The Lexiconjury reading series ended last night in a great and flurious reading that lasted over 3 hours (well, I was there for 3 hours of it, but missed the first readers -- sadly including Jay MillAr, Paul Dutton, and Alixandra Bamford, all of whom I was looking forward to seeing). The cornucopia of talent last night highlighted the diversity of interests that have been attracted to and encouraged to participate in the Lex phenomenon. Some people have suggested over the years that Lex was an intimidating environment, but, from my perspective, this could only be true for those who write without being interested in the tools of their art. Lex has indeed been the best and most consistent forum for language-conscious writings in the city, and this dynamic and critically-engaged space will be sorely missed by writers like myself. More conventional lyricists have always enjoyed a plethora of platforms from which to espouse their enervated selves, and will continue to enjoy this privilege. Lexiconjury was instead a rare space where writers, actors, and weirdos were invited and encouraged to push whatever boundaries they discovered -- flipping the whole jig if necessary. To illustrate its difference, I don't think I heard a single 'girlfriend/boyfriend' poem in all the times I attended. Sexuality? yes. Cheeky irony? yes. Total incoherence? often. Random dyspestia and eruptive banter? constantly. Selfless indulgence? happily so. But apart from Bill Kennedy's harlequin adventure, and the perpetual moanings of whatever leafs fans were present, the woebegone self had been curtailed and exiled.

While its demise is inevitably to be lamented, from my personal vantage its closure seems strangely appropriate. I went to my first Lex, the second Lex of all, shortly after arriving from BC. The last comes just weeks before I leave Toronto for the Niagara escarpment. It is to be hoped that some of the spirit of the Lex can live on and spread and multiply in the fertile foothills of the penisula and beyond.

For all the statisticians, here's the list of who read and their frequency (not including open michelles) from the horses mouth. By my count there were 46 Lexiconjuries featuring over 110 different authors. A phenomenal achievement of organization and diversity. Without a doubt, Stephen Cain appeared on stage the most at seven times, followed by Suzanne Zelazo at five, and a. rawlings at 4. This is not including the Word event which I couldn't make and don't know anything about.

a.rawlings x 4
Aaron Giovanonne
Adam Seelig
Alice Burdick
Allan Briesmaster
Andy Boorman
Barbara Cole
Beth and Joy Learn x 2
Brian Joseph Davis
Camille Martin
CCMC (Paul Dutton on sound singing, harmonica; John Oswald on alto sax; Michael Snow on keyboard, guitar)
Chris Fickling
Christian Bök x 2
Christine Duncan
Clifton Joseph
Curated by Maria Erskine :: Launch and party for Word: Canada's Magazine for Readers + Writers
Daccia Bloomfield x 2
Damian Rogers
Daniel f. Bradley x 2
Danielle Maveal
Darren O'Donnell
Darren Wershler-Henry x 2
Darryl Whetter & Bloemfontein
Dave McGimpsey
derek beaulieu
Derek McCormack
Doug Barbour
Douglas Webster
Emily Pohl-Weary
Emily Schultz x 2
Frances Kruk
Gail Scott
Gary Barwin x 2
Gregory Betts
Helen Tsiriotakis
Hugh Thomas
Janet Neigh
Jap Nanak Makkar
Jason Christie x 2
Jay MillAr x 2
Jesse Huisken x 2
Jessica Westhead x 2
John Kameel Farah
John Lavery
Jon Paul Fiorentino x 2
Jordan Scott
Judy MacDonald
Karen Mac Cormack
Karen Sohne
Katherine Parrish x 2
Katie McGown x 2
Ken Babstock
Kenneth Goldsmith
Kevin Connolly
Kyle Buckley x 2
Lesley Trites
Lise Downe
Lori Emerson
Louis Cabri
Louise Bak
Lynn McClory
Lytle Shaw
Maggie Helwig x 2
Margaret Christakos x 3
Mark Truscott
Michael Mahy
Michael Redhill
Michelle Cross x 2
Nancy Bullis
Natalee Caple x 2
Nathalie Stephens
Nicole Brossard
Nobuo Kubota
Patricia Claxton
Paul Dutton x 3
Paula Stevens
Peter McPhee x 2
Prize Budget for Boys (Jason LeHeup, Neil Hennessy, Ian Hooper)
R.M. Vaughan
Rachel Zolf x 2
Rajinderpal S. Pal
Rob Read x 3
Ryan Knighton
Saghi Ghahraman
Sana Mulji
Sandra Alland x 2
Sarah Dowling
Sarah Lucille Selecky x 2
Sharon Harris x 2
Sheila Heti x 2
Sherwin Tjia
Six Heads
Sparrow
Stan Rogal x 3
Stephen Cain x 7
Stephen Collis
Stephen Humphrey
Steve McCaffery
Steve Venright x 3
Stuart Ross
Susan Holbrook
Suzanne Zelazo x 5
Tara Azzopardi
TEAM (Brea Burton, Jill Hartman, Cara Hedley)
Tim Posgate
Trish Salah

Congratulations and thanks to Bill and a. rawlings for organizing and executing a top-notch series that others can only aspire to. You created a space the absence of which will now be felt by all who experienced the lexness of it all. Let us hope that the black hole creates a rush of new to fill in its oppressive negative ontology.