ISBN 921870-75-2   6 x 9 132 pp, $13.95 Poetry Anthology

Each year the League of Canadian Poets sponsors the prestigious National Poetry Contest. From the thousands of entries received, the judges choose three prize winners and a list of honourable mentions. These poems, the finest of the year, are then published in Vintage, the annual anthology. For the year 2000, First-Prize Winner ($1,000) is Russell Thornton of North Vancouver, for "The Beginnings of Stars." Second-Prize Winner ($750) is Sue MacLeod of Halifax for "Especially for a Woman, Reading." Third-Prize Winner ($500) is Tammy Armstrong of Vancouver for "A Proper Burial for Songbirds." Other well known poets in the collection are Jay Ruzesky, Eva Tihanyi and Patricia Young. Also included are the winners of the 2000 special competition for Canadian elementary and secondary school students. Vintage 2000 is an ideal introduction to the vitality and diversity of the Canadian poetry community. Previous editions have been adopted widely for use in schools, colleges and universities.

The Beginnings of Stars

. . .But since the light is the way we see light,
it must be travelling in a heaven
of more than our memory will allow,
where we ourselves might see how no person
or thing or love is ever gone, but visible,
and forever new, in light, and in us,
where light is always turning, flower-like,
opening and closing and opening . . .

"Product of a champagne year, Vintage 2000 sings, blending the subtle harmonies of the land and all who toil in the vineyard of Canadian poetry." –Linda Rogers

"It is encouraging to find these volumes widely distributed in public and school libraries, for they contain the kinds of fine poetry that inspire younger writers to continue refining their craft." –Dr. Ronald B. Hatch (Dept. Of English, UBC)

Various Authors.