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Rob Taylor

@roblucastaylor.bsky.social

1K followers 500 following 450 posts

Poet. Teacher. Editor. Interviewer. Festival Director. Plum memer. Not necessarily in that order. Usually found in Vancouver, Port Moody or Abbotsford. http://roblucastaylor.com/

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 6d

The 2025 Fraser Valley Writers Festival is here! Nov 7-8 in Abbotsford!

Charlie Demers
Evelyn Lau
Brian Bartlett
Kayla Czaga
Joseph Dandurand
Daniela Elza
Andrew French
Taryn Hubbard
Jen Sookfong Lee
Christina Myers
Heather Ramsay
Nick Thran

Info and *free* tickets:

www.fvwritersfestival.com

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you for sharing my poem, Susan!

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Reposted by Rob Taylor

Susan Robertson @snullr.bsky.social · 4d

For @tomsnarsky.bsky.social 's #smallpoemsunday one from @roblucastaylor.bsky.social 's Weather.

A three line poem that reads

screen door--
one hundred sunrises
in the baby's palm

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 6d

Woo! Great choice!

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 6d

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 12d

It's a heck of a review, eh?

Reposted by Rob Taylor

Andrew F. Sullivan @afsulli.bsky.social · Aug 8

whenever the bio is a bit long

Buster Bluth with his toys stating "These are my awards, mother, from literature"

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 14d

This is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴
𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵
𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘢.

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵
𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴
𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳.

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Reposted by Rob Taylor

Nathan Edwards @grackle.space · 17d

dudes rock

Tumblr post from every-lemon
Sep 8

so my spouse is part of a weirdly intense but mostly benign men's workout group that meets at like, 5:30am outside every day, even in winter. they do a lot of burpees and lugging cinder blocks up hills and stuff.
they take turns leading the workouts and tomorrow is his turn. I asked what he was planning. he handed me a sheet of William Carlos William poems from a large stack he'd printed.
I said "what" and he explained, helpfully, "it's a William Carlos William themed workout." I asked what inspired it and he said "l've been planning this for months."

Follow up tumblr post
every-lemon
Sep 9
it was a smash hit.
a dozen guys showed up (more than usual). spouse brought a red wheelbarrow and they took turns bringing cinder blocks up the hill with it. then they broke up in teams and did a relay with an "icebox" (cooler filled with 40lbs of ice). at the end he opened the cooler to reveal it was full of beach plum lacroix and all the guys cheered. they drank sparkling water as he read 'approach of winter' out loud.
he was home by 6:30am.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 17d

Congratulations to Leanne Dunic on winning the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize (@bcyukonbookprizes.bsky.social) for her book "Wet."

You can read my interview with Leanne about the book over at @readlocalbc.bsky.social:

Amphibious Poetics: An Interview with Leanne Dunic

Poets Leanne Dunic and Rob Taylor talk about genre-crossing art, mask wearing, and desire and restraint.

www.readlocalbc.ca

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 22d

I asked Grok and it turns out this is actually a very good idea.

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 23d

This was a very nice time, with some very nice people!

The Dead Poets Reading Series @deadpoetsreading.bsky.social · 24d

Again, a soul-stirring afternoon with laughter and no lack of tears. Beautiful readings by Adrienne Drobnies, Hope Lauterbach, Carleigh Baker and @roblucastaylor.bsky.social. We are so grateful for their generous readings and to the audience that came out on a drizzly Sunday. See you in November!

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · 24d

Today! Don't act like you have something better to do in the rain.

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 21

I'll be reading poems by my dear friend, Danny Peart, on September 14th, as part of @deadpoetsreading.bsky.social, along with three other amazing writers and their poets. I'd love to see you there.

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Sep 2

Glengarry Glen Gary

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 31

I've found AI discussions to be really eye-opening. They've helped me see how so many people are alienated from, and often fearful of, their own language. I used to think enthusiastic use of AI was driven by laziness, but I now think it goes a lot deeper. AI as a form of rescue.

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 31

A new Dennis Lee essay collection! Hurrah! Lee's essays on poetic craft are among my very favourite.

www.stonehewerbooks.com/wrestling-wi...

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 30

Beautiful 🥲

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

Obviously, #1 is preferable. #2 undermines all other organizing principles and should be used as a last resort. #3 is a fine solution, but do first consider how much you like the long book in question. It will draw a visitor's eye and, potentially, their scorn. Can the book withstand such a gaze?

Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

If longer books prevent spinal alignment, a few options remain:

1. Buy deeper shelves.
2. Quarantine the long book with other long books on a largely hidden shelf (see "goblin books").
3. Allow for the outlier. Visitors will find it hideous, but it will enhance the coherence of the books around it.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

Spines should be aligned 1 to 1.5 inches from the lip of the shelf. Enough room for a guest to rest the fingertips of their off hand as they nimbly browse, but not enough to lean their full hand like a total oaf.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

A book pulled from a spinally-aligned shelf should leap forth like a child set free at recess or like a tiger, years spent pacing the cage, half-mad with hunger, who takes your jugular in its jaws. Before seeing the cover, a book's first shock should be its hidden, half-forgotten, length.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

Just as children of all sizes can line up for their school photo on one of those benches you only ever see in an elementary school, books can be brought to spinal alignment for identificational ease, visual coherence and spiritual unity.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

But a shelf is a different creature than a book, much like a schoolteacher is a different creature than a student. One organizes and the other is organized. The greater the organizational challenge (the more wild and ungainly the students), the more glorious the triumph of the teacher.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

Books come in all shapes and sizes, thank goodness. There are few things as soul-souring as the uniform series of classic books. No individual book should be shamed for its proportions. All should be celebrated.

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Rob Taylor @roblucastaylor.bsky.social · Aug 28

Books should not be pushed all the way to the back of a shelf, which creates a grotesque, ragged front line of spines. Spinal alignment should be prioritized, with the raggedness hidden at the back of the shelf, where it belongs, living in the shadows in shame.

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Reposted by Rob Taylor

The Dead Poets Reading Series @deadpoetsreading.bsky.social · Aug 27

Hi all, our next reading is coming up! We're excited to be part of the @wordvancouver.bsky.social festival for this one. The afternoon will feature @roblucastaylor.bsky.social, Hope Lauterbach, @drobnies.bsky.social, and Carleigh Baker! See you at Outsiders and Others at 3pm on September 14th!

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