On a certain morning, mid-March, I was wakened by a fellow poet in Montreal, “Kirby, you’re going to the Griffins!” followed by a few similar texts, then going online to see what the fuss was actually about, and indeed my dear poet friend Dale Martin Smith’s brilliant long poem, The Size of Paradise was selected as a Finalist for the 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize which I published at knife | fork | book.
How on earth? Nearly 700 international titles, ten selected. KFB? Canada on the map! Newsworthy to be sure. This is a big fucking deal.
We dropped everything and met for drinks on the Danforth to celebrate.
Then, the CanPo chorus on various social media platforms: “NO CANADIANS made the list.” (Huh?) Followed by hollers and lists of Canadian poets they would have selected (I have my own). Still peeved over Griffin’s decision a few years back of dropping the separate (but equal?) Canadian award, for a single International Winner.
I, too, remember when this happened, and like many were none too pleased, not by them dropping the Canadian category (hell, it’s their dough, they can do what they want ffs) but how they did it, staging it as some “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT,” and silly me with an imagination thought, “Omg, THEY’RE GOING TO OPEN A POETRY CENTRE!” How positively grand! Maybe, I could be a greeter! (or a loo attendant!) but, no, their BIG NEWS was they were dropping the Canadian Prize to have ONE BIG INTERNATIONAL PURSE, THE BIGGEST (of all time at the time).
That and its purse-holder claiming, “we brought Canadian poets to the place where they can now compete alongside anyone on an International stage.” Paraphrased, but that’s the gist.
No centre. They simply wanted to be bigger. “The biggest.” Isn’t that grand?
As I heard two poets discuss (after a poet they trumpeted had lost that year), “It ain’t about the poetry,” heading towards the exit.
Seated that very same year at the gala dinner (guest of a guest) I’m at a table with one or two poets and what I can only describe as “the monied.” A fine gentleman next to me asked, “So what is it that you do?”
“I run a poetry shop in Kensington Market, knife | fork | book.”
“A poetry shop?” his startled reply, “Is there any money in it?”
I looked about the banquet hall and said, “I see a lot of money!” The whole table laughed.
I am thrilled for Dale, and the press, that we were selected as finalists. It’s an amazing story. A Canadian poet (born in Texas, immigrated here with his family to teach writing) Canadian designer, printed at Coach House. And is KFB the first (and only) Canadian poetry micro-press nominated?
However, that didn’t match the narrative some insisted upon, that (to them) there were no Canadians on the list, and The Star waited until the shortlist was announced to decisively declare, “there are no Canadians on the list.”
“O, that’ll happen.” Mr. Griffin replies.
Really? This is the news story?! “NO CANADIANS AT THE GRIFFINS”
Have they read Dale’s book? Bought it since? Congratulated KFB? (I’ll leave that hang there.)
Here’s how the news was greeted by poet, CAConrad on Instagram:
CAConrad: It is so exciting to see Dale Martin Smith’s The Size of Paradise up for a Griffin Poetry Prize. It was one of my favourite books of 2024 and the kind of poetry you will always want in your life! Dale is also one of my favourite people. His Slow Poetry is a view of local poetry communities, and the love and nurturing of these important communities. This is needed now more than ever. If you haven’t read The Size of Paradise yet, please buy it from my favourite Canadian poetry press knife | fork | book, published by the one and only Kirby.
A poet I deeply respect and admire wrote to me: “You are very mild in your acceptance of the world's ways, which is a good thing, in fact a great thing.”
And, they know as well as you dear reader, I am anything but mild. I’m simply not going to allow myself to go there, to play that small. Disappointed, yes. I can live. But puny? No thank you.
I thought it was about the poetry. For me, it still is. Congrats Dale, fellow finalists, jurors.
A Canadian bookseller I know is thrilled they’ll finally get to hear poet Diane Seuss (obsessed).
Kirby’s the publisher at knife | fork | book and featured columnist at Send My Love To Anyone. Hear them read their latest SHE, cover to cover, Mother’s Day and see them at Soft Fest (w/Angie Quick) on June 14th London, ON
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Both spicy and mild in all the right ways!
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