By Lana Michelin – Red Deer Advocate
Published: May 15, 2012 8:46 AM

People in 12 Canadian cities can soon see a powerful play about human trafficking written by Red Deer playwright Andrew Kooman.

She has A Name opened to positive reviews and sold-out houses in Calgary and Red Deer in February 2011 and is now being prepped for a cross-country tour that starts on May 23 in Lethbridge.

The drama about an abducted young woman who is forced into the sex trade in Bangkok, Thailand, is also slated to run in Saskatoon, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna and Edmonton, before ending with Oct. 2 to 6 performances at the Scott Block in downtown Red Deer.

 

The Burnt Thicket Theatre production is Kooman’s first full-length play, and he’s overwhelmed by its success.

Audience reaction was so positive after the initial run that Kooman said a tour was organized to allow more people to see it. “We sold out every show and at some we were turning away 20 to 30 people at the door, so we thought, something is happening here . . . we’ve got to bring this to more communities.”

The cross-Canada tour, made possible after nearly $100,000 was raised from business sponsors, church groups and private donors, is exciting and is “definitely going to be an adventure,” predicted Kooman, who’s planning panel discussions involving experts on human trafficking.

He will participate in an Ottawa panel with Kildonan-St. Paul MP Joy Smith, who presented a private member’s bill that was unanimously passed by the House of Commons in 2007. It called on Parliament to condemn the trafficking of women and children across international borders for the purposes of sexual exploitation and to adopt a comprehensive strategy to combat human trafficking worldwide.

Kooman was volunteering overseas with a non-profit agency when he attended a conference of sex trafficking that deeply shocked him.

“It caught me by surprise that five-year-olds were forced to service johns up to 20 times a day. . . . It really rattled me, and I had to either do something about it or I had to turn the other way.”

Kooman said he chose to write a play to draw more public awareness. But the drama that’s headed out on tour is significantly different than the one that premiered in Alberta last year.

The play still concerns a Western human rights lawyer named Jason, who tries to save a teenage girl held captive in a Bangkok bordello by getting her to testify against her abductors. The teenager, who is forced to service clients, has lost everything — her freedom, family, home — and even her name. Known only as No. 18, she initially doubts and then desperately wants to believe Jason’s promises of rescue.

The action is narrated, or “haunted” by four voices — the spirits of female victims who did not survive the sex trade. The voices obsess Jason’s dreams and consume the mind of No. 18.

Kooman said he made changes, particularly to the exchanges between Jason and his employer, saying, “scenes with his boss are more dynamic and exciting.”

But he believes She Has A Name retains the emotional quality that resonated with audiences. Despite harrowing subject matter, the play is “palatable,” in that it shocks, without being so disturbing that no one wants to recommend it to others.

“It brings you to the edge without pushing you over,” added the playwright, who had to walk a fine line in what he could depict on stage.

The lead roles will be played by Vancouver actors Evelyn Chew and Carl Kennedy, and the play will be directed by Calgary’s Stephen Waldschmidt.

Audience members who want to take personal action will be directed to the websites of several non-profit organizations through the playbill. One of them will be Kooman’s group, Raise Their Voice, which recently partnered with Lacombe charity A Better World to offer programs to help former sex workers in Thailand find a new life.

For more information about the tour schedule or tickets, go to the shehasaname.net website.

lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com

It was a privilege to be a guest for an hour tonight on Glendene Grant’s blog talk radio show to talk about the tour and her missing daughter Jessie Foster.  I first connected with Glendene when she left a comment on a post on this site and we’ve since become friends.

Glendene spoke at an event Raise Their Voice put on in Red Deer last April and has become a strong and compassionate advocate for parents with missing children.

We covered a lot of ground, survived some technical difficulties, and it was a pleasure to be her guest.

You can listen to our conversation here: Andrew Kooman talks on Blog Talk Radio with Glendene Grant.

I blab at the following minute marks (if you want to listen to what I have to say and can only do byte-sizes:
13:19; 16:05; 27:25; 37:10; 39:32; 43:20; 47:12; 49:19; 52:23; 54:00; 55:25; 61:29; 66:49; 73:03

website | twitter

Andrew Kooman: What drew you into politics and what motivated you to offer your name as a candidate?

Danielle Klooster: I ran municipally in 2007 because I wanted social issues to be a priority for community leadership. When I became a munipol I quickly discerned that there is a bigger issue: communities can best thrive when provincial leadership listens attentively/respectfully & works WITH people to come up with innovative solutions. Through getting involved in provincial politics behind the scenes, I came to realize how badly we need to establish leaders who care and are committed to integrity, transparency and accountability. Now is the time for that change.

 AK:  Why did you choose the party you belong to and what does it have to uniquely offer to your constituents?

DK: Partisan politics has far too much influence on the legislative process. The Alberta Party came into existence two years ago because Albertans had come to a point of frustration with public disengagement, partisan game-play and lack of accountability in leadership. By the time I started hearing about the Alberta Party I had disentangled myself from the party I’d been involved with, and I was very disillusioned. I despaired to think that there may not be any political party that upheld principled leadership, and really walked the talk. I spent the better part of 2010 checking out this new party, and I came to believe that the Alberta Party offered me a place to stand for my region and lead with the values by which I endeavour to live.

What sets the Alberta Party  apart is the process by which we created policy, which is also the process by which we will govern: listening and engagement. Our policy is moderate and common sense-based, and we got to that place because we worked with Albertans of every political stripe to develop our policy.

AK: How do you plan to serve the people in your riding if elected their representative?

DK: We are mandated to listen to and engage with our constituents to make decisions, required to prove that we bring our free vote to the legislative table based on the input and consensus of our constituents. The notion that one should represent their constituents to government rather than the government to the constituents ought not to be considered a novel concept, but  we’ve reached a point where it is; I hope to change that by modelling that kind of representation.

 AK:  Why are you suited, at this time, to represent Your constituents in the legislature?

DK: Through my work in community development and volunteer work in the non profit world I have advocated to government on behalf of people’s social needs. Through my work as a munipol I have advocated to government on behalf of communities. Through my work at the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce I have advocated to government on behalf of business. I’d like to bring all of that advocacy experience to bear on behalf of my region. My full resume is available for review at www.danielleklooster.ca/resume

 AK: What do you think are the greatest challenges Albertans face at this point in history?

DK: A) I think we have a lot of work to do to get politics out of the ditch and back onto the leadership road for which it was intended. Restoring “service above self” and fair, sound leadership will take courage and strength. B) Also requiring great fortitude will be the will to take the reins of our economy in hand and practice responsible leadership, bringing in measures to ensure economic stability, a culture of savings and responsible spending. C)  The aging population, the growing labour shortage and responsible planning with our water are critical issues facing our province today and in the coming days.

 AK: What is your connection to your riding?  How did you end up in Penhold?

DK: I came to Penhold in 2001 to live next door to my parents, who are now getting elderly. I quickly fell in love with this delightful little community and was privileged to go to work for the Town shortly after my arrival, doing community development. My love for and commitment to this community has continued to grow over time. Through my time in community development and as a municipal councillor I have gotten to know the other communities in the riding and see so much strength, resilience and potential in all of the communities in this riding. It’s a really great rural/urban mix and the people who live here are so down to earth.

 AK: What do you do for fun?

DK: I love writing, travelling, gardening and camping. I get most of my fun from connecting with people.

 AK: What clubs, groups, or organizations are you a member of (or connected to) and why are you engaged with them?

DK: A) I’m a rotarian. I love that this service club believes in “service above self” and seeks to live by the four-way test: “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?” B) Through my work with Town Council, I’m privileged to participate in so many worthy endeavours, such as trails development, economic development, and our local schools. C) I have attended an area church for over 12 years and am honoured to be part of this active, committed group of people.

AK:  Who inspires you and who would you like to emulate?

DK: Anyone who has through great courage and determination overcome great obstacles while maintaining solid character and joyful attitude inspires me. These are rarely famous people. My father’s strength of character, commitment to love and willingness to serve people has been the number one model of my life.

 AK: What idea are you excited about that you think should compel voters to get out and vote on April 23?

DK: I’m excited that the “upstart” Alberta Party is going to become an established presence in Alberta by electing MLAs. I’m excited that we’ll have the opportunity to model doing politics differently over the next four years. I’m also excited that if the PCs or WRP form a minority government, the Alberta Party could become the most important group in the legislature, holding that “swing vote” position. But, most importantly, I’m excited about offering all people in this region the opportunity to have a voice and an a representative who’s a passionate advocate and willing to be held accountable.

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Disclaimer (should you need one): Andrew  is a personal friend of Danielle, and admires her savvy tweeting and the work she does in service to her community.  He actually spoke at the first ever TEDx event in Red Deer where Danielle shared some of her ideas. As a friend, Andrew wanted to feature her on his website in his tradition of interviewing people that challenge and interest him, to help spread her message in her run for MLA.

Andrew lives and votes in Red Deer.  He occasionally eats ice cream in Sylvan Lake.

For Andrew’s ongoing feature of the election,  go here where you can get familiar with the candidates who responded to Andrew’s question-asking.

website | twitter

Andrew Kooman: What drew you into politics and what motivated you to offer your name as a candidate?

Brent Chalmers: I believe you need to get involved to effect change in a system, you can’t change something from the outside.

AK:  Why did you choose the party you belong to and what does it have to uniquely offer to Red Deerians?

BC: The Guidelines for MLA’s and Candidates  found on the Alberta Party website outlines a code of conduct for AB Party representatives. I believe this is how people in Politics should behave.

AK:  How do you plan to serve the people in your riding if elected their representative?

BC: With the integrity a gentleman brings to any situation; exactly as described in the aforementioned Code of Conduct

AK: Why are you suited, at this time, to represent Red Deer in the legislature?

BC: I am well educated, well travelled, and have accumulated the skills necessary to engage my electorate in the required processes.

AK: What do you think are the greatest challenges Albertans face at this point in history?

BC: Democratic reform

AK: What is your connection to the city?  How did you end up in Red Deer?

BC: Like many Albertans I moved to Central Alberta to work and enjoy the opportunities this province has to offer.

AK:  What do you do for fun?

BC: I sail with the Sylvan Lake and Central Alberta Sailing Clubs, I restore Antique vehicles, I ride horseback / train horses and I belong to a fraternal men’s organization.

AK: What clubs, groups, or organizations are you a member of (or connected to) and why are you engaged with them?

BC: I am engaged with some groups for the sports recreation and others for the promotion of moral and social virtues.

AK:  Who inspires you and who would you like to emulate?

BC: There was a famous prairie politican named Tommy Douglas.  He was fair and dealt with everyone in a fair and diplomatic manner. I admire his integrity.

AK: What idea are you excited about that you think should compel Red Deerians to get out and vote on April 23?

BC: The idea of Democratic reform is the most important plank in the ALBERTA PARTY platform. Albertans want government to be conducted in a different way. they want to regain the pride they used to have in their elected officials. The Alberta Party will effect Democratic reform.
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For more interviews and the how and why of this series, go here.

website | twitter

Andrew Kooman: What drew you into politics and what motivated you to offer your name as a candidate?

Serge Gingras: My combined passion for community service, democracy and the political process. The need for change, the desire to make a difference and to be an active part of the change needed in what government does and how it does it, particularly when it comes to public institutions such as education, health care, services to seniors, and municipalities.

AK: Why did you choose the party you belong to and what does it have to uniquely offer to Red Deerians?

SG: The Alberta Party is the party that best fits where I stand politically. None of the other parties ever completely met my views and stand on issues that matter to me and to Albertans. I particularly like that it is a grass-root movement, that the Party engaged in a province-wide consultation with Albertans of all walks of life and used their ideas to formulate the Party’s position and policies. Very people-oriented while committed to fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency and ideas rather than ideology.

AK: How do you plan to serve the people in your riding if elected their representative?

SG: Maintain an open relationship with the citizens of Red Deer and always do my best to: represent the best interests of our constituency; maintain an open conversation with our citizens by hosting town hall meetings, “Big Listen” meetings to consult with our constituents; engage our citizens in an annual review of my role and how I represent them, hear from them how I can represent them even better; bring their issues and concerns to government rather than bring government to them

AK: Why are you suited, at this time, to represent Red Deer in the legislature?

SG: I have worked in the public sector for 27 years, I have been involved in many areas of community service, I am a leader, a solution-seeker and problem-solver. I have had a keen interest in government, how government works, what government does well and not so well. I know and have a great passion for my community.

AK: What do you think are the greatest challenges Albertans face at this point in history?

SG:
a. How to respond to the current needs of Albertans, particularly in the public sector (education, health, wellness, seniors, etc.) in a fiscally responsible and meaningful way.
b. Take a hard look at and rectify the deficiencies and inefficiencies of the systems. I don’t think that it is necessary to re-invent the systems in place but many small steps can be taken to make those systems better, more efficient and economically sound.
c. training for Albertans for meaningful jobs and careers. Keep Albertans working in Alberta.
d. Articulate a vision, develop and implement a plan to address the needs of the ageing population without being a burden on the younger generation that will be sandwiched between caring for their parents and providing for their children. Those need include health, primary care, prevention, wellness, education, access to services, housing, to name a few.

AK: What is your connection to the city?  How did you end up in Red Deer?

SG: A genuine love for our city and our community. Volunteered with many community groups, agencies, non-profit, cultural, sport organizations. Involved in swimming as an athlete, coach, official.Came to Alberta in 1981. Graduate studies at the University of Calgary (Master’s degree). Came to Red Deer in 1985, 27-year career at Red Deer College, including teaching, program development, work on countless committees, presentations and workshops at conferences in Alberta, Canada and the United States.

AK: What do you do for fun?

SG: Arts and culture, attend concerts and live theatre, cinema, literature, reading and writing, friends and family, travel, discover new places, meet new people, new experiences. I find cooking, gardening and home improvement therapeutic.

AK: What clubs, groups, or organizations are you a member of (or connected to) and why are you engaged with them?

SG: L’Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta, groups and committees at RDC (e.g. Faculty Advisor for Pride on Campus, Member-at-large of the Faculty Association of RDC) and my role at RDC allows me to connect with community groups and organizations such as the Central Alberta Refugee Effort and the Central Alberta Diversity Association; volunteer for Special Olympics, swim clubs (officiate), volunteer and contribute to fundraising activities for CAWES, CAANS, École LaPrairie.

I am engaged with various organizations because in my youth and teen years, I had the privilege to belong to swim clubs, the Air Cadets, and music groups among others and those experiences helped shape my life in incredibly positive ways. I like to be involved and give back to my community and believe that every little contribution makes a big difference. I feel privileged to live in a community such as Red Deer and am grateful for the many opportunities for involvement.

AK: Who inspires you and who would you like to emulate?

SG: People around me and with whom I work, interact, meet, etc. I believe that we have something to learn from everyone we meet and I like to get to know something about everyone I meet. People energize me. I admire great leaders and people who give themselves to make a difference. I go through life trying to be the best person I can be and help and support those around me to be the best they can be.

AK: What idea are you excited about that you think should compel Red Deerians to get out and vote on April 23?

SG: Engage people in conversations about what matters to them and see them exercise their right to cast their vote. I think Red Deerians are ready for a change. I am particularly excited about the idea that voters will consider choosing me to represent their ideas and needs in the Legislature and bring about positive change in how government meets their current needs while working towards a prosperous and bright future. I am grateful to live in a part of the world where I can express my ideas and values and contribute to the democratic process as candidate in this provincial election.

##

For more interviews and the how and why of this series, go here.

For the last two elections Red Deerians participated in, I asked local candidates of the municipal and federal variety 10 Questions.  I was surprised at how popular the posts were.

The point was to get informed about the candidates so I could make a responsible decision at the ballot box.  Depending on what radio stations you listen to, what newspapers you subscribe to, and so on, it can be difficult to learn about local candidates.

Life is busy and if you can’t make it to a candidate forum, or don’t meet the candidates in person, what are you to do? Most of us consume our media online, and the info can sometimes be hard to come by.

I’ve again decided to email all the candidates to get to know them a little bit and share their answers with you.  I think it’s good to ask candidates the questions that interest you and will help get a sense of their values. The answers to these questions are a good gauge for me to get a sense of who they are.  I hope they’re helpful to you!

Perhaps only one or two of the candidates will respond. Given the short span of the election, I may not hear from all of them, but it was worth it to me to do the due diligence.

The Process

- I’m not publicly endorsing a candidate
- All candidates for MLA were contacted and asked to respond to the same 10 Qs
- Candidates who’ve joined the fun will have A’s published starting 9 April, an interview published each successive day
– I’ve published the interviews as they were submitted by the candidates (imperfect grammar and all).
- Candidate interviews will be featured in the order their A’s came back to me

The Candidate Interviews:

Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer (NDP Party – Red Deer South)

Serge Gingras (Alberta Party – Red Deer South)

Brent Chalmers (Alberta Party – Red Deer North)

Special Feature: Danielle Klooster (Alberta Party – Innisfail – Sylvan Lake)

Michael Dawe (Liberal Party – Red Deer North)

My younger brother Daniel will occasionally slip out of the country and travel to far reaching places.  He usually brings a camera.  His latest film brought him to 5 continents and after a few years of work, travel, and mind-boggling experience, he’s put together a surprising film. I’d venture to say A Filmmaker’s Search For Revival is a film unlike any other you’ve seen.

It’s a privilege to watch Dan walk his creative journey and to share in it as well; it’s instructive and challenging for me to witness and participate in his spiritual pilgrimage too.

In the tradition of interviewing bold artists, activists and thinkers, I decided to ask Dan 10 Qs about his latest film.

Daniel Kooman in Tanzania with Juma and Haruna, the subjects of his 2007 documentary Africa Sing Me Your Song

Andrew Kooman:  How did you grow as a filmmaker in the process of shooting and producing the film?

Daniel Kooman: The filmmaking process on this project stretched me in a number of ways. One of the biggest ones was going to completely new locations and experiencing brand new cultures sometimes daily on the production and capturing the stories of people totally on the fly. I had the shots or stories in mind that I wanted to capture, and the nature of the filming was that I had one shot at getting these stories and generally one camera angle to get them with. It was an exciting challenge. Secondly, the production was broken up into 3 main segments over the course of two years. So I had to get back into the same frame of mind creatively for each shoot.

AK: Who are some of the filmmakers who inspire you and whose work you’d like to emulate?

DK: I really appreciate filmmakers that transport you to a new location. The first filmmaker that comes to mind is Danny Boyle. In Slumdog Millionaire he communicated the location of India in such a way that it became another character in the story. This film is a journey to 5 continents, so there wasn’t as much time available to focus on any single location, but I tried to show as much imagery from a country or location as time allowed so the viewer has a sense of the culture and setting and feels transported in some way to that place.

AK: Where do you consider yourself to be in the creative journey and what motivates you to continue to walk it out?

DK: I definitely feel the growth and development from every project that I work on. It is motivating because each project shapes and stretches me. The people I meet from the places that I’ve been around the world inspire me. It is also motivating to tell a story and be able to share it with an audience and watch them experience it for the first time.

AK: What was the trigger that set you off on your trip around the world in search of revival?

DK: It’s funny because I just remembered this yesterday. In 2006 I was working on a construction project in Red Deer. I had returned from my first feature-length project with the Unveil Studios gang and was dreaming about new projects. It came into my head, this idea of filming people as they experienced physical miracles and whether or not miracles were real and if they could be captured on camera. That was just an idea locked away in my brain, and then I met David Youngren in the Fall and he was traveling around the world and telling all kinds of stories about miracles taking place as he shared this message of hope with people. I wanted to find out if the stories were true, and it was the perfect partnership to put my idea to the test. I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

AK: Revival is a word that I assume people won’t have a lukewarm response to, they’ll either be hot or cold toward it.  How do you define it?

When I looked up the definition near the beginning of the project it talks about an awakening in a person, and restoration of life, consciousness and strength. Those became keywords and images I searched for on my journey. When it came to miracles, there were situations unfolding right in front of me where life, consciousness and strength were physically being awakened in people in a shining moment. So I define Revival as an awakening in a single person that changes their life.

AK: What would you say to people who question whether or not revival is or can be real, who come across your film?

DK: I think the natural response of many people is to question anything they haven’t personally experienced or maybe even at some point had a negative personal experience with. Personally I went on this journey testing whether revival or miracles were real as well, so I think it’s a good journey to go on. Possibly the most important part of that journey is being willing to put our own hesitations or conclusions on the shelf occasionally and ponder something new again. If the miracles and revival are real and there is evidence of it, we get to make the choice whether or not to believe it. It’s a personal decision and I hope that some people with those questions will give this film a chance.

AK: What countries did you visit in the process of producing the film? Why these countries?

DK: Tanzania, South Africa, Greece, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, India, USA, Canada, Mexico and Colombia. The longest stops were Tanzania and South Africa, Colombia, Sweden and Croatia. The reason for these countries was to establish unique people groups and areas of the world, as well as focus on both developed and developing nations. David Youngren also had connections in many of the countries which was a great help in transportation, accommodation and translating, which were important everywhere we went.

AK: Did you notice ways, among all the countries you visited, in which revival looked the same?  How did revival look different in the countries you visited?

DK: Revival looked the same in that people from completely different cultures and who spoke different languages responded in very similar ways when they experienced that personal transformation and awakening. At the same time it was also unique or different in some ways, for example in Africa and South America, where the response was especially passionate and the people responded at times with reckless abandon.

AK: What surprised you throughout the process – were there assumptions you had that proved false or true?

DK: I was surprised to find the unity, so to speak, in how people from the unique nations I visited proved in many ways very similar. I thought there would be more differences than I found. But as you’ll see in the film, the biggest surprise for me was that on my search for corporate revival I ultimately found personal revelation.

AK: How has your understanding of the word revival or experience of it changed through the process of making this film?

DK: I now understand the word revival, in it’s most personal context: of the heart of a single person being transformed or awakened. Despite the many miracles I saw on the journey, that personal transformation remains the greatest miracle of all. And revival in the corporate sense isn’t necessarily the goal. Revival as many perceive it, as seen in some cities and even nations is the response or result of all those individual transformations added together. So I get really excited to see that awakening in one person, because it’s the passion of the one that creates the momentum for the family, the city, the nation and the world.

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Pre-order and download A Filmmaker’s Search for Revival here.

Follow Daniel on twitter | facebook | vimeo

Read more interviews between AK and other bold artists, activists and thinkers here.

–

I met Lorne the way people often tend to meet these days, online.  His social media presence is felt strongly in Red Deer where he is known for his work as an instructor at Red Deer College, his consulting firm Grandview Consulting, and his efforts to found a citizens group known as Rethink Red Deer. Lorne grew up in the central Alberta.

A writer on the web, of essays and poetry, I was pleased to learn of his new book of selected poems, Drawing Back to Take a Running Jump.  I jumped (ahem) at the chance to ask him questions after I finished reading the collection of poetry, to learn about his writing process and his perspective on verse.

I interviewed Lorne via email.

Andrew Kooman: Who are some of the poets living and dead that you admire and how do they influence you?

Lorne Daniel: Wow, so many. My early passions were for Dylan Thomas and Yeats. I was captivated by that great rolling Welsh voice of Thomas. A number of poets have been mentors over the years, including Gary Botting, the late Marty Oordt and Glen Sorestad. My friend Peter Christensen was a co- conspirator in our early days, when we started a literary magazine called Canada Goose and edited two poetry anthologies – and Peter’s poetry certainly influenced me.

Al Purdy was not only a great influence but gave me my first big ‘break,’ if you can call it that in the narrow niche of poetry, when he included me in the Storm Warning 2 anthology.

I am currently reading everything I can by American poet Stephen Dunn. Wonderfully subtle and perceptive poems.

AK: What do you encourage new or emerging writers to do to develop their craft?

LD: Well, there are two practices that I think are key for all writers, new or established. Those are to read a lot and to write a lot. Writing is like any other skill – whatever your base talent level, it improves with practice. Daily writing should be the goal. I don’t always achieve that but you have to write to improve.

AK: You are someone who blogs frequently and is social media savvy. How do you see the future of the printed word in verse?

LD: Poetry has a bright future. Concise and powerful images and ideas work well in all media. It’s great to see energy around word slams and spoken word – that harkens back to the oral roots of verse. I think print will continue to be important to many readers, alongside social media and interactive media. Print encourages quiet reflection, which is good for poetry. At the same time, short forms in media like Twitter are stimulating and fun.

AK: In this digital world how has your relationship to poetry changed or evolved?

LD: For one thing, as a reader, it’s easier to find a poet’s work. I can not only find collections in online stores but often at libraries and can find sample poems online. So when I read something I like, I can easily chase down more by that poet. On the creative side, the challenge is to get away from the digital stimuli when writing.

Longhand writing still has a more direct connection to our thoughts and emotions, so I usually draft poetry with pen and paper.

AK: What was the trigger that caused you to revisit work from your previous collections and publish this volume of poetry?

LD: This print book was totally triggered by feedback from social media. Readers of my blog, tweets and Facebook page were discovering some of my poetry for the first time. My earlier books were out of print so it seemed like a good idea to get the works back out to new readers. David Weedmark, who I met through Twitter, jumped in and offered to publish it through Weedmark Publishing.

AK: For me the selections of poems really comes alive with “Rituals.” I’m interested to hear from you if you have certain rituals when you sit down to write verse. How is your way of writing poetry different from you than the other ways you write?

LD: For me, poetry requires a more imaginative and less structured frame of mind than other writing. I prefer to work from a clear space with minimal distractions when starting poetry. Lately, most of my poetry writing is done first thing in the morning – before turning on any computers or media. So my ritual is to clear the desk, make a coffee, perhaps read a poem or two by other writers to prime the pump, and then start in with the blank page.

AK: Why do you think rituals are important and what does it mean to record or write them down?

LD: The older I get the more I realize that we just continually recreate ourselves. I read back through old journals and see all the same concerns and initiatives, five or ten years ago, as I am experiencing now – they just manifest themselves in slightly different ways. Rituals bind us to our history.

AK: “The History of Hands” is a haunting, beautiful poem. Much of your work focuses on memory – of touch and other intimate moments – and always seem to be mapped within a clear geography. Why is location so important?

LD: For me, experience is almost always mapped to a geography, as you say. The external places and spaces are interwoven with the internal emotions and thoughts. I am fascinated by the overlay of time. We experience things in the moment but often it takes the memory of experience to make that experience multi-dimensional.

AK: I’m curious about your writing past – what’s your earliest memory of encountering poetry? Can you remember the first poem you wrote down?

LD: Interesting question. No, I can’t remember the first time I wrote something and called it a poem. In my adolescent and teen years I was always interested in music lyrics. The lyrics were what grabbed me – if they were any good. I grew up when Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen and others were bringing out popular music that went far beyond ‘boy loses girl’ lyrics and at the same time my school teachers were introducing me to Yeats and T.S. Eliot. Then I started to discover that we had real, live, poets here in Canada. That was a revelation. I remember reading a poem by the late Red Lane, a poem about western Canada, and sitting bolt upright. You mean you can write about the bush, and the prairies? Somewhere in there, I must have seen the invitation to try that myself. I was writing quite a bit by the time I landed in college.

AK: What’s on your writing horizon?

LD: Two projects. I have started a new series of poems that are inspired by gratitude for everyday experiences. When I say gratitude, I don’t necessarily mean overly precious glorifying. Rather, I am trying to watch the smallest details of what we see, touch, do – the complex little flickers in a facial expression, for example – and to acknowledge their importance in our humanity. So I have a growing folder of first draft poems in that category.

Secondly, I am committed to pulling together, reworking and publishing a “memoir of place” that I have been working on for literally 35 years. It is a braided narrative of western central Alberta’s oilpatch country – what we now call oil patch but which of course has had many different meanings to other people in other times. My book weaves my personal experience in the bush with that of my grandparents, the map maker David Thompson, his wife Charlotte Small, the earlier Peigan tribes, and of course industrial developers.

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Follow Lorne on twitter | Visit his website at LorenDaniel.com

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