University of Calgary Press is excited to invite you to an afternoon with Tasnuva Hayden and Paul Zits to celebrate the release of their latest poetry collections. Join us on Saturday, July 23 at 2:00 PM at The Next Page Books and Coffee in Inglewood, AB for readings, conversation and musical performances by Premanition and Elle McAndrews.

This is a free event; all are welcome to attend.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Challenging, powerful, and beautiful, An Orchid Astronomy (Tasnuva Hayden) wrestles with the grief we feel for the loss of those we love and grief for the changing world. In the language of mass extinction and the unknowable sky, Tasnuva Hayden fearlessly explores the nuances of personal collapse, sublimated desire, unfulfilled longing, and the ways we must move forward in the face of the impossible in poetry that dazzles like the moon on a midwinter night.

I Wish I Could be Peter Falk (Paul Zits) interrogates restrictive masculinity, pulling away at our held beliefs to expose their fragile but persistent constructions. These poems challenge the standards of the masculine convention, and the various media that help sculpt our expectations, tirelessly telling men how to feel, how to think, how to dress, what to drive, and how to identify.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Tasnuva Hayden is a Canadian writer based in Calgary, Alberta, where she works as a consulting engineer and editor for filling Station, Canada’s experimental literary magazine. Her work has appeared in Nōd Magazine, J’aipur Journal, Anti-Lang, carte blanche, Qwerty, and more.

Paul Zits is a Calgary-based poet and teacher. He is the author of Exhibit, which won the Robert Kroetch Award for Poetry, Massacre Street, winner of the Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry, and Leap-Seconds, winner of the Robert Kroetch Award for Innovative Poetry.

Premanition is an imaginative Bangladeshi-Canadian singer, producer, writer, visual artist, voice actor, and engineer based in Calgary. After releasing her debut 5-song album, Head Games, and a few singles, she’s now working on a large electropop project that will showcase her music production, visual composition and writing skills. She likes to explore themes of everyday life, as well as deeper questions about finding meaning in our existence, and is a storyteller at heart. Premanition has a deep passion for connecting with others through her art and wants to share her stories with as many folx as possible!

Elle McAndrews gracefully weaves the best parts of folk, pop, jazz and soul. The classically trained musician and professional music therapist approaches her craft from a profoundly authentic and tender disposition. Elle has travelled the world extensively, simultaneously chasing love and running from it. These experiences have shaped her world view and have become intrinsically linked to her powerful songwriting. She captures the scope of the world but maintains a subtle and gentle execution.