But I was reminded that several years ago, I began some research on Dylan Thomas’ one visit to Vancouver sometime in 1953, I believe. He got waylaid by a group of stevedores and poets at one of the city’s drinking establishments and almost missed his reading engagement. No surprise, of course, and his audience at the Orpheum (?) got exactly what they were expecting: a riotous drunken poet reading his profound, singsong poetry in his characteristic sonorous voice. His “chaperone” in Vancouver was none other than Earle Birney, another poet, although of the lesser-known Canadian variety. Birney drove him to Seattle, which was the last leg of his North American tour. Tragically, he would be dead just a few weeks later in New York of uncertain causes, though the most commonly accepted theory was that it was severe alcoholic poisoning.

If your interested you can check out Bill Kinsella this weekend at the annual Vancouver Scrabble Club tournament. Bill’s been a tournament scrabble player for years. March 7-8 9-4pm at the
Masonic Lodge 1495 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver, BC.

I’m the official photographer at the tournament.