returning" appears under the title "Work" in Climbing the Rain.
▪ I was a featured reader, reading from Climbing the Rain, in the Art Bar Poetry Series along with Keith Garebian held at Clinton's on May 10, 2022.
▪ My poem, “Water,” is included in The Story of Water, an Earth Day eChapbook by Sunshine in a Jar. The chapbook itself can be downloaded and the VIDEO of the virtual launch on April 23, 2022 can be accessed at: www.sunshineinajar.com/the-story-of-water/. The video can also be accessed at www.facebook.com/sunshineinajarcreativity . Twenty poets are included; the introduction to my own reading starts around Minute 23. "Water" also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem, "Fish Tank," is the April 22 feature poem in Angel House Press's National Poetry Month collection: http://nationalpoetrymonth.ca/ . Click on April 22 on the calendar at the top. "Fish Tank" also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem “You x 10” was published in March, 2022 in the Community Anthology, edited by Irene Moore Davis & Vanessa Shields, Gertrude’s Writing Room. Contributors include poets worldwide. This poem also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem “Amethyst” has been published in the 101 Portraits Anthology, edited by Richard Grove and Antony Di Nardo, SandCrab Books, July, 2022. This poem also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem “New Year’s Morning, Brandon, Manitoba” was published online in the January, Winter 2022 issue 88, of Royal City Literary Arts Society's RCLAS Ezine Wordplay at Work, https://issuu.com/rclas/docs/january_2022_ezine_issue_88
▪ My watermedia and photography collage, "Port City," found a home early this year. See it and my other collages.
2021
▪ Marvyne participated in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Big Classy Small Works Show and Sale #7 on Sunday, November 28, with small abstract photographs on the walls and a table with books and chapbooks. https://artsandlettersclub.ca/ , 416-597-0223
▪ My poem “We, as Poetic Device” was posted online on December 25, 2021 by Poetry Present, based in Cobourg. A joyful, youthful poem on a festive day, first published in No Lingering Peace, Fiddlehead Press, 1972. It is archived, as is my poem "From Southern Ontario: A Sea Tale" published by Poetry Present in 2020. https://www.sunshineinajar.com/archive-of-poets-featured-in-poetry-present/
▪ Anthology publication of the poem, "Late Afternoon, my Place," in Love, Volume 4 of the 12-volume Lifespan Series planned by Pure Slush Press, Adelaide, Australia. Released in October, 2021, this 482-page volume includes poetry and prose by writers across the English-speaking world. It can be purchased in paperback and various eBook formats. http://pureslush.com
▪ Virtual publication, from October 7, 2021: a poem, "Sunday Morning, February 2021" and a collage in Ice Floe Press's Pandemic Dispatches. Do check out the wealth of international contributions in this ongoing series.
▪ "Climbing the Rain: an Excerpt," consisting of several of Marvyne's new poems plus collages and a bit of an article, came out in issue 38 (Fall, 2021) of the online Sage-ing: The Journal of Creative Aging, a publication of the Okanagan Institute.
▪ Marvyne's Poem "Atonement" was published online in Subterranean Blue's Thunder Under the Mountain: Pandemic Poems, see Volume IX Issue III, Spring, 2021 at www.subterraneanbluepoetry. Back issues are archived.
2020
▪ Marvyne's virtual reading at the Art Bar Poetry Series on September 1, 2020. is available through the link.
▪ Poem, "Dinosaur Aloft," was posted online on March 18, 2020 in the League of Canadian Poets Poetry Pause. This poem was previously published in the anthology Seek It--Writers and Artists Do Sleep, Toronto, Red Claw Press, 2012
▪ Poem, "It Wishes," was posted online on February 5, 2020, as the Tuesday Poem in this series curated by Ottawa poet rob mclennan. https://dusie.blogspot.com . The poems is now archived on the site.
▪ Two of Marvyne's collages, Glass, Ghost Flowers and Fence, Ghost Flowers were included in the John B. Aird Gallery's 32nd annual Mistletoe Magic Silent Auction, December 1 to 8.
▪ Three of Marvyne's collages: Far Away, Soft and Double were included in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's annual Big Classy Small Works Show and Sale, held online from November 22 to December 6.
▪ Marvyne's watercolour painting, Garden Envy was on display in the virtual Garden Envy Show (yes, same name) on the website of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, August to October.
▪ Photography and watermedia collage, Mountain Town, was displayed in the Society of Canadian Artists' Juried Online Exhibition, March 15 to June 15, 2020.
▪ Photography and watermedia collage, Ghost Flowers, Glass, was shown on the website of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto under What's On/Art News/Art, June to August, 2020
▪ Photography collage, "Yellow Brick Road" was exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Winter Group Show, January, 2020
2019
▪ Talk: Climbing the Rain: A Writing Life at the Literary Table, the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, October 15.
▪ Watermedia painting Where? was exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Fall Group Show, October, 2019.
▪ Photograph, "Two x Two" was exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Members' Summer Group Show, July-August.
▪ Two photographs, "Envelope" and "Artisan Market, Shopping Mall" were exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Photography Group Show May-June.
▪ Solo art show, Moon, Paper, Scissors: Collage, in the lounge of the Arts & Letters Club. Twenty-six pieces were exhibited from April 21 to May 17.
▪ Marvyne's skit, "Whose News?" was performed in the Arts & Letters Club Spring Revue, May 2, 3, 4.
▪ Two photographs, "Vase" and "Scarves," were exhibited in the Colour, Pattern, Texture Group Show at the Arts & Letters Club, March 2019.
▪ Two collages in the Society of Canadian Artists' Online Show, A Showcase of Abstraction October 1, 2018 to February 1, 2019.
2018
▪ Poem, "Flying into Vancouver," has been published in Heartwood: Poems for the Love of Trees, edited by Lesley Strutt. This anthology, juried from the work of members of the League of Canadian Poets, is a fundraiser for ecological programs and youth poetry in Canada. The book came out in 2018 and is now available on Amazon.ca.
▪ Photography collage, Mirroring , has been chosen as the cover art for Heather Cadsby's new book of poetry, Standing in the Flock of Connections, Brick Books, launched in spring 2018. For more information see www.brickbooks.ca . Now available in bookstores and on Amazon.ca.
▪ Several small collages from Marvyne's Small Song series and Pink Woods series were exhibited at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Small Works Show and Sale, late November to early January 2019. Marvyne also had a vendor's table for her books, including the new ones listed below.
▪ Two collages, Catch the Moon and Red Walls, were juried into the Arts & Letters Club Fall Group Show, November 2018.
▪ Four collages in Toronto Art's Roaming Art Gallery, a show of member's work, on a big screen at Brioche Doree, 648 King Street W. and online at torontoart.ca, to the end of October.
▪ Readng at the Art Bar Poetry Series, Free Times Cafe, 320 College Street, Toronto, October 16.
▪ Two photography and watermedia collages, Green Lace Cloud , and Green Rain, (Collage and Assemblage) were on exhibit at the Arts & Letters Club Summer Group Show, July and August.
▪ Photography and watermedia collage, Two Moons, Blue Table, was on exhibit at the Arts & Letters Club Photography Show in May-June.
2017
▪ October: Watermedia painting based on text, Wide Silence, Round Sound #3 (red) was included in a silent auction for a fundraising event put on by Project Sunshine Canada's Young Patrons' Circle towards programming that supports children and families facing medical challenges.
▪ September: mixed media collage on paper, Widening, Green, was displayed in the Society of Canadian Artists' 49th Open International Juried Exhibition, The Papermill Gallery, Todmorden Mills Heritage Centre.
▪ September: three photographs in the Arts & Letters Club's Fall Group Show, 14 Elm Street, Toronto.
▪ From July: four of Marvyne's collages in TorontoArt’s new Roaming Art Gallery, the images in a loop with other artists’ work on a large screen at Brioche Dorée and online at www.torontoart.ca .
▪ June 24 to September 1: two works in the Summer Group Show of members' work at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, 14 Elm Street, Toronto.
▪ May 23 to June 4: collage Yellow Tempest in the Society of Canadian Artists' 2017
Elected & Associate Members' Exhibition Be Square II , Art Square Gallery and Cafe, Dundas St. W., Toronto.
▪ May works in the Photography Group Show at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
▪ April: collage Blue Town in the Ontario Society of Artists Open Juried Show at the John B. Aird Gallery.
▪ From April, 2017: poem, “The Orphan and the Stranger,” from her book of the same name (Wolsak and Wynn, 1985) has been accepted by AngelHousePress for NationalPoetryMonth.ca, a celebration of the nation of poetry. See a variety of work by international poets and other artists. A new work is shown every day; Marvyne's was featured on April 22 and continues to be available after that.
▪ March: Yellow Voyage and No Fence Can Hold It in the Spring Group Show at The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.
▪ February: Mountain Town and Yellow Tempest in the Winter Group Show at The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.
▪ January to June: Roaming Gallery Show at Brioche Dorée Café.
2016
▪ November-December: Four collages, Pear Dreaming series in The Big Classy Small Works Show at The Arts & Letters Club
▪ December: Collages: Glass and Moon City, in Mistletoe Magic Silent Auction. John B. Aird Gallery (both sold)
▪ October: Widening, Green in the Members' Juried Fall Group Show at The Arts & Letters Club
▪ October: Three collages in the COMMFFEST International Art Exhibition, at the Rotunda, Metro Hall, Toronto.
▪ Solo Show, Paper on Paper: Collage (31 pieces),
Skylight Gallery, Northern District Library, Toronto; all of January.
(Image: Paper on Paper: Collage photographed through the skylight at night.)
▪ Mixed media collage, Ghost Flowers, Fence, in the Colour and Form Society's Biennial Exhibition, The Papermill Gallery, June 15 to July 10.
▪ Watermedia collage Toronto Winter, Sunday Morning in the Society of Canadian Artists' Open Juried Online Show, March 15 to July 15.
▪ Collages in several group shows at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto throughout the year.
2015
▪ Five mixed media collages in the Small Works Show at The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, November and December.
▪ Mixed media collage, "Port," in the
Society of Canadian Artists Elected Members' Show,
in the lobby of the Flato Markham Theatre, October 27 to November 22.
▪ Watermedia Collage, "Fields, Roads, Fences" is a finalist in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
NEXT! Ontario-Wide Competition , October 17 to November 14.
▪ Three pieces in the Propeller Gallery p.ART.icle Affordable Art Show, 30 Abell Street,
September 23 to October 4, including Nuit Blanche, October 3
▪ Three pieces in The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto Members' Juried Summer Show, June to August.
▪ "Mirroring" in the Society of Canadian Artists National Open Juried Online Exhibition, April 1 to July 15.
▪ Three pieces in The Members Juried Photography Show, The Arts & Letters Club, April 26 to May 28.
▪ Two embellished plates in the Dish It Up! Silent Auction, The Arts & Letters Club, May 11 to 26.
▪ Two collages, "Honey," and "Ghost Pears, Ice" in The Arts & Letters Club Spring Group Show, April
▪ Seven collages in the Connecting Canadian Artists Spring Show,
Arta Gallery, 14 Distillery Lane, Toronto; April 2 to 10.
▪ Two collages, "Ice" and "Ghost Flowers, Fence"
in The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto LAMPsweek Best Work Show, February.
▪ Photography collage "Mirroring" in The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
Figurative Works Members' Group Show, January.
2014
▪ Poem, "The Day She Never Saw the Weather," previously published in Crackerjack Umbrella, published online as the Leaf Press Monday's Poem, December 22
▪ Five photographs in the Arts & Letters Club Small Works Show and Sale, December
▪ Photograph, "Seven Pencils," in Mistletoe Magic, silent auction at
The John B. Aird Gallery, MacDonald Block, November-December
▪ Mixed Media collage, "Blue View," in the Colour and Form Society's 62nd Open Juried Show,
Etobicoke Civic Centre Gallery, August-September
▪ New chapbook from Twoffish Press: Embracing Minutiae, humorous personal essays. April and ongoing.
▪ Watermedia collage, "Winter Song," in the Society of Canadian Artists Members' Show,
Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery, August
▪ Watermedia collage, "Motion," in the Colour and Form Society Biennial Show,
The Papermill Gallery, Todmorden Mills; June.
▪ Collage and a photograph in the Valentine Group Show,
Gallery Hittite, 107 Scollard Street, Toronto; January-February.
▪ Two lines by Marvyne, beginning "Dust, lust and miracles...," in Leaf Press Co-operative
New Year's Poem, January and ongoing
From the back cover
Marvyne Jenoff's first book was published in 1972; Tree and Fruit is her seventh. This hybrid memoir has two parts: TREE follows her life growing up in an unusual Jewish family in Winnipeg against the backdrop of the social history of the 1940s and 50s. From the early 1960s in Toronto, it continues with her development as a writer. FRUIT brings together the best of her previously published short fiction and essays.
▪ I fell in love with King Lear's fool. (from "Seeing")
▪ You must never, never do that again! (from "Opposites")
▪ I could tell by the way his body tensed and his voice pierced the air that he was making up new poetry. That wasn't appropriate behaviour in a parking lot. (from "An Evening of Poetry")
▪ Hercules wore a lion skin, but people say one gets treated with more respect in a blazer and skirt. (from "Hercules by My Side")
From the Prologue
"Compiling this book in my early eighties is a rite of passage: the acknowledgement and acceptance of old age. It is a hybrid memoir, consisting of a newly-written exploration of my life and times, plus the best of my previous writings now gathered into one volume. Side by side they reveal the organic connection between my life and the imaginative writings that have come out of it: only this tree could have produced that fruit. I am thankful for good health and a sound, still-playful mind. There is another passage ahead, but apple trees can live over a hundred years."
Current and Upcoming
▪ Participation in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's annual Big Classy Show and Sale on November 24. My books were on my vendor's table. Five of my small collages will be on the walls until January 3, 2025.
▪ Participation in the Ontario Region of the Writer's Union of Canada's Open Mike event, January 7, 2025.
Recent
2024
▪ Reading from Climbing the Rain at the Art Bar Poetry Series, Free Times Cafe, 320 College Street, Toronto, on Monday, August 12. Sponsored by the League of Canadian Poets and the Canada Council. The other two featured readers were Guy Elston and Kim Fahner. See other Art Bar programs at artbarpoetryseries.com.
▪ Collectors' items: There are a few copies of my out-of-print books left and can be purchased: No Lingering Peace (1972, Fiddlehead Press), Hollandsong (1975, Oberon Press; hardcover), The Orphan and the Stranger (1985, Wolsak and Wynn Publishers), and The New Poet's Handbook (compiler; 1985, The League of Canadian Poets). See Former Publications ; Contact
▪ Online Publication: My poem, "Ways of Mourning," was posted on Friday, January 4, in the League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause series. Along with two other of my poems "Song Without Nouns" and "A is for," which appeared in the fall of last year, it can be accessed on the League's website, www.poets.ca; search for my name. To subscribe free to Poetry Pause and get daily postings of work by Canadian poets, go to http://eepurl.com/dq-D6T .
Previous
2023
▪ Online publications: Three of my poems have been accepted for online posting as part of the League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause series. "Song Without Nouns" appeared on October 31 and "A is for" on November 24. They can be accessed on the League's website, www.poets.ca; search for my name. "Ways of Mourning: is scheduled for early January. To subscribe free to Poetry Pause and get daily postings of work by Canadian poets, go to http://eepurl.com/dq-D6T .
▪ New publication: My poem, "It's There," appears in the anthology Hologram: an Homage to P.K.Page in memory of this well-known Canadian poet and visual artist. Editors: Yvonne Blomer and D.C. Reid, published this fall by Caitlin Press, Qualicum Beach, BC.
This beautiful book consists of poems by poets across the country and includes colour reproductions of P.K. Page's art. My poem, reminiscent of her paintings based on hands, also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ Video accessible here : Reading from Climbing the Rain, with images of my artwork, produced for the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, June, 2023. My poetry book, Climbing the Rain, came out in March, 2022, with Silver Bow Publishing, New Westminster, BC.
▪ "On Poetry," my brief essay, was featured as a guest post on Susan Ioannou's blog Poetry Notes on April 2, 2023. More recently, the new video featuring poems from Climbing the Rain was referred to in her July 2 post regarding line breaks.
▪ My poetry collection, Climbing the Rain, was featured in a radio conversation/interview/reading hosted by Valentino Assenza on HOWL, CIUT 89.5 on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, marking the one-year anniversary of the book’s publication. My reading
of three poems from Climbing the Rain, originally aired on HOWL in April, 2022 was re-broadcast on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
2022
▪ My poem "Fish Tank" was posted online as the League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause feature on November 18, 2022. The poem also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ A written interview of Marvyne, conducted by Sharon Berg, was published online in The Artisanal Writer in early August. The questions cover various aspects of Climbing the Rain, many from the point of view of the writer's craft. A brief AUDIO of some of the poems in the interview can be accessed at the end of the interview.
▪ “Video Poem,” in Climbing the Rain, was published online by Poetry Present, Cobourg, on August 20, 2022. It is now archived on that site, along with two other of my poems, "Form Southern Ontario, a Sea Tale" (2020) and "We, as Poetic Device" (2021).
▪ My poem, "Amethyst," was published in July, 2022 in Framed and Familiar: 101 Portraits, an International Anthology of Poetry and Photography; Poetry Editor Antony Di Nardo. It can be read online at Wet Ink Books. "Amethyst" also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ Climbing the Rain was reviewed by Susan Ioannou in her Poetry Notes site, https://poetry-notes.ghost.io/welcome-2/, then at the top of the screen click on Home to see the contents list of all the posts, each of which can be opened by clicking on the title.
▪ Climbing the Rain was one of thirteen books featured in the Lost Launches series for poets whose books came out during the lockdowns and were unable to have a live launch. This was a joint venture of the City of Toronto, the League of Canadian Poets and the Art Bar Poetry Series. June 28, 2022, at Clinton's Tavern.
▪ NEW POETRY BOOK: Climbing the Rain came out in March, 2022, with Silver Bow Publishing, New Westminster, BC. in both print and e-book format. This is my fifth book in a 60-year writing career. The book consists of recent poems as well as some early poems previously unpublished in book form. The section headings include: Sky Blue Umbrellas, Embracing Union Station, It’s a Fish! It’s a Plane!, and The Octave Difference in Our Voices. More detail at Writing/In Print .
Launched virtually on April 2, Climbing the Rain can be ordered now directly through me (preferred) or through bookstores, Barnes and Noble, or Silver Bow Publishing.
▪ VIDEO: An interview and poetry reading hosted by Dr. Kathleen W. Smith, is available to the public on the Mensa Canada YouTube Channel . Recorded in July, 2021, this is part of Kathleen's series of Creativity Interviews. The interview sheds light on my life and my approach to poetry. The reading features poems from each of my books, including Climbing the Rain when it was still in manuscript form.
▪ Anthology publication of the poem, "Returning" in Work, Volume 5 of the 12-volume Lifespan Series planned by Pure Slush Press, Adelaide, Australia. Released in May, 2022, it includes contributions from 110 writers from across the world. Paperback and eBook formats available: http://pureslush.com . "Returning" appears under the title "Work" in Climbing the Rain.
▪ I was a featured reader, reading from Climbing the Rain, in the Art Bar Poetry Series along with Keith Garebian held at Clinton's on May 10, 2022.
▪ My poem, “Water,” is included in The Story of Water, an Earth Day eChapbook by Sunshine in a Jar. The chapbook itself can be downloaded and the VIDEO of the virtual launch on April 23, 2022 can be accessed at: www.sunshineinajar.com/the-story-of-water/. The video can also be accessed at www.facebook.com/sunshineinajarcreativity . Twenty poets are included; the introduction to my own reading starts around Minute 23. "Water" also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem, "Fish Tank," is the April 22 feature poem in Angel House Press's National Poetry Month collection: http://nationalpoetrymonth.ca/ . Click on April 22 on the calendar at the top. "Fish Tank" also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem “You x 10” was published in March, 2022 in the Community Anthology, edited by Irene Moore Davis & Vanessa Shields, Gertrude’s Writing Room. Contributors include poets worldwide. This poem also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem “Amethyst” has been published in the 101 Portraits Anthology, edited by Richard Grove and Antony Di Nardo, SandCrab Books, July, 2022. This poem also appears in Climbing the Rain.
▪ My poem “New Year’s Morning, Brandon, Manitoba” was published online in the January, Winter 2022 issue 88, of Royal City Literary Arts Society's RCLAS Ezine Wordplay at Work, https://issuu.com/rclas/docs/january_2022_ezine_issue_88
▪ My watermedia and photography collage, "Port City," found a home early this year. See it and my other collages.
2021
▪ Marvyne participated in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Big Classy Small Works Show and Sale #7 on Sunday, November 28, with small abstract photographs on the walls and a table with books and chapbooks. https://artsandlettersclub.ca/ , 416-597-0223
▪ My poem “We, as Poetic Device” was posted online on December 25, 2021 by Poetry Present, based in Cobourg. A joyful, youthful poem on a festive day, first published in No Lingering Peace, Fiddlehead Press, 1972. It is archived, as is my poem "From Southern Ontario: A Sea Tale" published by Poetry Present in 2020. https://www.sunshineinajar.com/archive-of-poets-featured-in-poetry-present/
▪ Anthology publication of the poem, "Late Afternoon, my Place," in Love, Volume 4 of the 12-volume Lifespan Series planned by Pure Slush Press, Adelaide, Australia. Released in October, 2021, this 482-page volume includes poetry and prose by writers across the English-speaking world. It can be purchased in paperback and various eBook formats. http://pureslush.com
▪ Virtual publication, from October 7, 2021: a poem, "Sunday Morning, February 2021" and a collage in Ice Floe Press's Pandemic Dispatches. Do check out the wealth of international contributions in this ongoing series.
▪ "Climbing the Rain: an Excerpt," consisting of several of Marvyne's new poems plus collages and a bit of an article, came out in issue 38 (Fall, 2021) of the online Sage-ing: The Journal of Creative Aging, a publication of the Okanagan Institute.
▪ Marvyne's Poem "Atonement" was published online in Subterranean Blue's Thunder Under the Mountain: Pandemic Poems, see Volume IX Issue III, Spring, 2021 at www.subterraneanbluepoetry. Back issues are archived.
2020
▪ Marvyne's virtual reading at the Art Bar Poetry Series on September 1, 2020. is available through the link.
▪ Poem, "Dinosaur Aloft," was posted online on March 18, 2020 in the League of Canadian Poets Poetry Pause. This poem was previously published in the anthology Seek It--Writers and Artists Do Sleep, Toronto, Red Claw Press, 2012
▪ Poem, "It Wishes," was posted online on February 5, 2020, as the Tuesday Poem in this series curated by Ottawa poet rob mclennan. https://dusie.blogspot.com . The poems is now archived on the site.
▪ Two of Marvyne's collages, Glass, Ghost Flowers and Fence, Ghost Flowers were included in the John B. Aird Gallery's 32nd annual Mistletoe Magic Silent Auction, December 1 to 8.
▪ Three of Marvyne's collages: Far Away, Soft and Double were included in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's annual Big Classy Small Works Show and Sale, held online from November 22 to December 6.
▪ Marvyne's watercolour painting, Garden Envy was on display in the virtual Garden Envy Show (yes, same name) on the website of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, August to October.
▪ Photography and watermedia collage, Mountain Town, was displayed in the Society of Canadian Artists' Juried Online Exhibition, March 15 to June 15, 2020.
▪ Photography and watermedia collage, Ghost Flowers, Glass, was shown on the website of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto under What's On/Art News/Art, June to August, 2020
▪ Photography collage, "Yellow Brick Road" was exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Winter Group Show, January, 2020
2019
▪ Talk: Climbing the Rain: A Writing Life at the Literary Table, the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, October 15.
▪ Watermedia painting Where? was exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Fall Group Show, October, 2019.
▪ Photograph, "Two x Two" was exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Members' Summer Group Show, July-August.
▪ Two photographs, "Envelope" and "Artisan Market, Shopping Mall" were exhibited in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Photography Group Show May-June.
▪ Solo art show, Moon, Paper, Scissors: Collage, in the lounge of the Arts & Letters Club. Twenty-six pieces were exhibited from April 21 to May 17.
▪ Marvyne's skit, "Whose News?" was performed in the Arts & Letters Club Spring Revue, May 2, 3, 4.
▪ Two photographs, "Vase" and "Scarves," were exhibited in the Colour, Pattern, Texture Group Show at the Arts & Letters Club, March 2019.
▪ Two collages in the Society of Canadian Artists' Online Show, A Showcase of Abstraction October 1, 2018 to February 1, 2019.
2018
▪ Poem, "Flying into Vancouver," has been published in Heartwood: Poems for the Love of Trees, edited by Lesley Strutt. This anthology, juried from the work of members of the League of Canadian Poets, is a fundraiser for ecological programs and youth poetry in Canada. The book came out in 2018 and is now available on Amazon.ca.
▪ Photography collage, Mirroring , has been chosen as the cover art for Heather Cadsby's new book of poetry, Standing in the Flock of Connections, Brick Books, launched in spring 2018. For more information see www.brickbooks.ca . Now available in bookstores and on Amazon.ca.
▪ Several small collages from Marvyne's Small Song series and Pink Woods series were exhibited at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto's Small Works Show and Sale, late November to early January 2019. Marvyne also had a vendor's table for her books, including the new ones listed below.
▪ Two collages, Catch the Moon and Red Walls, were juried into the Arts & Letters Club Fall Group Show, November 2018.
▪ Four collages in Toronto Art's Roaming Art Gallery, a show of member's work, on a big screen at Brioche Doree, 648 King Street W. and online at torontoart.ca, to the end of October.
▪ Readng at the Art Bar Poetry Series, Free Times Cafe, 320 College Street, Toronto, October 16.
▪ Two photography and watermedia collages, Green Lace Cloud , and Green Rain, (Collage and Assemblage) were on exhibit at the Arts & Letters Club Summer Group Show, July and August.
▪ Photography and watermedia collage, Two Moons, Blue Table, was on exhibit at the Arts & Letters Club Photography Show in May-June.
2017
▪ October: Watermedia painting based on text, Wide Silence, Round Sound #3 (red) was included in a silent auction for a fundraising event put on by Project Sunshine Canada's Young Patrons' Circle towards programming that supports children and families facing medical challenges.
▪ September: mixed media collage on paper, Widening, Green, was displayed in the Society of Canadian Artists' 49th Open International Juried Exhibition, The Papermill Gallery, Todmorden Mills Heritage Centre.
▪ September: three photographs in the Arts & Letters Club's Fall Group Show, 14 Elm Street, Toronto.
▪ From July: four of Marvyne's collages in TorontoArt’s new Roaming Art Gallery, the images in a loop with other artists’ work on a large screen at Brioche Dorée and online at www.torontoart.ca .
▪ June 24 to September 1: two works in the Summer Group Show of members' work at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, 14 Elm Street, Toronto.
▪ May 23 to June 4: collage Yellow Tempest in the Society of Canadian Artists' 2017
Elected & Associate Members' Exhibition Be Square II , Art Square Gallery and Cafe, Dundas St. W., Toronto.
▪ May works in the Photography Group Show at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
▪ April: collage Blue Town in the Ontario Society of Artists Open Juried Show at the John B. Aird Gallery.
▪ From April, 2017: poem, “The Orphan and the Stranger,” from her book of the same name (Wolsak and Wynn, 1985) has been accepted by AngelHousePress for NationalPoetryMonth.ca, a celebration of the nation of poetry. See a variety of work by international poets and other artists. A new work is shown every day; Marvyne's was featured on April 22 and continues to be available after that.
▪ March: Yellow Voyage and No Fence Can Hold It in the Spring Group Show at The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.
▪ February: Mountain Town and Yellow Tempest in the Winter Group Show at The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.
▪ January to June: Roaming Gallery Show at Brioche Dorée Café.
2016
▪ November-December: Four collages, Pear Dreaming series in The Big Classy Small Works Show at The Arts & Letters Club
▪ December: Collages: Glass and Moon City, in Mistletoe Magic Silent Auction. John B. Aird Gallery (both sold)
▪ October: Widening, Green in the Members' Juried Fall Group Show at The Arts & Letters Club
▪ October: Three collages in the COMMFFEST International Art Exhibition, at the Rotunda, Metro Hall, Toronto.
▪ Solo Show, Paper on Paper: Collage (31 pieces),
Skylight Gallery, Northern District Library, Toronto; all of January.
(Image: Paper on Paper: Collage photographed through the skylight at night.)
▪ Mixed media collage, Ghost Flowers, Fence, in the Colour and Form Society's Biennial Exhibition, The Papermill Gallery, June 15 to July 10.
▪ Watermedia collage Toronto Winter, Sunday Morning in the Society of Canadian Artists' Open Juried Online Show, March 15 to July 15.
▪ Collages in several group shows at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto throughout the year.
2015
▪ Five mixed media collages in the Small Works Show at The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, November and December.
▪ Mixed media collage, "Port," in the
Society of Canadian Artists Elected Members' Show,
in the lobby of the Flato Markham Theatre, October 27 to November 22.
▪ Watermedia Collage, "Fields, Roads, Fences" is a finalist in the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
NEXT! Ontario-Wide Competition , October 17 to November 14.
▪ Three pieces in the Propeller Gallery p.ART.icle Affordable Art Show, 30 Abell Street,
September 23 to October 4, including Nuit Blanche, October 3
▪ Three pieces in The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto Members' Juried Summer Show, June to August.
▪ "Mirroring" in the Society of Canadian Artists National Open Juried Online Exhibition, April 1 to July 15.
▪ Three pieces in The Members Juried Photography Show, The Arts & Letters Club, April 26 to May 28.
▪ Two embellished plates in the Dish It Up! Silent Auction, The Arts & Letters Club, May 11 to 26.
▪ Two collages, "Honey," and "Ghost Pears, Ice" in The Arts & Letters Club Spring Group Show, April
▪ Seven collages in the Connecting Canadian Artists Spring Show,
Arta Gallery, 14 Distillery Lane, Toronto; April 2 to 10.
▪ Two collages, "Ice" and "Ghost Flowers, Fence"
in The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto LAMPsweek Best Work Show, February.
▪ Photography collage "Mirroring" in The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
Figurative Works Members' Group Show, January.
2014
▪ Poem, "The Day She Never Saw the Weather," previously published in Crackerjack Umbrella, published online as the Leaf Press Monday's Poem, December 22
▪ Five photographs in the Arts & Letters Club Small Works Show and Sale, December
▪ Photograph, "Seven Pencils," in Mistletoe Magic, silent auction at
The John B. Aird Gallery, MacDonald Block, November-December
▪ Mixed Media collage, "Blue View," in the Colour and Form Society's 62nd Open Juried Show,
Etobicoke Civic Centre Gallery, August-September
▪ New chapbook from Twoffish Press: Embracing Minutiae, humorous personal essays. April and ongoing.
▪ Watermedia collage, "Winter Song," in the Society of Canadian Artists Members' Show,
Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery, August
▪ Watermedia collage, "Motion," in the Colour and Form Society Biennial Show,
The Papermill Gallery, Todmorden Mills; June.
▪ Collage and a photograph in the Valentine Group Show,
Gallery Hittite, 107 Scollard Street, Toronto; January-February.
▪ Two lines by Marvyne, beginning "Dust, lust and miracles...," in Leaf Press Co-operative
New Year's Poem, January and ongoing
