The Queer issue of Poetry Is Dead, which I had the privilege of editing, is being mailed out this week. The issue includes essays on contemporary poetics by Antonette Rae, Lisa Foad and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha; an interview with bill bissett; reviews of current books; artwork by Sarah Leavitt; and poetry by Ben Rawluk, Leah Horlick, Amber Dawn, John Barton, Lydia Kwa, Jen Currin, listen chen and many others.

We’re having a launch for our Vancouver contributors on November 14th, a Wednesday. It’s at Project Space at 222 East Georgia. Doors at 7 and performances begin at around 7:30. Amber Dawn will present a video poem and a number of our poets will read, including kierst wade, Leah Horlick, Ben Rawluk and myself. All are welcome and admission is free.

Also, my collection of stories People Who Disappear got a lovely review from short fiction writer Jasmina Odor in Alberta Views. Here is an excerpt:

“The beauty of the images, and their sensuality too, recall the short stories of Lisa Moore, who charts human intimacy on the other side of the country. Leslie reveals many layers of the worlds through which her characters move–hidden depths of history, bones and fossils, layers of social divisions, layers of the human heart, desire and fear. ‘People Who Disappear’ is a great example of the exceptional short fiction currently being written by young Canadians.”