I know I’m not great at updating my website. Sooo follow me on the Twitter: @Janicejolee or Instagram @JanJoLee or the Facebook @Janice Jo Lee ok? Anyway, here’s the new poem I performed at the Arts Awards Waterloo Region last night. The video is by Philip Bast, thanks Philip! Big ups to Cheryl Ewing, Joy Kramer, […]
This is the poem I wrote in response to Rage Against the Machine’s Song “Take the power back” as part of the Mashed Poetics event at the Verses Festival of Words, Vancouver. At Mashed Poetics a live band played the entire self-titled first Rage Against the Machine album and poets performed new pieces they wrote […]
Here is the poem I performed at the March KW Poetry Slam where I placed first!
I have noticed this. Ode to Cheese, Ode to Garlic, Ode to Gummy Bears… And with my recently identified gluten and dairy intolerance (re: hives) I am dwelling on how much I love food more than usual. I wrote a breakup poem to a croissant entitled “Mon cher petit croissant” and performed it the March […]
Furnace by Janice Lee On cold nights when we are too tired to exercise in bed, I press myself close to your back a furnace curved and soft lit by the pilot light in your chest. The caffeine in my too late green tea means I will be awake yet. But the heat from your furnace-back passing […]
TRUCE My enemy in a purple hat looks suddenly like a plum and I am dumb with wonder at the thought of feuding with a fruit. -P.K. Page, 1957-1958.
Tastes Grey by Janice Lee Is there pumpkin in this pumpkin spice latte? Because I can’t taste it. Downtown Toronto, sitting in a Second Cup – regrettably. The two grey-clad people next to me chatter about mortgages and investments shuffle papers while sedative jazz music floats over this high-ceiling room. For this rainy weekend visit […]
As the warmth slides away I find myself reflecting on the beautiful months I have lived recently. Some highlights: I went to three weddings of close friends, went on my first overnight canoe trip, recorded an album with my band The Tra La Las, saw New Kids on the Block with the Backstreet Boys, was […]
My poem “Gifts from absent parents” will be published in the Poetry Institute of Canada’s anthology Fire and Ice in February 2012! It has also made it on to the final judging round of their open poetry contest. This will be the first time I am published in a book. Here is the poem again. Gifts […]
I shall not complain when the group decides to turn adventure into VACATION. Sleeping in when camping Janice Lee River flows Breezes blow But I will not be moved. The tent may rock me The boat may taunt me But I will not be moved. The route lies ahead This way it says But I […]
I met Jack Layton at the Taste of the Danforth festival in Toronto, when I was 17. He held my hand and talked to me and signed the book I was reading at the time, Emma by Jane Austen. He was an incredible politician because he was a good person. When we brought him to […]
I haven’t written a new paper poem in a long time. Here’s one that came to me while sitting. He greets her with two eyes Janice Lee He greets her with two eyes With one eye He says, “Hey, how have you been?” They hug, and he reaches one hand across her shoulders and places […]
I haven’t written a paper poem in a long time. I had some free time the other night for the first time in a while, so I read some e.e. cummings. Then wrote the next 3 poems. The last poem I wrote today at a boring thing. Gifts from absent parents They brought us fruit […]
I wrote this piece for “Voices from the Vulva”, self-penned monologues women performed before the Vagina Monologues at Laurier in 2009, put on by the then Women’s Centre (now known as the Centre for Women and Trans People*). It’s not really the same on the page/screen, than when performed by me, but, such is life! […]
I wrote this poem last year, two days before Christmas. Two days later, it was no longer relevant. So this year I am posting it a whole FOUR days before Christmas! I had it ready for the SpeakOut slam in Kitchener, but sadly I never got to perform it since I crapped out in the […]
I am currently in Montreal, having a swell relaxing time. Came straight from the Hillside Festival in Guelph. My favourites from Hillside: Sam Doores and the Tumbleweeds myspace.com/samdoores They came straight from New Orleans, and Sam is from Oklahoma. He was wearing a sweet cowboy hat and jeans and cowboy boots. As soon as they […]
Hey Folks, I haven’t updated in two weeks because life has been overwhelming. The Friday of the G20 week shit got crazy and I was in no head space to update, and I didn’t have the time or energy. I plan on going back and filling in the blanks. I have lots of notes from […]
This is the poem Rachel Small did at th Toxic Tour of Toronto that I mentioned. On Canadian mining injustice in Guatemala. Her blog is Undermining Guate
Today was the Toxic Tour of Toronto as part of the themed day on environmental justice. Appropriately it was very hot and humid and smoggy. It seems the numbers of people showing up have been doubling every day. Hooray! A few more people came in from KW today which was great. Rachel Small (whose blog […]
The extremity of violence against women has been on my mind lately. I am participating in the V-Day festival at UW this week, as part of the cast of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer. V-Day is a movement to end violence against women. I wrote this poem around the idea of […]