Poets at MQUP: Jack Hannan

We’ve got lots to celebrate for Poetry Month!

Along with the titles in the Hugh MacLennan Poetry Series, currently on SALE, we also want to showcase the incredible poetic talent we have among us at McGill-Queen’s.

Jack Hannan, MQUP Sales Manager, released his first full-length poetry collection, entitled some frames, with Cormorant Books in 2011. The following poem is from some frames, which was shortlisted for the Quebec Writers’ Federation A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry.

“She was good to Pooh”, by Jack Hannan

He was lumbering and there were two

big brown bears wearing collars and ties and pork

pie hats and their awkward dancing

became quite graceful and he knew

that this was her doing for only she

could cause such a thing, it was a trick she played

by changing the light, he could balance

on his unicycle and his voice

improved with the singing, he placed a mason jar

down on a hill and she filled it.

He has asked me recently if I knew all this

and I replied that by the asking he’d

confirmed my suspicions, and he asked me

if I knew what’s come of her since, and I said yes sir

that’s my baby now.

Jack’s recent poetry collection from 2013, entitled A rhythm to stand beside, is also available at Cormorant.