Submitted by the Black Bear Review
Are you looking for a way to express your love this Valentine’s Day? Booksmyth has got you covered.
From Feb. 8 to 14, a variety of love poems will be available for purchase at the store located at 402 Baker St. Each poem is one of a kind and comes inside a beautiful, handmade card. The card and poem combinations will be sold for $20 and proceeds will go towards the Black Bear Review, a local not-for-profit literary magazine that promotes emerging writers, and artist Anna Jauncey who designed the cards.
For this fundraiser, past contributors to the magazine as well as established local poets and current creative writing students wrote the poems. Only one copy of each will be available for purchase, and the proceeds will be used specifically for this year’s print edition of the Black Bear Review, forthcoming in April.
“Everyone needs a little love right now,” says Leesa Dean, creative writing faculty at Selkirk College. “It’s been a long year and a long winter. Do yourself a favour and buy a card and a poem — for a friend, a partner, or yourself.”
The available poems offer incredibly diverse takes on love, ranging from quirky titles like “My Love for you is Like Toilet Paper” and “You’re Such an Idiot” to the more traditional “If I Told you That I Want You.” There’s something for everyone.
In addition to the fundraiser, local poet, activist and spoken word artist Zaynab Mohammed will be available in-store on Feb. 13 to write a limited number of custom poems.
“The Black Bear Review is an important local enterprise,” says Carina Costom, the current managing editor of the Black Bear Review. “It is run entirely by Selkirk College students and alumni, from start to finish. The volunteers select the works to be published and students in the Digital Arts and New Media program design the print magazine.
“The Black Bear Review, since its inception, has published numerous poems, stories, and personal essays that reflect the current cultural makeup of the Kootenays and beyond while giving new writers the confidence to know their voices are important.”