When E-Readers first appeared to the public I started to fantasize about different ways of destroying them. Leaving them on train tracks. Tossing them off the roof of tall buildings. Putting them in the microwave. Perhaps even down the toilet.

But I work at the library. At least once a day, and sometimes all day, we talk E-Books. We talk Epub, MP3, Adobe Digital, Media Consoles and Supported Devices. Not what this techno-phobe had in mind on his way to work, but the general public is responding to digital books and anyone who works with books, is in love with books, or wants to write books will be deeply affected. Even the stubborn luddites.

The Writer’s Union of Canada wants to help.

In February and March authors Ross Laird and Betsy Warland will travel across the country hosting professional development symposiums. It’s called SECURE FOOTING IN A CHANGING LITERARY LANDSCAPE and it’s open to writers at any stage in their career, from established to unpublished.

The Calgary symposium is on March 9.

For complete information and registration forms go to WRITERSUNION.CA

Books by symposium speakers in the Calgary Public Library catalogue:

ROSS A. LAIRD

A Stone's Throw: the enduring nature of myth

BETSY WARLAND

Breathing the Page: reading the act of writing

The first issue was launched in November, but in this first week of January it's impossible to resist the parallel of a brand new magazine for a brand new year. If you needed anything extra to look forward to in 2011, look for Wax magazine at various local and independent coffeeshops, cafes, and retailers. With J. Fisher and Sheri-D Wilson as Poetry Editors and Kirk Ramdath as Editor-in-Chief this city is guaranteed to get a fresh injection of poetry into the stream of its arts community on a monthly basis.

Wax is FREE, and with its black and white print it is also quite beautiful.

Wax is also smart...

"Wax seeks to carve out its own niche in the free-publication scene. We want to provide original artistic content to Calgarians for free. To pay for publication costs, we hope to create a truly alternative advertising model, prioritizing arts events and offering advertising at lower rates than other mainstream free publications.Wax believes that the combination of all these elements will result in a high quality literary product that enhances the writing and arts communities in Calgary, provides more exposure to local and independent businesses and arts organizations, and provides monetary compensation to every artist whose work is published or who is involved in the creation of the magazine." **

[**Transplanted from waxmag.wordpress.com. Visit Wax website.]

You can also check out Helen Hajnoczky’s new title Poets and Killers from Snare books which will be on library shelves very soon. Helen’s work was featured in the second issue of Wax. (Click on book covers to go to catalogue.)

And check out these titles from the magazine's poetry editors: