THE BATTLEFORDS — dee Hobsbawn-Smith started writing terrible prose and poetry in her teens. Now, an author of 10 published books, and an avid writer of short fiction, novels and creative non-fiction, Hobsbawn-Smith has published her second poetry collection.
Her newest work, Among the Untamed, launched in April is now touring the province. You have a chance to hear her read from a collection that has been described as, “intricate textures of rage and domestic ritual” and “fierce and passionate ... beautiful to read and think about.”
Her stops include:
- May 9, 7 p.m. at the John Cuelenaere Library in Prince Albert.
- May 11, 7 p.m. at the Nipawin Public Library.
- May 15, 7 p.m. at the Tisdale Public Library.
- May 25, 7 p.m. at the North Battleford Public Library.
“When I realized what this collection was becoming, it seemed like a natural fit with the times, and that’s sad because much of this work is about the tragedies some women’s lives are, the violence women face the racism and sexism,” she said, noting that violence is as prevalent now as in the past
“... and (it’s) getting worse in some countries as women’s rights are eroded. So sexual politics and gender identity are on the page, but as poetry, not as polemic.”
The collection, which has been in the works for years, began as a poem about Marylin Monroe in 2008 after viewing a collection of her dresses in Calgary’s Glenbow Museum.
“I wrote the first draft of the 20-poem series, ‘Jeanne Dark Comes of Age on the Prairie,’ in 2016. For me, most poetry takes years to gestate, and figuring out where a poem is going to ultimately land its ending.”
So far, Hobsbawn-Smith said that the support for Among the Untamed has been overwhelmingly positive, for its content, its language and its emotional and intellectual weight.
“The Canadian poet Susan Musgrave recently said in an interview that one of the great things about poetry is the tension between beautiful lounge and tough or difficult subject matter,” Hobsbawn-Smith said.
“She was absolutely right, and I hope that readers come away from reading Among the Untamed with that kind of appreciation.”
