During PoFest, sometimes we forget that the book is the reason we’re all here. It’s all well and awesome to hear a poet in person, and performance in poetic circles is very important, but the real meat of the poet’s work will be found in their books.

Audreys Books will be the official book supplier for the Edmonton Poetry Festival. Audrey’s belongs to a list of Canadian retailers that is growing shorter every year: The independent book sellers. Before you buy that volume of verse or the new Trofimuk novel, check out Audreys Books (10702 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, 780.423.3487) first. Wouldn’t you rather hand your hard-earned sheckles to a local biz than to some faceless corporation? What? You mean you don’t shop at Audreys because there’s no Starbucks there? OK, that’s it. Stop reading and close your browser window. I’m on my way to your place to knock some sense into ya. And if I don’t find a Dylan Thomas volume on your shelf, we’re going to have a REAL problem.

Audreys will be stocking books by our featured guests and many others. Additionally, their always killer selection of poetry will be on display. I bought Whitman’s collected poems there years ago. Every time I crack that book I get all misty-eyed for the halcyon days of buying vinyl at Kelly’s downtown, downing lager in a parking lot and trading riffs from Miller’s Sexus with my pals. Fun times, fun times.

PoFest lights up in a few days. Until then, keep ‘er between the ditches.