Originally from Edmonton, where she received her B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Alberta, Brea Burton moved to Calgary to pursue a career in corporate communication. After a three-year stint working for Spruce Meadows Media & Television Services, she decided to continue her academic career and has recently completed a critical M.A. specializing in contemporary Canadian literature at the University of Calgary. Over the past decade, Brea has become a part of the Calgary writing community. She has participated in numerous readings for a variety of events (CJSW Funding drives, dANDelion magazine launches, the flywheel reading series at McNally Robinson). She has also dabbled in chapbook production through her imprint one trick pony press. Her poetry has most recently been published in Nöd, filling Station, and Matrix. Excerpts from pirate love have been performed at the “Poetry and Sexuality” conference in Stirling, Scotland, Torontoés Lexiconjury Reading Series, and filling Station magazineés Calgary Blow-Out. Currently, she divides her time between teaching courses for the 50+ Series, Continuing Education, University of Calgary, and doing contract work for CTV.
Born in 1974, Calgary poet Jill Hartman writes disjunctive narrative poetry about pachyderms, pirates, belly dancing, Ouija, Scrabble, and The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Sheés presented and performed her poetry across Canada and as far afield as Scotland, and her writingés appeared in Queen Street Quarterly, filling Station, endnote, and DIAGRAM, in the anthologies Post-Prairie (Talonbooks) and Shift & Switch: New Canadian Poetry (Mercury), and in chapbooks from MODL Press, housepress, Olive Press, and her own chapbook series semi-precious press. Her first book of poetry, A Painted Elephant (Coach House 2003), was shortlisted for both the Stephansson and Lampert Awards, and was featured on the program “Heart of a Poet, ” which you can see on BOOK TV and BRAVO.