My favourite part is near the end in “Jeanne Dark comes of age on the prairie,” when the poet uses lines written by other poets to kickstart her own lyrical responses. It is a creative collaboration that softens earlier edges and champions the female experience. It is wholly satisfying to read.

Katherine Lawrence’s latest book of poetry is peppered with lines so breathtaking it demands that the reader pause, take a beat, and reread. Perhaps out loud. This only happens with the most resonant of poems. This only happens with a poet as accomplished and practised as Lawrence. Black Umbrella is highly recommended for seasoned poetry readers and for those who are just beginning. This collection will find a home in your heart; it will bring you home to your own memories.

In his latest book of poetry entitled Kitotam: He Speaks to It, spoken word and multi-disciplinary artist John McDonald recounts what it was like growing up in northern Saskatchewan during the 1980s and ‘90s. It is a book steeped in memory about the alienation of adolescence and of finding one’s place.

This collection articulates the nostalgia, and the trauma, of growing up in Saskatchewan’s North. But it also captures the strength and spirit that pulled the poet through. His poems are infinitely accessible, his words heartbreakingly vivid and honest. Kitotam is a powerful read and a highly recommended one.