Category Archives: Poetry

Shebeen Club Jump Start Tuesday, May 27

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Whee! We're back!

Whee! We’re back!

That’s right, we’re back, bitches! For ONE NIGHT ONLY, the Shebeen Club returns to the back corner of the Shebeen at 7pm Tuesday, May 27 for drinks and eats and catching up on what we’ve all been doing in the what, six? eight? months since last we met.

Heading into our ninth year of existence, I’m sure we have a lot to share and boast and bitch about. I, personally, have some SOOPER EXCITING news that I am saving for the night. There’s no point emailing and asking; I won’t tell you. You gots to put your butt in a chair at the actual event.

Here’s the Facebook post.

It’s high time we Shebeened again! I hereby invite you and your literary homies to the May 2014 meeting of the Shebeen Club, one of Vancouver’s longest-lived literary gatherings. Bring your latest work, your attitude, and your ravenous thirst (for knowledge, of course!) to the Shebeen at 7pm on Tuesday, May 27.

Who knows, you might end up reading some lovely poetry, like Rik Mayall here and his highly supportive audience!

Shebeen Spirited September Meeting: this THURSDAY!

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Gaze into the Void

Gaze into the Void: image by Zbigniew M. Bielak

Come gaze into the void, or at least a warming glass of whisk(e)y with the scintillating members of the Shebeen Club this Thursday at six o’clock. Where else but the Shebeen? Don’t come early, because they won’t be open. And I PROMISE this time I won’t be two hours late. Jeremy Hammond could break out of MCC and kidnap Sabu on behalf of the Syrian Electronic Army and call me to interview them all live and I will still walk away from the keyboard instead of writing it up, I vow it.

All are welcome to our little literary gathering, and anyone with a freshly-written ghost or noir story will be accorded pride of place.

No cost to attend, pay for what you order, the kitchen is excellent and the bar is stunning. This week we’re in the Irish Heather’s snug instead of the Shebeen due to a double-booking issue.

For the facebook-inclined, there is an event, for easy calendar-addification.

If you’ve published a book, gotten a gig, or any other good news lately, by all means come out and boast. If you’ve got books or CDs, bring some along for signing and selling.

Shebeen Club Reunion Party: Thursday, August 22

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Typical Shebeen scene

Typical Shebeen scene

We’re BACK, BITCHES!

That’s right, Vangroover’s classiest literary gathering returns for One Night Only. Or will commit to One Night Only. You know how that goes.

This upcoming Thursday, August 22nd at 6pm, let’s meet up in the Shebeen and talk about old times and new times and, as ever, bitch about getting paid on time. If you’ve published a book since the last time we got together, bring some and we’ll let you show off. If you’ve gotten a new writing/editing/publishing gig since we last met, boast and we will applaud you.  If you’ve created an entire spoken word opera based on the Kardashians, please, in the name of Wagner, keep it to yourself.

Who’s welcome? Everyone except hostile drunks. If you’ve never been to the Shebeen Club before, well, it’s a group for practicing literati, whether they’re making a living at it or not. Writers, editors, publishers, book illustrators, printers, journalists, bloggers, poets, and not a few reprobates. They add a certain style to the mix.

Dress code: Dress writerly. Nobody knows what that means so you can’t get it wrong!

Pay for what you order, and don’t forget to tip nicely. We don’t want them getting annoyed with us after eight years, do we?

For the Facebook-dependent, the event is listed, and I quite frankly got so excited I blew $50 on Facebook ads. What can I say, it’s been a couple of years since our last get-together, and I lost my head.

Directions: the Shebeen is a “secret” pub, so it’s not going to have a giant neon sign out front. Go to the Irish Heather, 210 Carrall Street at the foot of Gastown in Maple Tree Square almost kitty-corner to Chill Winston. Go into the Irish Heather and straight through and out the back door. Turn right, because if you don’t you will walk smack into a brick wall. The door to the Shebeen is just a little ways on, on your left.

The Menu: no dinner special this time, but the menu is constantly changing and always high-quality. Don’t show up early, because they won’t be open yet!

Face Up to Facebook

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Face Book

Face Book

It has begun.

We’ve gotten a notice that our beloved (well, we’re being generous) Facebook Group is scheduled to be Archived. This means basically the four or five pictures we’ve got will stay and pretty much everything else will be gone. Sooper.

And we cannot convert it into a new style group, because there hasn’t been enough recent activity. And that means for our future plans, you will have to either keep checking the blog, buy raincoaster and Ian drinks at the Heather (and we all know how expensive that can be, right?) or wait for a hand-delivered message on parchment, and who has parchment lying around handy anymore, seriously?

You see where we are going with this, right?

Please, please, for the love of the printed (or pixillated) word, go to our Facebook Group and comment, like, or share something.

WE ARE NOT FUSSY: YOUR COMMENT CAN EVEN HAVE TYPOS AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS OR EVEN BE IN ALL CAPS AND THIS ONCE WE WILL NOT MAKE FUN OF YOU.

OTHERS’ EVENTS: The Reading Writer’s Tea Party

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Sure, The Shebeen Club meeting tonight is the most important thing in everyone’s life, but what do you do between that and the next one? Well, here’s a suggestion, thanks to Kathrin Lake.

REMINDER: The Reading Writer’s Tea Party is next Saturday!!!

To RSVP you are coming if you have not already, see buy now button below, or email me your assurances and how many are coming. We have to reserve you a tea cup and a seat.

ALSO: If you are reading get me your 5 minute manuscript (2 pages max – may be abridged) for the desktop booklet BY Wednesday the 25th.

I will also have a very exciting announcement at the Tea Party that you all may be very interested in…. keep you in suspense.

You are cordially invited to…

The Reading Writers Group

My only wish for organizing events at the recent Women & Words conference was that I had hoped we could include an open mike reading event, cabaret or café to read in-process, new or favorite works. But it was too busy. So, as Spring dawns on the Wet Coast and brings the urge to use my grandmother’s tea cups again, I thought Tea Party! Ohhh… what about inviting all those W&W participants and on Saturday, May 28th, 3pm having…

  • Tea and coffee out of my precious, inherited, elegant tea cup collection
  • Yummy goodies, both healthy and sinful
  • Gabbing
  • Brilliant Readings from Authors or Will-be Authors
  • PLUS: Your own take away free booklet at the event that may have your own words published in it (see below*)
  • AND: A shelf to display and sell your own books again (bring no more than 5 copies if you have them)
  • Other surprises….

◊ WHY NOT make sure that the writers who are volunteering to read are rewarded by being PUBLISHED in a little desktop “booklet”

That’s right, if you are a writer who is reading your work at the tea party, and can send us the text a week in advance by May 21st (2 pages max), then we will print all or part in the “booklet” that will go home with everyone!

Entrance is less than $9 with everything included.

CLICK THIS SECURE LINK and buy now to reserve your spot. Pass this on to guests who will be joining you

Date: Saturday, May 28th 3pm to 6pm

Time: 3pm to 6:30pm

Location: #401 – 1288 Broughton – BUZZ 401 – in the English Bay area!

This is my large downtown apartment unless there is huge demand, and I may move the event to another downtown location. Parking is on the street meter, pay parking garages, and some lucky free parking, and transit is a block away.