f.ward

i wandered lonely as a black cloud

i wandered lonely as a black cloud
that lies on low o’er industrial valleys
when all at once i saw these two
a pair of metal butterflies
riveted to some rusted railing
not able to flutter and dance in the breeze



(based on the first stanza of Wordsworth’s
“I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud”)

f.ward, poet, visual artist

f.ward (a.k.a. Frances Ward) is an award winning poet/publisher/editor/visual artist (www.theward.ca). A Canadian citizen, she was born in Manchester, U.K., and emigrated to Canada as a child. Most of her adult years have been spent in Hamilton and surrounding area where studies included art, literature and languages at McMaster University and at the Dundas Valley School of Art. Her poetry has been included in many journals and anthologies and her visual art is included in private and corporate collections both locally and internationally.


PUBLICATIONS/PRIZES:

f.ward's poetry has been included in Top 40 (3rd prize), Kairos 8, ARTSbeat, Ingots, Scenes, Peoples Poetry Letter (several times including as 2nd prize winner in summer 1999), Diviners, Strong Winds (CPA), Life Love Death and a Side Order of Poetry (CPA), Windfall (CPA), Handprints on the Future (CPA), Tower Poetry Society, 50th Anniversary Edition, Through the Spirea, Cold Morning and Gathering Light (international haiku anthologies - The Herb Barrett Award), Paradise Poems (haiku from Cootes Paradise), This I Believe (Mini Mocho Press), A Time of Trial, Beyond the Terror of 9/11 (Hidden Brook Press, 2001), The Instant Anthology (Toronto Small Press Fair-fall 2001 & fall 2002), Oval Victory, best in Canadian poetry (edited by Linda Rogers), won second prize in the Canadian Poetry Association Annual Poetry Contest (2002), was featured writer in fall 2002 edition of Murderous Signs (Grant F. Wilkins, Editor), was included in North by North Wit (Black Moss Press)…an anthology of Canadian Humour Writing, In a Paper Cage (4 Poet Anthology, John Charles Goodman, Editor), No Love Lost III (group anthology/contest) (3rd prize) (Richard Grove, Editor), wrote a full length book review (re: residual desire by J. Jill Robinson) published in Front&Centre magazine (Ottawa) issue #9 (2004), Winner of the Arts Hamilton Award for Best Poem (2006), Featured on ditch poetry.com (2008).

Solo publications (chapbooks): "side effects" (2001), "Life & Ledger" (2002), "The writer seems unaware…" (2003)

Publisher/editor/founder of Hammered Out, Hamilton’s new literary journal (2003 to 2008).


READINGS:

f.ward has read her poetry at The Winter Festival of Friends (Hamilton Convention Centre), The Festival of Friends (Gage Park), Burlington Public Library, Mohawk College, Stardust (Hamilton), Carnegie Gallery (Dundas), Filedelphia (Dundas), The Rivoli (Toronto), The Art Bar (Toronto), The Idler Pub (Toronto), Chapters (Ancaster & Burlington), La Luna (Homewords-Hamilton), Jackson Square (Homewords-Hamilton), Oasis (Toronto), Gallery 435 (Hamilton), Blue Angel Studio/Gallery (Hamilton), transit gallery (Hamilton), Mermaid’s Lounge (Hamilton), Hamilton Public Library (Main Branch), The Dalby House (Elora), Lit Live (March 2003 @ the Junction Café), PoeMagic (Staircase Café/Theatre) and at the Burlington Art Centre (to accompany her exhibit In Excess)

ARTICLES/REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS (LITERARY RELATED):

2009
Art Waves (Mohawk Radio) -interview with Bernadette Rule re: visual art & writing
2009
In Retro Magazine -article by J.S. Porter re: visual art and writing
2003
Unique poetry journal will reveal Hamilton’s heart, article by J.S. Porter/Hamilton Spectator
2002
Hot Off the Small Press, review by Dan Johnson in Word - Toronto’s Literary Calendar (January)
1997 (November)
View Magazine re: Kairos 8
1996 (August)
CFMU (McMaster Radio) - with Judge Mazebedi - re: art and poetry

MEMBERSHIPS:

The Hamilton Poetry Centre, Executive Board Member (current)
The Ontario Poetry Society (past)
Canadian Poetry Association (past)
Kairos Literary Society (past)