New writer in residence begins her reign
By Paul Falardeau (Arts & Life Editor) – Email
UFV’s new writer in residence, Elizabeth Bachinsky, seemed right at home mingling with the folks who turned out to see her read at the UFV Abbotsford bookstore on Thursday, January 28. She did admit to being nervous about reading in front of the crowd, even though she has read in front of larger crowds in the past. For example, after she was nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Poetry in 2006; one of the many awards she has been nominated for or won.
Bachinsky read from her newest poetry collection, God of Missed Connections, a 2009 release. A third generation member of a family of Ukrainian immigrants, Bachinsky found she had little knowledge of her own heritage following a phone call from a friend in which she was unable to answer even simple questions about her family history. The book is her attempt to capture her past. In the first poem she read, “Goddess of Safe Travel,” Bachinsky elaborates on the idea, comparing history to soil, saying “To plow it, you’ve got to own it.”
Continuing with more from God of Missed Connections, Bachinsky read “To Ukraine,” a Ginsberg/Whitman-like list-poem, “God of Mechanical Accidents,” “Goddess of Healthy Children,” and “Goddess of Incongruity.” Bachinsky explained all the deities in her titles come from photo titles in a photojournal by David Byrne called Strange Ritual, which includes photos of places he’s been. The god and goddess names are something that Byrne took from lists of gods and miracles in Mexican churches. Bachinsky appropriated these, liking to think of each poem as a miracle.
Her next poem, “86,” contrasts the Expo event in Vancouver and the meltdown at Chernobyl in the Ukraine, both events of 1986. Bachinsky explained that she likes to contrast her home and that of her ancestors, looking at the ways they are different and the many ways they are the same. In “86,” the Ukraine is literally exploding and on fire, Vancouver is figuratively, as it becomes a city known around the world.
One of the advantages of seeing the poet read is that an extra dimension is added about and beyond the printed word. Bachinsky is a sterling example of this alternating between the cheery yet explanative singsong of an elementary school teacher, to the serious, even condemning, tone she adopted when reading “Hearsay.”
Throughout the reading Elizabeth Bachinsky, who prefered being called Liz, was quick to smile and let her fresh attitude shine through her poetry. She is available to work one on one with students, hoping to improve their writing, especially their poetry, on Thursdays between nine and five and by appointment on Friday. Her office is located at D3099, and her email is Elizabeth.Bachinsky@ufv.ca. Email in advance to guarantee your meeting.
