Your poetry is sought for a Clayoquot Sound project, in which poets evoke nuances of location-specific natural and/or artificial sound, together with an understanding of how these sounds affect the ecosystem and/or the writer.
The aim is to document—through the lens of poetry—the acoustic landscape of Clayoquot Sound and also to consider the far-reaching impacts of sounds that are not historically natural. While it is important to consider obvious issues, the most humble sounds and their value are important.
“When noise covers up natural sounds, the entire natural ecosystem
shows the effects. Places of deep quiet are most vulnerable.
Human noise sources stress this system, which creates a
domino chain of effects for both animals and humans.”
—National Park Service website
Poems as long as 40 lines will be considered.
While this project has a documentary interest,
a poetic and thoughtful approach is of foremost importance.
“the first whisper of stars is a faint thing
a candle sound, too far away to read by
“it’s like blowing on a ring of cinders
the crackle of not quite stars that you can hear
when you walk outside leaving the door ajar…”
—”A Star Here, a Star There” Alice Oswald
• Each submission must include the location, date, and general time of day or night.
Contributors do not have to be from Clayoquot Sound, but material must draw from observations made while IN Clayoquot Sound, (see map). For the sake of accuracy, please note your observations in the field and send to:
info@tofinopoetlaureate.ca
• Deadline: October 1st, 2019
Selections will be made within 6 weeks of the deadline. All submissions are considered a vital contribution, even if they are not selected for the final product, which is intended to be an interactive multi-layered map-based website. The Tofino Poet Laureate program is currently awaiting adjudication of a BC Arts Council grant, the results of which will be known in October and will determine the final scope of the website.
Information and inspiration:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/effects_wilderness.htm
http://earthisland.org/journal/index.php/magazine/entry/the_loss_of_natural_soundscapes/https:/theconversation.com/how-noise-pollution-is-cha
https://theconversation.com/how-noise-pollution-is-changing-animal-behaviour-52339
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/01/09/some-birds-are-so-stressed-by-noise-pollution-it-looks-like-they-have-ptsd/?utm_term=.f51f7dcfd7e6
“The Great Animal Orchestra” by Bernie Krause