Sponsored by: Lehigh Materials (TBC)
13 The Meter's Running: The Poetry Event
Our second annual showcase of contemporary poets features two First Nations writers. Although each
writes from a different generational perspective, both write from a commonality of heritage, memory and the politics of identity.
Garry Gottfriedson
Garry Gottfriedson is an independent rancher and a member of the Secwepmc (Shuswap) First Nation,
which makes him both a cowboy and an Indian. He has a Master’s degree in education and has studied creative writing under the
diverse likes of Allen Ginsberg and Marianne Faithfull. He is the author of six books and the recipient of numerous literary awards. His most recent
works include Whiskey Bullets: Cowboy and Indian Heritage Poems, and his latest, Skin Like Mine, a collection of over 90 poems that
delves deeply into the modern Aboriginal experience and raises issues that must concern us all. Garry Gottfriedson lives in Kamloops, BC.
Photo: Lacey Gotfriedson
Chris Bose
Chris Bose also lives in Kamloops and is a member of the N’laka’pamux Nation. He is a writer, multi-disciplinary
artist, filmmaker, storyteller and musician. He has described himself as a very tattooed, ex-vegetarian who
doesn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. The father of five has been, among other things, a cobbler, radio DJ, bookstore
clerk, farm labourer and homeless person. His 2004 creative non-fiction narrative/novel, Somewhere in This Inferno,
reflects the struggles of a young man troubled by existential questions and issues of cultural adaptation. His first published book is a collection
of contemporary, urban native poetry entitled Stone the Crow. “It’s about damn time that Chris Bose got published.” Richard Van Camp.
This event will be hosted by literary performance artist Hilary Peach, the Artistic Director of Poetry Gabriola Festival.
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