A plug for poet and poetics dynamo Catherine Owen’s latest endeavour, book, The Other 23 & a Half Hours: Or Everything You Wanted to Know that Your MFA Didnt’ Teach You wherein I contribute to a discussion regarding multimedia work. Love the title and agree with the assertion. I don’t regret skipping out on the academy, finding and honing my voice, practice, style. Here’s the publisher’s blurb: There’s so much more to being a poet than starving in a garret. It might be counter intuitive, but Catherine Owen believes being a writer involves much more than writing.  In this provocative book she examines the moving parts of the literary community and explains what makes it tick. Starting with reading, which Owen believes is a fundamental part of being a writer, she considers activities such as reviewing, translating, hosting radio shows and even running small presses. With over sixty interviews as well as her own experiences to draw on, Owen sketches a compelling picture of what a literary life can be. Readers will come away with a new appreciation for the dynamism of the Canadian literary scene and the inspiration to contribute to it.