The (CanL)It Crowd with Patrick Connors

Poet Patrick Connors has been a mainstay of the Toronto literary scene since I started sleazing around the community there. As a reader, audience member, and supporter of other poets, Patrick is thoughtful and easy to engage with—much like his poetry. I am delighted to have him join me for this installment of The (CanL)It Crowd to speak to his experience with literary community and citizenship.

The (CanL)It Crowd with Patrick Connors

Toronto poet Patrick Connors.

I have never been sure of how I fit into the CanLit scene. When I was a young man, I was somewhat of a rugged individualist. Even now, although somewhat more conciliatory in my approach to both art and life, I kind of march to the beat of my own drummer.

From the beginning of my journey, I didn’t want my poetry to sound like anybody else’s. I desired it to be accessible to and appreciated by non-traditional literary crowds. I craved the opportunity to share my words with as wide and diverse an audience as possible without pandering.

Naturally, I became a student and proponent of People’s Poetry. I worked hard to write about everyday things from an everyday perspective while trying not to be cliche. This requires changing the “$50 word” to a simpler one as often as possible. It led to a lot of soul-searching and self-editing and difficult experience in order to have the remnant be meaningful and worthwhile.

Incidentally, I have no interest in being the ultimate “People’s Poet”. There will always be people and there will always be poetry, so there must always be a “People’s Poetry.” The really good Spoken Word artists are the best and most likely candidates to perpetuate the movement. They speak to the times in which we live in a manner appealing to the general population. And good writing is good writing, whether it be freestyle or free verse or the most critically acclaimed classically inspired magnum opus.

I have so many people to thank for helping me get as far as I have, including Terry Barker, Mick Burrs, James Deahl, and Luciano Iacobelli. Bunny Iskov and Elana Wolff saw something in my early work before many other people did. I am grateful for the support, encouragement, and correction I have received from Dane Swan

As I near the end of middle age, I continue to approach my craft as a projection of my unique, authentic voice. This means I must take my writing ever more seriously, and myself somehow less seriously.

Above all, I want to contribute to a dialogue with poets of all disciplines and writers of all genres, as well as people from all walks of life. More than ever, I believe in the ability of poetry to foster and develop community, as well as to make a difference in our troubled world.

Patrick’s second full collection, The Long Defeat, was released by Mosaic Press in 2024. In this new book, Connors explores the depths of human experience, influenced by personal challenges and global crises. Reflecting on his own experience of pandemic-induced unemployment, Connors captures universal themes of dissatisfaction and the desire for renewal.