David McGimpsey

Montreal-based publishing entity Metatron is guest editing Everyday Genius this month. We'll be featuring excerpts from our new fall catalog as well as Canadian writers we like. Today's author is one of our favourite poets, David McGimpsey.

A selection of tweets from David McGimpsey's account

Nov 8
According to a Google analysis of titles, the best name for a poetry book would be "A Paucity of Soul-Perching Butterflies".

Nov 4
"The scientists stood up, held hands and started singing 'God Bless America'" is how I imagine the invention of Count Chocula cereal.

Nov 2
6 hours now. This is the longest I have gone without listening to Taylor Swift's 1989 since it was released.

Nov 2
In Canada, because of the metric system, instead of saying "a ton of fun" we say "kilos of unsolicited advice."

Nov 2
No doubt that life today is better than it was before but it's almost entirely because of Taylor Swift and Beyonce. Otherwise, garbage time.

Oct 30
The important lesson in poetry is that when rich people look at things they get sad in a special way.

Oct 22
One day, we'll all look back on the time Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" spent at #1 as the days when life seemed most worth living.

Oct 21
No two skills compliment each other better than the ability to read an artist's statement and the ability to wish you were dead.

Oct 19
Just watched a bunch of "Canadian accent" tutorials and laughed at how practically each one started with "You have to speak really slow".

Oct 20
“Built with honor. Forged with pride. Guts. Glory. A Gathering of Sparrows.”  - If poetry books were marketed like Dodge trucks.

Oct 16
Unless I hear "Imagine a potato who's put a lot of money on a pair of 6's in a poker tournament" I know you're not talking about me.

Oct 12 
The best way to tell the difference between me and a state fair potato is you won't see any ribbons on me.

Oct 8

If emotional eating works, I should be set for the next decade or so.

Oct 8

When you gain the wisdom that comes with perspective, you accept nobody will know you as well as you know ankle pain.

Oct 6

A poet complaining about "the one percent" is like a koala complaining about the taste of eucalyptus.

Oct 6

Why do you have to "copsplain" how I'm not supposed to sleep in a pile of sweaters at Sears?

Oct 4

If a job interviewer asks "If this company was TLC, who do you see yourself as?" the right answer is Kelly Rowland. #jobsearch

Oct 4

I'm looking at pictures of me at the reading last night and marvelling at how much I look like an old horse.

Sep 24

Rich or poor, poetry gives everybody a chance to celebrate the timeless beauty of elitism.

Sep 24

Don't despair, just remember all the beautiful names poets give their horses.

David McGimpsey was born and raised in Montreal. He is the author of several volumes of poetry, including the collection of sonnets Li'l Bastard (Coach House Books, 2011), which was a finalist for Canada's Governor General's Award. He teaches creative writing at Concordia University and tweets at @DaveMcgimpsey.