Short Listed!

The League of Canadian Poets' Pat Lowther Memorial Award is given for a book of poems written by a woman and published in the preceding year. And guess who made the shortlist this year? Just guess, go on ....

Still, by Betsy Struthers
Now You Care, by Di Brandt
�r by Tonya Gunvaldsen Klaassen
Left Fields by Jeanette Lynes (a W&W sister book!)

... and (drumroll, please!) ...

ME, for Ghost Maps.

Hurray! I've been sitting on this news for far too long -- a few weeks -- or I would be far too excited to type. But the list just became official today, so now I can hoot, which is almost as exciting. Today's also the first time I've seen the other nominees. To whom I'd like to say "Yikes!" Di Brandt (also up for the Griffin for best book of poetry and Trillium for best book in Ontario) is probably the smart money but you never know ...

In making this up I see that Ghost Maps is the only first book shortlisted. Double yikes. I sort of had an eye on first book prizes for my Maps, but this is something else...

But oh, neat!