My second book, Kissing Keeps Us Afloat, was honoured with a Golden Crown Literary Society Award in the poetry category in July. I was not able to attend the awards ceremony in July in New Orleans, so this afternoon Frontenac House publishers Rose and David Scollard have invited me to crash their Quartet 2015 preview party (2 p.m., Harcourt House, Edmonton). I’ve been asked to kick off the readings with some selections from KKUA and my debut collection, White Shirt, which also won a Goldie in 2011. The event starts at 2 p.m. and will be hosted by Quartet editor Micheline Maylor.

This year’s four-pack features:

• Changelings by Calgary poet/storyteller Cassy Welburn;
• Two Minds by prolific B.C. author Harold Rhenisch;
• Niche by Nova Scotian visual artist and poet Basma Kavanagh;
• ClockWork by California based poet Zaid Shlah