We had a beautiful poetry and music soirée at the end of January at the Tranzac in Toronto. Sara Craig sang a Gaelic song that had us spellbound. Myna Wallin read poems, published in an array of journals, on the wooliness of interior life, insomnia, therapists and the disjunctions or perhaps dysfunctions of therapists, all finely crafted with humour. Isabel Fryszberg sang heart-moving songs, including one for her mother, who she had not written about for 20 years and debuted this evening. Karen Shenfeld, one of our features, read a panoply of poems, all polished jewels, some of the Isle of Wight, where her work will be showcased in a festival this summer. Steve Paul Simms, our music feature, sang his catchy, intricate, brilliant and often humorous songs accompanied by the inimitable Bob Cohen. We had a full house - many thanks to those who came out to enjoy the show. And with gratitude to the Tranzac for a great venue to hold an event.
Organized, hosted and videoed by Brenda Clews: [ Ссылка ]
Timestamps:
Start - 00:00:00
Sara Craig - 00:02:29
Myna Wallin - 00:06:17
Isabel Fryszberg - 00:17:23
Karen Shenfeld - 00:39:37
Steve Paul Simms, accompanied by Bob Cohen - 01:06:10
Bios
SARA CRAIG is a Juno nominated singer/composer. She performed for the first time in 20 years recently at a book release party at The Heliconian Club for the release of Musings: An Anthology.
MYNA WALLIN, a Toronto poet and prose writer, was recently published in The Antigonish Review, Vallum Magazine, Quarantine Review, NōD Magazine, Sledgehammer Literary Magazine, The Miramichi Reader, the League of Canadian Poets’ chapbook On the Storm/In the Struggle, Anti-heroin Chic, among many others. Upcoming poems will appear in EVENT Poetry & Prose. Myna has a master’s degree in English from the University of Toronto. Her latest collection of poetry, Anatomy of An Injury, was published by Inanna Publications in 2018. Wallin was longlisted for the 2022 New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest.
ISABEL FRYSZBERG and the Uncommons are original. Their songs are written or co-written by Isabel Fryszberg. She has won audiences through her compelling, and timeless songs.
She is the recipient of the 2020 Alumni Achievement Award in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto for her innovative work in mental health, and community arts
Most recently, ‘Distance,’ an animated video, about the desire for intimacy and connection, has been featured at the Female Eye Film Festival, TIFF lightbox and Folk in Film Festival at Folk Music Ontario 2022.
In recent years the award-winning Fryszberg basically stepped away from country-type music & contemporary comparisons. Her previous videos “End of an Era,” & “Each Day a Little Less,” are marvelous stand-alone songs.~ Amerincana Highways, John Apice.
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KAREN SHENFELD has published three books of poetry with Guernica Editions: The Law of Return (1999), which won the Canadian Jewish Book Award for Poetry in 2001, The Fertile Crescent (2005), and My Father’s Hands Spoke in Yiddish (2010). Her latest book, To Measure the World, was published by Ekstasis Editions in May 2020. Her poetry has also appeared in national and international journals and anthologies. As well, Karen Shenfeld has brought her poetic sensibility to the writing of magazine stories and to filmmaking. She is currently writing a screenplay that has been optioned by the director, Bruce McDonald.
STEVE PAUL SIMMS is a singing guitarist and sometime actor who has written hundreds of songs in a wide variety of styles. After training and working in theatre for many years, he began a lively occupation in entertainment for Seniors, and has played lots of retirement residences and nursing homes in Ontario, singing everything from Elvis to Bing to Beatles, Vera Lynn, Johnny Cash and SP Simms himself. He sings at The Tranzac on the fourth Sunday of every month, and has several cds of original material. He is proud to be part of Brenda Clews’ show.
