Dear Friends &: Tina Do, Rhoda Rosenfeld, Gerry Shikatani

Description:

Produced in partnership with The Capilano Review, Dear Friends & is a monthly series showcasing the work of local and touring Canadian writers. Taking place on the first Thursday of each month, readings are hosted in the Grand Luxe Hall and made available to virtual audiences by livestream.

The series’ name draws inspiration from the salutations and sign-offs used by Roy Kiyooka in his Transcanada Letters (1975), a collection which details the comings and goings of his literary sociality across Canada, the network of people and relations that enfold his writing, and the longings of his “Heart’s Geography” to be near the ones he loved. Kiyooka was an important figure for both Western Front and The Capilano Review, and this series invites his spirit of kinship, connection, and conviviality into the reading space.

This event included readings by Tina Do, Rhoda Rosenfeld, and Gerry Shikatani. Rhoda Rosenfeld opened the evening with selections from a piece titled “Zettel” (which translates from German/Yiddish to English as “notes”) that brought together short story, memoir, and poetry. Tina Do read from a series titled “The After Poems” that pays tribute to poetic influences, collaborators, and family members. Lastly, visiting reader Gerry Shikatani performed selections from "Second Book, niwa" from the project mortar rake glove sausan broom basin sansui; as well as a narrative poem titled "At Roy’s," dedicated to Roy Kiyooka. 

The reading unfolded against a projection of resident artist Jonathan Alfaro’s monotype print Avocado Stones from the series Daylight Lover (2024). Produced especially for Dear Friends &, Alfaro’s new suite of works were inspired by the imagined flourishes that might be found in the margins of love letters. 

The evening was hosted by Deanna Fong.

Presented with support from the BC Arts Council.