Regina, SK: October 4

Vertigo Reading Series
John Toone, Jonathan Ball, Ariel Gordon, Gillian Harding Russell

The Vertigo Reading Series is a platform for emerging and established writers in any genre to share their work with an audience and sell their books in sunny Regina, Saskatchewan. It takes place once or twice a month with the exception of July and August, generally with four readers per event.

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We stumbled upon Cafe Orange Izakaya, the venue for our reading, while walking the 13th Ave neighbourhood, where, fatally, everything was closed.

John pointed down the street and kept on saying, "That's open. Right there. The patio has people one it."

And lo and behold, the Vertigo poster was on the door.

So we sat on the patio, in the sun, and had Korean food. Which is really best case scenario for me.

After some backyard chit chat and dinner at Regina poet Tracy Hamon's place - where I was staying, while the boys were crazily meant to drive back to Winnipeg after the reading - we headed over to the venue.

My favourite part was the couple that was trapped behind me. I paused and asked them, over the mic, if they'd like to escape. They graciously emerged from their niche and I kept reading, to the accompaniment of the audience member who laughed at all my bad jokes and small vulgarities.

After ditching the boys, we had a last drink/nibble at La Bodega, which is my new Regina tradition.

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Thanks to Kris Brandhagen, Vertigo organizer and photographer, for the pictures with me in them.