DECADE’S BEST: Ten Best Books of the Aughts -  From head-scratching poems to social collapse, the best from the printed page.

In on-line magazine The Mark News, Michael Lista, poet and essayist, chooses Short Haul Engine by Karen Solie (Brick Books, 2001).

“Reconstituting the spectral declamation of Anne Carson, the rough-and-tumble of Al Purdy, and the craftsmanship of Irving Layton at his best, Karen Solie’s debut announced the arrival of a major poet. Having since published two more astounding collections, Solie is well on her way to establishing an oeuvre of inestimable worth. If Babstock is the Whitman of contemporary Canadian poetry, Solie is our Dickinson. Together they are our chief linguistic romance.”

To read the full list, go to http://www.themarknews.com/articles/804-ten-best-books-of-the-aughts

On-line literary magazine ditch includes 9 poems excerpted from Other People’s Lives in anthology 3 (canadian men) (innovative poets)

To read these poems, go to pages 104 to 113 at http://issuu.com/ditchpoetry/docs/ditch_anthology_3_men

To read more about Other People’s Lives by Chris Hutchinson, go to http://www.brickbooks.ca/?page_id=3&bookid=213

Hooked in house – Wine and dine with seven unforgettable women. One actress… Seven formidable women. Seven dishes. All served up in a home. This is HOOKED IN HOUSE. Seven dramatic monologues by Carolyn Smart, performed by Nicky Guadagni alongside the exquisite food offerings of Sandy Balcovske.

Hooked by Carolyn Smart is a stunning new collection of seven poems about seven famous or infamous women: Myra Hindley, Unity Mitford, Zelda Fitzgerald, Dora Carrington, Carson McCullers, Jane Bowles, and Elizabeth Smart.

For more details, see www.hookedinhouse.com

For more information about Hooked, seven poems by Carolyn Smart, go to http://www.brickbooks.ca/?page_id=3&bookid=209

35^TH ANNIVERSARY SALE – Happy New Year, one and all!!  And Happy Birthday to Brick Books!!!  35 Years & Going Strong!!!!

To celebrate our 35^th anniversary, we’re having a BIG SALE!!!

$10 books in 2010 – you can buy a maximum of 5 books at $10 each – that’s a savings of up to 50%…  From now until April 30th – the end of  National Poetry Month.

For example, the one book you’ve been hearing so much about in these newsletters  – Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems by Randall Maggs – regular price $20 – now available for $10.  Or Short Talks by Anne Carson – regular price $14 – now available for $10.  All our books are listed at www.brickbooks.ca

Shipping is $3.00 per book.  And add 5% GST to the total amount of books..

ORDERS TO THE UNITED STATES – Shipping is $4.00 per book.  No GST.

How do I order these books?  Payment must be received before the books can be mailed.

1. Send a cheque to Brick Books, Box 20081, 431 Boler Road, London, ON N6K 4G6.  Please include your name and mailing address.  We will take care of the rest……

2.  If you would like to pay through PayPal or with a credit card, send me a message at brick.books@sympatico.ca and I can guide you through this process on our website.

This special sale is only available through this newsletter or on our website.  This does not apply to 2010 books. No sales to bookstores or web booksellers.

And farewell to Paul Quarrington, a friend of Brick Books, who passed away in Toronto on January 21.  He was a very special guy.  Many tributes have appeared including the following at the Toronto Star, the Canadian Press, the Globe and Mail:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/754206–appreciation-paul-quarrington-a-renaissance-man

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hZtawf03bmhuHLcRKUCRByg1EuLA

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/writer-paul-quarrington-dies-of-cancer/article1438818

Award-winning poet and artist P.K. Page died at home on January 14 in Victoria, BC.

Brick Books is proud to have published Hologram: A Book of Glosas http://www.brickbooks.ca/?page_id=3&bookid=56 in 1994 which was nominated for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award.  This book remains in print and is in its 6th printing.

Many tributes have appeared including the following at CBC, the Globe and Mail and The Walrus.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2010/01/14/obit-page-pk.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-poetry-of-pk-page-was-daring-in-scope/article1434409/

http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2010/01/15/rip-p-k-page/

In the Halifax Chronicle-Herald Stephen Clare writes “Christmas readers get a sporting chance” with his list of the best sports book of the year including  Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems by Randall Maggs.

In “Good Sports” at Scenes of the Crime blog, Stephen Clare writes: “An unlikely a pairing as you will ever see, Newfoundland scribe Randall Maggs skillfully marries hockey and poetry into one of this year’s literary masterpieces. Merging fact and fiction, and drawing upon his own experiences in and around the pro leagues, the author weaves short, crisp passages into a lengthy fluid narrative that captures the essence and intricacies of a man whom many believe was the greatest goaltender in the history of the game. Just as Sawchuk raised the bar for eccentric at his position, Night Work does well to set a new standard for sports writing. An absolute must-read.”

For the full story, see http://stephenclare.blogspot.com/2010/01/good-sports.html

In “Books 2009, Part 1″ on his blog BELOW THE SPRUCE, poet Stephen Rowe writes about books he has read in 2009 – Breaker, Sue Sinclair: I had a chance to hear Sue Sinclair read at the March Hare literary festival in Gander his year and must say I enjoyed it immensely. I found this collection more accessible than Mortal Arguments and splendidly written. Highs: Sinclair can balance the worlds of flesh and spirit expertly and does not shy away from some words (e.g.: beauty) that can lead poets down the cliché highway, since she applies a freshness to them each time.

 For the full article, see http://stephenrowe.ca/2010/01/02/books-2009-part-1/