Saturday, April 15 dawned cold and sunny. Would the cold prevail or would the sun? As the audience of 25 gathered into the warmth of the Artspace Boardroom, the spring sun filtered through the window. Participants helped themselves to hot coffee. The presentation, meticulously planned and orchestrated by author Den Valdron, began. With the deft touch of an all-too-familiar scam telephone call, Den lured us into a cold, unfeeling, remorseless world that obliterated the strong beams of light streaming through the window.
Known for his world building prowess, Den made us shiver with the iciness of a scam bot, read dynamically by Roxane Anderson, verbally torturing a hapless consumer (Den) who just wanted to sit comfortably and watch his favourite TV shows. Their interactions were the highlight of the event and a precursor to the next two readings, each taking us into a different world of abuse and horror. Den’s guest, Scott Ellis, provided the final reading.
While Den signed and sold his books, not only the featured elf chronicles but others from his eclectic oeuvre, Anna Valdron cheerfully provided welcome refreshments to bring participants back into a more spring-like environment.
We invite you all to join us next Saturday, April 22, when Joanne Epp launches her newest book of poetry, Cattail Skyline, a meditation on place, on how we know a place, how our perception of a place changes, and what is impossible to know about a particular place.