Photo by Shay Wilson
This week, give your ears a treat with new work by Dina Del Bucchia. This Vancouver delight is the author of three collections of poetry: Coping with Emotions and Otters (Talonbooks, 2013), Blind Items (Insomniac Press, 2014), and Rom Com (Talonbooks, 2015), written with Daniel Zomparelli. She also hosts Can’t Lit, a gregarious podcast on Canadian literature and culture, with Zomparelli. Dina’s a senior editor of Poetry Is Dead magazine, the Artistic Director of the Real Vancouver Writers' Series and an expert beach-goer. This week, you should run out to a bookstore to pick up her first collection of short stories, Don’t Tell Me What to Do, out this month with Arsenal Pulp Press. We’re so happy to share her writing with you!
This week is also extra special because we've got theme music, courtesy of Tigerrosa. Buy their debut album here--it's guitar surf-rock with a side of shoe gazer. Whatever you want to call it., it's a great listen.
Jefferson’s Ground Sloth Megalonyx jeffersonii
By Dina Del Bucchia
An American founding deadbeat dad thought, maybe, there were still ground sloths laying about, stripping leaves in the Midwest. “Hey Meriwether,” he said, “Keep your eyes peeled for a sloth, okay? I’d kill for one.” Paced the White House, arranged sloth bones along the oval carpet. Meanwhile, you hadn’t been keeping it casual Friday everyday for nine thousand years. You disappeared a few years after humans showed up. They were entranced. You were so meaty. Some scientists believe climate change decimated populations. It seems most sensible that murder and weather join forces to ruin beautiful things. Jefferson stalked then married his name to you. Never one for assholes you wouldn’t have been interested. Lewis and Clark came back without you. Obsessives should keep their distance. Take it from you, stay chill.
(written by Dina Del Bucchia, read by Chioke I'Anson)
Subscribe to us on iTunes or wherever else you get your audio fix.