blue skies poetry Welcomes New Editors Dymphny Dronyk and Bob Stallworthy
It is my immense pleasure to welcome two new editors to blue skies poetry. As of this month, Calgary poets Dymphny Dronyk and Bob Stallworthy will be taking over editorial duties here. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Poetry Month. Many thanks to both of them for taking on this venture.
While Dymphny and Bob need little introduction here in Alberta, I thought readers further away might not be as familiar with their work. Here is a brief introduction for those readers:
blue skies poetry, and its print counterpart, House of Blue Skies, were born over a bottle of wine shared with Calgary poet Dymphny Dronyk. She has been my enthusiastic co-conspirator these past few years, as we co-edited the bestselling anthologies Writing the Land: Alberta Through its Poets (2008) and Home and Away: Alberta Poets Muse on the Meaning of Home (2010).
A talented poet, her first volume of poetry, Contrary Infatuations (Frontenac House, Quartet 2007), was short listed for both the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and the Stephen G. Stephansson Award for Poetry in 2008. Much of the work in that book explores the intricacies of her life as a writer, editor, mediator, and mother. Dymphny is also the author of the memoir Bibi – A Life in Clay (Prairie Art Gallery, 2009), which chronicles the career of her mother, potter Bibi Clement.
Dymphny is a past-president of the Writers Guild of Alberta and is currently serving on the National Council of the League of Canadian poets.
One of Dymphny’s poems, “Blue Sky Seeks No Definition,” was the very first poem published here at blue skies, and she has been a regular contributor over the years:
- Blue Sky Seeks No Definition
- The Mothers
- Christmas Eve
- Extinction
- A World Without Bees
- Colony Collapse Disorder
- A Sunday Poem
- Our Empty, Empty Bed
- Ode to Al Purdy - A Litter of Poets
- Phoning Home - 1970’s
- Airmail Letters
It has been my pleasure to get to know Calgary poet Bob Stallworthy over the past few years. He worked as a Social Worker for 12 years before beginning to write professionally 26 years ago.
He has been a pillar of the Writers Guild of Alberta, spending the early years of his writing life volunteering as the Book Display Coordinator, a member of the WGA Executive, and running the southern Alberta regional office, which he established, from 1990-1996. He also volunteered as a member of the Executive of the now defunct Calgary Writers Alliance. I have had the pleasure of attending at least one of the more than 150 workshops he has taught in Alberta schools and libraries. In addition, he has been the Writer-in-Residence for the Drumheller Public Library.
Bob has five books, four of which are poetry, published, and his work has appeared in magazines across Canada. Optics (Frontenac House, Quartet 2004), was short-listed for the W.O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize in 2004 and Things that Matter Now (Frontenac House, Quartet 2010) was short-listed for both the W.O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize and the Stephan G. Stephansson Alberta Book Award in 2009. Things that Matter Now will go into a second printing in 2012.
He is a Lifetime member of the Writers Guild of Alberta, a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada and a member of the Young Alberta Book Society.
Over the years, Bob has shared six poems here at blue skies poetry, including “Connect the Dots,” which is one of my all-time favourites:
- Dishonour Among Plants
- So Where is Huck Finn Anyway?
- Connect the Dots
- Fountain of Youth
- Mother’s Day
- Moving with the Flow
I know I am leaving blue skies poetry in good hands with Bob and Dymphny, and I am honoured that they offered to take on this task.
They will each post a note, as well as a new poem, in the coming week.
To celebrate National Poetry Month, they will be featuring Alberta Poets who will be participating in readings sponsored by the League of Canadian poets later this month.
And, of course, they will be looking for new poetry. Please check out the submission guidelines on the About page and consider sending some of your poems for their consideration.
I will be helping behind the scenes a bit this month, and then I will turn them loose in May. I am excited to see what new directions they take this little website in, and I look forward to reading the new poems published here.
Happy reading,
Angela Kublik, Founding Editor
