David Clink is a poet, poker player, podcaster, and punster.
Please see the
"Awards / Praise" section for award nominations and blurbs.
Please see the
"Press Kit" section for author photos and bios.
David was
invited to join the Algonquin Square Table Poetry Workshop in the Fall of 1995,
and other than a brief retirement in 2020, has returned to the group. He is also
a member of Monday Night Poets, which he joined in February of 2006 (when it was
then called The Muse Cooperative). He also retired from the group, in 2020, but
has since returned. David was also a member of the Plasticine Poets for many
years, back in the day.
David was co-publisher, with Myna Wallin, of
Believe Your Own Press, which published 20 quality chapbooks between 2002 and
2006.
David has started writing genre fiction, mainly short stories,
novellas, and novellettes, and began this in the Spring of 2019, when he joined
"The Vault" - a genre fiction writing workshop. e has not submitted any of these
works, and hopes to do so in late 2021 or early 2022.
David has been a
panelist at science fiction conventions for over thirty years.
David has
been a poetry organizer since June of 2002, when he bacame the Artistic Director
of the Art Bar Poetry Series. This lasted until June of 2005. He later was the
Artistic Director of the Rowers Pub Reading Series, for its first three years,
and then Board President the following two years, between 2008/09 - 2012/13
(these are approximate dates).
David started the annual Dead Poets
Society Night in December of 2003, where he organizes and hosts this event as
part of the Art Bar Poetry Series. David has organized and hosted this event
each year with two exceptions: 2015 (when Andrea Jarmai stepped in to host), and
2020 (when there was no event due to Covid-19).
David has played poker
most of his life, and has been at two WPT events in Niagara Falls. he played int
he Red Hot Poker League, and was its top player for three years.
David
is now a podcaster. He is working with Troy Harkin to produce a bi-weekly
podcast: Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi.
David has been known as a punster,
and his nickname at university was "PunMaster."
David does have a degree
in English, from York University, from 1995.
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Workshop Experience (Attending Member):
Member of The Algonquin Square Table Poetry Workshop. Joined in 1995
Member of the monday Night Poets (formerly MUSE Cooperative). Joined in 2006
Member of The Plasticine Poetry Series Poetry Workshop. Joined in 2008.
[This workshop ended in 2015 (?)]
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Workshop
Experience (Leader / Co-Leader):
A Fistful of Poems
David co-runs (along with Sandra Kasturi) a day long poetry workshop
called “A Fistful of Poems.” This has been run 7 times.
University of Guelph Workshop
On Saturday, March 22nd, 2003, I lead an all-day seminar on poetry
workshopping in Guelph.
Humour Workshop
David led a humour workshop as part of the 8th annual Canadian
Festival of Spoken Word –
on February 13th, 2011. This ran from 11 am – 12:45 pm.
Description in programme book:
Want to bring some more funny to your poetry? This workshop led by
Toronto poet David Clink will give
you a chance to perform a
humorous poem and get instant feedback on how to make it even funnier. Limited
performance capacity so don’t be late. Hosted by Jeff Cottrill.
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Artistic Director /
Board President Positions:
Art Bar Poetry Series
Artistic Director, June 2002 – June 2005
Rowers Pub Reading Series
Artistic Director
July 2007 – June 2010
Board President
July 2010 – June 2012
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Other things of note:
He is the webmaster of poetrymachine.com, a resource
for poets.
David is the creator, host and organizer of the annual Dead
Poets Society Night readings at the Art Bar Poetry Series, its 15th
anniversary was held in December 2017.
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Featured Readings:
David has averaged about 4 featured readings a year
over the last 15+ years.
This is incomplete – only showing 2000 - 2005
October 2000 -
Art Bar Poetry Series (my first feature!)
March 2001 –
Syntactic Sunday Reading Series
September 2001 –
I.V. Lounge Reading Series
January 2002 -
Grabbapoem!
March 2002 -
Art Bar Poetry Series
March 2002 -
Writuals
October 2002 -
Strange Tongues
December 2002 -
Additional Pub Fare Series
March 2003 -
Syntactic Sunday Reading Series
May 2003 -
Toronto Small Press Fair
May 2003 -
Parallel Chaos 6
July 2003 -
Nik Beat’s Words and Music in July
January 2004 -
Grabbapoem!
April 2004 -
Cryptic Chatter
April 2004 -
I. V. Lounge Reading Series
July 2004 -
Suburban Spoken Word
December 2004 -
We Still Got Words
February 2005 -
I.V. Lounge Reading Series
April 2005 -
Diamond Cherry Reading Series
August 2005 -
Art Bar Poetry Series
December 2005 -
Cryptic Chatter
Group Readings
and Festivals:
This is incomplete – only showing 2000 - 2005
February 2002 -
Junction Books Winter Party
January 2004 -
Art Bar Poetry Series, Team Reading
May 2004 -
(w)Rites of Spring
August 2004 -
I.V. Lounge Reading Series, Blackout Anniversary Night
August 2004 -
GrabbaPoem!, Klingon Knight
January 2005 -
Art Bar Poetry Series, Art Bards Reading
June 2005 -
Art Bar Poetry Series, Canadian Poetry Night
October 2005 -
diVERSEty, Klingon Poetry Evening
December 2005 -
Diamond Cherry Christmas Show
Radio Appearances:
I have been a guest on HOWL (a spoken word / literary program) on CIUT
Radio.
I have not put together the appearances here.
I think I have been on about 5 times in the last 15 years or so.
Convention Panelist:
I have been a convention panelist for 20+ years at a number of
conventions, including
Ad Astra
(averaging 4-5 panels each year for the last 20+ years)
SFContario
(averaging 4-6 panels each year since it began 7 years ago)
Anime North
(I was a panelist two different years, haiku with my sister Carolyn)
Toronto Trek / Polaris
(averaging 3-5 panels each year for many years until it closed down)
Eeriecon
(average 2-3 panels each year, missed one year, convention ran 17 years)
Primedia
(I believe I was a panelist at this convention, but it closed down 10
years ago)
Toronto Worldcon (2003)
Montreal Worldcon (2007)
Convention
Organizer:
Nasfacon III
(I was the chair of a 1-day Science Fiction convention at my high school,
back in 1982 – I was the president of the high school SF group, NASFA -
The Northview Association of Science Fiction Addicts, a club my
brother-in-law
Robert J. Sawyer started in 1977).
David Clink
15 Mendel Avenue, Toronto, Ontario,
M4C 1E6
Phone: 647-298-9367
E-mail: davidlclink@gmail.com
Website: http://www.poetrymachine.com/
Twitter: @DavidClink13
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.clink.14
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-clink/63/118/8a5
Link: http://www.rowerpubreadingseries.com/
Link: http://chizinepub.com/
Link: http://tightropebooks.com/
Link: http://www.artbar.org/
Link: http://www.sfpoetry.com/