poems about Winnipeg, the prairie, and big business

From Out of Nowhere was published by Turnstone Press in April 2009. It is a long poem about growing up in Winnipeg and being from the prairies. As written on the back cover:

“From Out of Nowhere explores how cities have changed the landscape for prairie poetry. The poems find the intersections where nature speaks through cowboys, hunters, fishers, farmers, and businessmen. These voices are captured in cityscapes where they mutate, harmonize, and resonate to give new meaning to old turns of phrase, calls to action, and directions home.

In the end, From Out of Nowhere reveals that it is in our green spaces where we are reminded of our past, our present, and our uncertain future, and how we find ourselves, and our spirit, somewhere between city and country.”

Click here to read a sample of From Out of Nowhere

From Out of Nowhere was launched in a festive fashion on April 28th, 2009 at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg. Video of my presentation is coming soon . . .

To purchase a signed copy of From Out of Nowhere for $17 please e-mail john@johntoone.ca. On-line store coming soon . . .

“John Toone is in the midst of perfecting the prairie roar, the long poem of multiple perspectives and precise insights. There are echoes of Cooley, Hunter, and Kroetsch in these pages. From Out of Nowhere is a relentless and exhilarating text.”

- Jon Paul Fiorentino, stripmalling

“From Out of Nowhere is poetry written against paperwork and the banal language of bureaucracy and control. John Toone’s phrases slip out of the rut of conventional meaning through surprising turns. This book brooks no lazy readers: instead, it fights for a fresh engagement with words and the ideas they carry.”

- Alison Calder, Wolf Tree

Post date: 2009-11-10 05:18:25 UTC

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