23 May, 2009

T.I.P. series in Saskatoon SK

In case you’re wondering, T.I.P. stands for Tonight It’s Poetry. When I arrived half an hour early on the evening of March 15th to an empty bar in downtown Saskatoon, I decided that T.I.P. must be a code word for Tonight It’s clear the Pub. But I was, happily, very wrong.
Taylor Leedahl, the energetic organizer of this series, came up to my table in the tiny bar, where I was watching a bomb shelter drill from the 50s projected on the wall. She assured me that Flint, a stylish place on 2nd Ave South, would soon be full– and she was right. By 8 pm or so it was standing room only, probably 35 people, most of them young, lots of Fine Arts majors and aspiring writers. They had an open mic with some interesting work and some very sincere work. The audience was indulgent with me, laughing at my jokes, and a few people stayed to chat afterward.