
Date:
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue:
Contact:
Electric Mermaid: Live Reads from Char's Landing, Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Guest Emcees: Kathleen Vance & David Kipling Emcee: Derek Hanebury
Moderator: Karl Korven ZOOM Producer: Charlene Patterson
Spoken Word Open Mic at Char's Landing, last Wednesday of each month
ZOOM Hybrid event. Char's physical doors open 5:30pm Pacific Time
FEBRUARY 26TH 2025 FEATURING PORT ALBERNI'S OWN KAREN POIRIER
Karen, a well-known artist, has also enjoyed writing poetry and novels for more than 12 years. She started with a poetry class at North Island College with instructor Derek Hanebury, then went on to completing “The Writing Studio” program at Simon Fraser University with mentor Stella Harvey in 2019 and in 2021 the Grad Studies in Creative Writing at SFU with Aislinn Hunter. Writing became another medium of expression and she often sits down to complete a sketch and ends up with a poem.
Her writing credits include her first novel, “Across a Prairie Sky”, “Ronald and Donald”, a childrens’ book written and illustrated by Karen, and an instructional book on teaching drawing to children, “Artworx for Kids”. In 2019 an excerpt from “One Thousand Days” was published in Emerge and another excerpt in July 2021 in iHastings. In September, 2021 she contributed a short story, “Fishing in the Alberni Inlet” to the Alberniology book. Her poem, “Almost September” was published in a Ladysmith Arts Council publication.
Her latest novel, “One Thousand Days” is a story about a young Canadian soldier, her father, who was a member of the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Winnipeg, deployed to England in December, 1940. His tour of duty in England lasts until August 1942 when Lloyd and his fellow Camerons find themselves swept into a devastating and bloody battle on the beaches of Dieppe in northern France. He was captured in the ill-fated raid and imprisoned in Stalag V111B and later Stalag 2D as a prisoner of war for a total of two and a half years. The reader follows his footsteps through his struggles in the camps, his attempts at freedom and resulting solitary confinement, the death march from Stargaard, Poland to Neubrandenburg, Germany and finally the long march on foot through war torn Germany to the British lines in 1945, to freedom and home. It’s a story of violent clashes and love, its hard and soft edges against a background of stirring tension bring the reader through the turbulent years of World War 2.
She says this about her novel, ”One Thousand Days”:
“The personal details that make a story come alive were passed to me by my parents. It is in fact their story. My mother lived a long life and during her later years she was a wonderful source of information, both about the war and what life was like in wartime Canada. She had saved journals and letters and what a treasure trove of information. I have included some in the body of the story to add authenticity and interest.”
She adds: “With a new project constantly on the horizon, I’m never bored and am grateful for the enjoyment of a lifetime of creating.”
Electric Mermaid: Live Reads from Char's Landing and via ZOOM !
Spoken Word Open Mic, last Wednesday of each month, Char's physical doors open 5:30pm Pacific Time
We also welcome you to join us via ZOOM and click this automatic ZOOM link below:
see https://charslanding.com/ OR https://alberni.ca/events/17693 for more ZOOM options.
We encourage our guests to ZOOM in early and keep video on to enjoy the virtual social gathering.
Please engage the CHAT window for comments to the artists or to ask Karl to be added to the open mic list.
PayWhatYouCan cover in lieu of rental to help Char's Landing support the live arts gratefully accepted with our thanks.
Online bank transfers to http://[email protected] please include the event date and your email address
PayPal to https://www.paypal.me/CharsLanding please include the event date and your email address
OR text/call 250-730-1636 to charge by phone.
OR stop by Char’s Landing to pay by cash/cheque/interac
OR stop by Char’s Landing to pay by cash/cheque/interac
PRE-REGISTER and sign up for a 5-minute spot at the open mic at [email protected]
FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/777940299452077
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/electricmermaidlivereads
SUBSCRIBE to Char's YouTube video list to see past events https://www.youtube.com/user/CharsLanding/videos
FEBRUARY 26TH 2025 READERS LIST
READER 01 Kathleen Vance 5 min Via Zoom (Gibson B.C)
READER 02 Robert Gunn 5 min in Person ( Port Alberni B.C, )
FEATURE 1 Karen Poirier 20 min +Q&A ( Port Ablerni BC)
READER 03 Jennifer Wenn 5 min Via zoom ( London ONT )
READER 04 Dan Biggs 10 min in Personm ( Port Alberni B.C)
READER 05 David Kipling 5 min Via Zoom (Gibson B.C)
READER 06 Vicki Drybrough 5 min In Person ( Port Alberni B.C)
READER 08 Sept Ember 5 min via Zoom ( Port Alberni B.C)
READER 09 Robbie Van 5min in person
PAST FEATURES:
2025
February 26th Karen Poirier https://alberni.ca/events/37791
January 29th Yvonne Blomer https://alberni.ca/events/37792
2024
December 18th Members' Night 2024 https://alberni.ca/events/37957
November 27th Judith Reeves https://alberni.ca/events/37382
October 30th Lozan Yamolky https://alberni.ca/events/37381
September 25th Jennifer Wenn https://alberni.ca/events/37380
August 28th John Barton https://alberni.ca/events/37379
July 31st Barbara Black https://alberni.ca/events/37383
June 26th Karen Hofmann https://alberni.ca/events/37377
May 29th Atma Frans' https://alberni.ca/events/37376
April 24th Kathleen Vance & David Kippling https://alberni.ca/events/37375
March 27th Janice Nielsen https://alberni.ca/events/37374
February 28th Perry Bulwer + Judith Reeves https://alberni.ca/events/37373
January 31st Karen Poirier https://alberni.ca/events/37360
2020-2023 https://alberni.ca/events/37432
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Char’s Landing 19+ (accompanied kids welcome until 10pm)
4815 Argyle @5th Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, CANADA V9Y 1V9
Tel: 778-421-2427 www.charslanding.com
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