Meet for reading/discussion with Kootenay Author at the Rossland Public Library
By Contributor
Award-winning author Leesa Dean will be at the Rossland Public Library on Thursday, May 25 from 6-7 p.m for a lively reading and discussion of her recently released novella-in-verse, The Filling Station.
The event promises to be an engaging and insightful journey into the creative process of putting together a book, as Dean takes readers through her 12-year journey that involved New York City and Montreal, a brief moment of Twitter fame, giving up, quitting giving up, and eventually bringing this beautifully handcrafted book into the world.
The linked poems in The Filling Station all centre around a man who first appeared in a poem by Elizabeth Bishop in 1952—Manuelzinho, described as “the worst gardener since Cain.” The novella is rooted in a striking geographical landscape and capture the essence of the humid Brazilian jungle in the rainy season, the arid and psychedelic Desert of Itabira, and of course, a filling station. The poems are sure to take readers on an unforgettable journey of the senses.
The craft talk will be interspersed with readings from the book, and attendees can expect to gain an insight into the author’s creative process, inspiration, and ideas for writing compelling and evocative verse.
Leesa Dean is an award-winning author, poet, and educator at Selkirk College in Castlegar. She is the author of Waiting for the Cyclone (2016), The Desert of Itabira (2020), The Filling Station (2022), and Apogee/Perigee (2023). Her books have been reviewed by places like the Globe & Mail and Quill & Quire and have been nominated for numerous awards, including the 2017 Trillium and Relit Awards and the 2022 Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize. Two of her creative essays were recently published in The Tyee and Kootenay Mountain Culture. She lives in Krestova, BC.
This event is free and open to the public. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet and engage with a renowned author and gain insights into the creative process of putting together a book.
The Filling Station and other of Dean’s titles will be available for purchase at the event or can be ordered anytime through your local bookstore.
