ryan fitzpatrick: My New Work

from Report from the Reimer Society, Vol. 1 No. 1

 

after Nikki Reimer

 

Sincerity requires sarcasm.

You know, for clout.

And, hey, I’d like to know what’s inside the cardboard horse too!

Oil to the left of us, oil to the right of us.

Listen, Fitzpatrick! I’m trying to be a person rather than that “Oh No” internet comic strip.

Institutional cuts for institutional ruts.

Just a mid-afternoon nap of a neighbourhood.

Social Costco.

Eat all this beef for some gender euphoria.

I muted the word “men” on Twitter about a month ago.

Defamiliarization for the people.

Malls before swine.

Just what this town needs: a Zeller’s Boutique Pop-Up.

I set out to throw my landlord in the ocean and all I got was this stupid inflation spike.

“Galen Weston should be shot in the street” is not a thing I believe *wink*.

Institutional buts? Butts?

Pose poetry.

More like, the open-faced sandwich of contemporary writing.

Welcome to Sprawl City.

When you’re joking, but also.

 

 

 

 

ryan fitzpatrick is the author of four books of poetry, including the recent Sunny Ways (Invisible, 2023) and Coast Mountain Foot (Talonbooks, 2021). His first non-fiction book Ace Theory, a book-length essay in fragments about asexuality, will be published by Book*Hug Press in 2025.

Daniel Zomparelli : That’s Hollywood, Baby! (for Nikki Reimer

from Report from the Reimer Society, Vol. 1 No. 1

 

 

 

One of the few things I brought from
Vancouver to LA
was the plush cake
you bought me for Christmas
the stuffed one
with the pennies inside.
I put pennies in my shoes
to weigh me down because
LA has made me spacey dude
I’m all finger guns
and besties with executives
doomscrolling my Tesla
on Ambien. JK.
Some guy once wouldn’t leave me
alone, said he knew I was famous
knew me from somewhere
he finally moved on
when I told him I was a poet,
the pennies in my shoes
rattling as I walked away.
Pennies aren’t worth anything
anymore, inflation is hot hot hot!
An Instagram reel taught me
to shellac the floors with my leftover
pennies, I’ll build a road with them
to Santa Monica pier. If you visit
I know a nice place nearby
where we can talk poems, heckle
the ghost of Bukowski
throw the last of our pennies
in the La Brea tar pit.

 

 

 

 

Daniel Zomparelli is the author of Davie Street Translations, and Rom Com co-written with Dina Del Bucchia. His collection Everything Is Awful and You’re a Terrible Person was nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and won the ReLit Short Fiction Award. He co-edited Queer Little Nightmares with David Ly. His latest book of poetry Jump Scare will be published spring of 2024.

Dina Del Bucchia : Never More Than Anything (for Nikki Reimer

from Report from the Reimer Society, Vol. 1 No. 1

 

 

 

 

I used to think I was never more
than a little faker trying to run
alongside real ones, like you.

I think people assume
poet friendships are fragile,
but they don’t know
about the strength of our
*redacted*
group message.

And they fucking never will
because not everyone deserves
inner circle jeers access,
vulnerable gifs, or answers
to heart-sad mysteries, poet
detectives getting to the
bottom of a matter no one
else cares about. But we
care deeply.

I want to clap
and shout-sing
like the most annoying person
at the karaoke bar
(which let’s face it,
I’ve been), adapting lyrics
to make them personal
to my inner circle.

Hey Nikki
You’re so fine
You’re so fine
You blow my mind!
Hey Nikki!
*Clapping emojis*
Hey Nikki!
*Clapping emojis*

But that song gets it wrong.
I mean, not this part, but the rest.
Cuz you do understand. Which makes
me feel less like torching
the Eiffel Tower for attention.
Or more realistically,
the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas.
Flights are cheaper
and I’m a poet.

I’ve never been to Paris,
I’ve never been to Vegas,
but, Nikki, I’ve been to you!

 

 

 

Dina Del Bucchia is a writer, podcaster, literary event host, editor and creative writing instructor. She is the author of the short story collection, Don’t Tell Me What to Do, and four collections of poetry: Coping with Emotions and Otters, Blind Items, Rom Com, written with Daniel Zomparelli, and, It’s a Big Deal! She is the Artistic Director of the Real Vancouver Writers’ Series, hosts the podcast, Can’t Lit, with Jen Sookfong Lee and is on the editorial board of the small literary press, fine press. Her chapbook, Douche Process, is available online at ryanfitzpatrick.ca/modelpress/. Her new collection, You’re Gonna Love This, will be out in spring 2024 with Talonbooks. It’s her first book length poem and it’s very scary. You can check out her website at dinadelbucchia.com