Indigenous writer and U of T professor featured in ‘Dial-a-Poem’ project

An Indigenous author and University of Toronto assistant professor is being featured in a pandemic-era edition of 'Dial-a-Poem,' a project that encourages individuals to call in weekly and listen to writers perform some of their work.

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, an Anishinaabe writer and founder of Kegedonce Press, said that she was aware of Dial-a-Poem from the 1980s, when it was first launched in Montreal by poet Fortner Anderson. But she said she hadn’t heard much about it since.

“I received an email from the organizer of it in Montreal, asking if I'd be interested in participating,” she said. “As soon as I heard about it. I was like wow, that is amazing and really cool. I want to be part of that.”

This week, people who dial 514-558-8649 will be able to hear one of two English poems by Akiwenzie-Damm—“Funny Business (How Nanabush romanced the stone)” or “Reconciling the Books.”

Speaking with CTV News Toronto, Akiwenzie-Damm said that both of her poems are from a newer collection and she wanted to give them a trial run through Dial-A-Poem. At the same time, she also thought about how they would translate in audio form, adding that listening to a poem on the phone is “very intense” and “personal.”